Ashes, Ashes
1943 novel by René Barjavel
Ashes, Ashes (French: Ravage) is a science fiction novel written by René Barjavel, set in 2052 France. It was first published in 1943 by Denoël. Its English-language translation by Damon Knight as Ashes, Ashes was published in 1967 by Doubleday. Ravage has been included on many "all-time" best lists, including Annick Beguin's Les 100 principaux titres de la science-fiction.
Plot summary
In the storyline, a civilization much more advanced than ours falls to its knees when electricity suddenly disappears. Chaos, disease, and famine ensue, which readers witness through the adventures of a small group of survivors led by François Deschamps. The group leaves Paris and starts a journey toward Provence where the survivors will create a new patriarchal society with Deschamps as their leader.
Critics
This novel has been cited as influential in science-fiction literature in the following books:
Annick Beguin, Les 100 principaux titres de la science-fiction, Cosmos 2000, 1981;
Jacques Sadoul, Anthologie de la littérature de science-fiction, Ramsay, 1981;
Science-fiction. La bibliothèque idéale, Albin Michel, 1988;
Lorris Murail, Les Maîtres de la science-fiction, Bordas, coll. « Compacts », 1993;
Stan Barets, Le science-fictionnaire, Denoël, coll.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Ashes, Ashes” as 1943 novel by René Barjavel. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as 1943 novel by René Barjavel. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q579123. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2052, 1943, 1967 and 2000.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
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- Expand the search: follow Ashes, Ashes primary sources, Ashes, Ashes archive and Ashes research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Ashes, Ashes” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.