René Barjavel
René Barjavel (24 January 1911 – 24 November 1985) was a French author, journalist and critic who may have been the first to think of the grandfather paradox in time travel. He was born in Nyons, a town in the Drôme department in southeastern France. He is best known as a science fiction author, whose work often involved the fall of civilisation due to technocratic hubris and the madness of war, but who also favoured themes emphasising the durability of love.
Also recorded as Rene Barjavel
René Barjavel

Public domain
- Name
- René Barjavel
- Born
- 24 January 1911
- Birthplace
- Nyons, France
- Died
- 24 November 1985
- Place of death
- Paris, France
- Occupation
- Novelist, journalist, essayist, screenwriter
- Awards
- Prix Maison de la Presse 1973
- Full name
- René Henri Gustave Barjavel.
- Nationality
- France
- Fields
- science fiction
- Honours
- prix des Libraires · Prix Claude-Farrère
- Languages
- French
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
René Barjavel (24 January 1911 – 24 November 1985) was a French author, journalist and critic who may have been the first to think of the grandfather paradox in time travel. He was born in Nyons, a town in the Drôme department in southeastern France. He is best known as a science fiction author, whose work often involved the fall of civilisation due to technocratic hubris and the madness of war, but who also favoured themes emphasising the durability of love.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for René Barjavel. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q562556 · wikipedia · René Barjavel
In this article
Biography
Biography
Barjavel wrote several novels with these themes, such as Ravage (translated as Ashes, ashes), Le Grand Secret, La Nuit des temps (translated as The Ice People), and Une rose au paradis. His writing is poetic, dreamy and sometimes philosophical. Some of his works have their roots in an empirical and poetic questioning of the existence of God (notably La Faim du tigre). He was also interested in the environmental heritage which we leave to future generations. Whilst his works are rarely taught in French schools, his books are very popular in France. Barjavel wrote Le Voyageur imprudent (1943), the first novel to present the famous Grandfather 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 (commune) cemetery, opposite Mount Ventoux in the Drome. He used these place names in his books; Mount Ventoux appears as the site of the space base in Colomb de la lune, for example, and Tarendol is the name of the hero in the eponymous novel.
The recorded working language is French. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are science fiction. Places of work recorded in the authority are France. Employment is recorded with Le Journal du Dimanche and Je suis partout. Distinctions recorded are prix des Libraires and Prix Claude-Farrère.
plaque en hommage de René Barjavel
Marianne Casamance
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — René Barjavel • Born — 24 January 1911 • Birthplace — Nyons, France • Died — 24 November 1985 • Place of death — Paris, France • Resting Place — Tarendol, France • Occupation — Novelist, journalist, essayist, screenwriter • Language — French • Period — 20th century • Genre — Science fiction, Fantasy, Thriller • Awards — Prix Maison de la Presse 1973 • Years Active — After 1942
Selected filmography
Selected filmography
• Women Without Names (1950) • Midnight Witness (1953) • The Return of Don Camillo (1953) • The Terror with Women (1956) • The Case of Doctor Laurent (1957) • Chair de poule (1963)
Identity
Identity
René Barjavel is recorded as journalist, novelist, screenwriter, literary critic and writer. Recorded at birth as René Henri Gustave Barjavel. Identity and origins. The authorities additionally record the heading Rene Barjavel. His recorded language was French.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1911
René Barjavel born at Nyons.
1985
René Barjavel died at 14th arrondissement of Paris.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Nyons.
Birth place
14th arrondissement of Paris.
Death place
René Barjavel Prize
The Intergalactiques science fiction festival, held annually in Lyon, has awarded the René Barjavel Prize to the best work of science fiction addressing a chosen topic. The themes of previous prizes are: • 2013: "The Augmented Man". Winner: Impress Genetic inc. by Élodie Boivin. Special jury mention to Fermata by Mathieu Rivero. • 2014: “Eco-system(s)” • 2015: "The Reckless Traveler" • 2016: "The Galactic Empire Lies to You" • 2018: "Open letter to living people who want to stay that way" • 2019: "The world suddenly ends, and then the world finally had a reaction...". Winner: MAZUKU by Atmann Bonnaire • 2020: "There is someone who lives in my head, and he does not live in this century".
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q562556: René BarjavelWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,960 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Renato RussoAuthor
- Renaud CamusAuthor
- Renaud de BeaujeuAuthor
- René AllioAuthor
- René BelbenoîtAuthor
- René BergerAuthor
- René BorchanneAuthor
- René BoylesveAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by René Barjavel?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.