Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin was a notable Russian author known for his significant contributions to science fiction, philosophy, literary criticism, and political satire. Born on 1 February 1884, Zamyatin's early life was profoundly shaped by his upbringing as the son of a Russian Orthodox priest. However, he lost his faith in Christianity at an early age and became a committed Bolshevik. Despite his active involvement in his Party's Pre-Revolutionary underground, Zamyatin's experiences of being arrested, beaten, imprisoned, and exiled led him to question the policies pursued by both the Tsarist regime and the All-Union Communist Party (b) following the October Revolution.

Zamyatin's literary work, especially his 1921 dystopian science fiction novel We, reflects his deep concerns about enforced conformity and increasing totalitarianism within the Soviet Union. We became the first work to be banned by the Soviet censorship board, marking Zamyatin as one of the first Soviet dissidents and a man of "incorruptible and uncompromising courage." His bold use of literature to satirize and criticize the Soviet regime led to his blacklisting and eventual departure from his homeland. In 1937, he died in poverty in Paris, France. Despite the Soviet Union's attempts to suppress his works, Zamyatin's writings continued to inspire generations of Soviet dissidents and have left a lasting legacy in the world of dystopian literature.