Jacques Van Herp (26 November 1923 – 30 December 2004)[1][2][3] was a Belgian publisher, anthologist, science fiction writer and director of collections at Marabout.
Jacques Van Herp | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 November 1923 |
| Died | 30 December 2004 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, publisher |
Biography
editHe initially taught as a mathematics teacher in secondary education in Brussels. He then became director of collections at the Marabout publishing house and specialized in publishing novels written by European forerunners of science fiction, being awarded in 1976 with the Special Prize for Belgium of the European Science Fiction Society.
His anticipation novels were published under several pseudonyms:
- With his only signature: Marc Monnier, Alain Arvel, André Jouly, Michel Berchamps, Carlo Nada, Alan Haigh, Michel Vedewe, Alain Provist, Ladislas Céteski, Illy Kenkönnery, Michel Berchmans, Michel Védéwé.[4]
- Under a collective signature: Michel Jansen, Michel Goissert.
Critical appraisals
editVan Herp considered that the countries of the Eastern Bloc had notable anticipatory writers like Stanisław Lem, Ivan Yefremov, the Strugatsky brothers and Valentina Zhuravlyova;[5] but he said Sergiu Fărcășan "crushed" all of them.[5] After reading Fărcășan's novel A Love of the Year 41,042, Van Herp considered the author to be the size of Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and Fredric Brown, stating that in Fărcășan's work he saw the logical rigor in extrapolating of the first, the high knowledge of the second, and the cosmic sense as well as the humor of the third.[5] "The comparison seems formidable," Van Herp acknowledged, "but Fărcășan supports it very well (...)".[5]
Works
editAs Alan Haigh
edit- La Porte des ténèbres (Le Masque Fantastique, n° 18, 1977, coll. rouge)[1]
As Alain Arvel
edit- La Capricieuse, Alsatia, Signe de Piste, 1958[1]
- Xavier la dérive, Signe de Piste 128, 1986[6][1]
- Lucky, mon ami, Fleurus, 1995, coll. Signe de Piste[1]
- Thierry tête de fer, Spès, 1954, coll. Jamboree
- Le Roi Mezel (in collaboration with Jean-Claude Alain), Spès, 1954, coll. Jamboree
- Le linceul de pourpre, Spès, 1956, coll. Jamboree
- Terre des Ombres, Spès, 1957, coll. Jamboree
- Cap au Sud (in collaboration with Jean-Paul Benoit), Spès, 1963, coll. Jamboree
- Les murs de la ville, éditions Hachette, 1975, coll. Poche Rouge
- Vorstadtsommer : Bruno, Mike und Rocandos (traduction de Thomas Münster), Freiburg im Breisgau, Basel, Wien : Herder, 1979
As Carlo Nada
edit- La bataille du quartier, Signe de Piste, NSDP 53, 1977
As André Jouly
edit- Le Prince Milou, Spès, 1957, coll. Jamboree
As Jacques Van Herp
editAnthologies
edit- Sur l'autre face du monde et autres romans scientifiques de sciences et voyages (in collaboration with Gérard Klein, Robert Laffont, 1973, coll. Ailleurs et Demain/Classiques)
- l'Angleterre fantastique (de Defoe à Wells, 22 contes de revenants et de terreur) (Éditions André Gérard, 1974, coll. Anthologies)
- Cahiers de l'Herne n° 38 : Jean Ray (in collaboration with François Truchaud, Herne, 1980, coll. Les cahiers de l'Herne, n° 38)
- Fritz Leiber, Les nouvelles, suivies d’une autobiographie (Lefrancq, 1988)[7]
Essays, studies, guides
edit- Panorama de la science-fiction (Éditions Gérard & Co, 1974, n° 270, coll. Marabout Université)
- Panorama de la science-fiction (1974-1996) (Lefrancq, coll. Volumes)
- Harry Dickson, le Sherlock Holmes américain Tome 1, Recto-verso, 1981
- Harry Dickson, le Sherlock Holmes américain Tome 2, Recto-verso, 1983
Short stories
edit- Rencontre à minuit (1987, Phénix, n° 11)
As Michel Jansen
editNovels
edit- Raiders de l'espace (in collaboration with Jean Erland), Spès, 1955, coll. Jamboree
- Vers les espaces infinis, Editions du Soleil levant, 1956
- La porte sous les eaux (in collaboration with John Flanders), Spès, 1960, coll. Jamboree
- Mer des pluies - Spès 1961, coll. Jamboree-ainé
- Port des brumes, Signe de Piste, 1955 (SDP 74)
Short stories
edit- Werewolf (1957, Fiction, n° 44)
- Excès de vitesse (1958, Fiction, n° 57)
- La fin du UB-65 (1969 Audace n° 1 - 15me année - Spécial Fantastique
- Poursuite sans fin (1986, Phénix, n° 4)
- De Du'Vel On à Nek (1988, Phénix, n° 15)
- Prima donna (dans la Première Anthologie de la science-fiction française, OPTA, 1959, coll. Fiction-Spécial)
- Si jamais je te pince (1987, Phénix, n° 8)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Jacques Van Herp". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Jacques Van Herp". NooSFere (in French). Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ Vantroyen, Jean-Claude (21 January 2005). "Jacques " Je sais tout " Van Herp est mort le soir" [Jacques "I know everything" Van Herp is dead]. Le Soir (in French). Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Alain Arvel, Michel Jansen, André Jouly, Carlo Nada". auteurs.romans-scouts.com (in French). Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Fărcășan, Sergiu; Lupescu, Valentin (2007). Un amour en l'an 41042 (in French). Translated by Floresco, Maurice (French translation). Hoël, Jean-Christophe (illustration). Caëstre, France: EONS Productions. p. 42. ISBN 9782754400985. OCLC 633826404. Documented at NooSFere
- ^ "Xavier la dérive - Nouveau Signe de Piste n°128 - Les Echos de Nampilly". nampilly.canalblog.com (in French). 26 March 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ van Herp, Jacques (1988). Fritz Leiber, Les nouvelles, suivies d'une autobiographie. Brussels: Lefrancq. ISBN 2-87153-567-1. Note that five of the eleven short stories; "Le Gondolier noir", "Ceux des profondeurs", "Le Gant", "Minuit à la montre de Morphy", "Clarté spectrale", as well as the autobiography of Fritz Leiber, were translated by Van Herp himself.