02 Worldwide Laff: France

Philippe Curval: Haven’t you noticed, on the other hand, that a large number of works appearing in general literature collections claim to be science fiction but are absolutely not? Pierre Versins: It is indeed a new phenomenon. Science fiction novels have always been published everywhere. In the past, people would say: this is a philosophical tale, not science fiction, don’t be fooled; now, they try to make people believe the opposite. Except for people like Dino Buzzati or Mohamed Dib, who always claimed it as their own. It’s only since 1968 that the term has been accepted by publishers; naturally, they’re bound to be mistaken because they haven’t yet grasped what it is. A bit like the academics from all over the world whose letters I receive. They’ve already moved to a higher level of analysis of the phenomenon, as if a comprehensive work on science fiction had already been done. But it doesn’t exist; these people have skipped a step, they’re working on the wrong side of the subject due to a pure lack of information. Much of what I read in Science Fiction Studies, for example, would be perfect if it were applied to Stendhal; it simply doesn’t work on Lafferty. —Pierre Versins, interviewed by Philippe Curval, “Jusqu’au bout et au-delà avec Pierre Versins,” Futurs, first series, no. 2 (July–August 1978). Translated from the French.