SADOUL, Jacques

(1934-)

   French editor and writer, one of the first editors to launch sf successfully in paperback form in FRANCE; he worked first with Editions Opta and then with J'ai lu, where he founded the Science-fiction imprintand ed the Les Meilleurs Recits series of anthologies of stories translated from the US PULP MAGAZINES. He was also a founder of the Prix Apollo (AWARDS). Hier, l'an 2000: L'illustration de science fiction desannees 30 (1973; trans as 2000 A.D.: Illustrations From the Golden Age of Science Fiction Pulps 1975 US), a book of sf ILLUSTRATION compiled by JS,mostly in black-and-white, presents a good selection of gaudy nostalgia but has no index. His Histoire de la science-fiction moderne ("Story of Modern SF") (1973; in 2 vols 1975; rev 1984) is a lengthy and enthusiasticsurvey of the field, but has been upbraided for lacking critical analysis, having a pedestrian style and structure, and containing too many sweeping generalizations and personal prejudices. Two fantastic novels by JS are La Passion selon Satan ("The Passion according to Satan") (1960) and LeJardin de la licorne ("The Garden of the Unicorn") (1978).

   MJ/PN