Quest for Fire

Quest for Fire, written by J. -H. Rosny aîné, was originally published in France in 1911 as La Guerre du Feu (The War of Fire). It has been translated into eleven languages and was made into a major motion picture in 1981 by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Mr. Rosny served as president of the Académie Goncourt, the famous French literary society which was founded in 1903 and still operates today. Rosny left behind a substantial amount of fiction, but very little of his work has been translated into English. As result of that he has always remained in the shadow of Jules Verne, the father of Scientific Romance. He is best known for his prehistoric tales, but he also wrote Science Fiction and was first to use the word astronaut (astronautique). Quest for Fire is Rosny’s best loved work. It is a classic example of the “Hero’s Journey,” and we are enthralled as Naoh, a Neanderthal warrior, leads a small band of brothers into dangerous lands to capture a strange, powerful and beloved beast: The Fire. Facing one crisis after another, Naoh returns exalted and transformed—a true hero to his People. The accompanying Afterword delves into the science behind the story and provides notes on this new translation, the first in over 50 years. New translation by Jonathan Eeds. Illustrated by Culpeo S. Fox.