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Boussenard, Louis

Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.

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(1847-1910) French physician and author in various genres whose popular scientific romances, which have some speculative content, often appeared in Le Journal des Voyages. He remains of greatest genre interest for Les secrets de Monsieur Synthèse ["The Secrets of Mr Synthesis"] (1888-1889 Journal des Voyages; 1888) and its sequel, 10,000 ans dans un bloc de glace (17 August-26 October 1889 Journal des Voyages; 1889; trans John Paret as 10,000 Years in a Block of Ice 1898; both trans Brian Stableford together as Monsieur Synthesis omni 2013), in which the Mad Scientist protagonist initially attempts to impose accelerated Evolution on the human race, which apparently causes his death; but awaking in the sequel aeons hence from Suspended Animation (see Sleeper-Awakes), Monsieur Synthesis discovers a unified world-Utopia circling the equator and peopled by small men – Cerebrals – who are descended from Chinese and Black Africans and can teleport themselves (see Teleportation). Some form of Communication with Mars is possible. All remaining whites have been enslaved (see Slavery; Yellow Peril). It has been noted by Pierre Versins that in this work Boussenard displays – astonishingly for this period of European history – almost no racial prejudice as such against non-whites (see Race in SF).

A later tale, Monsieur ... Rien!: Aventures extraordinaires d'un homme invisible ["Mr ... Nothing!: Extraordinary Adventures of an Invisible Man"] (1907 chap), features a man capable of becoming invisible (see Invisibility), who terrorizes the Tsar's security police; this attitude may account, at least in part, for Boussenard's great popularity in Russia. He is nearly forgotten in English-language countries. [JC]

see also: Cryonics; France.

Louis Henri Boussenard

born Escrennes, Loiret, France: 4 October 1847

died Orléans, France: 11 September 1910

works (selected)

series

Monsieur Synthese

  • Les secrets de Monsieur Synthèse ["The Secrets of Mr Synthesis"] (Paris: C Marpon and F Flammarion, 1888) [first appeared 1888 La Science Illustrée: Monsieur Synthese: illus/Ch Clérice: hb/nonpictorial]
  • 10,000 ans dans un bloc de glace (Paris: C Marpon and F Flammarion, 1888) [first appeared 17 August-26 October 1889 La Science Illustrée: Monsieur Synthese: illus/Ch Clérice: hb/nonpictorial]
    • 10,000 Years in a Block of Ice (New York: F Tennyson Neely, 1898) [trans by John Paret of the above: Monsieur Synthese: hb/]
    • Monsieur Synthesis (Encino, California: Hollywood Comics/Black Coat Press, 2013) [trans by Brian Stableford of the above two: introduction by translator: Monsieur Synthese: pb/David Lecossu]

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