H. de (Henry) Graffigny

Born Raoul Henri Clément Auguste Antoine Marquis on September 28, 1863, in Graffigny-Chemin, France, he became known to readers as Henry de Graffigny. French sources describe him as a prolific writer, journalist, and aeronaut who worked across an unusually wide range of subjects.

He is remembered as a major popularizer who produced more than two hundred books, many of them under the name Henry de Graffigny. His work ranged from scientific and technical writing on topics such as aeronautics, electricity, astronomy, and applied science to adventure fiction, including the long-running Aventures extraordinaires d'un savant russe, often noted as an early contribution to French science fiction.

That mix of science, showmanship, and imagination gave his writing a lively, accessible character. He died in 1934 in Septeuil, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both the optimism of the machine age and the pleasure of making complex ideas readable for a broad audience.