Jacques Spitz

Jacques Spitz (1896–1963) was a French novelist.

Born in Nemours (Algeria), Spitz was an engineer; he wrote several science fiction novels that are astonishingly modern. Cynical, ironic, often pessimist, influenced by Surrealism, his style is reminiscent of Pierre Boulle's. Although some of his novels are remarkable, he is presently mostly forgotten and his novels are almost impossible to find, even in France. His masterworks are considered "La guerre des mouches", "L'homme élastique", and "L'œil du purgatoire" (about a man whose eyes, due to an exotic bacterium, sees things as they will appear in the future).

Spitz died in Paris.

Works

*"La Croisière Indécise", 1926.
*"La Mise en Plis", Éditions du Logis, 1928.
*"Le Vent du Monde", Gallimard, 1928.
*"Le Voyage Muet", Gallimard, 1930.
*"Les Dames de Velours", Gallimard, 1933.
*"L'Agonie du Globe", Gallimard, 1935.
*"Les Évadés de l'an 4000", Gallimard, 1936.
*"L'Homme Élastique", Gallimard Nrf, 1938, republished by Marabout in 1974.
*"La Guerre des Mouches", Gallimard, 1938, republished by Ombres in 1998.
*"L'Expérience du Dr. Mops", Gallimard, 1939, republished by Presses Pocket/Robert Laffont in 1972.
*"La Parcelle "Z", Éditions Jean Vigneau, 1942.
*"Les Signaux du Soleil", Éditions Jean Vigneau, 1943.
*"L'Œil du Purgatoire", 1945, republished by Presses Pocket/Robert Laffont in 1972.
*"La Forêt des Sept-Pies", Éditions Maréchal, 1946.
*"Albine au Poitrail", Éditions Debresse, 1956.

References

*Most of this article has been taken form the French Wikipédia article about [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Spitz Jacques Spitz] .
*Afterword of "Incubi perfetti", the Italian edition of "La guerre des mouches" and "L'homme élastique" (Mandadori, Collection Urania, n.1510, May 2006).

External links

* [http://www.noosfere.com/Icarus/Livres/niourf.asp?numlivre=-320977 A review of "L'Œil du Purgatoire" by Denis Philippe (in French)]
* [http://urgesat-elsen.blogspot.com/ An article from Figaro Littéraire of 8 April 1950 (in French)]
* [http://markus.chez-alice.fr/transition.htm A list of French science fiction authors from Jules Verne to René Barjavel (in French)]
* [http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/review_essays/sluss69.htm "French Science Fiction: The Occluded Genre"]