Most Popular Books by Pierre Christin

An intimate look at the life and work of England's greatest novelist and political essayist, and author of the dystopian masterpiece 1984 George Orwell's most celebrated work, 1984, and the prescient vision it contains of a society governed by Big Brother predates the constant monitoring of people and data we are familiar with today by almost 70 years. But his life was every bit as fascinating and forward-looking as his books. Orwell studied at Eton, joined the police in Burma, fought in the Spanish Civil War, fiercely opposed Stalinism, and lived in London's slums while working as a journalist. With illustrations by artists including Annie Goetzinger, Juanjo Guarnido, Enki Bilal, Manu Larcenet, Blutch, and André Juillard, Pierre Christin's Orwell offers readers an intimate yet definitive portrait of our greatest political writer.

The Delphs are an artificial species who depend entirely on an extremely rare substance, that not only allows them to live and reproduce, but also fuels their creative talents – for the Delphs are the most sought-after storytellers in the galaxy. They call upon Galaxity to find a new source of it, as their own is exhausted. The problem is, the only available deposit is on 21st century Earth, and the agents on station ... are still going to high school!

In this book you will find volumes 3 to 5: The Land Without Stars, Welcome to Alflolol and Birds of the Master – three stories that introduce the societal criticism aspect of the series. Battle of the sexes, totalitarianism and extreme productivism are lambasted, but never at the expense of fantasy or of the action. And as they travel from world to distant world, Laureline becomes a truly equal partner, far from the stereotypical female sidekick roles of the time. Finally, the second part of the exclusive interview with the authors and director Luc Besson is followed by an in-depth portrait of Pierre Christin, the writer.

Running away with the unhappy heir to the galaxy’s biggest fortune, even if it’s because he wants it, is bound to cause some problems. On the lam with the Caliphette of Iksaladam, Valerian and Laureline are relentlessly pursued by the Quatuor Mortis, who are still after the enormous reward offered for the child’s safe return. Stranded among the Asteroids of Shimballil, they must evade the hunters, recover their ship, dodge profiteers and traitors ... and decide what to do with the little brat!

The last volume of this magnificent collection, which includes the final three books of the main saga, bringing to a close the adventures of Valerian, Laureline and the vanished Earth in style.

When a rogue planet threatens a new Human colony, Valerian and Laureline are sent to investigate and discover a barren, rocky surface... and a whole world beneath it! The people who live inside Zahir have never seen the stars. Divided along gender lines, torn by a senseless and bloody war, they are unaware that their planet is hurtling towards disaster. To stop it, the two agents of Galaxity will have to infiltrate both sides and force a reconciliation.

Somewhere at the edge of known space is the Great Void. That inscrutable, shapeless, ever-changing place is where the expanding universe springs forth, where new planets and new life forms are created. It’s also, according to the gods of Hypsis, the place where Galaxity’s Earth was sent and is being kept prisoner. Valerian and Laureline begin a discreet investigation, but it doesn’t take long before they start finding obstacles in their path, placed by the rulers of Rubanis – and their mysterious master...

Valerian and Laureline’s ship has crash-landed on an uncharted planetoid. The two castaways quickly discover a vast ship cemetery, leading them to believe that their arrival was not an accident. Before long, they make contact with a population whose sole purpose seems to be to gather and produce food for a mysterious “Master.” The Terran agents aren’t going to be turned into slaves easily, but the Master enforces his will through his terrible agents: the Birds of Madness...

Point Central is a multicultural space station that serves as a sort of United Nations to the galaxy. Tasked with protecting the new ambassador from Earth, Valerian is kidnapped alongside his charge in a lightning commando attack. It’s up to Laureline to do all the heavy lifting and slog through the seedy bowels of the station as she tries to locate and rescue them—and figure out who kidnapped them and why.

On an interstellar cruise ships, a mysterious individual in full environmental suit is working hard to get to Earth. On Earth, meanwhile, another person in a spacesuit is exploring a nuclear reactor on behalf of its owners. That second man is Valerian, and since the disappearance of Galaxity, he’s been forced to make a living by putting his advanced knowledge and equipment to good use. But what he’s discovered insidethe plant is extremely worrisome...

Our two spatio-temporal agents are on a new mission, but this time the duo is split up. While Laureline flies solo from planet to planet, on the trail of arms dealers and forbidden technologies, Valerian is on 20th century Earth, teamed up with the eccentric Mr Albert. And he, too, is hunting down technologies incompatible with the era. What is the link between the two cases, separated as they are by centuries and light-years?

Valerian and Laureline take a break from adventuring and go on a cruise, but Valerian feels uncomfortable among the idle and the powerful. He’s not bored for long, though, because when a quartet of mercenaries board the cruise ship to kidnap the son of the Caliph of Iksaladam, they end up taking Laureline as well. With the almighty Caliph offering a massive reward for his son’s return, Valerian’s quest to rescue his girl is suddenly hindered by every bounty hunter in the galaxy...

The two Galaxity agents’ investigation into the elemental forces appearing on Earth continues. While Laureline, dogged and efficient, follows a promising lead somewhere in outer space, Valerian is struggling to unravel the mysterious events plaguing our 20th century. Demonstrations of fantastic phenomena follow in quick succession, pushing poor Valerian to his limits. And matters will have to be settled simultaneously in New York and on an asteroid on the edge of the galaxy to save our world...

Fifth volume of the collection, and it’s almost a new series that begins, without ever losing any of what makes its strength or its charm. In this volume of the Collection you will find books 13 to 15, and our heroes’ life has been irretrievably changed with the disappearance of future Earth and Galaxity. Lacking work, they become freelance spies in the 80s in On the Frontiers. Lacking money, they’re reluctant arms dealers in The Living Weapons. Lacking options, they turn investigators slash bait on corrupt Rubanis in The Circles of Power. The apparent descent into hell of the two former agents is the chance for the authors to study the ambiguities of our world, either directly or through the lens of alien civilisations; along with the ambiguity – pragmatism versus heroism – of the titular character, saved from a fall from grace by his ever irreproachable partner.

Valerian, shot to death in an Indian fortress. Valerian, dead in 19th century London. Valerian, gunned down in San Francisco’s Chinatown... And Laureline, paired up with an unpleasantly arrogant historian from Galaxity, forced to witness every demise of the man she loves on a succession of re-enacted pieces of human history. A very strange case that will take the two spatio-temporal agents to the limits of their endurance as they hunt down the mysterious architect of the false Earths....

Every 100 years or so, the infertile people of Simlanne send their champions to the sacred island of Filene, where the best among them, chosen via a series of tests, will find and bring back the next generation. This cycle, though, the local heroes seem to fail repeatedly, and the aging Simlannians have sent for heroes from other worlds. Valerian, chosen to represent Earth, will have to overcome the tests and his competitors in a dangerous odyssey...

In this sixth volume of the Collected Edition, our two former agents, now idle, create their own adventures by helping their fellow beings, and resume their quest to find Earth.

This third book of the collected edition contains volumes 6 to 8: Ambassador of the Shadows – the story that directly inspired Luc Besson’s film – On the False Earths and Heroes of the Equinox. Over the course of these titles, among the finest in the series, Laureline takes her rightful place as the brains of the outfit, while Valerian fully embraces his role as anti-hero: always brave, but often a bit out of his depth. You will also find the end of the interview with Luc Besson and the authors, and an in-depth portrait of Jean-Claude Mézières, the artist.

Technorog is a planet essential to the economy of the Terran empire. For 200 years, it has been a centre of industry, research and agriculture. Suddenly, the indigenous population—believed long extinct—comes back to the planet they know as Alflolol. Earth’s laws are strict: They must be allowed back on their ancestral grounds. But when Valerian and Laureline are assigned to facilitate their “reinsertion,” they see the difference between the letter of the law and its spirit...

This first volume of the collection contains books 1 and 2 of the series: The City of Shifting Waters – in its original two-part, 9 pages longer format – and The Empire of a Thousand Planets. It also includes book 0, Bad Dreams, translated into English for the first time: the very first adventures of our two heroes, published after City and retroactively numbered. Finally, linking the volumes of this collection together, a long, exclusive interview with the authors and director Luc Besson is illustrated with new art as well as numerous sketches, studies and photographs from the latter’s upcoming big-screen adaptation.

Fourth volume of the collection: return to Earth, and some great upheavals in the characters’ lives, are on the menu for the best titles of the series. This volume contains books 9 to 12 – two unmissable two-parters that represent a turning point in the story of our agents, and which are widely considered by critics and readers alike to be the pinnacle of the series. Characterised by a return to 20th century Earth, these two stories are suffused with incredible melancholy and poetic charm, and force Valerian, the action man, to face his limitations. As the real date neared 1986, final year of our world according to the authors, Pierre Christin reconciled fiction and reality with consummate skill and daring, sweeping aside the status quo and sending his heroes down a completely new path. This book is introduced by several articles of the recently departed Stan Barets.

Do we really want our dreams fulfilled? And, when given everything wished for, what is life like? This docufantasy about a small town saved from disaster and pushed into utopia provokes such questions. The story is framed by a boy's two contrasting dreams of utopia. The first, a majestic otherworldly city filled with surreal amusements; the second, a mundane but familiar working class town. The dramatic shift of the child's fantasies results from a remarkable offer accepted by the people of his town. The factories that are the life blood of the town are about to close, despite efforts by the striking workers. When the owner, the aged founder of a multimillion dollar empire, suddenly dies, the town expects little help from his heir, an invalid granddaughter. In fact, the enigmatic lady also has a dream. Her determination and money create a new town ... the town that didn't exist.

Prolific comic book author Pierre Christin, who penned the game-changing classic sci-fi series "Valerian and Laureline," switches to autobiography here to bring us the thoughtful, enlightening tale of two vastly different lands, the American West during the civil rights movement and the counter-culture phenomenon, and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, as seen through the eyes of an inquisitive French artist and journalist with a love for travel, intellectual query, gypsies, and jazz. Christin and his faithful road companion and "Valerian" co-creator Jean-Claude Mézières drive across landscapes ranging from Utah to Bulgaria in a series of cars each more dilapidated than the next, encountering people and adventures of all kinds in a story that is part travel journal, part geo-political documentary, and part artistic coming-of-age.

Century’s End collects two of the most accomplished comics narratives to come out of the creative collaboration between visionary artist Enki Bilal and celebrated writer Pierre Christin. In ‘The Black Order Brigade’, a group of aging revolutionaries band together for one last stand against fascism. As they spread around Europe, chasing down leads and picking off old adversaries, they realize they are heading for an explosive showdown. A group of Communist leaders gather for some sport in a quiet forest in ‘The Hunting Party’. Soon the snowy ground is stained with the blood of more than just animals, as the machinations of the political world weave through the trees toward an unsuspecting victim… “an engaging, original story that should resonate with audiences interested in the evolving process of history and how it is shaped.” – Icv2

A meeting of elite diplomats. A snowy resort in an undisclosed location. A secure communications room staffed by private security. Lena's latest adventure finds her ostensibly heading a small hospitality staff that caters to the needs of VIPs attending a top-secret summit. What better way to suss out secrets than by blending into the woodwork? In this locked-room atmosphere, egos clash and history outs its old grudges. For the issue at stake is none other than the fate of the Middle East, again to be divided by meddling powers. And these days of routine, ennui, luxury, and leisure may hide a more insidious threat...

Presents the life of the urban planner whose rise to power in mid-twentieth century New York City gave him control over the constuction of highways, bridges, public buildings, and housing projects and helped shape the infrastucture that exists today.

The evil hordes of the Wolochs are rampaging through space, and everywhere death and destruction follow. But despite the despair of some and the betrayal of others, Valerian, Laureline and a few other brave souls are resisting. They’re hoping to use a mysterious artefact, the Time Opener, to banish the stones and bring back Earth. But what price must they pay to do so? And what sort of Earth will they get back if they succeed?

Edith Hardy runs a small detective agency off an unassuming alley in the 13th arrondissement. It's the 1950s, and foreign forces are busy vying for power in a Paris still recovering from World War II. Edith has a good heart and a missing husband, and her attempts to do right by her small world get her caught up in far larger, darker affairs. A classic Pierre Christin script—a strong sense of place and history, humane leftist sympathies—combines with Annie Goetzinger's indelible artwork to deliver a stylish mystery for fans of classy whodunits.

After the events of The Time Opener, Valerian and Laureline reverted to childhood, and are now living with Mr Albert on 21st century Earth. But in a universe where time travel is a reality, words like ‘after’ or even ‘now’ can be somewhat ... hazy, and elsewhere, in other times, our young but nonetheless adult agents are still working tirelessly to maintain a galactic peace threatened as always by greed and the thirst for power.

Ten members of the Soviet Politburo gather at a sumptuous country home for a weekend of shooting. In reality, this winter hunt is only an excuse for an elaborate game of death filled with suspense and intrigue.

Even though Valerian and Laureline’s adventures have come to an end, there are still many chapters that haven’t been told yet. Simple episodes, post-scriptums to their main stories, moments of their lives seen through the eyes of their friends, their allies, or even their enemies. Here’s a collection of vignettes that will cast a new light – sometimes funny, sometimes touching – on the saga of our heroes.

Galaxity, capital of the Terran Empire in the 28th century. Valerian and Laureline are agents who protect mankind from rogue time travellers. Now they are sent to New York in 1986 to intercept Galaxity’s worst megalomaniac, Xombul—except that in 1986, the world is in ruins and New York is about to be swallowed by the ocean. The two agents must navigate the shifting waters of the past to make sure that the future will exist.

Not unlike contemporary political situations in which terrorism leads to counter-terrorism in a vicious cycle, The Ranks of the Black Order illuminates the tragedy and monstrosity of violent vengeance on a human scale. The novel takes as its starting point the ultimately pointless struggles of left- and right-wing militants in Spain in 1938. Never having forgotten their defeat, a terrorist faction returns to the vilalge of Nieves and massacres its inhabitants as the story opens forty years later. Enraged by the minor coverage given the slaughter, the journalist Jefferson Pritchard regroups his brigade and resolves to wipe out their old foes from the Black Order. As one crusty old group pursues the other across Europe, the distinctions between principles, between left and right, all but vanish into a senseless haze, without victors or vanquished, leaving only victims.

Broke, without a job, their ship almost a scrap heap, Valerian and Laureline are stuck on Rubanis, unable to pay for repairs. So when a trio of old acquaintances introduces them to the head of the local police, who is looking for independent agents for a risky – but well-paid – mission, they accept readily enough. But Rubanis is the most corrupt planet in the entire galaxy. How are they to find out who really holds the reins of power there?

Valerian and Laureline are exploring Syrte, capital planet of a system of 1,000 worlds. Their mission is to discover whether the Syrtians could present a danger to Earth. What they find is a decaying empire led by decadent aristocrats, a population ripe for revolution, and a mysterious caste of masked wise men who discreetly pull the strings from hidden fortresses. Swept up by the winds of history, the agents of Earth will have to choose a side...

Valerian and Laureline, no longer members of any organisation, are down to doing space deliveries. With Galaxity gone and money getting scarce, their aging spaceship is becoming a hazard, which is pushing Valerian into accepting questionable cargo. After a somewhat rough landing, our two ex-agents, on their way to deliver their goods, meet some individuals with very surprising gifts who claim to be itinerant artists. But is that really all they are?