Escarpit, Robert
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.
(1918-2000) French academic, Information Theory pioneer, author, and journalist known for satirical pieces in such magazines as Le Monde, Le Matin and Sud-Quest. He is of sf interest for Le littératron; roman picaresque (1964; trans Peter Green as The Novel Computer: A Picaresque Novel 1966), a Satire centred on the Invention of a literary Computer – or rather, a software-cum-database system which analyses language. Suitably primed, this "Literatron" (see Wordmills) proves capable of generating monstrously banal yet election-winning Political platforms, bestselling novels (one wins the National Literary Prize) and even Comic strips. The satire is primarily directed at a research grants system which, it is argued, prioritizes "sexy" and publicity-generating projects over potentially useful ones.
Further works by Escarpit include 1980s children's books [not listed below] illustrated by himself. [DRL]
Robert Escarpit
born Saint-Macaire, France: 24 April 1918
died Langon, France: 19 November 2000
works (highly selected)
- Le littératron; roman picaresque (Paris: Flammarion, 1964) [binding unknown/]
- The Novel Computer: A Picaresque Novel (London: Secker and Warburg, 1966) [trans by Peter Green of the above: hb/Colin Andrews]
links
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