Welcome to my monthly book recommendation for August! On the first day of each month, I’ll recommend a book, new or old, fiction or nonfiction, pulled from my own reading experience. In my recommendation, I’ll introduce the book, discuss why I found reading it worthwhile, and what major themes the book touches upon. I won’t include any major spoilers, but I may discuss some of the characters and specific details or locations from within the book. My recommendation for August, 2024 is Continuum, edited by Annabelle Dolidon and Tessa Sermet.
Continuum - Annabelle Dolidon & Tessa Sermet
Available on Amazon
Editors: Annabelle Dolidon & Tessa Sermet
Genres: Science fiction, speculative fiction
Description:
This unique collection of newly translated short stories offers a taste of classic and contemporary French science fiction to English-language readers. These stories cover a range of fascinating topics including simulated reality, speciesism, ecology, and transhumanism—all while exploring universal themes of belonging, death, and identity. Some of the authors featured in this anthology, like Julia Verlanger, Sylvie Denis, or Jean-Claude Dunyach, have shaped the history of French science fiction after World War II. Curated by Annabelle Dolidon and Tessa Sermet, French language and literature professors who share a love for the genre, these nine stories showcase some of the brilliant mid- to late twentieth and twenty-first century French contributions to science fiction.
My Thoughts on This Book
Continuum is a collection of nine French science fiction short stories by various authors, translated into English for the very first time by Annabelle Dolidon and Tessa Sermet. I originally came across this book in north New Jersey at a local bookstore called [words] Bookstore while spending time with family. Browsing the science fiction section, I saw this book and was intrigued by the subtitle “French science fiction short stories.” I’d realized that I was never exposed to French science fiction literature, so I bought the book.
I found the first short story intriguing and the second one fascinating. Upon finishing the second, I knew that this was the book that I’d pick for my August recommendation. The editors’ curation of this list of short stories for translation was excellent, as the selected stories evoke a wide range of emotions and philosophical musings. As someone who does not have much experience with French literature, I felt that this book captured some ineffable quality of that culture. I can’t quite describe it, but there was some presence of artistry in those stories that I’d never quite experienced before. Kudos to the translators for their ability to preserve that through the translation process. I highly recommend this book to any science fiction reader, especially those who have never read French literature.
