The Angel Asrael (1832) is the most revealing and the purest of S. Henry Berthoud’s fantasies, and a significant early contribution to what became the great Romantic and Symbolist tradition of “literary satanism,” in which writers deliberately adopted a stance removed from orthodox Christianity in order to reappraise the character of Satan. As might be expected of a devout writer, Berthoud shows no sympathy for Satan, who remains an archetype of vitriolic nastiness, but in his characterization of the rebel, like John Milton, he cannot help express a certain admiration for his overweening pride and vaulting ambition. Berthoud’s God owes his status not to any intrinsic virtue, but merely to his victory in the War in Heaven, which Satan unhesitatingly attributes to chance. This collection also includes sixteen other stories that demonstrate what a truly ground-breaking author S. Henry Berthoud was, and how amply deserving he is of a modern reappraisal of his achievements.

S. Henry Berthoud (1804-1891) was a writer of considerable ability, remembered today mostly for his often reprinted collections of folkloric legends from Northern France. Yet, he was a writer who came close to inventing science fiction as early as the 1840s. This unique collection assembled, translated and introduced by Brian Stableford, gathers 32 of Berthoud's best works, displaying his often pioneering surges of imagination. It includes samples of his remarkable supernatural stories, his eccentric scientific fantasies, featuring real or imaginary scientists, his ground-breaking visions of the prehistoric past of Paris, and his futuristic novella about the Year 2865.