Gilles Thomas
Encyclopedia
Gilles Thomas and Julia Verlanger were pseudonym
s of the female French science fiction
writer
whose real name was Éliane Taïeb, maiden name Grimaître (December 7, 1929 – September 3, 1985).
where humanity is no longer restricted to the Earth as its only habitat. This has been described as a "History of the future beneath the surface" by French science fiction scholar André-François Ruaud ("Histoire du Futur en filigrane") because, while almost no allusions are made to the process which led man to conquer other planets in Thomas' novels, the galactic backdrop remains ever present even on a medieval world.
. Created by her husband after her death, it is awarded by a jury of which he was the president until his death. The current president is Roland C. Wagner. The two most recent books to receive the prize are La voie du sabre by Thomas Day (2003) and Haute-École by Sylvie Denis
(2004).
The novel Les cages de Beltem by Gilles Thomas received the Prix Julia Verlanger in 1996. The decision to award a prize named for one of Héliane Taïeb's pen name
s (under which name she published La flûte de verre froid) to a novel by her other pseudonym was taken by the jury because of the lack of quality of the works published in that year in the eligible categories.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s of the female French science fiction
French science fiction
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....
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....
whose real name was Éliane Taïeb, maiden name Grimaître (December 7, 1929 – September 3, 1985).
Commentary
Apart from a cycle of three post-apocalyptic novels (L'autoroute sauvage, La mort en billes and L'île brûlée), all Gilles Thomas' novels take place in a fictional universeFictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
where humanity is no longer restricted to the Earth as its only habitat. This has been described as a "History of the future beneath the surface" by French science fiction scholar André-François Ruaud ("Histoire du Futur en filigrane") because, while almost no allusions are made to the process which led man to conquer other planets in Thomas' novels, the galactic backdrop remains ever present even on a medieval world.
Prix Julia Verlanger
The Prix Julia Verlanger, run by the Fondation de France, is awarded annually to a science fiction work of adventure, fantasy or fantastiqueFantastique
The Fantastique is a French term for a literary and cinematic genre that overlaps with science fiction, horror and fantasy.The fantastique is a substantial genre within French literature...
. Created by her husband after her death, it is awarded by a jury of which he was the president until his death. The current president is Roland C. Wagner. The two most recent books to receive the prize are La voie du sabre by Thomas Day (2003) and Haute-École by Sylvie Denis
Sylvie Denis
Sylvie 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...
(2004).
The novel Les cages de Beltem by Gilles Thomas received the Prix Julia Verlanger in 1996. The decision to award a prize named for one of Héliane Taïeb's pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
s (under which name she published La flûte de verre froid) to a novel by her other pseudonym was taken by the jury because of the lack of quality of the works published in that year in the eligible categories.