228:
a perpetual state of fatigue and nervous stimulation, overstressed to the point of debility and illness. Again, Robida was not alone in suggesting that improved technologies of communication might increase friction between nations, thus increasing the likelihood of armed conflict—and the commercial opportunities thus created for arms dealers—especially in combination with dramatic increases in population facilitated by technology, but he was unusual in depicting such matters as routine aspects of everyday life, virtually taken for granted.
289:
when he and his bride embark on a pre-nuptial journey, Philox Lorris employs his colleague
Sulfatin to break the relationship of the couple. Instead of the tour over the factories and scientific laboratories suggested by Philox Lorris and intended to fatigue the young pair, George takes Estelle and Sulfatin to a quiet village whose inhabitants resist modern technology and live in the traditions of the 19th century.
326:: he took the tapes out to a chilly air last night. Due to this unforeseen circumstance, the video concert is going to be stopped in the middle. However, Estelle had taken the copies of the tapes for her personal enjoyment, and since the copies have not been affected by the cold air, she is able to replace the originals with them after which the concert continues with great success.
188:
been realized, it may have seemed more farcical in 1892 than it does now. Robida was only extrapolating visible trends in constructing his image of the future, but he probably assumed that he was extrapolating them to absurd extremes. On the other hand, modern readers can see that he did not go as far as he might have done in certain instances.
224:
nineteenth century took the combination of those devices to the extreme that he did in imagining a future where most communication would take place electrically by means of what he calls “la plaque du télé”, or the Tele screen, which would also serve as significant inputs of home entertainment, relaying music and theatrical performances.
231:
The notion that weapons of war would become increasingly sophisticated was also commonplace in French speculative fiction by 1892 — although it had not yet arrived in
English-language fiction to any significant extent—and the idea that common-or-garden explosives might soon be supplemented and partly
227:
Other nineteenth-century writers also anticipated the rapid and enormously expansive development of technology in association with big business and envisaged drastic changes to the pace of everyday life in consequence, but no one else envisaged a state of affairs in which almost everyone might be in
187:
is most savagely critical of the way the world appeared to the author to be going, at least partially, and even when it eventually settles more contentedly into blatant and unrepentant farce, it retains a trenchant black edge. However, given that so many of its sarcastic anticipations have actually
317:
them on a political level, he organizes a large party at his house to which he invites various dignitaries, including Arsène de
Marettes, a prominent political figure. George is asked to collect the video-recordings of the greatest singers and performers of the past and play them for the audience.
288:
family. George is planning to marry
Estelle, a plan which encounters opposition from his father. The latter wants to marry George to either La Doctoresse Bardoz or La Senatrice Coupard, de la Sarthe, either of which is a woman of great accomplishments. George insists on his original intention, and
259:
was still more than a decade away in 1892.) That assumption leads to corollary architectural fancies with regard to the construction of the houses of the future and technologies of traffic control. If one leaves aside the focus on airships, what is being suggested—radically, at the time—is that in
296:
of the body due to an intensive mental work during his lifetime. Despite the instructions of Philox Lorris, Sulfatin does not meddle in the relationship of George and
Estelle, apparently trying to make his boss disinherit George. This would make Sulfatin the sole successor of the great scientist.
334:
ensues; and many people including Philox Lorris and
Sulfatin are poisoned. Luckily, the weapon is not lethal, and only incapacitates the affected. The house of Philox Lorris is transformed into a hospital where the guests (named the martyrs of the science in newspapers) occupy sick-beds. Philox
239:
Even in 1892, French speculative fiction abounded with caricatures of scientific geniuses whose turns of mind were very different from those of everyone else, especially with regard to the sentimental side of life. Robida's Philox Lorris is not at all unworldly in matters of business and is a
223:
was still a fanciful one, the idea of “broadcasting” even more so. Robida was by no means the only writer to anticipate a glorious future for electric lighting, domestic power supplies, phonographs and telephones—even telephones augmented with visual apparatus — but no one else writing in the
338:
Philox Lorris has an idea: he tries the vaccine on himself and in two days recovers completely. He repeats the application of the vaccine on the rest of the sick and achieves the desired effect. This makes a phenomenal advertisement of the vaccine which is immediately accepted as
301:
where George excels and advances in esteem of his bride even further. When George returns from his trip, more than ever convinced in the rightness of his decision to marry
Estelle, his father becomes furious. Still, Philox Lorris believes he can alter the choice of his son.
329:
Meanwhile, Philox Lorris explains his inventions to politicians. Sulfatin who is assisting him with the demonstrations, confuses the health vaccine with the biological weapon and lets some of the latter escape into the room where the guests are gathered.
240:
relentlessly efficient opportunist, well aware of the power of advertising and the necessity of having friends in parliament; in that sense, he is not merely a symbol of science, but of the close alliance of science with what is nowadays known as the
232:
displaced by poison gases was already familiar, but no one other than Robida described in such detail, and with such sardonic vitriol, the day when the chemical artillery would be in danger of being rendered redundant in its turn by the
343:
on a national level. George marries
Estella, and Philox Lorris has to save his face before La Doctoresse Bardoz and La Senatrice Coupard, de la Sarthe having previously offered the hand of George to both. He escapes the looming
260:
the twentieth century, large numbers of people will have their own private vehicles, and that houses, public buildings and the environment in general will have to undergo sweeping changes in order to accommodate those vehicles.
127:
Philox Lorris into his plot. A great emphasis is put on how the new technology has transformed the French society and individual lives of people. The novel is written in a lively tone and contains many
280:
An electric storm raging in France as a result of the breakdown at one of the electric stations accidentally puts in contact George Lorris and
Estelle Lacombe who meet each other via the
379:- a device that has the form of a large ovoid screen that is capable of transmitting visual information. In the novel it combines the capabilities of the modern TV, VCR and webcam.
318:
Unfortunately, as the party begins and the videos are played out, the sound quality turns out to be mediocre. The voices recorded on the tapes sound as if their owners caught a
426:. The idea that the biological weapons will kill the weak and only temporarily incapacitate the healthy (thus selecting the people who are more fit for the propagation of the
183:
as an afterthought which added little that was new to the image of life in the mid-twentieth century and was milder in its satire. Of the three major elements of the series,
251:
The most significant specific element of non-resemblance is the fact that virtually all traffic in Robida's twentieth century is air traffic, and most of that consists of
284:. George, a lieutenant of the French army in the corps of chemical engineers, is the only son of the great scientist and inventor Philox Lorris. Estelle belongs to a
195:
was only fourteen years old and the cylinders employed by early manufacturers had yet to be replaced by the flat disks employed when the machine mutated into the
452:
The harmful consequences of science going out of control: for example, the electric storm created by the malfunction at one of the electric stations and the
123:. It aims to describe various aspects of life in France in 1955. Robida weaves the scientific work and technological advances made by the illustrious French
179:
for the roman scientifique section of the magazine with that specific brief. The author subsequently added a fourth long story to the series in the novella
244:: the real driving force of technological development and diehard enemy of what may be considered moral progress. Of course, there are aspects of
534:
163:
from 28 November 1891 to 30 July 1892 and published in book form by La
Librairie Illustrée in 1892. It was advertised as a continuation of the
511:
539:
335:
Lorris and Sulfatin quarrel, but soon notice that Adrien La Héronnière recently cured by Sulfatin by the vaccine is immune to the poison.
482:
471:
544:
549:
203:
had been patented only a year before the phonograph, and it too was still in its infancy in 1891. Although patents for
529:
348:
by managing to marry La Senatrice Coupard, de la Sarthe to Sulfatin and La Doctoresse Bardoz to Adrien La Héronnière.
241:
292:
Sulfatin takes along on a journey his ward and patient, an invalid Adrien La Héronnière who is suffering from the
256:
437:
281:
264:
no longer qualifies as a work of futuristic fiction and cannot really qualify even as an exercise in
204:
453:
265:
220:
419:
340:
306:
370:
Le phonographe - a device through which two people can talk at a distance and reminiscent of a
507:
478:
467:
323:
298:
293:
252:
50:
414:
113:
68:
364:
Les tubes - a form of transportation operating above the city and reminiscent of modern
376:
248:
that appear erroneous in retrospect if the novel is mistakenly construed as prophecy.
523:
365:
212:
172:
120:
97:
30:
285:
133:
319:
216:
208:
313:
that is meant to give boost to one's health. To promote these achievements and
390:
196:
192:
141:
394:
371:
269:
200:
137:
124:
442:
The debilitating effect that an intensive mental labor can have on humans
410:
314:
431:
383:
345:
310:
423:
386:
that serve for individual transportation and can move through the air
305:
Philox Lorris is working on his two novel scientific applications: a
129:
436:
The importance of scientific education and increasing complexity of
446:
427:
331:
236:, equipped with all the latest custom-designed microbial weapons.
116:
297:
Philox Lorris seeing the failure of his plans, engages George in
207:
had been granted previously, it was not until the 1880s that
422:, praised as a humane alternative to a traditional military
219:
had only recently been detected in 1886, and the notion of
132:
situations. The original French edition included multiple
405:
Among the social phenomena predicted in the novel are:
449:
forces on Europe in 1941 (la grande invasion chinoise)
92:
84:
74:
64:
56:
46:
36:
26:
191:When Robida began writing the novel in 1891, the
140:style reflecting Robida's other occupation as a
8:
136:drawn by the author which are executed in a
21:
20:
504:The Cambridge History of Science Fiction
215:developed commercially viable products.
495:
356:The technological devices mentioned in
413:of women and the creation of feminine
358:Le Vingtième siècle. La vie électrique
109:Le Vingtième siècle. La vie électrique
41:Le Vingtième Siècle. La vie électrique
506:. Cambridge University Press. p. 61.
234:corps medical offensive medical corps
171:, and was presumably commissioned by
7:
268:, but it can and does qualify as a “
360:and non-existent in 1890 include:
14:
155:by Albert Robida, translated as
477:Elibron Classics series, 2006.
466:Elibron Classics series, 2006.
255:(of course, the development of
167:sequence which had begun with
1:
535:French science fiction novels
119:written by the French author
98:La Guerre au vingtième siècle
322:. This is due to Sulfatin's
540:1890 science fiction novels
242:military-industrial complex
16:1890 novel by Albert Robida
566:
456:of the biological weapons
389:Sous-marine - a military
393:reminiscent of a modern
502:Canavan, Gerry (2018).
382:Hélicoptère, aéronef -
257:heavier-than-air flight
545:Works by Albert Robida
352:Technological devices
438:scientific knowledge
205:electric light bulbs
177:La Science illustrée
161:La Science Illustrée
159:, was serialized in
550:Fiction set in 1955
266:alternative history
221:wireless telegraphy
169:Le Vingtième siècle
37:Original title
23:
530:1890 French novels
420:Biological warfare
299:military maneuvers
253:dirigible airships
181:Un Potache en 1950
512:978-1-31-669437-4
415:political parties
377:Le téléphonoscope
324:absent-mindedness
307:biological weapon
262:La Vie électrique
246:La Vie Électrique
185:La Vie électrique
153:La Vie électrique
105:
104:
85:Publication place
557:
514:
500:
445:The invasion of
401:Social phenomena
235:
175:, the editor of
165:Vingtième siècle
93:Preceded by
76:Publication date
51:Brian Stableford
24:
565:
564:
560:
559:
558:
556:
555:
554:
520:
519:
518:
517:
501:
497:
492:
463:
461:Recent editions
403:
354:
278:
233:
150:
114:science fiction
77:
69:Science fiction
17:
12:
11:
5:
563:
561:
553:
552:
547:
542:
537:
532:
522:
521:
516:
515:
494:
493:
491:
488:
487:
486:
475:
462:
459:
458:
457:
450:
443:
440:
434:
417:
402:
399:
398:
397:
387:
380:
374:
368:
353:
350:
282:téléphonoscope
277:
274:
149:
146:
103:
102:
94:
90:
89:
86:
82:
81:
78:
75:
72:
71:
66:
62:
61:
58:
54:
53:
48:
44:
43:
38:
34:
33:
28:
22:Electric Life
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
562:
551:
548:
546:
543:
541:
538:
536:
533:
531:
528:
527:
525:
513:
509:
505:
499:
496:
489:
484:
483:0-543-90535-7
480:
476:
473:
472:0-543-90536-5
469:
465:
464:
460:
455:
451:
448:
444:
441:
439:
435:
433:
430:) borders on
429:
425:
421:
418:
416:
412:
408:
407:
406:
400:
396:
392:
388:
385:
381:
378:
375:
373:
369:
367:
366:rapid transit
363:
362:
361:
359:
351:
349:
347:
342:
336:
333:
327:
325:
321:
316:
312:
308:
303:
300:
295:
290:
287:
283:
275:
273:
271:
267:
263:
258:
254:
249:
247:
243:
237:
229:
225:
222:
218:
214:
213:Thomas Edison
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
189:
186:
182:
178:
174:
173:Louis Figuier
170:
166:
162:
158:
157:Electric Life
154:
147:
145:
143:
139:
135:
134:illustrations
131:
126:
122:
121:Albert Robida
118:
115:
111:
110:
101:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
73:
70:
67:
63:
59:
55:
52:
49:
45:
42:
39:
35:
32:
31:Albert Robida
29:
25:
19:
503:
498:
411:emancipation
404:
357:
355:
337:
328:
304:
291:
286:middle class
279:
276:Plot summary
261:
250:
245:
238:
230:
226:
190:
184:
180:
176:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
151:
142:caricaturist
112:(1890) is a
108:
107:
106:
96:
40:
18:
474:(paperback)
272:” fantasy.
217:Radio waves
209:Joseph Swan
524:Categories
490:References
485:(hardback)
428:human race
391:watercraft
294:exhaustion
197:gramophone
193:phonograph
148:Background
47:Translator
395:submarine
372:telephone
270:steampunk
201:telephone
138:satirical
125:scientist
384:vehicles
346:lawsuits
57:Language
454:leakage
447:Chinese
432:fascism
341:panacea
311:vaccine
510:
481:
470:
424:combat
309:and a
199:. The
100:
88:France
60:French
27:Author
332:Panic
315:lobby
130:comic
117:novel
65:Genre
508:ISBN
479:ISBN
468:ISBN
409:The
320:cold
211:and
80:1891
526::
144:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.