A problem with Barjavel - as I remember it - is the stylization of the stories: there is little detail, little background, little world ambiance in these books. Just a one big story. And that makes them paraboles or something - exercises about ONE idea. And not worlds.
In something like L'Incal on the contrary, the world around the story is very rich. In the way the Neuromancer world is rich. There is not JUST the story going on. It goes on in front and in the middle of a richness of OTHER ideas. Which is to me more thought-provoking because less artificial.
In something like L'Incal on the contrary, the world around the story is very rich. In the way the Neuromancer world is rich. There is not JUST the story going on. It goes on in front and in the middle of a richness of OTHER ideas. Which is to me more thought-provoking because less artificial.