author
Cyrano de Bergerac
1619–1655
A bold, witty voice from 17th-century France, he wrote satirical plays and imaginative prose that helped point the way toward modern science fiction. His real life as a soldier and duelist later inspired the famous romantic legend, but his writing is the reason he still matters.
4 Audiobooks
L'autre monde; ou, Histoire comique des Etats et Empires de la Lune
by Cyrano de Bergerac
A Voyage to the Moon
by Cyrano de Bergerac
Voyages to the Moon and the Sun
by Cyrano de Bergerac
Lettres d'amour
by Cyrano de Bergerac
About the author
Born in Paris and baptized on March 6, 1619, Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French writer, playwright, and duelist. He served in the military for a time, and his reputation for bravery and sharp wit became part of his legend. Later generations often knew him through Edmond Rostand’s much more romantic play, but the historical Cyrano was a striking author in his own right.
His work mixed satire, philosophical freedom, and inventive fantasy. He is especially remembered for writings that imagine journeys beyond Earth, including stories about traveling to the Moon and the Sun. Because of that imaginative reach, he is often seen as an early forerunner of science fiction.
Cyrano died on July 28, 1655. Though his life was short, his blend of irreverence, humor, and speculative imagination gave him an unusual place in French literary history.