René Barjavel
Encyclopedia
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. He is best known as a science fiction
author, whose work often involved the fall of civilisation due to technocratic hubris and the madness of war, but who also favoured themes emphasising the durability of love.
René Barjavel wrote several novels with these themes, such as Ravage
(translated as Ashes, ashes), Le Grand Secret, La Nuit des temps
(translated as The Ice People), and Une rose au paradis
. His writing is poetic, dreamy and sometimes philosophical. Some of his works have their roots in an empirical and poetic questioning of the existence of God
(notably La Faim du tigre). He was also interested in the environmental heritage which we leave to future generations. Whilst his works are rarely taught in French schools, his books are very popular in France.
Barjavel wrote Le Voyageur imprudent (1943), the first novel to present the famous Grandfather paradox
of time travel: if one goes backwards in time and kills one of their ancestors before he had children, the traveller cannot exist and therefore cannot kill the ancestor.
Barjavel died in 1985 and was buried with his ancestors in Tarendol cemetery, opposite Mount Ventoux in Provence
. He used these place names in his books; Mount Ventoux appears as the site of the space base in Colomb de la lune, for example, and Tarendol is the name of the hero in the eponymous novel.
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...
author, journalist and critic who may have been the first to think of the grandfather paradox
Grandfather paradox
The grandfather paradox is a proposed paradox of time travel first described by the science fiction writer René Barjavel in his 1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent . The paradox is this: suppose a man traveled back in time and killed his biological grandfather before the latter met the traveler's...
in time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
. He was born in Nyons
Nyons
Nyons is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-History:Nyons was settled in the 6th century BC as Nyrax by a Gallic tribe, probably the Segusiavi or the Sequani...
, a town in the Drôme
Drôme
Drôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution...
department in southeastern France. He is best known as a 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...
author, whose work often involved the fall of civilisation due to technocratic hubris and the madness of war, but who also favoured themes emphasising the durability of love.
René Barjavel wrote several novels with these themes, such as Ravage
Ravage (novel)
Ravage is a science fiction novel written by René Barjavel, set in 2052 France. It was first published in 1943 by Denoël. The English title is Ashes, ashes...
(translated as Ashes, ashes), Le Grand Secret, La Nuit des temps
La Nuit des temps
The Ice People is a 1968 French science fiction novel by René Barjavel.-Plot:When a French expedition in Antarctica reveals the ruins of a 900,000 year old civilization, scientists from all over the world flock to the site to help explore and understand...
(translated as The Ice People), and Une rose au paradis
Une rose au paradis
Une rose au paradis is a science-fiction novel written by René Barjavel, and first published in 1981.Buried far beneath what used to be Paris, the last members of the human race live in an automated shelter. They are Mr. and Mrs. Jonas, their twin teenage children Jim and Jil, and Mr...
. His writing is poetic, dreamy and sometimes philosophical. Some of his works have their roots in an empirical and poetic questioning of the existence of God
Existence of God
Arguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, scientists, and others. In philosophical terms, arguments for and against the existence of God involve primarily the sub-disciplines of epistemology and ontology , but also of the theory of value, since...
(notably La Faim du tigre). He was also interested in the environmental heritage which we leave to future generations. Whilst his works are rarely taught in French schools, his books are very popular in France.
Barjavel wrote Le Voyageur imprudent (1943), the first novel to present the famous Grandfather paradox
Grandfather paradox
The grandfather paradox is a proposed paradox of time travel first described by the science fiction writer René Barjavel in his 1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent . The paradox is this: suppose a man traveled back in time and killed his biological grandfather before the latter met the traveler's...
of time travel: if one goes backwards in time and kills one of their ancestors before he had children, the traveller cannot exist and therefore cannot kill the ancestor.
Barjavel died in 1985 and was buried with his ancestors in Tarendol cemetery, opposite Mount Ventoux in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
. He used these place names in his books; Mount Ventoux appears as the site of the space base in Colomb de la lune, for example, and Tarendol is the name of the hero in the eponymous novel.
See also
- L'Étrange Désir de monsieur BardL'Étrange Désir de monsieur BardL'Étrange Désir de monsieur Bard , is a French drama film from 1954, directed by Géza von Radványi, written by Géza von Radványi, starring Michel Simon and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Michel Simon : Auguste Bard* Yves Deniaud : Antonio...
(film, 1954) - Goubbiah, mon amourGoubbiah, mon amourGoubbiah, mon amour is a French romance drama film from 1956, directed by Robert Darène, written by René Barjavel, starring Jean Marais. The scenario was based on a novel of Jean Martet...
(film, 1956)
External links
- Barjaweb (French languageFrench languageFrench 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...
) - Cinéma total (French languageFrench languageFrench 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...
)