civilization 2

Human civilization has reached its limits due to epidemics, terrorism, and war.
Where is the new civilization that will take its place?

Best-selling author Bernard Werber's new full-length novel "Civilization" (2 volumes) was published by Open Books in translation by Jeon Mi-yeon, a professional translator of French literature. The novel is set in a world where billions of people have died from infectious diseases and are devastated by terrorism and war. In 2019, when this novel was first published in France, it would have been just a commonly used dystopian setting, but it is a setting that feels even more vivid to us now that we live in the Corona era.
『Civilization』 is a novel in which the cat Bastet, the main character of 『Cat』, goes on an adventure in a world where human civilization has reached the brink. The cats' primary goal is to survive the harsh environment by defeating attacks from rats that have increased exponentially, but their ultimate goal is to build a new civilization to replace human civilization. Various animals encountered along the way, such as pigs, cows, dogs, and pigeons, can be the cat's allies or enemies. Will Bastet be able to bring about communication and cooperation between different animal species and achieve his goal?
This work is also a coming-of-age novel about Bastet, a female cat. She is more charming and lovely than any other protagonist in Berber's work, and she has clear strengths and weaknesses. Let's watch together Bastet's bold challenge to establish civilization.

A message to humans captured in a cat's adventure

『Civilization』 is a work that can be read independently, but it is a story that originally started from 『Cat』. This story, which encompasses 『Cat』 and 『Civilization』, is scheduled to be a total of 3 parts.
Berbers have depicted the human world from a new perspective by highlighting animals such as ants and cats, and transcendent beings such as gods and angels. In this trilogy, in which humans are only supporting characters and the main characters are all animals, the author constantly emphasizes that “this world is not just for humans.” First of all, many of the main animals in this work, such as Pythagoras the cat and Timur the rat, are laboratory animals confined in cages. Also, in the “Human Trial” held by pigs, animals that suffer for human food or entertainment stand on the witness stand one after another. Through the mouths of animals, the author conveys, sometimes seriously and sometimes humorously, the critical awareness that we must go beyond simply protecting animal rights and break down human-centrism.

Pay attention to the 『Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge』 included in the book!

If you are a Berber fan, you cannot help but pay attention to Roman Wells among the characters in this work. He is a descendant of Edmond Wells, who created the Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge, and is a scientist who strives to preserve knowledge in a world in ruins. Characters with the surname Welles have appeared in various works, starting with Edmond Wells in 『Ants』 and Gabriel Wells in 『Death』. In the work, Roman Wells appears to have created an “expanded edition” of the existing “Encyclopedia of Relative and Absolute Knowledge” by adding data from the Encyclopædia Britannica and Wikipedia. It would also be fun to read the novel while paying attention to the activities of the Welles family, who have been involved in the world of Berber works for decades, and the Encyclopedia's “Expanded Edition”.