The Birth of the Gods

Nathalie Henneberg (1910-1977) remains a unique voice in the history of French imaginative literature. This is the second volume of a multi-volume collection of her works to be released by Black Coat Press. Volume 1 : The Green Gods, translated by C. J. Cherryh, was first published to critical acclaim in 2010. This volume collects the award-winning The Birth of the Gods (1954) and The Astronauts' Song (1958), both translated by William Oarlock. In the former, a scientist, an astronaut, and a poet stranded on a strange planet, discover they can psychically create life and, finally, fight for supremacy. The latter tells the story of space legionaries in Alcyone and their battle against energy creatures from Algol. Combining classic French and Golden Age American SF reminiscent of Jack Williamson and Robert Heinlein, with "Old World" literature, sagas and epics, her writing precedes the "New Wave" of the 1960s and later mythopoetic space operas by Ursula K. Le Guin, Roger Zelazny, C.J. Cherryh, Philip Jose Farmer and Joan D. Vinge. Contents: Introduction La Naissance des dieux (1954) Le Chant des astronautes (1958)