Burlesque et science-fiction dans le paradis cyranesque
Burlesque and Science-Fiction in Cyrano’s Paradise

Summary/Abstract: From the 14th to the 17th century, voyages were encouraged by the search of heavenly regions. But through the improvement of world maps, the 16th and 17th centuries also marked a painful conversion to realism by raising controversies on the existence of paradise. Thus Cyrano de Bergerac’s paradise (The States and Empires of the Moon) is nothing but a burlesque travesty of the Bible, and of the Genesis in particular. Next to that of the original sin, the problem of heaven lays at the very source of belief and marks the beginning of modern Europe. Literal interpretation adopted by the discrepancy between the spirit and the letter is the main feature of this burlesque. The location of paradise in the moon is very suitable to develop the narrative of reversal. Therefore misrepresenting the Bible does not mean denying it but drawing the attention on the nonsense that a literal reading can produce. The author invites the reader to move gradually from an attitude of unconditional or pre-critical consumer to a creative-critical attitude – critical of the shortcomings of the source-work and thus of its first reception.

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