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La Vague montante
"If you could tell us where the nearest spaceport is-" Brian suggested. The boy frowned, "Spaceport?"
- GenresScience Fiction
138 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1955
1 person is currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Marion Zimmer Bradley
801 books4,891 followersMarion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often with a feminist outlook.
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 17, 2016
A very good short novel that describes the return many years after has parted of a spaceship and finds at first what look a rural and primitive culture;,only after, the tripulants realices that the inhabitants of the earth have evolved to a non industial not consumist but very higth tecnological and democratic arcadia ,living in small comunities changin social and working roles. A environement sostenible society
October 7, 2022
Nouvelle donc histoire courte mais très prenante !
L'histoire des personnages sert d'analyse de la notion de progrès, et de réflexion sur l'intérêt du savoir théorique scientifique.
Hyper perturbant que cela ait été écrit en 1955, on se dit que tout était déjà dit à cette date-là, alors qu'ils n'avaient pas encore notre recul actuel.
Écrit par une femme alors que le genre de la science-fiction était très masculin à l'époque donc *-*
Avec en petit bonus quelques scènes très loufoques, comme celle de l'atterrissage sur Terre :
"... les premières minutes de l'atterrissage furent un brouhaha total.
- Ohé, on est là !
- Qui a pensé à installer ce signal ?
- Hé, je n'y vois rien ! Pas de lumière, sur cette planète ? On n'aurait pas pu atterrir du côté du jour ?
- Où, en Chine ?
- Maudite pesanteur ! Je ne peux pas marcher !
- Ellie (une voix plus impérieuse que les autres) ! Viens chercher ton foutu chat tout de suite !"
L'histoire des personnages sert d'analyse de la notion de progrès, et de réflexion sur l'intérêt du savoir théorique scientifique.
Hyper perturbant que cela ait été écrit en 1955, on se dit que tout était déjà dit à cette date-là, alors qu'ils n'avaient pas encore notre recul actuel.
Écrit par une femme alors que le genre de la science-fiction était très masculin à l'époque donc *-*
Avec en petit bonus quelques scènes très loufoques, comme celle de l'atterrissage sur Terre :
"... les premières minutes de l'atterrissage furent un brouhaha total.
- Ohé, on est là !
- Qui a pensé à installer ce signal ?
- Hé, je n'y vois rien ! Pas de lumière, sur cette planète ? On n'aurait pas pu atterrir du côté du jour ?
- Où, en Chine ?
- Maudite pesanteur ! Je ne peux pas marcher !
- Ellie (une voix plus impérieuse que les autres) ! Viens chercher ton foutu chat tout de suite !"
May 31, 2023
Un texte court, très chouette, qui parle d'utopie en dénonçant dérives de la sciences lorsqu'elle est au service du capitalisme et du colonialisme. On y retrouve aussi des thèmes politiques forts comme le refus de parvenir et l'anti-industrialisme.
Sans tomber dans un appel au primitivisme, c'est un texte intéressant, bien que daté. On y retrouve donc malheureusement des touches sexistes par moment, malgré les bonnes intentions de l'autrice.
Attention cependant, MZB était une autrice hautement problématique, c'est important de le savoir pour contextualiser son oeuvre.
Sans tomber dans un appel au primitivisme, c'est un texte intéressant, bien que daté. On y retrouve donc malheureusement des touches sexistes par moment, malgré les bonnes intentions de l'autrice.
Attention cependant, MZB était une autrice hautement problématique, c'est important de le savoir pour contextualiser son oeuvre.
June 24, 2016
La Vague montante est une nouvelle écrite par Marion Zimmer Bradley et éditée en 1952. Elle porte un regard visionnaire sur notre société. C’est terriblement actuel, son récit aussi court soit-il nous renvoi à une SF lucide, moderne et visionnaire. Les thèmes abordés font échos à des problèmes terriblement actuel comme le rejet de la croissance économique et le recours limité et pragmatique à la technologie. Même si c’est encore totalement utopique de nos jours à part quelques fous dingues (ou traité comme tel).
Dixit l’éditeur : « Alors que ces questions commencent à peine à s’imposer dans les débats politiques et médiatiques, il est passionnant de redécouvrir l’engagement idéologique et philosophique de Bradley, et de mesurer ce qui le sépare du tout venant – belliqueux ou simplement divertissant – de la SF américaine des années 1950″. Je ne peux qu’être à mille % d’accord avec cette approche de cette oeuvre.
Le prix est élevé, mais cette petite maison d’édition mérite d’être payée pour tout ses efforts. Si vous aimez Marion Zimmer Bradley, n’hésitez pas une seconde !
Dixit l’éditeur : « Alors que ces questions commencent à peine à s’imposer dans les débats politiques et médiatiques, il est passionnant de redécouvrir l’engagement idéologique et philosophique de Bradley, et de mesurer ce qui le sépare du tout venant – belliqueux ou simplement divertissant – de la SF américaine des années 1950″. Je ne peux qu’être à mille % d’accord avec cette approche de cette oeuvre.
Le prix est élevé, mais cette petite maison d’édition mérite d’être payée pour tout ses efforts. Si vous aimez Marion Zimmer Bradley, n’hésitez pas une seconde !
November 14, 2013
Très bonne novella de Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Comme toujours chez cet éditeur (Le passager clandestin), il s'agit d'un texte oublié et plus édité en France. Dans la vague montante, Marion Zimmer Bradley relate l'histoire d'une expédition d'exploration spatiale de retour sur Terre. Les réparations du vaisseau ayant pris un certain temps, ce sont les fils et filles des explorateurs originels qui constituent l'équipage du vaisseau.
En raison du voyage effectué à la vitesse de la lumière, plusieurs siècles se sont écoulés sur Terre. À leur arrivée, personne pour les accueillir, aucun contact radio. La Terre n'est pourtant pas déserte, mais la population semble avoir renoncé aux bienfaits de la science pour passer à une économie agraire.
Un joli texte sur la Science et son propos. Dommage que ces petits romans (lu en une heure, deux maxi) soient vendus si chers (sept euros), car les textes en valent la peine.
Comme toujours chez cet éditeur (Le passager clandestin), il s'agit d'un texte oublié et plus édité en France. Dans la vague montante, Marion Zimmer Bradley relate l'histoire d'une expédition d'exploration spatiale de retour sur Terre. Les réparations du vaisseau ayant pris un certain temps, ce sont les fils et filles des explorateurs originels qui constituent l'équipage du vaisseau.
En raison du voyage effectué à la vitesse de la lumière, plusieurs siècles se sont écoulés sur Terre. À leur arrivée, personne pour les accueillir, aucun contact radio. La Terre n'est pourtant pas déserte, mais la population semble avoir renoncé aux bienfaits de la science pour passer à une économie agraire.
Un joli texte sur la Science et son propos. Dommage que ces petits romans (lu en une heure, deux maxi) soient vendus si chers (sept euros), car les textes en valent la peine.
May 16, 2014
Climbing Wave is a great story by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Mankind has started to populate space. After a few hundred years the decendants of the first settlers, who had gone to Alpha Centauri send a spaceship back to Earth. What will they find, what kind of great technological advances? Or will mankind have wiped itself out?
Mankind has started to populate space. After a few hundred years the decendants of the first settlers, who had gone to Alpha Centauri send a spaceship back to Earth. What will they find, what kind of great technological advances? Or will mankind have wiped itself out?
July 20, 2019
I did not read this story in an electronic format, but rather in its first appearance in the February, 1955 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. My review of "The Climbing Wave" is excerpted, with minor changes, from my review of that issue.
********************************
"The Climbing Wave" by Marion Zimmer Bradley was listed on its original publication as a "short novel," and at fifty-three pages, it is longer than many of the stories that were labeled as novels appearing in science fiction magazines at that time.
The crew of the spaceship "Homeward" have traveled for four and a half years, going from Centaurus to Earth. This will be the first time that these people have been to Earth; it was their ancestors that had voyaged to Centaurus generations earlier. They bring news that those ancestors had found a habitable planet. They also bring an alien pet, which does not play a large part in the story.
Things on Earth are far from what the travelers expect. Society is much more rural, with almost no apparent emphasis on science. The people of the village near where the ship lands are welcoming and helpful, but not at all impressed by the voyage through space. In fact, mankind has given up all of their communities on other planets and now live solely on Earth.
Most of the space-travelers are happy to give up the regimented life necessary on the voyage. One man, Brian, and his wife Ellie continue to live in the otherwise abandoned space vessel. Brian thinks that it would be wrong for them to turn their backs on the science by which they have lived. He does begin to adapt to living on Earth, but he resents it. Eventually, previously unforeseen developments make living on Earth more satisfactory to Brian.
This is a reasonably good but rather routine tale.
********************************
"The Climbing Wave" by Marion Zimmer Bradley was listed on its original publication as a "short novel," and at fifty-three pages, it is longer than many of the stories that were labeled as novels appearing in science fiction magazines at that time.
The crew of the spaceship "Homeward" have traveled for four and a half years, going from Centaurus to Earth. This will be the first time that these people have been to Earth; it was their ancestors that had voyaged to Centaurus generations earlier. They bring news that those ancestors had found a habitable planet. They also bring an alien pet, which does not play a large part in the story.
Things on Earth are far from what the travelers expect. Society is much more rural, with almost no apparent emphasis on science. The people of the village near where the ship lands are welcoming and helpful, but not at all impressed by the voyage through space. In fact, mankind has given up all of their communities on other planets and now live solely on Earth.
Most of the space-travelers are happy to give up the regimented life necessary on the voyage. One man, Brian, and his wife Ellie continue to live in the otherwise abandoned space vessel. Brian thinks that it would be wrong for them to turn their backs on the science by which they have lived. He does begin to adapt to living on Earth, but he resents it. Eventually, previously unforeseen developments make living on Earth more satisfactory to Brian.
This is a reasonably good but rather routine tale.
January 29, 2021
Écrit il y a 66 ans, "La vague montante" est un récit qui n'est pas marqué par le temps, il reste très moderne et aborde divers sujets toujours d'actualité, notamment le rapport à la technologie à outrance et aussi à l'écologie, au bonheur que pourrait procurer une vie non contrôlée par le progrès à grande échelle, en somme, le retour à la vie simple.
Du côté scénario j'ai été captivé, un retour sur Terre d'un vaisseau colonisateur ayant mis plusieurs générations à aller jusqu'à une nouvelle Terre habitable et a en revenir, mais tout ne se passe pas comme prévu, au fil des générations et du temps très long qu'il s'est passé, les humains sur Terre ont évolués d'une façon inattendue, ce qui va entraîner les personnages et le lecteur également à se poser pas mal de questions sur l'humanité et son avenir.
Les personnages eux sont assez classiques, mais là n'est pas le principal. Le message lui est fort, et c'est ce qu'il faudra retenir, en plus d'un final assez surprenant, une vrai leçon qui captivera les amateurs de SF mais aussi les gens soucieux de l'avenir de la planète et de l'humanité.
À lire.
https://unbouquinsinonrien.blogspot.c...
Du côté scénario j'ai été captivé, un retour sur Terre d'un vaisseau colonisateur ayant mis plusieurs générations à aller jusqu'à une nouvelle Terre habitable et a en revenir, mais tout ne se passe pas comme prévu, au fil des générations et du temps très long qu'il s'est passé, les humains sur Terre ont évolués d'une façon inattendue, ce qui va entraîner les personnages et le lecteur également à se poser pas mal de questions sur l'humanité et son avenir.
Les personnages eux sont assez classiques, mais là n'est pas le principal. Le message lui est fort, et c'est ce qu'il faudra retenir, en plus d'un final assez surprenant, une vrai leçon qui captivera les amateurs de SF mais aussi les gens soucieux de l'avenir de la planète et de l'humanité.
À lire.
https://unbouquinsinonrien.blogspot.c...
January 6, 2020
I read this story a long time ago and it is amazing. I am trying to do a modern rewrite of it, and failing ... I am awed by the smoothness of the tale
September 4, 2023
Un doux récit, à rebours des imaginaires SF techno orientés, qui replace la technique là où elle se doit et redonne à l'avenir un peu de vie et d'humanité.
September 11, 2015
Neat little short story. The focus is on a group of humans who leave earth and return back years later due to inadequacies space bound. Upon return they expect to find humanity has progressed to something elite. Apparently they have, but not in the way that they expect....
Warning: SPOILER-
One thing that struck me in the story was how the society found on earth has two rules; 1) No man shall enslave another man 2) No man shall enslave himself. The surprise to me of course is that it is ok in the story to enslave animals... A reflection of societal norms indeed.
Warning: SPOILER-
One thing that struck me in the story was how the society found on earth has two rules; 1) No man shall enslave another man 2) No man shall enslave himself. The surprise to me of course is that it is ok in the story to enslave animals... A reflection of societal norms indeed.
December 3, 2019
Peu connu, très intéressant surtout pour celles et ceux qui s'intéressent au courant anti-industriel, critique du scientisme et à l'économie de subsistance. un texte de Marion Zimmer Bradley comme le disent ces éditeurs antérieur à la seconde vague féministe et aux relents patriarcaux.
Très facile et rapide à lire.
Très facile et rapide à lire.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews