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Demain, les origines
Demain, les origines est un roman de science-fiction ambitieux qui mêle fresque historique, mythologie et dystopie. Il se déroule dans un monde futuriste où l'humanité a été remodelée après un effondrement écologique et social. Le récit s'intéresse à l'apparition de nouvelles civilisations et à leur quête pour comprendre leur passé et leur futur.
563 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2025
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May 1, 2026
"Demain, les origines" must be Christian Chavassieux's most epic work to date, even it's a reworking of something that was previously released in several parts, if I understood that correctly. It's also my third encounter with the man's bibliography. I previously enjoyed "Les Nefs de Pangée" (review) and "Je suis le rêve des autres" (review). My expectations for his latest book were therefore sky high.
In some interviews, Mr Chavassieux mentioned that "Demain, les origines" is the prequel of a novel he wrote several years ago, "Mausolées", but one can read both works independently. As aforementioned, "Demain, les origines" is a reworking of its previous version, not only shortened, but the various stories don't follow the original order. This is most apparent for the last story, "Livre de Syrrha", which was now put at the end of the book, but that also breaks the chronology of the whole. I can confirm that, as, on the one hand, the story reads as an addendum without clear links or references to the previous chapters or "stories". On the other hand, it's a matter of interpretation by the reader: some may indeed have a bit of difficulty connecting it which was preceded, others may be perfectly fine with this story put at the end.
"Demain, les origines" is a geopolitical, dystopian story, set in the second half of the 21st century. Europe is experiencing an ecological disaster, with severe consequences: war, famine, energy problems (petroleum shortage, nuclear reactors not maintained, ...), food supplies in danger, and peoples of different faiths (here Christianity vs Islam) being set up against one another, families ripped apart, ... Self-reliance is key, the state won't or can no longer offer support for those in need. It's a matter of the West vs the East, France vs Russia (or the USSR of old), with the dictator (Modkine) of the East trying to conquer the West. Police control the streets, but are aided by or even replaced by soldiers, without forgetting rebel formations. Journalists don't exist any more, it's now up to the "watcheurs" and "watcheuses" to bring the news, based on facts. In short, as if influencers have replaced the classic journalists and press.
It all begins with a small farming community trying to sell its harvest in the city, but is controlled by a military patrol. As the world has become more chaotic, so has language. The philosopher who's with the farmer is a little too expressive about the whole situation and unfortunately pays too heavy a price, as the military patrol abuses its power. They decide who is allowed to proceed and who isn't, no matter the existing laws.
People can also come to this one farm and buy food. One day, a group of teenagers arrives with a particular type of machine gun, very rare and only used by a specific group of soldiers. The farm community does not want this as a form of payment, they know it will cost them dearly if the military finds out. Alas, before they can even undertake anything to avoid the worst, the worst will have found them. Not to mention that giving back the body of the philosopher to his relatives didn't go as planned. It could have gone well, but as the situation caused even more stress and anxiety, the farm was in even more trouble now.
And that's when a woman wants revenge for what the military police have done to so many innocent people, ruining the farm and its community. Drastic measures have to be taken, such behaviour cannot be left unpunished. Said woman, taking up all her courage, go out, try to go undercover and confront the soldier who's responsible for the mess that was caused. It would be quite an ordeal, one that would change her life, as she would be, unknowingly and not having been careful enough, part of a secret genetic project. Mentally, but not in the least physically. And those scenes are brutal, Mr Chavassieux didn't hold back, or just a bit. Not for the faint of heart.
This genetic project would not go as smoothly as expected or desired, because of political decisions, but also scientific outcomes no one ever expected to happen. Grace, the woman who sought revenge for the death of her partner, Malik, with whom she had a son with the same name, would be at the centre of it. Also to her surprise. But determined as she was, Grace would press on until she had the answers she was looking for and until wrong was put aright. Her survival and actions would soon be known with many people, and this would lead to Grace being considered as the new Messiah. Grace would also be known as Grace Vœux and even Christosa, as a reference to Christ and his resurrection. She would gain a massive following of people believing in her and that she could lead them out of their misery.
Not only would Christosa (Grace) look to avenge her husband's death, but also want to know what happened to her son, whom she entrusted to her sister. Malik would be known later as Robur, as he would much later be adopted by a "normal" family, which already had a daughter. The meeting of mother and son turned out to be a bit awkward, as she hadn't been there to feed him, help him grow up, bond with him. The circumstances were just too horrible for a child to grow up in. Fortunately and despite everything both of them went through (), both would indeed reunite, yet realise that their lives were both too different to remain together. However, the renewed connection (and separation) resulted in both having the same ideals, but in their own, respective ways.
Politics play a crucial role in this story. We have a dictator, Doline (derived from De Holine), who can be compared to the former Soviet dictator Stalin. There's Hennolier, who has performed operations on Grace, and who's to roll out Doline's doctrine. Despite that, he would help Grace one way r another, as he was blown away by the fact that his experiments worked and that Grace survived the operations. The capitalistic Chinese-German alliance called Huan-Bayer is involved in the "research" commanded by Doline and Hennolier. This project was based around transhumanism, symbioses, ...
There were also concentration camps for Muslims. Yes, religion has always has a political side and if you look at the past decades, Islam and Muslims vs Christianity has been and still divides people. Just look at the current war in the Middle East.
Despite the misery that is caused on a grand scale, the world continues to turn. Not everyone is suffering, especially the rich and wealthy are not in the least concerned, as investments and tourism continue to flourish.
While "Demain, les origines" follows some chronological order, the last part (or "book") was supposed to be added between earlier chapters. But author and editor decided to set "Livre de Syrrha" apart from the others for the sake of interpretation after having read the main stories. It is also quite a separate story, if you ask me. I found it hard to link it with what had preceded in those 400 pages. These last 60 pages focus on books, on reading, on libraries. What does it mean, to read to write? How important are books and libraries? What if they all disappeared in a dystopian world set up by Doline and Hennelier? Or, as probably was the basis for this story, what if World War 2 had had a different ending and not brought freedom in the West (or Western Europe)?
Coincidence or not, but the main character's name is Alexandre. The link with the ancient and vanished library of Alexandria (Wikipedia) can thus be easily made. You could also, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book, see a similar story (or at least the themes) in Laurent Queyssi's "Trystero" (review), for example. Or maybe Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451".
Christian Chavassieux's latest opus is one massive brick to tackle, not at all a walk in the park, even if French is your mother tongue. However, hats off to Mr Chavassieux for this titanic effort, truly. "Demain, les origines" takes an important and terrible period of human history, projects it into the (near) future and revised it to match contemporary evolutions in the world of medicine, science, technology, and of course recurring/looming ecological disasters. With the big question typical for uchronia: What if?
It's a demanding story - more than the previous two of his that I've read -, I have to admit. It's a book that needs to be read at least twice. Why? It has many layers that make you rethink how the world works, to make you look at the world through a different lens. From a personal standpoint: I had read most of the book back in November 2025, but had to restart due to external circumstances; it's never good to read a serious book like this one when you can't fully concentrate.
The first tens of pages were quite clear and exciting, as I wanted to know what happened next. After a while, things weren't that clear any more for me, regrettably. My main problems in fully appreciating the story may seem trivial, but they are crucial in a heavy tome like this one:
* no dramatis personae, i.e. a list of the characters and their roles: farmer, politician, professor, soldier, ...
* a huge lack of subclauses with various characters, which brings me back to the first element. I often wondered "Who's this character again?", "Why is important in this chapter?", "What's the link with (event, other character, ...)?". Something many authors (and publishers) need to pay attention to, especially with thick bricks or demanding stories like "Demain, les origines".
Next to the aforementioned works with similar themes, I thought at least two books, if not three, by the late (2025) Pierre Bordage were inline with "Demain, les origines".
* Les Derniers Hommes (review)
* Chroniques des Ombres (review)
* Le Jour où la guerrre s'arêtta (review)
And for those interested, here are two interviews with Mr Chavassieux about his latest opus:
* RCF (link)
* C'est plus que de la SF (link)
----------
I was sent this book by Les Éditions Mnémos for review. Many thanks to them for the trust.
In some interviews, Mr Chavassieux mentioned that "Demain, les origines" is the prequel of a novel he wrote several years ago, "Mausolées", but one can read both works independently. As aforementioned, "Demain, les origines" is a reworking of its previous version, not only shortened, but the various stories don't follow the original order. This is most apparent for the last story, "Livre de Syrrha", which was now put at the end of the book, but that also breaks the chronology of the whole. I can confirm that, as, on the one hand, the story reads as an addendum without clear links or references to the previous chapters or "stories". On the other hand, it's a matter of interpretation by the reader: some may indeed have a bit of difficulty connecting it which was preceded, others may be perfectly fine with this story put at the end.
"Demain, les origines" is a geopolitical, dystopian story, set in the second half of the 21st century. Europe is experiencing an ecological disaster, with severe consequences: war, famine, energy problems (petroleum shortage, nuclear reactors not maintained, ...), food supplies in danger, and peoples of different faiths (here Christianity vs Islam) being set up against one another, families ripped apart, ... Self-reliance is key, the state won't or can no longer offer support for those in need. It's a matter of the West vs the East, France vs Russia (or the USSR of old), with the dictator (Modkine) of the East trying to conquer the West. Police control the streets, but are aided by or even replaced by soldiers, without forgetting rebel formations. Journalists don't exist any more, it's now up to the "watcheurs" and "watcheuses" to bring the news, based on facts. In short, as if influencers have replaced the classic journalists and press.
It all begins with a small farming community trying to sell its harvest in the city, but is controlled by a military patrol. As the world has become more chaotic, so has language. The philosopher who's with the farmer is a little too expressive about the whole situation and unfortunately pays too heavy a price, as the military patrol abuses its power. They decide who is allowed to proceed and who isn't, no matter the existing laws.
People can also come to this one farm and buy food. One day, a group of teenagers arrives with a particular type of machine gun, very rare and only used by a specific group of soldiers. The farm community does not want this as a form of payment, they know it will cost them dearly if the military finds out. Alas, before they can even undertake anything to avoid the worst, the worst will have found them. Not to mention that giving back the body of the philosopher to his relatives didn't go as planned. It could have gone well, but as the situation caused even more stress and anxiety, the farm was in even more trouble now.
And that's when a woman wants revenge for what the military police have done to so many innocent people, ruining the farm and its community. Drastic measures have to be taken, such behaviour cannot be left unpunished. Said woman, taking up all her courage, go out, try to go undercover and confront the soldier who's responsible for the mess that was caused. It would be quite an ordeal, one that would change her life, as she would be, unknowingly and not having been careful enough, part of a secret genetic project. Mentally, but not in the least physically. And those scenes are brutal, Mr Chavassieux didn't hold back, or just a bit. Not for the faint of heart.
This genetic project would not go as smoothly as expected or desired, because of political decisions, but also scientific outcomes no one ever expected to happen. Grace, the woman who sought revenge for the death of her partner, Malik, with whom she had a son with the same name, would be at the centre of it. Also to her surprise. But determined as she was, Grace would press on until she had the answers she was looking for and until wrong was put aright. Her survival and actions would soon be known with many people, and this would lead to Grace being considered as the new Messiah. Grace would also be known as Grace Vœux and even Christosa, as a reference to Christ and his resurrection. She would gain a massive following of people believing in her and that she could lead them out of their misery.
Not only would Christosa (Grace) look to avenge her husband's death, but also want to know what happened to her son, whom she entrusted to her sister. Malik would be known later as Robur, as he would much later be adopted by a "normal" family, which already had a daughter. The meeting of mother and son turned out to be a bit awkward, as she hadn't been there to feed him, help him grow up, bond with him. The circumstances were just too horrible for a child to grow up in. Fortunately and despite everything both of them went through (), both would indeed reunite, yet realise that their lives were both too different to remain together. However, the renewed connection (and separation) resulted in both having the same ideals, but in their own, respective ways.
Politics play a crucial role in this story. We have a dictator, Doline (derived from De Holine), who can be compared to the former Soviet dictator Stalin. There's Hennolier, who has performed operations on Grace, and who's to roll out Doline's doctrine. Despite that, he would help Grace one way r another, as he was blown away by the fact that his experiments worked and that Grace survived the operations. The capitalistic Chinese-German alliance called Huan-Bayer is involved in the "research" commanded by Doline and Hennolier. This project was based around transhumanism, symbioses, ...
There were also concentration camps for Muslims. Yes, religion has always has a political side and if you look at the past decades, Islam and Muslims vs Christianity has been and still divides people. Just look at the current war in the Middle East.
Despite the misery that is caused on a grand scale, the world continues to turn. Not everyone is suffering, especially the rich and wealthy are not in the least concerned, as investments and tourism continue to flourish.
While "Demain, les origines" follows some chronological order, the last part (or "book") was supposed to be added between earlier chapters. But author and editor decided to set "Livre de Syrrha" apart from the others for the sake of interpretation after having read the main stories. It is also quite a separate story, if you ask me. I found it hard to link it with what had preceded in those 400 pages. These last 60 pages focus on books, on reading, on libraries. What does it mean, to read to write? How important are books and libraries? What if they all disappeared in a dystopian world set up by Doline and Hennelier? Or, as probably was the basis for this story, what if World War 2 had had a different ending and not brought freedom in the West (or Western Europe)?
Coincidence or not, but the main character's name is Alexandre. The link with the ancient and vanished library of Alexandria (Wikipedia) can thus be easily made. You could also, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book, see a similar story (or at least the themes) in Laurent Queyssi's "Trystero" (review), for example. Or maybe Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451".
Christian Chavassieux's latest opus is one massive brick to tackle, not at all a walk in the park, even if French is your mother tongue. However, hats off to Mr Chavassieux for this titanic effort, truly. "Demain, les origines" takes an important and terrible period of human history, projects it into the (near) future and revised it to match contemporary evolutions in the world of medicine, science, technology, and of course recurring/looming ecological disasters. With the big question typical for uchronia: What if?
It's a demanding story - more than the previous two of his that I've read -, I have to admit. It's a book that needs to be read at least twice. Why? It has many layers that make you rethink how the world works, to make you look at the world through a different lens. From a personal standpoint: I had read most of the book back in November 2025, but had to restart due to external circumstances; it's never good to read a serious book like this one when you can't fully concentrate.
The first tens of pages were quite clear and exciting, as I wanted to know what happened next. After a while, things weren't that clear any more for me, regrettably. My main problems in fully appreciating the story may seem trivial, but they are crucial in a heavy tome like this one:
* no dramatis personae, i.e. a list of the characters and their roles: farmer, politician, professor, soldier, ...
* a huge lack of subclauses with various characters, which brings me back to the first element. I often wondered "Who's this character again?", "Why is important in this chapter?", "What's the link with (event, other character, ...)?". Something many authors (and publishers) need to pay attention to, especially with thick bricks or demanding stories like "Demain, les origines".
Next to the aforementioned works with similar themes, I thought at least two books, if not three, by the late (2025) Pierre Bordage were inline with "Demain, les origines".
* Les Derniers Hommes (review)
* Chroniques des Ombres (review)
* Le Jour où la guerrre s'arêtta (review)
And for those interested, here are two interviews with Mr Chavassieux about his latest opus:
* RCF (link)
* C'est plus que de la SF (link)
----------
I was sent this book by Les Éditions Mnémos for review. Many thanks to them for the trust.
April 15, 2026
Bon pas facile à résumer mon sentiment, donc j’ai attendu un petit moment, mais ça ne simplifie pas les choses.
En résumé j’ai mis quatre étoiles.
Bon je sens qu’il faut que j’étoffe un peu.
Donc j’ai beaucoup aimé la majorité du livre. J’ai trouvé l’écriture stimulante, les thèmes intéressants et très bien traité. J’ai apprécié les différentes voix qui se font écho, la prospective.
Mais, c’est une lecture qui demande un investissement certain. Ce n’est pas reposant, ni spécialement optimiste. Bref ce n’est pas un bouquin dans lequel on a envie de se plonger pour se reposer ou se changer les idées - surtout dans nos temps quelque peu troublés.
Et pour finir, la dernière partie fut pénible, objectivement trop longue et foncièrement démoralisante. J’ai compris l’intention, j’aurais apprécié que cela soit fait en 20 pages plutôt qu’en 60.
Pas mal de points négatifs, ça reste tout de même un livre important et marquant, donc quatre étoiles.
En résumé j’ai mis quatre étoiles.
Bon je sens qu’il faut que j’étoffe un peu.
Donc j’ai beaucoup aimé la majorité du livre. J’ai trouvé l’écriture stimulante, les thèmes intéressants et très bien traité. J’ai apprécié les différentes voix qui se font écho, la prospective.
Mais, c’est une lecture qui demande un investissement certain. Ce n’est pas reposant, ni spécialement optimiste. Bref ce n’est pas un bouquin dans lequel on a envie de se plonger pour se reposer ou se changer les idées - surtout dans nos temps quelque peu troublés.
Et pour finir, la dernière partie fut pénible, objectivement trop longue et foncièrement démoralisante. J’ai compris l’intention, j’aurais apprécié que cela soit fait en 20 pages plutôt qu’en 60.
Pas mal de points négatifs, ça reste tout de même un livre important et marquant, donc quatre étoiles.
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