Lumen (Early Classics of Science Fiction) [Hardcover]

Camille Flammarion (Author), Brian Stableford (Editor, Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002 | Series: Early Classics of Science Fiction

One of the first science fiction novels to describe alien life forms.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Initially published in 1872 and here translated for the first time into English, this French SF classic employs Plato's philosophical dialogue form to unite 19th-century science with boldly imaginative fictional narrative. A noted astronomer and science popularizer, Flammarion (1842-1925) speculates on the relative nature of space and time, anticipating by three decades Einstein's theory of relativity. That the author was also fascinated by psychic "research" comes through in the five lively "conversations" that comprise the text between Questor ("Seeker") and the recently dead Lumen ("Light"), whose soul roams the universe while instructing his avid pupil. Bolstered by Stableford's able introduction, voluminous notes and a comprehensive bibliography, this short novel survives the first two didactic and repetitive conversations to burst pyrotechnically into the sheerest poetry when Lumen describes the indescribable: sentient entities on unheard-of worlds linked by psychic bonds that draw souls into successive reincarnations across the abyss of intergalactic space and time. This early work illuminates the human aspiration to overcome mortality, occasionally reflecting a genuine spark of the divine, as when Lumen muses, "What voice is more eloquent than the silence of a starlit night?"

Review

"Bolstered by Stableford's able introduction, voluminous notes and a comprehensive bibliography, this short novel survives the first two didactic and repetitive conversations to burst pyrotechnically into the sheerest poetry when Lumen describes the indescribable: sentient entities on unheard-of worlds linked by psychic bonds that draw souls into successive reincarnations across the abyss of intergalactic space and time."--Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Wesleyan; Trans. from the French edition (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0819565679
• ISBN-13: 978-0819565679
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,536,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short But Highly Influential, December 27, 2005

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Dave_42 "Dave_42" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lumen (Early Classics of Science Fiction) (Paperback)

"Lumen" by Camille Flammarion is the third book in the Early Classics of Science Fiction series from Wesleyan University Press. First published as part of Flammarion's "Stories of Infinity" collection in 1872, Lumen is one of the first examples of science fiction exploring the different nature of alien life forms. Camille Flammarion was an Astronomer, who helped to popularize science. He was a founder of the Société Astronomique de France and the first president of that organization.

It is the story of conversations between the spirit (Lumen) of a recently deceased man and Quaerens, a still living man who is seeking answers about the nature of the universe. Flammarion touches on subjects such as relativity (before Einstein), the speed of light and sound, the continuation of the human spirit after death, and the variation of alien life forms on different worlds. As one might expect, given the advances in science since it was written, there are certainly many mistakes in his thinking. However, this is still a remarkable work, and one which can be appreciated for its influence on the genre of science fiction. I would not be surprised if Olaf Stapledon had read this, as there are clear similarities between "Lumen" and Stapledon's "Star Maker".

This is a very short work, only 117 pages long, but it is supplemented with a through set of notes, and a superb introduction by Brian Stableford who provided a new translation for this edition.