French science fiction
Encyclopedia
French science fiction is a substantial genre of French literature
. It remains an active and productive genre which has evolved in conjunction with anglophone
science fiction and other French
and international literature.
and aliens can be found in Cyrano de Bergerac
's Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon (1657) and Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle
's Entretien sur la Pluralité des Mondes (1686). Voltaire
's 1752 short stories Micromégas
and Plato's Dream
are particularly prophetic of the future of science fiction.
Also worthy of note are Simon Tyssot de Patot
's Voyages et Aventures de Jacques Massé (1710), which features a Lost World
, La Vie, Les Aventures et Le Voyage de Groenland du Révérend Père Cordelier Pierre de Mésange (1720), which features a Hollow Earth
, Louis-Sébastien Mercier
's L'An 2440 (1771), which depicts a future France, and Nicolas-Edmé Restif de la Bretonne
's La Découverte Australe par un Homme Volant (1781) notorious for his prophetic inventions.
Other notable proto-science fiction authors and works of the 18th and 19th century include:
However, modern French science fiction, and arguably science fiction as a whole, begins with Jules Verne
, the author of many of the classics of science fiction.
World War I
brought an end to this early period. Where the rapid development of science and technology during the late 19th century motivated the optimistic works of these early science fiction authors, the horrors of industrialised warfare and specifically the application of advanced technologies in such a destructive manner made many French authors more pessimistic about the potential of technological development.
Between the two world wars, Rosny aîné published his masterpiece Les Navigateurs de l'Infini (1924), in which he invented the word "astronautique". There were a few notable new authors during the period:
's Ravage (1943) and Pierre Boulle
's Planet of the Apes (1963) are widely known examples.
This period of decrease of French science fiction (abbreviated SF) is known to many as a "golden age" of English-language and particularly American science fiction. When French science fiction began reappearing strongly after World War II
, it was the themes and styles of Anglophone science fiction which served as an inspiration for new works. The first genre magazine, Fiction, at first a translation of F&SF, was begun during 1953.
The major genre imprint of the 1950s and 1960s publishing translations of American novels was Le Rayon Fantastique published by Hachette and Gallimard, and edited by George Gallet and Stephen Spriel. Nevertheless, Le Rayon Fantastique helped begin the careers of a number of native authors:
During 1951, publisher Fleuve Noir initiated Anticipation, a paperback series devoted mostly to French authors which released a steady series of pulp
-like novels. Among its authors were:
Later, many major names of French science fiction were printed first by that imprint.
Another series, Présence du Futur, was initiated during 1954 by publisher Denoël. Among its authors were:
During this era, there was very little mainstream critical interest for French SF. French cinema, however, proved to be more successful for science fiction. Jean-Luc Godard
's 1965 film Alphaville—a thriller and satire of French politics—was the first major example of French "New Wave
" science fiction.
Unlike American science fiction, space travel
was not the major theme for the post-1968 French authors. A new generation of French writers, who had few memories of the horrors of the past two generations, were inspired by the transformation of France during the post-war era. Especially after May 1968, French SF authors wrote about political and social themes in their works. Authors like Michel Jeury, Jean-Pierre Andrevon and Philippe Curval began to attract acclaim for their redevelopment of a genre which, at the time, was still considered primarily a juvenile entertainment.
During the 1970s, comics
began to be important for French SF. Métal Hurlant
—the French magazine that "spun off" the American magazine Heavy Metal
— began developing the possibilities of science fiction as a source for comics
. Graphic novel
s are now a major— if not the major— outlet for French science fiction production today.
During the 1980s, French authors began to consider science fiction as appropriate for experimental literature. The influence of postmodernism
on literature and the development of cyberpunk
themes catalysed a new body of French SF, near the end of the decade: the so-called "Lost Generation" (represented by such writers as Claude Ecken, Michel Pagel, Jean-Marc Ligny or Roland C. Wagner)
At present, French SF is particularly well represented by graphic novels, and a number of titles are printed annually. As in most of the developed world, magazine culture has decreased dramatically because of the internet, but a number of French SF magazines remain in print, including Bifrost
, Galaxies and Solaris
. Despite the space opera
revival of the beginning of the 1990s (Ayerdhal, Serge Lehman, Pierre Bordage, Laurent Genefort) the influence from English language science fiction and movies has diminished considerably since the "Lost Generation", while the influence of animation, video games and other international science fiction traditions (German, Italian) has increased. The influence of Japanese manga
and anime
has also been particularly noticeable during recent years for graphic formats.
is an annual award for French-language science fiction.
Other Awards for French-language science fiction (non exclusively) include or have includes the Prix Apollo (1972–1990), the Prix Bob Morane (1999- ), the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire
(1974- ), the Prix Julia Verlanger (1986- ), the Prix Jules Verne (1927–1933; 1958–1963), the Prix Ozone (1977–2000) and the Prix Tour Eiffel (1997–2002).
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
. It remains an active and productive genre which has evolved in conjunction with anglophone
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
science fiction and other French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and international literature.
Proto science fiction before Jules Verne
As far back as the 17th century, space explorationSpace exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
and aliens can be found in Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac
Hercule-Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French dramatist and duelist. He is now best remembered for the works of fiction which have been woven, often very loosely, around his life story, most notably the 1897 play by Edmond Rostand...
's Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon (1657) and Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle
Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle
Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle , also called Bernard Le Bouyer de Fontenelle, was a French author.Fontenelle was born in Rouen, France and died in Paris just one month before his 100th birthday. His mother was the sister of great French dramatists Pierre and Thomas Corneille...
's Entretien sur la Pluralité des Mondes (1686). Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
's 1752 short stories Micromégas
Micromégas
"Micromégas" is a short story by the French philosopher and satirist Voltaire. It is a significant development in the history of literature because it originates ideas which helped create the genre of science fiction....
and Plato's Dream
Plato's Dream
Plato's Dream is a short story written in the 18th century by the French philosopher and satirist Voltaire. Along with Voltaire's 1752 short story Micromégas, Plato's Dream is considered by many to be one of the earliest works in the genre of science fiction.Plato's Dream is a pointed...
are particularly prophetic of the future of science fiction.
Also worthy of note are Simon Tyssot de Patot
Simon Tyssot de Patot
Simon Tyssot de Patot was a French writer who penned two very important, seminal works in fantastic literature. Tyssot was born in England of French Huguenot parents...
's Voyages et Aventures de Jacques Massé (1710), which features a Lost World
Lost World (genre)
The Lost World literary genre is a fantasy or science fiction genre that involves the discovery of a new world out of time, place, or both. It began as a subgenre of the late-Victorian imperial romance and remains popular to this day....
, La Vie, Les Aventures et Le Voyage de Groenland du Révérend Père Cordelier Pierre de Mésange (1720), which features a Hollow Earth
Hollow Earth
The Hollow Earth hypothesis proposes that the planet Earth is either entirely hollow or otherwise contains a substantial interior space. The hypothesis has been shown to be wrong by observational evidence, as well as by the modern understanding of planet formation; the scientific community has...
, Louis-Sébastien Mercier
Louis-Sébastien Mercier
Louis-Sébastien Mercier was a French dramatist and writer.-Early life and education:He was born in Paris to a humble family: his father was a skilled artisan who polished swords and metal arms. Mercier nevertheless received a decent education.-Literary career:Mercier began his literary career by...
's L'An 2440 (1771), which depicts a future France, and Nicolas-Edmé Restif de la Bretonne
Nicolas-Edme Rétif
Nicolas-Edme Rétif or Nicolas-Edme Restif , also known as Rétif de la Bretonne, was a French novelist. The term retifisme for shoe fetishism was named after him.-Biography:...
's La Découverte Australe par un Homme Volant (1781) notorious for his prophetic inventions.
Other notable proto-science fiction authors and works of the 18th and 19th century include:
- Jean-Baptiste Cousin de GrainvilleJean-Baptiste Cousin de GrainvilleJean-Baptiste François Xavier Cousin De Grainville was a French writer who wrote a seminal work of fantasy literature: Le Dernier Homme...
's Le Dernier Homme (1805) about the Last Man on Earth. - Historian Félix Bodin's Le Roman de l'Avenir (1834) and Emile SouvestreÉmile SouvestreÉmile Souvestre was a French novelist who was a native of Morlaix, Finistère.He was the son of a civil engineer and was educated at the college of Pontivy, with the intention of following his father's career by entering the Polytechnic School...
's Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera (1846), two novels which try to predict what the next century will be like. - Louis GeoffroyLouis GeoffroyLouis Geoffroy was the pseudonym of Louis-Napoléon Geoffroy-Château, a French writer who penned a one of the earliest works of work of alternate history: Histoire de la Monarchie universelle: Napoléon et la conquête du monde [Napoleon And The Conquest Of The World] .In it Napoleon subdues Russia...
's Napoleon et la Conquête du Monde (1836), an alternate historyAlternate history (fiction)Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...
of a world conquered by Napoleon. - C.I. Defontenay's Star ou Psi de Cassiopée (1854), an Olaf StapledonOlaf StapledonWilliam Olaf Stapledon was a British philosopher and author of several influential works of science fiction.-Life:...
-like chronicle of an alien world and civilization. - Astronomer Camille FlammarionCamille FlammarionNicolas Camille Flammarion was a French astronomer and author. He was a prolific author of more than fifty titles, including popular science works about astronomy, several notable early science fiction novels, and several works about Spiritism and related topics. He also published the magazine...
's La Pluralité des Mondes Habités (1862) which speculated on extraterrestrial life.
However, modern French science fiction, and arguably science fiction as a whole, begins with Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
, the author of many of the classics of science fiction.
After Jules Verne
The first few decades of French science fiction produced several renowned names of literature. Not only Jules Verne, but also:- Louis Boussenard, a successor of Verne.
- Didier de Chousy, who wrote Ignis (1883), a novel where an inventor tries to tap the energy from the centre of the earth in a dystopian society dominated by technology.
- Arnould GalopinArnould GalopinArnould 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...
, creator of Doctor OmegaDoctor OmegaDoctor Omega is a fictional character created by French writer Arnould Galopin for his science fiction novel Le Docteur Oméga , visibly inspired by H. G...
(1906). - Paul d'Ivoi, author of the Vernian Voyages Excentriques and creator of Pulp heroes Lavarède and Docteur Mystère (1900).
- André LauriePaschal GroussetJean François Paschal Grousset was a French politician, journalist, translator and science fiction writer. Grousset published under the pseudonyms of André Laurie, Philippe Daryl, Tiburce Moray and Léopold Virey.Grousset was born in Corte, Corsica, and studied medicine before commencing a...
, another successor of Verne. - Georges Le Faure & Henri de Graffigny, who sent their heroes explore the Solar System in Les Aventures Extraordinaires d'un Savant Russe (1888)
- Gustave Le RougeGustave Le RougeGustave Henri Joseph Le Rouge was a French writer who embodied the evolution of modern science fiction at the beginning of the 20th century, by moving it away from the juvenile adventures of Jules Verne and incorporating real people into his stories, thus bridging the gap between Vernian and...
, author of Le Prisonnier de la Planète Mars (1908) and Le Mystérieux Docteur Cornélius (1913). - Albert RobidaAlbert RobidaAlbert Robida was an illustrator, etcher, lithographer, caricaturist, and novelist. He edited and published La Caricature magazine for 12 years. Through the 1880s he wrote an acclaimed trilogy of futuristic novels...
, a writer and an artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, arguably the "father" of science fiction illustration. - Maurice RenardMaurice Renard-Overview:Maurice Renard was born in Châlons-en-Champagne.He was the author of the archetypal mad scientist novel Le Docteur Lerne - Sous-Dieu [Dr. Lerne - Undergod] , which he dedicated to H. G. Wells...
, a Wellsian writer, author of Le Docteur Lerne (1908) and Le Péril Bleu (1910) - J.-H. Rosny aînéJ.-H. Rosny aînéJ.-H. Rosny aîné was the pseudonym of Joseph Henri Honoré Boex , a French author of Belgian origin who is considered one of the founding figures of modern science fiction. Born in Brussels in 1856, he wrote in the French language, together with his younger brother Séraphin Justin François Boex...
, born in BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the father of "modern" French science fiction, a writer also comparable to H. G. WellsH. G. WellsHerbert 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...
, who wrote the classic Les Xipehuz (1887) and La Mort de la Terre (1910).
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
brought an end to this early period. Where the rapid development of science and technology during the late 19th century motivated the optimistic works of these early science fiction authors, the horrors of industrialised warfare and specifically the application of advanced technologies in such a destructive manner made many French authors more pessimistic about the potential of technological development.
Between the two world wars, Rosny aîné published his masterpiece Les Navigateurs de l'Infini (1924), in which he invented the word "astronautique". There were a few notable new authors during the period:
- Régis Messac, for QuinzinzinziliQuinzinzinziliQuinzinzinzili is a science fiction novel written in 1935 by the French author Régis Messac .This was one of the first post-cataclysmic novels....
(1935). - José Moselli, for La fin d'Illa (1925).
- Jacques SpitzJacques SpitzJacques Spitz was a French novelist.Born in Nemours , Spitz was an engineer; he wrote several science fiction novels which were greatly influential in European science fiction. Cynical, ironic, often pessimist, influenced by Surrealism, his style is reminiscent of Pierre Boulle's...
, for La guerre des mouches (1938). - René Thévenin for Chasseurs d'Hommes (1930) and Sur l'Autre Face du Monde (1935), the latter under a pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
.
After World War II
Until the late 1950s, relatively little French science fiction was published, and what was published was often very pessimistic about the future of humanity, and frequently was not advertised as "science fiction" at all. René BarjavelRené Barjavel
René Barjavel was a French author, journalist and critic who may have been the first to think of the grandfather paradox in time travel. He was born in Nyons, a town in the Drôme department in southeastern France...
's Ravage (1943) and Pierre Boulle
Pierre Boulle
Pierre Boulle was a French novelist largely known for two famous works, The Bridge over the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes .-Biography:...
's Planet of the Apes (1963) are widely known examples.
This period of decrease of French science fiction (abbreviated SF) is known to many as a "golden age" of English-language and particularly American science fiction. When French science fiction began reappearing strongly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was the themes and styles of Anglophone science fiction which served as an inspiration for new works. The first genre magazine, Fiction, at first a translation of F&SF, was begun during 1953.
The major genre imprint of the 1950s and 1960s publishing translations of American novels was Le Rayon Fantastique published by Hachette and Gallimard, and edited by George Gallet and Stephen Spriel. Nevertheless, Le Rayon Fantastique helped begin the careers of a number of native authors:
- Francis Carsac
- Philippe CurvalPhilippe CurvalPhilippe Curval is the pseudonym of Philippe Tronche , a French journalist and science fiction writer.He first became of interest in 1962 and in 1977 won the Prix Apollo for Cette chère humanité He is also known for his works of science fiction criticism and as an editor.-External links:...
- Daniel Drode
- Michel JeuryMichel JeuryMichel Jeury is a French science fiction writer, reputed in the 1970's. He also used the pseudonym of Albert Higon.-Biography:Michel Jeury was born in Razac-d'Eymet....
(writing under the pseudonym of "Albert Higon") - Gérard KleinGérard KleinGérard Klein , known also as Gilles d'Argyre, is a French science fiction writer with sociological training.He is the editor of the prestigious science fiction series Ailleurs et Demain published by Robert Laffont and of the Le Livre de poche science-fiction imprint.In his novella Les virus ne...
- Nathalie HennebergNathalie HennebergNathalie Henneberg was a French science fiction writer, a precursor of modern French heroic fantasy. She was married to, and collaborated with, Charles Henneberg zu Irmelshausen Wasungen .-Literary biography:...
During 1951, publisher Fleuve Noir initiated Anticipation, a paperback series devoted mostly to French authors which released a steady series of pulp
Pulp magazine
Pulp 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...
-like novels. Among its authors were:
- Pierre BarbetPierre BarbetPierre Barbet was the main pseudonym used by French science fiction writer and pharmacist Claude Avice. Claude Avice also used the pseudonyms of Olivier Sprigel and David Maine...
- Richard BessièreRichard BessièreRichard Bessière is a French author of science fiction and espionage novels. His œuvre, particularly abundant, was published primarily by publisher Fleuve Noir....
- B.-R. Bruss (aka Roger Blondel, pseudonyms of René Bonnefoy)
- André CaroffAndré CaroffAndré Caroff was a French author of science fiction and horror. His œuvre, particularly abundant, was published primarily by publisher Fleuve Noir....
- Jimmy Guieu
- Gérard Klein (writing under the pseudonym of "Gilles d'Argyre")
- Maurice LimatMaurice LimatMaurice Limat was a French author of science fiction.His œuvre, particularly abundant, was published primarily by publisher Fleuve Noir...
- André RuellanAndré RuellanAndré Ruellan is a French science fiction and horror writer who has also used the pseudonym of Kurt Steiner, Kurt Wargar and André Louvigny.-Overview:...
(writing under the pseudonym of "Kurt Steiner") - Louis Thirion
- Stefan WulStefan WulStefan Wul was the nom de plume of French science fiction writer Pierre Pairault . He was a dental surgeon, but science fiction was his real passion. Most of his books reflect that, showing a deep knowledge of scientific data...
Later, many major names of French science fiction were printed first by that imprint.
Another series, Présence du Futur, was initiated during 1954 by publisher Denoël. Among its authors were:
- Jean-Pierre AndrevonJean-Pierre AndrevonJean-Pierre Andrevon is a French science fiction author. He has used the pseudonym Alphonse Brutsche for novels published under the Fleuve Noir label. In addition to his regular authorship, he has written scenarios for several prominent comics artists, among others Georges Pichard and Caza,...
- Jean-Louis CurtisJean-Louis CurtisJean-Louis Curtis , pseudonym of Louis Laffitte, was a French novelist best known for his second novel The Forests of the Night , which won France's highest literary award the Prix Goncourt in 1947. He has authored over 30 novels.Curtis was born in Orthez, Pyrénées-Atlantiques...
- Gérard Klein
- Jacques SternbergJacques SternbergJacques Sternberg was a French-language writer of science fiction andfantastique.-Biography:...
- Jacques ValleeJacques ValléeJacques Fabrice Vallée is a venture capitalist, computer scientist, author, ufologist and former astronomer currently residing in San Francisco, California....
(writing under the pseudonym of "Jérôme Sériel")
During this era, there was very little mainstream critical interest for French SF. French cinema, however, proved to be more successful for science fiction. Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
's 1965 film Alphaville—a thriller and satire of French politics—was the first major example of French "New Wave
New Wave (science fiction)
New Wave is a term applied to science fiction produced in the 1960s and 1970s and characterized by a high degree of experimentation, both in form and in content, a "literary" or artistic sensibility, and a focus on "soft" as opposed to hard science. The term "New Wave" is borrowed from the French...
" science fiction.
Unlike American science fiction, space travel
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
was not the major theme for the post-1968 French authors. A new generation of French writers, who had few memories of the horrors of the past two generations, were inspired by the transformation of France during the post-war era. Especially after May 1968, French SF authors wrote about political and social themes in their works. Authors like Michel Jeury, Jean-Pierre Andrevon and Philippe Curval began to attract acclaim for their redevelopment of a genre which, at the time, was still considered primarily a juvenile entertainment.
During the 1970s, comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
began to be important for French SF. Métal Hurlant
Métal Hurlant
Métal Hurlant is a French comics anthology of science fiction and horror comics stories, created in December 1974 by comics artists Jean Giraud and Philippe Druillet together with journalist-writer Jean-Pierre Dionnet and financial director Bernard Farkas.The four were collectively known as "Les...
—the French magazine that "spun off" the American magazine Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
— began developing the possibilities of science fiction as a source for comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
. Graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s are now a major— if not the major— outlet for French science fiction production today.
During the 1980s, French authors began to consider science fiction as appropriate for experimental literature. The influence of postmodernism
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is a philosophical movement evolved in reaction to modernism, the tendency in contemporary culture to accept only objective truth and to be inherently suspicious towards a global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from the...
on literature and the development of cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
themes catalysed a new body of French SF, near the end of the decade: the so-called "Lost Generation" (represented by such writers as Claude Ecken, Michel Pagel, Jean-Marc Ligny or Roland C. Wagner)
At present, French SF is particularly well represented by graphic novels, and a number of titles are printed annually. As in most of the developed world, magazine culture has decreased dramatically because of the internet, but a number of French SF magazines remain in print, including Bifrost
Bifrost (magazine)
Bifrost is a French science fiction magazine that is published every three months. It was first published in April 1996....
, Galaxies and Solaris
Solaris (magazine)
Solaris is a Canadian francophone science-fiction and fantasy magazine.Founded in 1974 in Longueuil by Norbert Spehner, Solaris is the oldest French language science-fiction and fantasy magazine in the world.- Description of the content :...
. Despite the space opera
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
revival of the beginning of the 1990s (Ayerdhal, Serge Lehman, Pierre Bordage, Laurent Genefort) the influence from English language science fiction and movies has diminished considerably since the "Lost Generation", while the influence of animation, video games and other international science fiction traditions (German, Italian) has increased. The influence of Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
has also been particularly noticeable during recent years for graphic formats.
Other notable French science fiction authors, post-World War II
- G.-J. ArnaudGeorges-Jean Arnaud-Biography:Arnaud was born in Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, Camargue, Gard.He made his first appearance in the Anticipation science fiction imprint of French publisher Fleuve Noir in 1971 with Les Croisés de Mara [The Crusaders Of Mara] the first volume of a trilogy entitled Chroniques de la Longue...
- AyerdhalAyerdhalAyerdhal , a French science fiction writer, was born 1959 in Lyon, France. He received the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire in 1993 for his novel Demain une oasis and is considered one of the leading names in the current generation of French science fiction authors...
- Pierre BordagePierre BordagePierre Bordage is a French science fiction author. He won the Cosmos 2000 prize in 1996 for his novel La Citadelle Hyponéros.Pierre Bordage is one of France's best-selling science fiction writers...
- Serge BrussoloSerge BrussoloSerge Brussolo is a French writer.-Biography:Born in Paris, Brussolo had a tormented childhood. He studied letters and psychology and wrote his first texts very early, finding inspiration in his misery and disturbed family environment...
- Richard CanalRichard CanalRichard Canal is a French science fiction writer who has won the Prix Rosny-Aîné twice. He has also written a thriller titled La Route de Mandalay. He is noted for an interest in Africa and has taught there.-External links:*...
- Maurice G. Dantec
- Michel Demuth
- Sylvie DenisSylvie DenisSylvie Denis is a French science fiction writer. She is also a translator and co-edited the magazine "Cyberdreams."-Bibliography:These include:*Jardins virtuels Pézilla-la-Rivière: DLM, c1995. ISBN 2877950697...
- Dominique Douay
- Jean-Claude DunyachJean-Claude DunyachJean-Claude Dunyach is a French science fiction writer.-Overview:Dunyach has a Ph.D. in applied mathematics and supercomputing. He works for Airbus in Toulouse in southwestern France....
- Claude EckenClaude EckenClaude Ecken is a French science fiction writer. He was born in Alsace in 1954.-Novels:* La mémoire totale * L'univers en pièce * La peste verte * Auditions coupables...
- Jean-Pierre Fontana
- Yves FremionYves FremionYves Fremion is a French author and former editor of the French science fiction magazine Univers. He has also edited a number of anthologies and has worked for the comic and humour magazine Fluide Glacial...
- Laurent GenefortLaurent GenefortLaurent Genefort is a French science fiction writer. He was born in 1968. Considered one of the great writers of Space Opera, he wrote more than 30 novels and was quickly noticed for his ability to create realistic alien worlds and civilizations...
- Philippe GoyPhilippe GoyPhilip Goy. also written Philippe Goy is a French science fiction writer. He is a photographer under his real name, but he writes under the pseudo-pen name Philip Goy...
- Johan HéliotJohan HeliotJohan Heliot is the pseudonym used by Stéphane Boillot-Cousin, a French science fiction writer. He is known for imaginative stories and has also does juvenile literature. One of his stories was translated into English for The Mammoth Book of New Jules Verne Adventures.In 2001 he won the Prix...
- Joël HoussinJoël HoussinJoël Houssin is a French author of science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction. Two of his novels have won the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire. He also wrote the film Dobermann, based on his series of police novels, and created the crime/fantasy TV series "David Nolande".-External links:...
- Emmanuel JouanneEmmanuel JouanneEmmanuel Jouanne was a French science fiction writer who won the Prix Rosny-Aîné twice. His first novel came out in 1982. He has collaborated with Yves Fremion on a series of political science fiction and was a member of a writer group called "Limite." He is also noted in France for translations...
- 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...
- Jean-Marc LignyJean-Marc LignyJean-Marc Ligny is a French science fiction writer. He began in 1978 and went on to win both the Prix Rosny-Aîné and the Prix Tour Eiffel de Science-Fiction. He has done notable works of cyberpunk and space opera...
- Xavier MauméjeanXavier MauméjeanXavier Mauméjean is a French writer born in 1963. He teaches philosophy at a college in Valenciennes, Northern France.-Books in French:* Les Mémoires de l'Homme-Eléphant, Le Masque * Gotham, Le Masque...
- Michel PagelMichel PagelMichel Pagel is a French science fiction and fantasy writer. He is also a translator. He was first published in the fanzine Espace-Temps in 1977. He is the writer of two series; Les Flammes de la nuit and La Comédie inhumaine, as well as several novels...
- Pierre PelotPierre PelotPierre Pelot , is a French science fiction writer. Born on November 13, 1945, in Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle, Vosges, France.-Overview:...
(writing under the pseudonym of "Pierre Suragne") - Julia Verlanger (writing under the pseudonym of "Gilles Thomas")
- Élisabeth VonarburgÉlisabeth VonarburgÉlisabeth Vonarburg is a science fiction writer. She was born in Paris and has lived in Chicoutimi , Quebec, Canada since 1973....
- Roland C. Wagner
- Daniel Walther
- Bernard WerberBernard WerberBernard Werber is a French science fiction writer active since the 1990s.-Novels:His style of writing mixes different literary genres, notably the saga, the science fiction of the inter-war years, and tracts of philosophy.In most of his novels, Bernard Werber uses the same form of construction,...
- Joëlle WintrebertJoëlle WintrebertJoëlle Wintrebert is a French writer. She primarily writes science fiction, but also writes children's literature and journalism. She has won the Prix Rosny-Aîné three times, first in 1980...
Literary awards
The Prix Rosny-AînéPrix Rosny-Aîné
The Prix Rosny-Aîné is a literary prize for French science fiction. It has been awarded annually since 1980 in two categories: best novel and best short fiction.-Best Novel Winners:*1980 : Michel Jeury, for Le territoire humain...
is an annual award for French-language science fiction.
Other Awards for French-language science fiction (non exclusively) include or have includes the Prix Apollo (1972–1990), the Prix Bob Morane (1999- ), the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire is a French award for speculative fiction. It originally had the word "science fiction" in the name, but this has since been dropped.-French novel:* 1974 : Michel Jeury, Le Temps incertain...
(1974- ), the Prix Julia Verlanger (1986- ), the Prix Jules Verne (1927–1933; 1958–1963), the Prix Ozone (1977–2000) and the Prix Tour Eiffel (1997–2002).