L'Orphelin de Perdide

Lore & Background

The novel follows a father and his four-year-old son Claude on the dangerous planet Perdide, fleeing giant hornets. The father sends a distress message to his friend Max before dying, giving Claude a transceiver. Max diverts his ship The Big Max to rescue the boy, despite protests from passengers Belle and Jaffar. They pick up Silbad, an aging man with a metal plate on his head from a childhood hornet attack on Perdide, who helps guide Claude.

Reader's Guide

The story involves a time dilation effect: due to travel at 99% of the speed of light, a century passes for the characters while only a short time elapses for Claude. Upon reaching Perdide, Max learns that Claude was rescued by a man named Bader, adopted, and became known as Silbad—the same Silbad now dying in a hospital. The novel was written in three weeks and consists of three parts divided into sixteen chapters. Its 1982 film adaptation, directed by René Laloux and designed by Moebius, made changes to the ending.

Did You Know?

• The 1982 film adaptation was directed by René Laloux and designed by Moebius.
• The novel's time dilation effect causes many years to pass for the travelers.