René Barjavel

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René Barjavel (January 24, 1911 - November 24, 1985) was a French author, journalist and critic who supposedly was the first to think of the grandfather paradox. He is best known as a science fiction author, whose work often involved the fall of civilisation due to technocratic hubris but who also favoured themes emphasising the durability of love.

Amongst other things, René Barjavel is the author of several suspense novels. There are several recurring themes such as the fall of civilisation due to the excesses of science and the madness of war, or indeed the eternal and indestructible character of love (Ravage, Le Grand Secret, La Nuit des temps, Une rose au paradis). His writing is poetic, dreamy and sometimes philosophical. Some of his works have their roots in an empirical and poetic questionning of the existence of God (notably La Faim du tigre). However he is also interested in the environmental heritage which we leave to our children and future generations. Whilst his works are rarely taught in French schools, his books are very popular in France.

Barjavel is also the author of Voyageur imprudent, which first presents the famous paradox of time travel: if one goes backwards in time and kills one of their ancestors before he had children, the traveller cannot exist and therefore cannot kill the ancestor.

Barjavel died in 1985 and was buried with his ancestors in Tarendol cemetery, opposite mount Ventoux. Mount Ventoux appears in his novels, for example in Colomb de la lune it is where the space base is. Tarendol is the name of the hero in the novel Tarendol.