« La science-fiction, c’est le vrai ‹ nouveau roman › » : Les romans extraordinaires de René Barjavel entre tradition et innovation

Abstract

Like the authors of the Nouveau Roman, the French writer, journalist and scenarist René Barjavel (1911-1985) attempted with his romans extraordinaires (extraordinary novels) to adapt the French novel to the everyday reality of his time. The article focusses on three of Barjavel’s romans extraordinaires, published during the German Occupation of France and immediately after the Second World War. In his novels, Barjavel reflects on the advantages and dangers of scientific progress by referring to his own war experiences. The analysis of the three novels Ravage, Le voyageur imprudent and Le diable l’emporte shows that Barjavel employs motifs and forms similar to those used by American science fiction writers like Ray Bradbury, while remaining faithful to European literary traditions such as the Menippean satire and utopia.