About
Auguste de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, born in 1838 in Saint-Brieuc into an impoverished aristocratic family, is a major figure of French Symbolism. Settling in Paris around 1860, he associated with Baudelaire and Mallarmé. His collection Contes cruels (1883) blends irony and the fantastic, while L'Ève future (1886) anticipates science fiction with the theme of the android. His drama Axël, published posthumously in 1890, is considered his theatrical masterpiece. He died in Paris in 1889, leaving a body of work marked by a rejection of materialism.
* 1838-11-07 — † 1889-08-19
Major works
- Contes cruels (1883)short story collection
- L'Ève future (1886)novel
- Axël (1890)drama
- Tribulat Bonhomet (1887)novel
- Nouveaux Contes cruels (1888)short story collection
Key milestones
- 1860Moves to Paris and frequents literary circles.
- 1883Publication of Contes cruels, his most famous collection.
- 1889Dies in Paris of stomach cancer.
Themes
Irony and social satireFantastic and supernaturalCritique of materialismScience fiction and androidsIdealism and spirituality
Sources: britannica.com · data.bnf.fr · sf-encyclopedia.com