Doctor Omega
Encyclopedia
Doctor Omega is a fictional character
created by French
writer
Arnould Galopin
for his science fiction
novel
Le Docteur Oméga (1906), visibly inspired by H. G. Wells
' novels The War of the Worlds and The First Men in the Moon
.
The illustrations of Doctor Omega, in the original publication, bear a great resemblance to the first incarnation
of the Doctor
, as portrayed by William Hartnell
in the long-running BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who
.
, then later takes the reader to Mars
. The main protagonist, Doctor Omega, is the mysterious inventor of a projectile-shaped spacecraft
dubbed Cosmos which can also function on land and under water. Cosmos is 13 meters long and 3 meters in diameter. It is made from a substance called stellite or repulsite (depending on the edition) which repels space
and time
and enables it to travel in the aether
. Its interior is divided into four sections, each lit by electric lights powered by a generator run by an eight-cylinder 200 hp motor. The floors are all suspended upon universal joints in order to maintain a normal level. The portholes are made of transparent stellite. In addition to the bridge, the other sections of the ship include a storeroom, an armory, and the crew's sleeping quarters.
Doctor Omega's companions in his travels are two Frenchmen: his neighbor Denis Borel (the narrator), and his worker, the hulkish Fred (no last name given). Doctor Omega and his two companions travel to Mars, where they first land in one of the Martian seas, where they perform some underwater exploration during which they encounter phosphorescent fish and aggressive reptilian mermen. Back on the surface they are attacked by savage dwarf-like beings with long, tentacled arms. Later, they explore the Red Valley in which bat-men have developed artificial wings to cohabit with deadly snakes. They meet another race of civilized macrocephalic gnomes, and are taken before their King, in the city of Fire. They learn to communicate with these Macrocephales, and help them in their war against their Southern enemies, the Cacocytes. The Macrocephales wish to keep Doctor Omega and his companions prisoners on Mars. Doctor Omega and his companions manage to broadcast an SOS however, and are then rescued by the equally mysterious Professor Helvetius. They eventually return to Earth, with the Martian Tiziraou.
.
Doctor Omega appears in several stories in the ongoing anthology Tales of the Shadowmen
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Arnould Galopin
Arnould Galopin
Arnould Galopin was a prolific French writer with more than 50 novels to his credit. Galopin won the French Academy's Grand Prize for his Sur le Front de Mer , a critically acclaimed novel about the Merchant Navy during World War I, and wrote several equally acclaimed novels about his experiences...
for his science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Le Docteur Oméga (1906), visibly inspired by H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' novels The War of the Worlds and The First Men in the Moon
The First Men in the Moon
The First Men in the Moon is a 1901 scientific romance novel by the English author H. G. Wells. The novel tells the story of a journey to the moon undertaken by the two protagonists, the impoverished businessman Mr Bedford and the brilliant but eccentric scientist Dr. Cavor...
.
The illustrations of Doctor Omega, in the original publication, bear a great resemblance to the first incarnation
First Doctor
The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
of the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
, as portrayed by William Hartnell
William Hartnell
William Henry Hartnell was an English actor. During 1963-66, he was the first actor to play the Doctor in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
in the long-running BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Overview
The novel takes place in or around 1906, in an unidentified village in NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, then later takes the reader to Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. The main protagonist, Doctor Omega, is the mysterious inventor of a projectile-shaped spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
dubbed Cosmos which can also function on land and under water. Cosmos is 13 meters long and 3 meters in diameter. It is made from a substance called stellite or repulsite (depending on the edition) which repels space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
and time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
and enables it to travel in the aether
Luminiferous aether
In the late 19th century, luminiferous aether or ether, meaning light-bearing aether, was the term used to describe a medium for the propagation of light....
. Its interior is divided into four sections, each lit by electric lights powered by a generator run by an eight-cylinder 200 hp motor. The floors are all suspended upon universal joints in order to maintain a normal level. The portholes are made of transparent stellite. In addition to the bridge, the other sections of the ship include a storeroom, an armory, and the crew's sleeping quarters.
Doctor Omega's companions in his travels are two Frenchmen: his neighbor Denis Borel (the narrator), and his worker, the hulkish Fred (no last name given). Doctor Omega and his two companions travel to Mars, where they first land in one of the Martian seas, where they perform some underwater exploration during which they encounter phosphorescent fish and aggressive reptilian mermen. Back on the surface they are attacked by savage dwarf-like beings with long, tentacled arms. Later, they explore the Red Valley in which bat-men have developed artificial wings to cohabit with deadly snakes. They meet another race of civilized macrocephalic gnomes, and are taken before their King, in the city of Fire. They learn to communicate with these Macrocephales, and help them in their war against their Southern enemies, the Cacocytes. The Macrocephales wish to keep Doctor Omega and his companions prisoners on Mars. Doctor Omega and his companions manage to broadcast an SOS however, and are then rescued by the equally mysterious Professor Helvetius. They eventually return to Earth, with the Martian Tiziraou.
Editions
- Librairie Mondiale, Paris, 1906. Illustrated by E. Bouard.
- Reprinted under the title Les Chercheurs d'Inconnu: Aventures Fantastiques d'un Jeune Parisien (Seekers of the Unknown: The Fantastic Adventures of a Young Parisian) as 12-issue pulp magazinePulp magazinePulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
by Tallandier, Paris, Nos. 1-9, 1908; Nos. 10-12, 1909. For that edition, Galopin changed the name of the ship to "Excelsior" and the substance to "stellite". He also rewrote and expanded several chapters and tried to appeal to a more juvenile audience. - Albin Michel, Paris, 1949. Illustrated by Rapeno. This is a reprint of the first edition.
- Black Coat Press, Los Angeles, 2003. Adapted and retold by Jean-Marc LofficierJean-Marc LofficierJean-Marc Lofficier is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comic books and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier .-Biography:Jean-Marc Lofficier was born in Toulon, France in 1954...
& Randy Lofficier. Cover by Gil FormosaGil FormosaGil Formosa is a French cartoonist and an illustrator.-Biography:Gil Formosa entered by comics world in 1977 at the age of 18, he created four short stories for Pilote magazine. He also began the heroic fantasy series 'Légendes du Chevalier Cargal' in this magazine in 1982. The series ran until 1989...
. ISBN 0-9740711-0-2 does not contain any illustrations; ISBN 0-9740711-1-0 (Collector's Edition) contains a selection of illustrations by Bouard from the first edition. This edition is a free translation, or adaptation, of the first French edition. The credit adapted and retold was first coined by Philip José FarmerPhilip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
for his 1976 adaptation of the J.-H. RosnyJ.-H. RosnyJ.-H. Rosny was the pseudonym of the brothers Joseph Henri Honoré Boex and Séraphin Justin François Boex , both born in Brussels. Together they wrote a series of novels and short stories about natural, prehistoric and fantasy subjects, published between 1886 and 1909, as well as several popular...
novel Ironcastle. In this instance, some plot inconsistencies were removed or fixed; some scientific notions were updated or corrected; some racist or inappropriate language was deleted. Further, homages and references to the fictional characters Arsène LupinArsène LupinArsène Lupin is a fictional character who appears in a book series of detective fiction / crime fiction novels written by French writer Maurice Leblanc, as well as a number of non-canonical sequels and numerous film, television such as Night Hood, stage play and comic book adaptations.- Overview :A...
, Dr. Caresco, and MadelineMadelineMadeline is a children's book series written by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian author. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series and a live action feature film...
were inserted. Additionally, references were added to imply that Doctor Omega was the DoctorDoctor (Doctor Who)The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
from Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, mainly because of the coincidental - but real - similarities between the two characters (especially the First DoctorFirst DoctorThe First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
, played by William HartnellWilliam HartnellWilliam Henry Hartnell was an English actor. During 1963-66, he was the first actor to play the Doctor in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
from 1963-1966). Frequent Doctor Who writer Terrance DicksTerrance DicksTerrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :...
provided a foreword, and the cover illustration was changed to one similar to the 1973 Target BooksTarget BooksTarget Books was a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became well known for their highly successful range of...
novelization of The DaleksThe DaleksThe Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from 21 December 1963 to 1 February 1964...
. - Riviere Blanche, France, 2009. Reprint of the first edition, with selected illustrations from Bouard and Rapeno, with a new foreword by Jean-Marc LofficierJean-Marc LofficierJean-Marc Lofficier is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comic books and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier .-Biography:Jean-Marc Lofficier was born in Toulon, France in 1954...
, and French translations of Terrance Dicks' foreword and stories by Chris RobersonChris Roberson (author)Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...
, Matthew Baugh, Travis Hiltz and Serge LehmanSerge LehmanSerge Lehman is the main pseudonym of the French science fiction writer Pascal Fréjean. He has won the Prix Rosny-Aîné with the novel F.A.U.S.T. and in short fiction with Dans l'abîme and Origami. F.A.U.S.T also won the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire...
featuring Dr. Omega; cover by Gil Formosa. - Black Cat Press, USA, 2011. New, unabridged English translation. Includes the original illustrations by E. Bouard.
Other appearances
Doctor Omega is mentioned and Tiziraou appears in a panel of The New Traveler's Almanac of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume IIThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II is a comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, published under the America's Best Comics imprint of DC Comics...
.
Doctor Omega appears in several stories in the ongoing anthology Tales of the Shadowmen
Tales of the Shadowmen
Tales of the Shadowmen is an annual anthology of short stories edited by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier, published by . As of 2010, seven volumes have been released, with a eighth slated for late 2011...
.
External links
- The French Wold Newton Universe - Doctor Omega
- Black Coat Press, American publisher of Doctor Omega
- Black Cat Press, Doctor Omega included in its Conquest of Space reprint series.