Barjavel, one of the first to investigate the paradoxes of time travel? I do not know, but actually, the paradoxical aspects outweigh the description of fanciful worlds distant future (although in some moments Barjavel leaves a little carried away with his vision, uninviting, very distant future). And then of course comes back in time, and the risk of influencing the story we lived himself. This is first introduced by keys to finish with a bang ... The brief adds 3 pages Barjavel end of the novel ("To be and not to be") did not even need to be there (except for those who still have questions about this type of time travel). The actual end of the novel (written in 1942-1943) is already sad in itself, and quite poetic in my opinion.
It is worth also read the small biography Barjavel beginning of book; where we see that Saint-Menoux, .. here it might be, corporal cook in a regiment of Zouaves.
