The World of the Variants and Other Strange Lands

"Suzanne saw that she was in the middle of a clearing, in which hideous men were moving back and forth by the light of three red fires. Saurian gazes filtered between narrowed eyelids, shaded by enormous hairy brows. Thick hair bristled on pentagonal skulls. Their teeth were the color of jade; their ears were pointed." Predating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rosny creates Lost Worlds of a different kind, where variant species are the dominant races. The Siberian valley of Nymphaeum (1893) is home to purple-skinned, water-breathing men. The Depths of Kyamo (1896) and The Wonderful Cave Country (1896) are underground journeys featuring giant, intelligent bats. The Boar Men (1929) inhabit a mysterious island. The World of the Variants (1939) feature a parallel universe which only some privileged humans can visit. Contents: Introduction by Brian Stableford 1. Nymphaeum (Nymphée, 1893) 2. The Depths of Kyamo (Les Profondeurs de Kyamo, 1896) 3. The Wonderful Cave Country (La Contrée prodigieuse des cavernes, 1896) 4. The Voyage (Le Voyage, 1900) 5. The Great Enigma (La Grande enigme, 1920) 6. The Treasure in the Snow (Le Trésor dans la neige, 1910) 7. The Boar Men (Les Hommes sangliers, 1929) 8. In the World of the Variants (Dans le monde des variants, 1939) Afterword by Brian Stableford The Scientific Romances of J.-H. Rosny Aîné #2 Black Coat French Science Fiction #44 Translated, annotated and introduced by Brian Stableford