Jules Lermina

Born in Paris in 1839, Jules Lermina became a remarkably versatile French writer and journalist. He is remembered for novels, serialized fiction, and works that ranged from crime and adventure to early science-fictional fantasy. His career unfolded during a turbulent political period in France, and that wider world seems to have fed the energy and urgency of his writing.

Lermina was also involved in republican politics and experienced exile and imprisonment during the Second Empire, giving his life story almost as much drama as his fiction. He remained active as a man of letters for decades, building a large body of work and contributing to the lively newspaper and publishing culture of his time.

Today, he is often noted both for his sheer range and for his place in the history of popular literature in France. For listeners discovering him now, he offers the pleasures of a prolific storyteller with a taste for suspense, big ideas, and bold plots.