The Twentieth Century (Early Classics of Science Fiction) [Paperback]

Albert Robida (Author), Arthur B. Evans (Editor), Philippe Willems (Translator, Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Early Classics of Science Fiction | Publication Date: March 17, 2004

The Twentieth Century--a unique blend of objets d'art and pulp fiction, science fiction and satire--was initially published in 1882 to great acclaim. Abundantly illustrated by the author, the story presents a panorama of society in the century to come. The story opens in the spring of 1952 as Helene Colobry, niece of mega-banker Raphael Ponto, has just graduated from a private provincial school and needs to find a career. This highly original futuristic fantasy is a cross between "The Jetsons" and the novels of Charles Dickens: it focuses on the daily life of a bourgeois family living in the technology-driven world of tomorrow--where trips to the market are made by aircar and where women argue politics with their husbands via videophone. The book opened new frontiers in speculative fiction with its superb graphics and its evocative text.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Although largely forgotten now, the French writer Albert Robida was a pioneer of science fiction. ...(H)is 1882 roman d'anticipation The Twentieth Century (is) a funny, sometimes cynical, frequently prophetic soap opera about a young woman who embarks upon a career search in the future worlds of 1952, gets caught up in a revolutionary struggle, and winds up having a brand-new continent named after her...."--Joshua Glenn, Boston Sunday Globe

Review

"The Twentieth Century is the literary equivalent of discovering King Tut's tomb and marveling that such wonderful things were there for all these years but concealed. Wesleyan's edition will allow us to see at last one of France's hidden treasures." (Paul Alkon, Professor of English, University of Southern California )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 434 pages
• Publisher: Wesleyan (March 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0819566802
• ISBN-13: 978-0819566805
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #931,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Robida's social commentary is still relevant today, May 3, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Twentieth Century (Early Classics of Science Fiction) (Paperback)

In his remarkable science fiction novel, The Twentieth Century, the late Albert Robida (1848-1926) attempted to predict what life would be like in decades composing the 20th Century. He envisioned women dueling over gossip columns, Italy transforming into a kind of "European Park"; and the continental United States dived into Chinese spheres in the west and Germanic spheres in the east. Part of the outstanding "Early Classics of Science Fiction" series from Wesleyan University Press, The Twentieth Century is translated into English by Philippe Willems and is enhanced with more than 300 original drawings by Robida. More than 120 years have passed since this remarkable novel's first appearance. What is perhaps most amazing of all is how much of Robida's social commentary is still relevant today. The Twentieth Century is highly recommended reading, especially for anyone who enjoys the kind of speculative and political science fiction commentaries that H.G. Wells and Jules Verne were so noted for.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Early Science Fiction Looks Into The Future, August 21, 2011

By 

Dave_42 "Dave_42" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Twentieth Century (Early Classics of Science Fiction) (Paperback)

Jules Verne is often viewed as one of the creators of the genre of Science Fiction, but there is another French author who is mistakenly overlooked for his contributions. Albert Robida produced the incredible "Le Vingtième Siecle" ("The Twentieth Century") which was published in 1883. Robida's future is full of wonderful inventions and predictions, some of which are very accurate (tourism, pollution, etc.) and some of which were nowhere near the mark. Also included are Robida's illustrations, and Robida is, perhaps, the first SF artist. Regardless, Robida's imagination is a good partner for Verne's Voyages Extrodinaires which Verne attempted to keep well grounded in what was definitely possible.

This edition of "The Twentieth Century" by Albert Robida from Wesleyan University Press is the First English Edition of the book, and as far as I am concerned is the best of their "Early Classics of Science Fiction" series thus far. The eleventh book in this excellent series brings together an exciting and interesting work which has never had an English Translation before with a superb introduction and supporting documentation that make this a real five-star effort. I have loved this series from the start, so it was certainly not a given that this would be the best of the first eleven books in the series.

"The Twentieth Century" opens in the year 1952 and is focused on Hélène Colobry, the niece of banker Raphael Ponto. The story follows Hélène's search for what she wants to do, with her uncle pushing her in different directions. Not surprisingly, a key factor in the story is the environment, and Robida envisions some wondrous technology and some massive political and societal changes in the seventy years between when he wrote the work and when it takes place.

Among the predictions which amaze are: the world becoming media saturated, with news and entertainment merging and advertisements dominating broadcasts. He was a bit early in his prediction, but it is continuing to become more and more accurate. The tunnel under the British Channel is a very specific prediction which also came true later. Telecommunications are another prediction, though not as bold since the Telephone was in existence at the time, just nowhere near as predominate as Robida makes it, and Robida does predict the merging and homogenizing of cultures, as well as the dominance of multinational corporations.

Predictions that have yet to come true are the total equality of women in the workplace, and of course Robida's political predictions are very far out there, with the Chinese taking half the U.S., and Germany the other half, with a Mormon state squeezed between the two. He also has Italy turning into an amusement park, and other large changes as well. Oddly enough he does predict the Chinese civil war, but given the rest of his predictions are so far off it is difficult to give him much credit for that. Nevertheless, his attempts are an early example of including politics in an SF novel.

All in all, this is a wonderful example of early science fiction, from an author who is largely unknown to those who do not read French. Philippe Willems contributes an excellent introduction as well as a superb translation. One can only hope that Wesleyan uses the same team to provide an English translation of "La Guerre au Vingtième Siècle" (1887) and "Le Vingtième Siècle. La Vie Électrique" (1890) which would add tremendously to both the series as well as the awareness of Robida's works. No doubt about this book, it is definitely a five-star effort.