Cyrano de Bergerac
French libertine author and pioneer of science fiction.
A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th century.
- field
- Novelist, playwright, epistolarian, duelist
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Early modern science fiction novels L'Autre Monde and Les États et Empires du Soleil; inspiration for Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac
Lore & Background
Cyrano was the son of Abel de Cyrano, lord of Mauvières and Bergerac, and Espérance Bellanger. He received his first education from a country priest and had for a fellow pupil his friend and future biographer Henri Lebret. As a minor nobleman and officer he was notorious for his dueling and boasting. He is said to have left the military and returned to Paris to pursue literature, producing tragedies cast in the orthodox classical mode. He was a pupil of the French polymath Pierre Gassendi. One author, Ishbel Addyman, varies from other biographers and claims that he was not a Gascon aristocrat, but a descendant of a Sardinian fishmonger, and that he may have suffered tertiary syphilis. He also associated with Théophile de Viau, the French poet and libertine.
Reader's Guide
He was the first writer to depict space flight by use of a vessel that has rockets attached, and he introduced Moon-Men as an extraterrestrial race. His mixture of science and romance influenced Jonathan Swift, Edgar Allan Poe, and probably Voltaire. Both Pierre Corneille and Molière freely borrowed ideas from his works, though only Molière was accused of directly plagiarizing them. Since the 1970s, there has been a resurgence in the study of Cyrano, demonstrated in the abundance of theses, essays, articles and biographies published in France and elsewhere.
Did You Know?
- Cyrano was the first writer to depict space flight using a vessel with rockets attached.
- His novels introduced Moon-Men as an extraterrestrial race, with four legs and talking earrings used to educate children.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Cyrano de Bergerac's most notable works?
He authored two early speculative novels, L'Autre Monde and Les États et Empires du Soleil, often cited among the first works of science fiction. Beyond those, he also wrote plays and was an active duelist alongside his literary career.
Why is Cyrano de Bergerac considered important in literary history?
His speculative novels predate most recognized science fiction and are regarded as pioneering examples of the genre. He also contributed to the libertine literary movement of early 17th-century France, pushing boundaries in both style and subject matter.
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