''La Vermine du Lion'' (The Lion's Parasites) is a
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
novel by French writer
Francis Carsac, first published in paperback by Fleuve Noir in 1967.
It was reissued by Super-luxe in 1978 and Eons in 2004. The first hardcover edition was issued after the author's death by La page blanche in December 1982 with a new preface by
Jacques Tixier 250px, Jacques Tixier
Jacques Tixier (1 January 1925 – 3 April 2018) was a French archaeologist and prehistorian notable for his work on prehistory in Qatar, Lebanon, and North Africa. He led the first French archaeological mission to Qatar in 19 ...
.
To date no English translation has been published.
The novel was dedicated to Carsac's American friends and science fiction writer colleagues
Poul Anderson
Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...
and
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...
, from whose works the author acknowledged borrowing some elements.
Plot summary
The novel is an interplanetary adventure along the lines of de Camp's
Krishna series.
[De Camp, L. Sprague. Letter to G. W. Cavalier, November 22, 1991, published in ''REHupa'' 113.] The protagonist, geologist Téraï Laprade, champions the native humanoids of the planet Eldorado against a predatory conglomerate bent on exterminating them so it can freely plunder their world's mineral wealth.
Reception
The novel was included in Annick Béguin's ''Les 100 principaux titres de la science-fiction'' in 1981.
L. Sprague de Camp called the book "a whale of a story," and with the permission of Carsac's widow undertook to translate it into English for the American market. His agent circulated a three-chapter sample with a synopsis of the remainder of the story to U.S. publishers, but it was rejected on the grounds that Carsac "had no name recognition in the US and, being dead, could not be sold as a 'coming' writer."
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vermine du Lion, La
1967 French novels
1967 science fiction novels
French science fiction novels