Olivier Paquet

A doctor of political science and an expert on the former Czechoslovakia, Olivier Paquet is fascinated by science fiction, Japanese cartoons and mangas. He is a broadcaster on the radio programme "Mauvais genres" on France Culture, where he regularly gives talks on his favourite topics.

He has written mainly short stories for the magazine Galaxie. One story, Synesthésie, won the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire 2002. His novel, Structura Maxima, was first published in the "Imagine" collection (Flammarion) with Jacques Chambon as editor in 2003.

Works

( 15 )

L'Ost céleste

Composite

Composite

Les machines fantômes

Les machines fantômes

Jardin d'hiver

Le Melkine

Les machines fantômes

Les machines fantômes

Les Loups de Prague

Les Loups de Prague

Jardin d'hiver

Structura Maxima

Structura Maxima

Bleu argent

L'esprit du Melkine

L'esprit du Melkine

La mort du Melkine

La mort du Melkine

Le Melkine

Les Loups de Prague

Les Loups de Prague

Press reviews

( 7 )

Praise for JARDIN D'HIVER

The plot is hard-hitting, meticulous and intense, with many twists, turns and surprises. It manages to avoid being simplistic, nuancing its precepts and characters. The world is fascinating to discover whether it be through the highly imaginative technological aspect or in geo-political and geographical context. The characters are never uninteresting, proving to be both complex and human. One of the strong points of the narrative comes from the author’s contemplations on the de-demonization of machines, technology, nature, the environment, identity or the future. Blog-O-Livre French SF also has talented authors, like Olivier Paquet, who takes us on board a ship of big-hearted...

JARDIN D'HIVER - the point of view of the author

“This novel arose from several ideas. The first was to invent a Europe of the future, a complete reconstruction, whose purest manifestation would be a brand-new city of Paris. The capital is no longer a museum city, but a city of great tower blocks, districts hanging in the air and aerial transport systems. I have been helped with this by the “Revoir Paris” Exhibition, sourced from Schuitten and Peeter’s comic books, which presents all the reconstruction projects of the city since the 19th century. Then I wanted a change of perspective on the question of the relationship between man and machine. It is becoming more and more of a cliché to accuse computers of transforming...

Praise for STRUCTURA MAXIMA

You only have to read the first few lines of this début novel to realise that Olivier Paquet is an excellent writer. Right from the start, his skills in constructing a world of metal and light, steam and noise, are not unreminiscent of Metropolis. All this could possibly alienate the reader but the plot ensures the contrary and is an accompaniment to the highly literary narrative. The psychological pangs of the young hero are equally intense. At first naively idealistic, Jehan gradually discovers that the grass is not always greener on the other side and he doesn't need to break with family and cultural tradition to find happiness. As he abandons his successive ideals, which give rise...

Praise for BLEU ARGENT

The atmosphere of Bleu Argent is enjoyable and the author succeeds in convincingly creating Planet Poéia and its inhabitants. The story is well-paced and the characters are engagingly depicted, even if the plot lacks a few twists and turns. A well-constructed novel and a pleasant read. Chris de Savoie We relish every moment spent with these heroes, the places they go to, every discovery and process of thought. […] The writing style is, as always, carefully controlled, enthralling and poetic, easing the reader into the story. In conclusion, this is a good novel that can be read by teenagers and adults alike, dealing with childhood, magic, stories, dreams...

Praise for LA MORT DU MELKINE

Above all the author emphasises the perverse effect of conditioning which creates populations without substance only being able to live a limited, prearranged life, albeit magical yet often false. A world which, in fact, I would really like to know more about, especially after an ending which opens up new perspectives on certain planets. For what is remarkable in this narrative isn't really the story, even if it serves as a good base and is both coherent and interesting. No, what really strikes the reader is epic human pageant revealed through the pages, as we delve into this fascinating Space Opera. But really, the thing that absolutely affected me in the work was the way it made me dream...

Praise for LE MELKINE

We have here a space opera that is ambitious and yet simple, a story that uses the immensity of the galaxy in order to talk about our own world. […] Olivier Paquet manages this with a certain panache and tackles themes as vast as they are contemporary: for example culture and its influence upon us and the way we use it to get what we want. Depending on who is manipulating it, the results will not be the same and could be truly frightening. […] A trilogy that gets off to a great start. Stegg, Psychovision A space opera which basically, as is often the case, is all about us. Watch this space... Hélène, Les Vagabonds du Rêve Le Melkine...

Praise for LES LOUPS DE PRAGUE

So the atmosphere is greater than the characters and is sufficiently compelling in itself. Olivier Paquet knows how to endow Prague with an autonomous existence, making a society spring from a microcosm and a living form from inert matter. His writing is efficient, descriptive when necessary, sometimes even sensual, contemplating themes as profound as liberty, compliance and obedience. It's intelligent, efficient and original. At last ! Sandrine Brugot Maillard, Mes Imaginaires What is original in this novel is the fact that Olivier Paquet has used Prague as the framework for his story. In doing this he gives his narrative an "exotic" touch, with a really refreshing...