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The Xipéhux
The Xipéhuz (1887) is a classic of Francophone science fiction, a novella that concerns the appearance in pre-Sumerian Mesopotamia of mysterious extraterrestrial beings composed of energy and communicating through light. Written by the Belgian author Joseph Henri Honoré Boex (1856–1940), better known as J.-H. Rosny Aine, the novella anticipates many of the themes found in H. P. Lovecraft, including prehistoric visitation from non-anthropoid extraterrestrial beings, their advanced science and culture, and these beings' indifference to the fate of humanity. Now this essential science fiction masterpiece is available in a fresh, modern translation as a standalone ebook.
33 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1888
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136 people want to read
About the author
J.-H. Rosny aîné
215 books33 followersJ.-H. Rosny aîné was the pseudonym of Joseph Henri Honoré Boex, a French author of Belgian origin who is considered one of the founding figures of modern science fiction. Born in Brussels in 1856, he wrote together with his younger brother Séraphin Justin François Boex under the pen name J.-H. Rosny until 1908. After they ended their collaboration Joseph Boex continued to write under the name "Rosny aîné" (Rosny the Elder) while his brother used J.-H. Rosny jeune (Rosny the Younger).
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 19, 2017
The best I can come up with for the novella "The Xipéhuz" by J. H. Rosny is a hearty "so what", and allow me to explain. I read Book I of this story concerning geometric shapes from the beyond appearing in the jungle to a nomadic tribe known as the Pivhou tribe. I was so unimpressed with both the writing and the story I skipped to the "afterword" written by Scott Nicolay attempting to see why I might be so far off base.
I greatly admire Mr. Nicolay, both his writing, and his insights, and his interview style to which I have been listening to for a couple of years now on his pod cast "The Outer Dark" . So I am well aware of Mr. Nicolay's background and talents.
We are informed that "The Xipéhuz" first appeared in 1887, and that J. H. Rosny was a contemporary of H. G. Wells. This story may be the first occurrence of non-humanoid aliens. to which I again reply, so what.
I returned to Book II of this narrative and nothing increased my fondness of the tale.
How sad.
This chapbook is number 138 of 200 copies printed.
I greatly admire Mr. Nicolay, both his writing, and his insights, and his interview style to which I have been listening to for a couple of years now on his pod cast "The Outer Dark" . So I am well aware of Mr. Nicolay's background and talents.
We are informed that "The Xipéhuz" first appeared in 1887, and that J. H. Rosny was a contemporary of H. G. Wells. This story may be the first occurrence of non-humanoid aliens. to which I again reply, so what.
I returned to Book II of this narrative and nothing increased my fondness of the tale.
How sad.
This chapbook is number 138 of 200 copies printed.
May 3, 2023
Novela corta del conocido autor de "La guerra del fuego" considerado un pionero en la ciencia ficción al presentar criaturas alienígenas no humanoides.
Acá conocemos a los Xipehuz, seres inteligentes de apariencia cónica y luces con una forma de vida totalmente ajena al ser humano y que por el solo hecho de existir amenaza con llevar a la extinción a la descendencia del hombre, lo que llevará a un Inevitable enfrentamiento a ambas especies. Todo ambientado en la época antigua, antes de que se alzaran las grandes civilizaciones.
Novela corta muy entretenida, narrada de forma sencilla, algo anticuada para los estándares de hoy, escasos diálogos, cero profundidad de los personajes, pero sí harta acción y capítulos de investigación que hace del relato algo pesado a veces, aunque muy interesante. Y aún más considerando que esto fue escrito en 1880. Rosny tenía una gran imaginación y aún hoy, en cine y televisión, con toda la información que disponemos, se insiste en presentar la mayoría de las veces a alienígenas con aspecto animal o humanoide. Acá Rosny rompe con todo eso y me parece elogiable.
Entretenido, interesante. Lástima que sea tan lineal y que carezca de giro final o este relato sería mucho más.
Lo recomiendo. Es corto, se lee rápido y si te logras adecuar a su pluma arcaica de seguro lo disfrutarás ¡A mí al menos me gustó!
Acá conocemos a los Xipehuz, seres inteligentes de apariencia cónica y luces con una forma de vida totalmente ajena al ser humano y que por el solo hecho de existir amenaza con llevar a la extinción a la descendencia del hombre, lo que llevará a un Inevitable enfrentamiento a ambas especies. Todo ambientado en la época antigua, antes de que se alzaran las grandes civilizaciones.
Novela corta muy entretenida, narrada de forma sencilla, algo anticuada para los estándares de hoy, escasos diálogos, cero profundidad de los personajes, pero sí harta acción y capítulos de investigación que hace del relato algo pesado a veces, aunque muy interesante. Y aún más considerando que esto fue escrito en 1880. Rosny tenía una gran imaginación y aún hoy, en cine y televisión, con toda la información que disponemos, se insiste en presentar la mayoría de las veces a alienígenas con aspecto animal o humanoide. Acá Rosny rompe con todo eso y me parece elogiable.
Entretenido, interesante. Lástima que sea tan lineal y que carezca de giro final o este relato sería mucho más.
Lo recomiendo. Es corto, se lee rápido y si te logras adecuar a su pluma arcaica de seguro lo disfrutarás ¡A mí al menos me gustó!
March 17, 2017
When I pull a Dim Shores illustrated mailer out of the mailbox I know Im in for a treat. The amount of thought and effort that go into each book they release is quite clear. Michael Bukowski art is fantastic. The story, which I had not heard of before, is excellent. When the natives went to war with the aliens it felt very Karl Edward Wagner in style and flow but thats my amateur opinion. Scott Nicolay's piece On "Les Xipéhuz" was really interesting and informative. Go get this before it sells out! This was book 86 / 200.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2025
At the time of hunter-gatherers, a new type of being (The Xipehuz) suddenly appears in their forests. These new beings are so unfamiliar, so non-human that they can only be described as shapes.
Though the idea behind it is very interesting the book was sort of boring, especially towards the end. I enjoyed the parts where they tried to understand the Xipehuz but then they started to use this knowledge to destroy the Xipehuz. I don't really like action scenes in books but the last third was mainly that.
It is important to point out that this book was written in 1888. Coming up with the idea of alien beings so incomprehensible that they can only be described as changing shapes and colors is really impressive. But the story did not feel as impressive.
Though the idea behind it is very interesting the book was sort of boring, especially towards the end. I enjoyed the parts where they tried to understand the Xipehuz but then they started to use this knowledge to destroy the Xipehuz. I don't really like action scenes in books but the last third was mainly that.
It is important to point out that this book was written in 1888. Coming up with the idea of alien beings so incomprehensible that they can only be described as changing shapes and colors is really impressive. But the story did not feel as impressive.
May 9, 2017
The original fiction was written by a contemporary of HG Wells, so it is easy to feel jaded by the story because we're well over a hundred years detached from when it was written. Nicolay does a good job in the appendix giving the story context and emphasizing its significance.
I struggled with the text because the absence of dialog left it feeling a bit dry.
I still have hopes that our conical overlords live on out there, somewhere.
I struggled with the text because the absence of dialog left it feeling a bit dry.
I still have hopes that our conical overlords live on out there, somewhere.
November 7, 2017
For its age, The Xipehuz holds up surprisingly well, with an inventive "monster", some beautifully lyrical passages, and a protagonist whose battle between empathy and the necessity for conflict gives him an interesting, complex edge.
It didn't exactly blow my mind, but this version, published by the always excellent Dim Shores, is elevated by translator Scott Nicolay's wonderful essay at the end of the book, and Michael Bukowski's crystalline illustrations.
It didn't exactly blow my mind, but this version, published by the always excellent Dim Shores, is elevated by translator Scott Nicolay's wonderful essay at the end of the book, and Michael Bukowski's crystalline illustrations.
November 22, 2025
This story, by J.-H. Rosny aîné (often referred to as the father of French scientific romance alongside Jules Verne), is a groundbreaking piece of proto-science fiction.
What makes it so remarkable is how thoroughly modern its imagination feels, despite its 19th-century origins. Rosny imagines humanity’s encounter with a truly alien lifeform—one so different from terrestrial biology and psychology that communication becomes impossible. In doing so, he anticipates later writers like Stanisław Lem, Arthur C. Clarke, and China Miéville.
The story follows a scientific expedition that encounters crystalline, almost mineral beings—the Xipéhux—capable of emitting destructive energy bursts. Unlike many early SF stories that framed alien encounters as adventure yarns or allegories, Rosny’s tale leans into the unknowability of the Other.
The Xipéhux have no humanoid traits, no recognizable motives, no moral alignment. They are not evil; they simply are. Their existence challenges the anthropocentric worldview that dominated early science fiction.
Rosny’s prose is rich, atmospheric, and philosophical. He describes the alien forms with a painterly sensitivity: shimmering crystalline bodies, geometric motions, eerie pulsations of light. There is a sense of awe—both scientific and spiritual—in the human attempt to comprehend these beings.
The humans try to communicate, try to catalog, try to understand, but the Xipéhux remain opaque. This tension between human inquiry and cosmic indifference marks the story as an early work of what we might now call “hard SF mysticism”—a blend of scientific speculation and metaphysical unease.
What makes The Xipéhux extraordinary is how it inverts expectations. The humans, through fear and misunderstanding, become the aggressors. Their attempts at contact devolve into hostility, not out of malice but out of frustration and terror. The conflict escalates into a tragic cycle of destruction. Rosny exposes the fragility of rationality when confronted with radical otherness. Humanity’s need to categorize, dominate, or eliminate what it cannot comprehend becomes the true antagonist.
There is also a subtle ecological dimension. The Xipéhux are part of Earth’s prehistoric environment, representing an evolutionary path completely separate from organic life. Their existence redefines the meaning of “life,” pushing the boundaries of what readers of the time could conceive. The story becomes not just an adventure tale but a meditation on the plurality of possible worlds, even within our own.
Rosny’s influence echoes through later science fiction. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama, Lem’s Solaris, and the xenobiological inventiveness of writers like Greg Egan all owe something to the foundation Rosny laid. His aliens are not humans with rubber foreheads—they are fundamentally, irreducibly alien.
The Xipéhux remains a visionary text: haunting, intellectually ambitious, and astonishingly ahead of its time. Its legacy is the realization that the universe may hold wonders—and horrors—that defy comprehension.
What makes it so remarkable is how thoroughly modern its imagination feels, despite its 19th-century origins. Rosny imagines humanity’s encounter with a truly alien lifeform—one so different from terrestrial biology and psychology that communication becomes impossible. In doing so, he anticipates later writers like Stanisław Lem, Arthur C. Clarke, and China Miéville.
The story follows a scientific expedition that encounters crystalline, almost mineral beings—the Xipéhux—capable of emitting destructive energy bursts. Unlike many early SF stories that framed alien encounters as adventure yarns or allegories, Rosny’s tale leans into the unknowability of the Other.
The Xipéhux have no humanoid traits, no recognizable motives, no moral alignment. They are not evil; they simply are. Their existence challenges the anthropocentric worldview that dominated early science fiction.
Rosny’s prose is rich, atmospheric, and philosophical. He describes the alien forms with a painterly sensitivity: shimmering crystalline bodies, geometric motions, eerie pulsations of light. There is a sense of awe—both scientific and spiritual—in the human attempt to comprehend these beings.
The humans try to communicate, try to catalog, try to understand, but the Xipéhux remain opaque. This tension between human inquiry and cosmic indifference marks the story as an early work of what we might now call “hard SF mysticism”—a blend of scientific speculation and metaphysical unease.
What makes The Xipéhux extraordinary is how it inverts expectations. The humans, through fear and misunderstanding, become the aggressors. Their attempts at contact devolve into hostility, not out of malice but out of frustration and terror. The conflict escalates into a tragic cycle of destruction. Rosny exposes the fragility of rationality when confronted with radical otherness. Humanity’s need to categorize, dominate, or eliminate what it cannot comprehend becomes the true antagonist.
There is also a subtle ecological dimension. The Xipéhux are part of Earth’s prehistoric environment, representing an evolutionary path completely separate from organic life. Their existence redefines the meaning of “life,” pushing the boundaries of what readers of the time could conceive. The story becomes not just an adventure tale but a meditation on the plurality of possible worlds, even within our own.
Rosny’s influence echoes through later science fiction. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama, Lem’s Solaris, and the xenobiological inventiveness of writers like Greg Egan all owe something to the foundation Rosny laid. His aliens are not humans with rubber foreheads—they are fundamentally, irreducibly alien.
The Xipéhux remains a visionary text: haunting, intellectually ambitious, and astonishingly ahead of its time. Its legacy is the realization that the universe may hold wonders—and horrors—that defy comprehension.
August 22, 2025
3.5 yıldız.
İlk bilim kurgulardan sayıldığını söyleniyor. Teknik olarak en eskisi yüzyıllar öncesine dayansa da ben daha çok vermek istenilen hayali karakterlerin inşasına odaklandım. Hayali karakterler derken kurmacanın ötesinde, bildiğimiz türden temel uzaylı yapısında veya insana özgü fiziksel görüntüye sahip olanlardan bahsetmiyoruz. Şekiller üstünden yapmış bu anlatımı ve kısa hikayeler aracılığıyla nelere benzediğini, ne davranışlarını olduğunu anlatmış. Bunu da sanki arşivlere geçirilen kayıtlarmışçasına aktarmış. Muhtemelen kurgusal bakımdan bir gerçekçilik katılması sağlanmak istenmiş.
Bu konu sanıldığından zorlu bana kalırsa. İnsan dışı bir varlık yaratmak, onu olabildiğince hayal gücüne dayandırarak süslemek ve bilindik kalıpların dışında bir kurgu varlık sunmak epey uğraştırıcı ve muhtemelen başarısız olmaya da yatkın bir konu. Hayal edilebilir olması gerektiği kadar akla hemen gelmemeli. Okudukça anlaşılmalı ve karakterler aracılığıyla öğrenilmeli. Kitap bunu harikulade şekilde vermese de bu konuda öncü bir adım atmış ve kısa öykülerde verebileceği kadarını verebilmiş yeterlilikte görünüyor. Yoksa, "Tanrı'nın Gözündeki Zerre" kadar uzun bir eser olsaydı Motiler'in anlatımı gibi güzel bir yapı kurulabilirdi. Kaldı ki onlar bile hayal edilmeye müsaitti. Bana kalırsa bu eser daha ziyade, Asimov'un "İşte Tanrılar"ı gibi. Ancak Asimov düşünülmeyeni düşünen bir doygunlukta verebilmişti.
Kısacası dönemine göre kesinlikle çok ilgi çekici olduğunu düşündüğüm fakat önsözde de bahsedildiği üzere kıyıda köşede kalmış bir yazar ve anlatısı olarak tarihteki yerini almış. Ayrıca sonu beklenmedik ve şaşırtıcı bitseydi tadından yenmezdi. Bunun bayat tadı ve eksikliği hissediliyor. Böylesi bir yaratıcı düşünceyi sade şekilde bitirmek üzücü bir kapanıştı benim gözümde.
İlk bilim kurgulardan sayıldığını söyleniyor. Teknik olarak en eskisi yüzyıllar öncesine dayansa da ben daha çok vermek istenilen hayali karakterlerin inşasına odaklandım. Hayali karakterler derken kurmacanın ötesinde, bildiğimiz türden temel uzaylı yapısında veya insana özgü fiziksel görüntüye sahip olanlardan bahsetmiyoruz. Şekiller üstünden yapmış bu anlatımı ve kısa hikayeler aracılığıyla nelere benzediğini, ne davranışlarını olduğunu anlatmış. Bunu da sanki arşivlere geçirilen kayıtlarmışçasına aktarmış. Muhtemelen kurgusal bakımdan bir gerçekçilik katılması sağlanmak istenmiş.
Bu konu sanıldığından zorlu bana kalırsa. İnsan dışı bir varlık yaratmak, onu olabildiğince hayal gücüne dayandırarak süslemek ve bilindik kalıpların dışında bir kurgu varlık sunmak epey uğraştırıcı ve muhtemelen başarısız olmaya da yatkın bir konu. Hayal edilebilir olması gerektiği kadar akla hemen gelmemeli. Okudukça anlaşılmalı ve karakterler aracılığıyla öğrenilmeli. Kitap bunu harikulade şekilde vermese de bu konuda öncü bir adım atmış ve kısa öykülerde verebileceği kadarını verebilmiş yeterlilikte görünüyor. Yoksa, "Tanrı'nın Gözündeki Zerre" kadar uzun bir eser olsaydı Motiler'in anlatımı gibi güzel bir yapı kurulabilirdi. Kaldı ki onlar bile hayal edilmeye müsaitti. Bana kalırsa bu eser daha ziyade, Asimov'un "İşte Tanrılar"ı gibi. Ancak Asimov düşünülmeyeni düşünen bir doygunlukta verebilmişti.
Kısacası dönemine göre kesinlikle çok ilgi çekici olduğunu düşündüğüm fakat önsözde de bahsedildiği üzere kıyıda köşede kalmış bir yazar ve anlatısı olarak tarihteki yerini almış. Ayrıca sonu beklenmedik ve şaşırtıcı bitseydi tadından yenmezdi. Bunun bayat tadı ve eksikliği hissediliyor. Böylesi bir yaratıcı düşünceyi sade şekilde bitirmek üzücü bir kapanıştı benim gözümde.
November 26, 2023
Gran relato en este antiguo libro de ciencia ficción de 1910. Previo a la existencia de ETs humanoides, de la concepción de "Los Grises" o enanitos verdes, los escritores imaginaban seres extraños. En este caso son conos y cilindros con luces y estrellas que parpadean y disparan rayos (algo así como si el gadget Alexa creciera y quisiera eliminarnos ¿Será profético?).
La historia transcurre en la antigüedad, cuando éramos tribus dispersas con sacerdotes que sacrificaban a los dioses. Dos situaciones me resultaron curiosas y da para pensar. Primero, si este libro inspiró películas como "Depredador: Prey", y segundo, el tema del campo de acción de los seres geométricos expandiéndose obligando a los humanos a retirarse, algo así como "La Bóveda" en el libro Fundación de Asimov.
Es un relato sin diálogos, la segunda parte es casi un diario. Es dinámico y de rápida lectura.
Entretenido. Para salir de la rutina literaria.
La historia transcurre en la antigüedad, cuando éramos tribus dispersas con sacerdotes que sacrificaban a los dioses. Dos situaciones me resultaron curiosas y da para pensar. Primero, si este libro inspiró películas como "Depredador: Prey", y segundo, el tema del campo de acción de los seres geométricos expandiéndose obligando a los humanos a retirarse, algo así como "La Bóveda" en el libro Fundación de Asimov.
Es un relato sin diálogos, la segunda parte es casi un diario. Es dinámico y de rápida lectura.
Entretenido. Para salir de la rutina literaria.
January 4, 2024
Sin darme cuenta me he leído este libro. Digo sin darme cuenta porque mi intención era leer "La muerte de la tierra", pero la versión que he adquirido cuenta también con este libro. Me he dado cuenta cuando alrededor del 46% (que para ser un libro de unas 100 páginas se me estaba haciendo largo) aparece la palabra FIN y al pasar la página aparece el títutlo del libro que pretendía leer. Así que, ya que está leído, pues lo comento.
En un futuro apocalíptico, los Xipéhuz son una raza alienígena de forma cónica con lucecitas y demás que pretenden quedarse a vivir en la tierra, cosa que al ser humano no le parece bien y se inicia una guerra entre estas dos especies donde los humanos únicamente cuentan con armas básicamente prehistóricas.
A mí no me ha gustado, aunque para ser del año 1912 es original y tampoco se puede despreciar la imaginación del autor.
El nuevo libro pinta mejor, pero el mal sabor de boca del anterior se lo va a poner difícil.
En un futuro apocalíptico, los Xipéhuz son una raza alienígena de forma cónica con lucecitas y demás que pretenden quedarse a vivir en la tierra, cosa que al ser humano no le parece bien y se inicia una guerra entre estas dos especies donde los humanos únicamente cuentan con armas básicamente prehistóricas.
A mí no me ha gustado, aunque para ser del año 1912 es original y tampoco se puede despreciar la imaginación del autor.
El nuevo libro pinta mejor, pero el mal sabor de boca del anterior se lo va a poner difícil.
Want to read
February 20, 2025"J H Rosny aîné (meaning the elder) was the pseudonym of Belgian writer Joseph-Henri Boëx (he sometimes shared the pseudonym with his younger brother Julian). He began as a disciple of Zola and, in 1887, after becoming immersed in palaeontology, he began a re-imagining of a mythical human history from the origins of humanity to the time when man is dethroned by a new and superior species, the ‘Ironmagnetics’ (‘Ferromagnétaux’) in the books Les Xipéhuz (1887), Un Autre Monde (Another World, 1888), La Mort de la Terre (The Death of the Earth, 1910), La Guerre du feu (The War for Fire, 1911) and Les Navigateurs de l’ Infini (Navigators of the Infinite, 1925). In Le Cataclysme (The Cataclysm, 1896) an electromagnetic entity from outer space comes to France, disrupting the usual laws of nature as a result." -Adam Roberts, The History of Science Fiction
February 7, 2023
Mainly of historical interest for the development of SciFi in France. Dated, but it is almost entertaining enough without considering its age.
J. H. Rosny is considered one of the fathers of French SF. (Even though he was actually two people.) His style of SF is far removed from Verne's adventure stories. This one is interesting in particular because it has non-humanoid aliens. It is also set in the distant past, before historical records. Rosny would go on to explore per-historic societies in works such as Quest for Fire. The battles between the primitive humans and aliens are somewhat entertaining. But I do prefer more modern stories with more character development.
J. H. Rosny is considered one of the fathers of French SF. (Even though he was actually two people.) His style of SF is far removed from Verne's adventure stories. This one is interesting in particular because it has non-humanoid aliens. It is also set in the distant past, before historical records. Rosny would go on to explore per-historic societies in works such as Quest for Fire. The battles between the primitive humans and aliens are somewhat entertaining. But I do prefer more modern stories with more character development.
August 17, 2025
Un des premiers récits de SF française.
Très impressionnant pour l'époque (1887 !) et relativement appréciable pour un lecteur contemporain même s'il vaut mieux avoir un intérêt pour l'histoire de la SF
Une tribu rencontre des êtres (des petits cristaux qui produisent des lasers ?) qui n'agissent que dans un petit périmètre. mais les êtres se multiplient et le périmètre s'agrandit de façon inquiétante. Un homme les étudie pour trouver une solution.
Très impressionnant pour l'époque (1887 !) et relativement appréciable pour un lecteur contemporain même s'il vaut mieux avoir un intérêt pour l'histoire de la SF
Une tribu rencontre des êtres (des petits cristaux qui produisent des lasers ?) qui n'agissent que dans un petit périmètre. mais les êtres se multiplient et le périmètre s'agrandit de façon inquiétante. Un homme les étudie pour trouver une solution.
Want to read
December 3, 2020Here's an online copy, from F&SF (1968), translated by Damon Knight
https://archive.org/details/Fantasy_S...
Interesting review: https://beyondvictoriana.com/2011/06/...
-- courtesy of Ed Chang @FB. He liked it, too.
https://archive.org/details/Fantasy_S...
Interesting review: https://beyondvictoriana.com/2011/06/...
-- courtesy of Ed Chang @FB. He liked it, too.
June 25, 2019
I can’t say the entire story held my interest, but the idea of “lasers” being stirred up before the word was even coined and Scott’s afterwords in the back of book summed up the book for me.
Gotta love that cover though!
This is copy number 111/200
Gotta love that cover though!
This is copy number 111/200
June 1, 2022
İkisi de çok etkileyici öyküler, dil biraz ağır.
October 24, 2023
Mostly impressive due to it being one of the earliest examples of sci-fi. The anthropological aspects of the "forms" was the best part for me.
July 10, 2020
AKA "The Shapes" Much less dated than many "modern" works though written in 1887.
Read
April 15, 20221887
March 30, 2017
If I'm to be honest, this is a hard one to review under a contemporary lens. This is a storytelling style that is nearing 125 years old. For that, it is an amazing achievement. Of course, it's much slower than modern stories, but the imagination is there. The writing is fluid and very much of its time, even though it's translated. I found it fascinating to read something so old, and to 'imagine' the author 'imagining' these things so long ago. It was also interesting, as alien geometric shapes seem to have entered a kind of collective unconsciousness, most notably in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction almost 75 years later. A very fascinating historical piece.
April 3, 2017
This new translation of a long lost tale from the early years of weird fiction is a delight. It's a simple tale of mankind before the dawn of civilization with a fantastic premise. J.-H. Rosny the Elder (often paired w/ the Younger) is the pseudonym for two Belgian brothers who wrote both individually and together through the late 19th and early 20th centuries (the best known tale by the Rosny brothers was the basis for the 1981 film Quest for Fire starring Ron Perlman and Rae Dawn Chong).
The story, quite short but a lot of fun to read, is joined by an enjoyable essay on the mysterious brothers, the weird tales of long ago, and the similarities (likely coincidental) between the strange otherworldly beings threatening mankind's primacy on planet Earth in The Xipéhuz and well-known extermination-minded adversaries of a certain Doctor (you know Who).
Well recommended for fans of weird fiction.
The story, quite short but a lot of fun to read, is joined by an enjoyable essay on the mysterious brothers, the weird tales of long ago, and the similarities (likely coincidental) between the strange otherworldly beings threatening mankind's primacy on planet Earth in The Xipéhuz and well-known extermination-minded adversaries of a certain Doctor (you know Who).
Well recommended for fans of weird fiction.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews