About the book: 1966 / The characters in the books of Professor Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences A. Malakhov are very unusual. These are amazing landscape jaspers with a unique fairy-tale pattern and volcanic lava, scary-headed lizards and gray nondescript stones of city pavements. And all these unusual heroes are united by the author’s desire to discover in their destinies ways to solve the big problems of modern science. Deep and versatile knowledge helps the author find unique artistic means and expressive images for his fascinating stories. With the help of five seemingly unremarkable stones found in different parts of our country, he told, for example, about the secrets of the earth’s bowels hidden “Under the Cover of the Mantle” (that’s the title of one of A. Malakhov’s books). Readers also fell in love with other books by this author: “One Hundred Professions of a Geologist”, “Stories about Stone”. “Riot of minerals”, “L5 - symmetry of life”. In the latter, Professor Malakhov put forward hypotheses about the origin of life. A. Malakhov borrows the plots of his stories, essays, and novellas from nature. During his wanderings, he learned the mysterious language of rivers and forests, comprehended how a stone captured the roar of volcanic explosions for millions of years, how modest steppe pebbles brought to us the roar of the waves of a now non-existent sea. While conducting extensive research work, A. Malakhov finds time for a variety of popularization activities. He acts as a lecturer and film scriptwriter, debates with the “church fathers” and works as a science fiction author. Everything that A. Malakhov writes about bears the stamp of his experiences and therefore captivates with lyricism and emotionality.