Thomas Geha

This 30 pages counting short-story is the last in a series of twelve stories, published by Le Carnoplaste, as you can see here. Each story is written by a different author and you can only know who wrote what when you have the booklets in your hands. They each cost 3 EUR, but I was given my copy as a present by its author, Thomas Geha, this year at Les Imaginales (French SFFF-festival). I also bought two of his other books: [b:Des sorciers et des hommes|40022892|Des sorciers et des show more hommes|Thomas Geha|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525258149s/40022892.jpg|61988261] and the anthology [b:Les Créateurs|13627020|Les Créateurs|Thomas Geha|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1345473292s/13627020.jpg|19232531], both of course still to be read.

This short-story takes place in 11,996 B.C., somewhere in Eastern Europe. And 3 cycles after the crash of an alien species (a slug). There are a few clans in the large vicinity, one of which is that of Ock. Orik is the leader of another clan, but also Ock's enemy. The clans don't always get along, yet depend on each other for trade of goods or services or even members, especially when one clan is so decimated that the survivors can't continue on their own.

So, there's an alien slug in town, arrived after the gods sent out a sort of purple warning through the skies. Since several generations, animals and plants were disappearing and it became tougher to hunt for food. One day, two of Ock's clan members don't return from hunting or scouting. Ock decides to investigate this disappearance.

And that's also when he gets attacked by dead, skeletal horses. This revival is due to the slug's power, which revives dead animals and people by means of a blue substance. Horses, aurochs, warriors, wolves, bears, ... All these are skeletal zombies, which are hard to kill. The only solution is: decapitation. This definitely takes them out, as is also shown in the fading of the shine in their new, blue eyes.

As Ock's clan (Bear Cliff) gets exterminated, while he's out hunting, he decides to call upon the help of Orik's clan, since he and Orik once fought for the position of chief, but both were equally matched, so no one won. As the situation is urgent, Ock decides to take matter into his own hands and confront Orik with the danger that looms not far away. Orik mocks him, but has to pay a heavy price. Ock takes over the clan, though it takes some time to convince its members that he's the new boss.

So, the people go out to put an end to the massacre and in the end, there are, as far as battling goes, two survivors: Ock and R'ossni, Orik's best warrior and scout. Ock gets devoured by the slug, which, ironically, has not one bone in its body, yet its army of zombies consists of only that: bones (skeletons). As Ock managed to take out this one weapon he carried with him - large spoiler here - he can only laugh at his fate, since he's not devoured at all, let alone by any bone-jaws. So he takes out the knife bone and tries to cut his way out... until the slug explodes and the spell is broken.

R'ossni arrives at the scene of the crime and notices that Ock is no more, yet died "happily", so to speak, since he gave the alien slug a taste of its own medicine. As he's now the new clan-leader, he vowed to keep the memory of Ock alive for generations to come: Ock, the one who beat evil at its own game.

This was one very entertaining story, and it makes me want to check out the other eleven stories. And of course, Mr Geha's books. show less

In this little anthology/compilation, the French author Thomas Geha presents us six (previously published) stories that revolve around men or women whose lives have been turned upside down. They are faced with improbable, yet strangely enough familiar, situations. As the back cover says: What if you could bring back someone / a loved one who disappeared? What if your craziest dream was becoming reality? What if your life was fake/artificial? What if love was an eternal renewal? And do we show more really want to know the history of those we love? If so, at what price?

These are the stories:

1) La voix de monsieur Ambrose (2011) (The Voice of Mister Ambrose)
2) Là-bas (2005) (Yonder/Over There)
3) Copeaux (2011) (Shavings/Swarf)
4) Bris (2010)
5) Dans les jardins (2011, new) (In the Gardens)
6) Sumus Vicinae (2010) (Latin for "We are the neighbours"; a song by Nicolas Lens: YouTube-link)

The previously published stories were revised for this compilation, which features a foreword by Sylvie Miller and Philippe Ward.

All of these stories, which I'm not going to dissect this time, are set in the fantastic (Wikipedia), magical realism, and similar. They take place in the real world, yet are influenced by external forces. Each of them has a deeper meaning or layer. They may even hit home, if you have experienced similar events in your youth or adult life. As each of the characters, each of these "creators" (aren't we all creators, one way or another?), is faced with unexpected changes, they have to find a way to cope with them and take a moment for introspection.

The variety in just six stories is amazing. Geha's style also allows for you/the reader to experience the changes with those characters, almost feel what they are going through, maybe even make you reflect on situations you experienced in your own life.

Or, in more general philosophical terms: Who are we? What makes us human? What's the meaning of life? What's our destiny? However, you won't find answers to these and similar questions in this little book, as "no one holds the only truth in his hand" (see Kamelot - Farewell, 2003: lyrics, YouTube-link), as it's up to you/the reader to find your own answers; we all live different lives, yet we experience the same or similar events, feelings, and so on.

All I can say is: Read this book. show less

"Chuchoteurs du dragon & autres murmures" is the second short story collection by French author (and more since quite a few years) Thomas Geha, going through life as Xavier Dollo. His first one was the highly recommended "Les Créateurs" from 2012 (review). This second one, published in 2019 by the now (2025, as I have acquired it only very late and thanks to the author himself) defunct Elenya Éditions, contains a fraction of the short stories he's written so far. Some were published show more earlier in anthologies like those for the festival Les Imaginales.

Thomas Geha made sure to keep this second anthology very varied: fantasy, fantastic, fairy tales, ... showing the versatility of its author and how his writing has improved over the years. This second selection - even though the man has written a lot more stories, currently not assembled in one document (i.e. there's potential for at least two more books, I guess) - kicks off with an interesting preface about the short story and its importance for the author, but also in general. The second "unique selling point", if I may call it that, is a trilogy of short stories, set in Brittany, and among the best this collection has to offer. On a side-note: the third story is (re)titled "La fontaine retrouvée", while the table of contents lists is as "La fontaine égarée".
Last but not least, two well-known fairy tales rewritten for this anthology, and like their original version, quite worth checking out.

Variation is key in "Chuchoteurs du dragon & autres murmures" (and yes, there is a dragon, not just on the cover), also in stories standing out more than the others. While "Les Créateurs" was more philosophical, this second collection offers a more classic kind of stories, while equally providing solid reading entertainment. Unfortunately, "Chuchoteurs du dragon & autres murmures" is no longer available (except perhaps in second-hand bookshops or via the author himself, if you're fast and lucky, as was I at the festival Trolls & Légendes in April 2025).

Table of contents: (those published first in this collection are marked with an *)

0) Préface - La nouvelle: le laboratoire du demiurge (taken from his blog, 2016)

1) Chuchoteurs du dragon (2012, previously published in the anthology "Reines & Dragons" for Les Imaginales)

2) Le guetteur de nuages (2014, previously published in the anthology "Bardes & Sirènes" for Les Imaginales)

3) La tête qui crachait des dragons (2014, previously published in the anthology "Lancelot", still available in e-format)

4) Loguivy-Plougras, terre de légendes (cycle loguivien, #1) (1996, previously published in "Murmures d'Irem, no. 3", yet largely rewritten for this edition)

5) La nuit du Suner-Gwad (cycle loguivien, #2) (2003, previously published in the anthology "L'Esprit des bardes")

6) * La fontaine égarée (cycle loguivien, #3) (written in 2000, corrected in 2019)

7) * Le briquet de Noël (2018; based on "Le briquet" - this is available online -, The Tinderbox, by Hans Christian Andersen)

8) * Trois petits cochons (2018) (based on the original French version available online)

9) * Je serai Joseph (2013) (previously published in e-version of the digital magazine 'Millefeuilles' of the library Bédéciné)

10) * Tombent les plumes (2009)

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Previously read by Thomas Geha:

La grande guerre contre les os (collection aventures No. 12) (2017, review)
Les Créateurs (2012, review)
Sous l'ombre des étoiles, suivi d'Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge (2020 reissue, review)
Des Sorciers et des hommes (2018, not reviewed) show less

This new edition (published via Les Moutons Électriques) of [b:Sous l'ombre des étoiles|20742349|Sous l'ombre des étoiles|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391693627l/20742349._SY75_.jpg|40073131], originally published in 2013 via Rivière Blanche, the French arm of Black Coat Press, comes with a bonus story: [b:Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge|52262671|Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge|Thomas show more Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570112872l/52262671._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73623968], which was previously published in 2019.

'Under the Shadow of the Stars', rough translation of 'Sous l'ombre des étoiles', is a space opera, but don't let this setting distract you from the story itself. The war between Humans and Salamanders has ended. While the last battle was approaching its end, Kee Carson, an elite marksman/shot from the planet Valtor in the Alpha Centauri system (Wikipedia), chose the 'flight' in the saying "Fight or flight" (which reminds me of the same-titled song by the British band Luna Rossa). He programmed his ship, the Templier (Templar) to take him to a safe haven, while he stayed in cryosleep. However, as the ship crash-landed on an unknown, insignificant planet called Seinbeck, Kee would wake up under circumstances he wouldn't have expected in his wildest dreams.

A local clan, Tribu de l'Espace / Space Clan, saw his ship, decided to investigate and saw that there was a human on board, though barely alive. They take him back to their camp. Said clan is actually composed of Humans and Salamanders, formerly each other's arch enemies. Or rather, they are descendants of those who fought out there in space. Once Kee Carson has recovered from his cryosleep and regained his strength, his presence in the clan doesn't go unnoticed. He will learn that it's adapt or die, for the sake of everyone. After all, life on Seinbeck isn't without hazards, especially as the Seinbeck themselves are rather hostile towards intruders and "alien" populations.

To Carson's surprise, there's a Salamander in the clan. His name is Sirval. As Carson has spent more time in cryosleep than planned, a lot has happened over the... centuries. Humans and Salamanders living together? Carson will have a hard time getting over this and realising that life can be different, that he will have to do tabula rasa with his past, start all over. He will also learn that everyone has to do his part (including avoiding needless fights and quarrels) for the survival of the clan. If not, you're ousted from the clan and thus on your own. Especially on a planet like Seinbeck, it could prove to be deadly.

There are of course several clans out there, all of them gathering at an annual event, like a big festival, to exchange news, meet family members in other clans, play games, ...

Carson and Sirval will at one point be attacked by Seinbecks, held hostage and be used as pawns in a "game" that will show him (Carson) the point-of-view of the Seinbecks. Carson's long stay in cryosleep will ultimately have severe consequences, as Silvar and him try to escape and return to the tribe... with the unexpected help of an intruder (A Seinbeck girl, still a teenager, will help Carson and Silvar escape and return to their clan. It's her way of rebelling against her father and his way of governing; in that respect, she will adhere to the vision that made Carson review his way of living when he recovered from the crash.).

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More positive stories are needed in this day and age. One of the contemporary authors injecting the genre with a more positive outlook on society and life is [a:Becky Chambers|8389735|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562580587p2/8389735.jpg]. The late [a:Ursula K. Le Guin|874602|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1244291425p2/874602.jpg] also had similar stories or views. And so has the French author Thomas Geha.

'Sous l'ombre des étoiles' is a story about getting rid of egoism, about thinking and acting for the benefit of the other (no matter how small/large the group), about reviewing your life when sh*t hits the fan.

The tale has its ups and downs, let's be honest. Some events are a bit too easy, too predictable, too superficial. There is definitely room to expand on the world, the various clans (not in the least the Seinbecks) or certain characters, but maybe that was not of the essence here. Maybe the story, which can exist in various forms, just serves as an example for the "hidden" message. Overall, this message makes up for any lack of more detailed depth, which also depends on one's preferences, of course.

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The added bonus story, [b:Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge|52262671|Une île (et quart) sous la lune rouge|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570112872l/52262671._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73623968] (transl.: An island (and a quarter) under the red moon), is a short-story that takes place in a contemporary setting, yet with a fantastic touch. It takes place in Brittany, on a rocky island called Deux-Roches. I've found no trace of any of the islands along the coast of Brittany, but my guess would be one of these, judging by the descriptions: Groix, Île-de-Bréhat or perhaps the archipel de Bréhat.

The story is set up via an exchange of e-mails between various characters. The mysterious red moon that shines on one of the beaches plays a central role, as its rays make it seems as if a large piece of rock was taken out. The red moon is also the cause of many disappearances. Then again, the region was already quite desolate, there is in general little human activity.

Two scientists, who were previously examining the moss that grows on the island, decide to investigate the matter, but the excitement and stress push them to investigate it a little too closely, taking no precautions.

This is a very good tale, quite folkloric at its base and truth be told... an alternative way to promote tourism for the region. In some way, because of the parallel world, I was reminded of [b:Arcadia|24861409|Arcadia|Iain Pears|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443298536l/24861409._SY75_.jpg|44508961] by [a:Iain Pears|9833|Iain Pears|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1208208589p2/9833.jpg] (see my review here).

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Long story short: Two worthwhile stories - the bonus one was only in a very limited quality available - for a very low price, you can't go wrong with this new edition.

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Previously read:
* [b:La grande guerre contre les os|46016443|La grande guerre contre les os (collection aventures No. 12)|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558854127l/46016443._SX50_.jpg|70894472] (my review)
* [b:Les Créateurs|13627020|Les Créateurs|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345473292l/13627020._SY75_.jpg|19232531] (my review)

To read:
* [b:Des sorciers et des hommes|40022892|Des sorciers et des hommes|Thomas Geha|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525258149l/40022892._SY75_.jpg|61988261] show less