Bernard Werber
 |
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
|
| Bernard Werber | |
|---|---|
 Bernard Werber |
|
| Born | September 18, 1961 Toulouse, France |
| Citizenship | France |
| Occupation | Journalist, writer |
Bernard Werber (born 18 September 1961 in Toulouse) is a French science fiction writer active since the 1990s.
Contents |
Novels
His style of writing mixes different literary genres, notably the saga, the science fiction of the inter-war years, and tracts of philosophy.
In most of his novels, Bernard Werber uses the same form of construction, alternating informative articles in the style of an encyclopaedia and normal prose. The articles define or enlarge upon the ideas in the main text.
Also there are connections between his novels. One finds characters like Edmond Wells both in the trilogy Les Fourmis (The Ants) and in the L'Empire des anges (The Empire of the Angels). Also there are recurrent themes like l'Arbre des Possibles (The Tree of Possibilities) of Isidore Katzenberg, or even the novel Nous les dieux, which treats the ideas first presented in the short story L’École des jeunes dieux (The School of the Young Gods).
In the eight novels, Werber describes various authors. We are presented with an author who, at the end of his life, writes a last book which makes sense of his previous work. Thus in having a certain similarity of characters, themes and styles, one can conclude that he is trying to give a certain coherence to the ideas that he is developing.
The 3 October book launch
Several years ago Bernard Werber decided to launch a book each year on 3 October, after the end of the summer holidays. The aim is to give the public something other than the prix Goncourt.1
Stage and screen
In addition to the film Nos amis les Terriens, released in 2007, Werber has also produced a short film, La Reine De Nacre ("The Mother-of-pearl Queen"), and written a play, Nos Amis Les Humains ("Our Friends, the Humans").
Symbolism
The symbolism in his books is extensive. Animals such as the dolphins, rats and ants are intelligent animals, or at least are presented as such.
Also he returns frequently to the symbolism of figures that, according to the manner in which they are explained, reflect the stage of the evolution of the soul.
Werber's philosophy
None of his works are intended to prove or support any particular scientific theory, but to present in a work of fiction various little-known discoveries to the public at large. L'Ultime secret (The Ultimate Secret) is a good illustration of this. It contains the following sentence: « Ils vont aller de surprise en surprise jusqu'à l'extraordinaire dénouement basé sur une découverte scientifique peu connue mais réelle. » (They are going to go from surprise to surprise eventually leading to the extraordinary conclusion, which is based on a little known but nevertheless real scientific discovery. )
Bernard Werber is a member of INREES, Institute for Research on Extraordinary Experiences, an association which exists to promote the acknowledgement of extraordinary or unusual experiences among the clientele of medical health professionals, doctors and caregivers.
This approach is reflected in the contents of his novels, like for example the Thanatonautes, which proposes a spiritualist version of near death experiences and afterlife, or even L'Empire des Anges through to Le Mystère des Dieux which describe some kind of scientific mythology from souls to God through angels, or even Nos Amis Les Terriens which talks of alien abductions. Science, the paranormal and spirituality influence several of his novels.
Works
Les Fourmis trilogy
- Les Fourmis, Prix des lecteurs de Science et Avenir, 1991, ISBN 2-226-05257-7. (lit. The Ants, translated into English as Empire of the Ants). This book sold more than two million copies and has been translated into more than 30 languages.citation needed
- Le Jour des Fourmis, 1992, ISBN 2-226-06118-5 (lit. The Day of the Ants)
- La Révolution des Fourmis, 1996, ISBN 2-226-08636-6 (lit. The Revolution of the Ants)
Les Thanatonautes trilogy
- Les Thanatonautes, 1994, ISBN 2-226-06758-2 (lit. The Thanatonauts)
- L'Empire des Anges, 2000, ISBN 2-226-11526-9 (lit. The Empire of the Angels)
- Nous, les Dieux, 2004, ISBN 2-226-15498-1 (lit. Us, Gods)
- Le Souffle des Dieux, 2005, ISBN 2-226-16807-9 (lit. The Breath of the Gods)
- Le Mystère des Dieux 2007, ISBN 2-226-17979-8 (lit. The Mystery of the Gods)
Le Père De Nos Pères trilogy
- Le père de nos pères, 1998, ISBN 2-226-10562-X (lit. The Father of our Fathers)
- L'ultime secret, 2001, ISBN 2-226-12740-2 (lit. The Ultimate Secret)
- Le rire du Cyclope, 2010, ISBN 2-226-21529-8 (lit. The Laughter of the Cyclops)
Other novels
- Le papillon des étoiles, 2006, ISBN 2-226-17349-8 (lit. The Butterfly of the Stars)
- Le miroir de Cassandre, 2009, ISBN 2-226-19402-9 (lit. The Mirror of Cassandra)
Experimental books
- L'Encyclopédie du savoir relatif et absolu, 1993, ISBN 2-226-06583-0 (lit. The Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge)
- Le Livre du Voyage, 1997, ISBN 2-226-09445-8 (lit. The Book of Travel)
- Le Livre secret des Fourmis, 2002 (lit. The Secret Book of the Ants)
- Nos amis, les humains, 2003 (lit. Our Friends, the Humans)
Short stories
- L'Arbre des possibles, 2002, ISBN 2-226-13459-X (lit. The Tree of Possibles)
- Paradis sur mesure, 2008, EAN13 9782226188502 (lit. Custom Paradise(s)*) – (*:Probably in the sense of "A paradise for everyone" (hence, many ones), as in French, Paradise is "Paradis", it is therefore impossible to say if it is singular or plural; but the fact that the book is composed of multiple stories points towards the use of the plural meaning.)
Comics
- Exit
- Exit Tome 1, 1999, ISBN 2-226-10451-8
- Le Deuxième Cercle, 2000, ISBN 2-226-11474-2 (lit. The Second Circle)
- Jusqu'au dernier souffle, 2002 (lit. Until the Last Breath)
- Les Enfants D'Ève, May 2005 (lit. The Children of Eve)
Films
- La Reine de nacre (short, 15'), 2001 (lit. The Mother-of-pearl Queen)
- Les Humains (short, 9'), 2003 (lit. The Humans)
- Nos amis les Terriens (full length), produced by Claude Lelouch, 2007 (lit. Our Friends, the Earthlings)
Theatre
- Nos amis, les humains, 2003, ISBN 2-226-13793-9, produced in 2004 by Jean-Christophe Barc with Audrey Dana and Jean-Christophe Barc
- Bienvenue au paradis, 2011,produced in 2011 by Jean-Christophe Barc with Thierry Liagre
References
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bernard Werber |
 |
