21 Giovanni Domenico Cassini (1625-1712) proposed a project to measure an arc of the meridian from the north of France to the south, which was begun in 1683 but soon cancelled. He made a second attempt in 1700, with several collaborators, which produced an erroneous result, as a result of poor collations of measurements taken by different individuals, which Cassini—an opponent of Newtonian theory—welcomed.
22 Author’s reference: “Vol. II p. 332 of he edition reduced to 2 octavio volumes.”
23 Author’s reference: “Bailly, same edition and same volume, pp, 260, 344 ad 345.”
24 Maupertuis published a book on the subject of the shape of the Earth in 1738, after the expedition to Lapland, supporting Newton’s thesis.
25 Author’s reference: “See L’Exposition du Système du monde vol. II, p. 12, first edition, and page 179 of the sixth, etc.”
26 Author’s reference: “See L’Exposition du Système du monde, vol II, the articles on the atmospheres of the celestial bodies, in which the author says at the end of the article that the atmosphere in question is scarcely detectable, etc., etc.”
27 Author’s reference: “See L’Exposition du Système de monde, vol. II, article IX, ‘Des atmosphères sidérales.’”
28 Author’s reference: “See Paulian’s Dictionnaire de Physique, 8th ed. Vol. IV, p. 88.”
29 The author appends to the text of his dramatic dialogues a letter written in October 1816 on the subject of the hypothesis that meteorites are extraterrestrial in origin, which he denigrates—like many others—as the assertion that “stones fall from the moon.” As it is not directly relevant to the drama I have omitted it; it features the same complaints about the theory of gravity, and also addresses some severe criticism the theories of Mesmer regarding “animal magnetism.”
30 Thomas Aquinas was known in his student days as “the Dumb Ox”—a judgment against which Albert the Great, under whom he studied, protested, allegedly saying that his bellowing would one day be heard all around the world.
31 The psychiatrist Maurice de Fleury (1860-1931) published numerous books, on topics including neurasthenia, depression, insomnia, “senile hysteria” and the criminal mind. The general textbook cited was published in 1898.
32 The enormously popular but now forgotten feuilletonist Émile Richebourg (1833-1898)
33 The then-headquarters of the French Sûreté.
34 The well-known painter and occultist Léon Chevreuil (1852-1939) had not yet built a reputation as a popularizer of occult science in 1890, when this scene is set, and the subsequent reference to “his day” suggests that the intended reference might be to the perfumer Étienne Chevreuil, who had a strong interest in spiritism and associated subjects, but does not appear to have published any books on the subject.
35 The anecdote about Jacques Aymard’s attempt to transfer his supposed water-diving skills to the detection of a murder in Lyon, at the end of the 17th century, is reported in numerous 19th century texts.
36 The trial of Michel Eyraud and Gabrielle Bompard for the murder of Toussaint Gouffé in February 1891 was one of the great causes célèbres of the period, and the memory would have been very fresh when this scene is supposedly set.
37 The neurologists Hippolyte Bernheim (1840-1919) and Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893). The former developed the theory of suggestibility in attempting to account for the phenomena of hypnotism, while the latter made extensive use of hypnotism in his famous investigations of “hysteria” at the Salpêtrière.
38 A labadens, in Parisian argot, is an old friend from school or university.
39 Carl von Reichenbach (1788-1869) was a scientific researcher who made several notable discoveries in chemistry and was a significant pioneer in research into the relationship between electricity and magnetism, which he attempted to associate with a universal field of energy he called “odic force.” He also supposed the latter to be responsible for the phenomena of hypnotism.
40 The 11th century hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was known both as El Cid (the Lord) and El Campeador (the Champion).
41 Sancho I was king of Portugal from 1185 to 1212.
42 But was he reunited with poor Miss Adda, who probably received no apology from Rosamour for his stupidity in not realizing that she had, in fact, found the missing scientist for him? Surely we are entitled to be told, and perhaps entitled to take it for granted that she did, in fact, marry Pilesèche and live happily ever after.
43 The Pius XII to which this story refers is not Eugenio Capelli, who became the Pius XII of our history when he was elected in 1939, the story having been published before that date; given that the reigning Pope at that time was Pius XI, who had assumed that title in 1922, however, that title would have seemed the logical one to attribute to a near-future Pope. It was also in 1922 Benito Mussolini became prime minister of Italy, although he did not become “Il Duce” until 1925.
44 Galéjade is a Provençal dialect term referring to a kind of joke or tall story.
45 When this future-set story was written, the Radical Édouard Herriot (1872-1957) must have served at least one term as Prime Minister out of the three he served between 1924 and 1932, but he was never elected President of the Republic. The novelist Pierre Benoît (1888-1962) was elected to the Académie in 1931; Pierre de Nolhac (who had been elected in 1922), undoubtedly considered him to be a trifle downmarket, and the suggestion of his appointment to direct the committee updating the Académie’s official dictionary of the French language is sarcastic.
46 The notoriously right-wing Jean Chiappe (1876-1940) was the head of the Sûreté during the 1920s and Prefect of Police during the early 1930s, until he was sacked in February 1934, occasioning a large demonstration of support that degenerated into a riot.
47 Henri Gouraud (1867-1946) who had distinguished himself during the Great War, was the military governor of Paris from 1923 to 1937.
48 Léon Blum (1872-1950) was a moderate left politician, who eventually served three terms as prime minister between 1936 and 1947, after the present story was written. Throughout the twenties and for much of the thirties he edited the Socialist newspaper Le Populaire.
49 François Rude (1784-1855) sculpted the frieze and one of the most famous groups on the Arc de Triomphe, “Départ des volontaires de 1792,” more commonly known as “La Marseillaise.”
50 When the story was written, L’Humanité was still the daily newspaper of the French Communist Party.
51 The Presidency of the Assembly of the League of Nations was rotated frequently, but the Secretary General served for longer periods; Eric Drummond, Earl of Perth held the position from 1920 to 1933.
52 The fortunes of the French commune of Fernex, in the Jura, close to the border with Switzerland, were dramatically changed when the great philosopher Voltaire decided to make his home there in 1759, purchased the estate and changed its name to Ferney because he thought too many places in the region had names ending in x. He built a château there, financed the building of a church (perhaps a trifle ironically), set up numerous cottage industries and effectively created a small town. He lived there until his death in 1778.
53 i.e., Rousseau.
54 The Louvre purchased a golden tiara that had allegedly belonged to the Scythian king Saitapharnes in 1896. Its authenticity was challenged by the German archaeologist Adolf Furtwängler, and the Louvre’s attempts to defend its authenticity foundered when the Russian goldsmith who had made it demonstrated his claim by making an identical duplicate, and thus became famous.
FRENCH SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY COLLECTION
105 Adolphe Ahaiza. Cybele
102 Alphonse Allais. The Adventures of Captain Cap
02 Henri Allorge. The Great Cataclysm
14 G.-J. Arnaud. The Ice Company
152 André Arnyvelde. The Ark
153 André Arnyvelde. The Mutilated Bacchus
61 Charles Asselineau. The Double Life
118 Henri Austruy. The Eupantophone
119 H
enri Austry. The Petitpaon Era
120 Henri Austry. The Olotelepan
130 Barillet-Lagargousse. The Final War
103 S. Henry Berthoud. Martyrs of Science
23 Richard Bessière. The Gardens of the Apocalypse
121 Richard Bessière. The Masters of Silence
148 Béthune (Chevalier de). The World of Mercury
26 Albert Bleunard. Ever Smaller
06 Félix Bodin. The Novel of the Future
92 Louis Boussenard. Monsieur Synthesis
39 Alphonse Brown. City of Glass
89 Alphonse Brown. The Conquest of the Air
98 Emile Calvet. In A Thousand Years
40 Félicien Champsaur. The Human Arrow
81 Félicien Champsaur. Ouha, King of the Apes
91. Félicien Champsaur. The Pharaoh’s Wife
133 Félicien Champsaur. Homo-Deus
143 Félicien Champsaur. Nora, The Ape-Woman
03 Didier de Chousy. Ignis
166 Jacques Collin de Plancy. Voyage to the Center of the Earth
97 Michel Corday. The Eternal Flame
113 André Couvreur. The Necessary Evil
114 André Couvreur. Caresco, Superman
115 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 1)
116 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 2)
117 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 3)
67 Captain Danrit. Undersea Odyssey
149 Camille Debans. The Misfortunes of John Bull
17 C. I. Defontenay. Star (Psi Cassiopeia)
05 Charles Derennes. The People of the Pole
68 Georges T. Dodds. The Missing Link and Other Tales of Ape-Men
125 Charles Dodeman. The Silent Bomb
49 Alfred Driou. The Adventures of a Parisian Aeronaut
144 Odette Dulac. The War of the Sexes
145 Renée Dunan. The Ultimate Pleasure
10 Henri Duvernois. The Man Who Found Himself
08 Achille Eyraud. Voyage to Venus
01 Henri Falk. The Age of Lead
51 Charles de Fieux. Lamékis
108 Louis Forest. Someone Is Stealing Children In Paris
31 Arnould Galopin. Doctor Omega
70 Arnould Galopin. Doctor Omega & The Shadowmen
112 H. Gayar. The Marvelous Adventures of Serge Myrandhal on Mars
88 Judith Gautier. Isoline and the Serpent-Flower
163 Raoul Gineste. The Second Life of Dr. Albin
136 Delphine de Girardin. Balzac’s Cane
146 Jules Gros. The Fossil Man
57 Edmond Haraucourt. Illusions of Immortality
134 Edmond Haraucourt. Daah, the First Human
24 Nathalie Henneberg. The Green Gods
131 Eugene Hennebert. The Enchanted City
137 P.-J. Hérault. The Clone Rebellion
150 Jules Hoche. The Maker of Men and his Formula
140 P. d’Ivoi & H. Chabrillat. Around the World on Five Sous
107 Jules Janin. The Magnetized Corpse
29 Michel Jeury. Chronolysis [NO LONGER AVAILABLE]
55 Gustave Kahn. The Tale of Gold and Silence
30 Gérard Klein. The Mote in Time’s Eye
90 Fernand Kolney. Love in 5000 Years
87 Louis-Guillaume de La Follie. The Unpretentious Philosopher
101 Jean de La Hire. The Fiery Wheel
50 André Laurie. Spiridon
52 Gabriel de Lautrec. The Vengeance of the Oval Portrait
82 Alain Le Drimeur. The Future City
27-28 Georges Le Faure & Henri de Graffigny. The Extraordinary Adventures of a Russian Scientist Across the Solar System (2 vols.)
07 Jules Lermina. Mysteryville
25 Jules Lermina. Panic in Paris
32 Jules Lermina. The Secret of Zippelius
66 Jules Lermina. To-Ho and the Gold Destroyers
127 Jules Lermina. The Battle of Strasbourg
15 Gustave Le Rouge. The Vampires of Mars
73 Gustave Le Rouge. The Plutocratic Plot
74 Gustave Le Rouge. The Transatlantic Threat
75 Gustave Le Rouge. The Psychic Spies
76 Gustave Le Rouge. The Victims Victorious
109-110-111 Gustave Le Rouge. The Mysterious Doctor Cornelius
96 André Lichtenberger. The Centaurs
99 André Lichtenberger. The Children of the Crab
135 Listonai. The Philosophical Voyager
157 Ch. Lomon & P.-B. Gheusi. The Last Days of Atlantis
167 Camille Mauclair. The Virgin Orient
72 Xavier Mauméjean. The League of Heroes
78 Joseph Méry. The Tower of Destiny
77 Hippolyte Mettais. The Year 5865
128 Hyppolite Mettais. Paris Before the Deluge
83 Louise Michel. The Human Microbes
84 Louise Michel. The New World
93 Tony Moilin. Paris in the Year 2000
11 José Moselli. Illa’s End
38 John-Antoine Nau. Enemy Force
156 Charles Nodier. Trilby * The Crumb Fairy
04 Henri de Parville. An Inhabitant of the Planet Mars
21 Gaston de Pawlowski. Journey to the Land of the Fourth Dimension
56 Georges Pellerin. The World in 2000 Years
79 Pierre Pelot. The Child Who Walked On The Sky
85 Ernest Perochon. The Frenetic People
161 Jean Petithuguenin. An International Mission to the Moon
141. Georges Price. The Missing Men of the Sirius
165 René Pujol. The Chimerical Quest
100 Edgar Quinet. Ahasuerus
123 Edgar Quinet. The Enchanter Merlin
60 Henri de Régnier. A Surfeit of Mirrors
33 Maurice Renard. The Blue Peril
34 Maurice Renard. Doctor Lerne
35 Maurice Renard. The Doctored Man
36 Maurice Renard. A Man Among the Microbes
37 Maurice Renard. The Master of Light
41 Jean Richepin. The Wing
12 Albert Robida. The Clock of the Centuries
62 Albert Robida. Chalet in the Sky
69 Albert Robida. The Adventures of Saturnin Farandoul
95 Albert Robida. The Electric Life
151 Albert Robida. Engineer Von Satanas
46 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Givreuse Enigma
45 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Mysterious Force
43 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Navigators of Space
48 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. Vamireh
44 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The World of the Variants
47 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Young Vampire
71 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. Helgvor of the Blue River
24 Marcel Rouff. Journey to the Inverted World
158 Marie-Anne de Roumier-Robert. The Voyages of Lord Seaton to the Seven Planets
132 Léonie Rouzade. The World Turned Upside Down
09 Han Ryner. The Superhumans
124 Han Ryner. The Human Ant
122 Pierre de Selenes. An Unknown World
19 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 1. News from the Moon
20 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 2. The Germans on Venus
63 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 3. The Supreme Progress
64 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 4. The World Above the World
65 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 5. Nemoville
80 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 6. Investigations of the Future
106 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 7. The Conqueror of Death
129 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 8. The Revolt of the Machines
142 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 9. The Man with the Blue Face
155 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 10. The Aerial Valley
159 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 11. The New Moon
160 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 12. The Nickel Man
162 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 13. On the Brink of the World’s End
164 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 14. The Mirror of Present Events
168 Brian Stableford (Ed.). 15. The Humanisp
here
42 Jacques Spitz. The Eye of Purgatory
13 Kurt Steiner. Ortog
18 Eugène Thébault. Radio-Terror
58 C.-F. Tiphaigne de La Roche. Amilec
138 Simon Tyssot de Patot. Voyages and Adventures of Jacques de Massé
104 Louis Ulbach. Prince Bonifacio
53 Théo Varlet. The Xenobiotic Invasion (w/Octave Joncquel)
16 Théo Varlet. The Martian Epic; (w/André Blandin)
59 Théo Varlet. Timeslip Troopers
86 Théo Varlet. The Golden Rock
94 Théo Varlet. The Castaways of Eros
139 Pierre Véron. The Merchants of Health
54 Paul Vibert. The Mysterious Fluid
147 Gaston de Wailly. The Murderer of the World
English adaptation and introduction Copyright © 2016 by Brian Stableford.
Cover illustration Copyright © 2016 Phil Cohen.
Visit our website at www.blackcoatpress.com
ISBN 978-1-61227-445-4. First Printing. January 2016. Published by Black Coat Press, an imprint of Hollywood Comics.com, LLC, P.O. Box 17270, Encino, CA 91416. All rights reserved. Except for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The stories and characters depicted in this novel are entirely fictional. Printed in the United States of America.
The Nickel Man Page 34