How French science fiction reframed reality Plus: Also on Aeon this week ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ View in browser Forwarded by a friend? Subscribe here Saturday 21 June 2025 Essay / Stories and literature Merveilleux-scientifique With brain swaps and death rays, a little-known French sci-fi genre explored science’s dark possibilities a century ago Fleur Hopkins-Loféron Also on Aeon this week Essay / Political philosophy Isolationism isn’t new and is fuelled by deep human desires Ben Chu ESsAY / Evolution Why birds don’t buy Bentleys and we humans will never fly Antone Martinho-Truswell Video / HOME Life moves slowly in a Romanian mountain village, shaped by care and the seasons Directed by Joscha Kotlan and Maximilian Ihlenburg In an era in which AI is being proposed to do many human jobs, it takes a human to bear effective witness to humanity — Allison J Pugh, professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC Read the Essay Have you discovered the new Psyche? Psyche is a digital magazine dedicated to helping you know your self and live well. Understand Relate Heal Transcend Share this newsletter with a friend You have received this email because you signed up to the Aeon Newsletter list.©Aeon Media Group Ltd. 2012-2025. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Preferences | Unsubscribe