I've been meaning to read Alain Damasio's works for several years, but never came around to doing so. Work and other obligations always intervened. Furthermore, it is said that Mr Damasio hasn't the most accessible style. However, I have watched several videos in which he was interviewed or present at a conference.

A few years ago, I did manage to read the short story 'Les Hauts Parleurs' (see my review here), which is also the first story in this collection 'Aucun souvenir assez solide', also the title of one of the other stories here.

Somehow, short stories offer a better gateway into an author's universe than novels. And so, this collection could be ideal to get acquainted with Mr Damasio's style and themes, which revolve around technology (and the abuses), politics, sociology, philosophy, ... also to be found in his novels, of course. One word I do link with him and his view on ICT: technococon, i.e. being trapped in a bubble that offers safety, comfort, ... but in return, we sacrifice our mental health, our privacy, our connection with nature, ... And if we try to get out or escape, new ways are found to keep us in.

What started well - even if not every story was to my liking - soon dropped off a cliff quite rapidly. Alain Damasio is more a philosophical writer than an author of science fiction, even though his stories do touch the realm of sci-fi.

His style is indeed, as mentioned in other reviews, very poetic, therefore also not always as accessible as desired; one must have a thorough understanding/knowledge of the French language, in my opinion. This results in stories not (fully) or wrongly understood. Thankfully, the afterword explained in clearer terms what each story was about and how to approach Damasio's writing. And then you feel dumb for not having grasped the essence of said stories.

Here are at least three reviews that clarify the themes (and the "problems") with these stories better:

Lucille
Julien
Calimport

Stories I liked:
Les Hauts Parleurs
Le bruit des bagues
C@PTCH@
So phare away
El Levir et le Livre
Postface de Systar: Portrait de Damasio en aérophone

Stories I liked less or didn't comprehend:
Anna à travers la Harpe
Les Hybres
Sam va mieux
Une stupéfiante salve d'escarbilles de houille écarlate
Aucun souvenir assez solide

Maybe I should have started with, for example, 'La Zone du Dehors'. I'll read it some day. Hopefully, I'll have better luck then at understanding and getting into Mr Damasio's way with words.

So, yes, while you can read these short stories without having read any of the man's novels, it's probably and most likely best to start with the novels. As Alain Damasio isn't the most prolific author, you have ample time to discover and dive into his universe. ( )

Autant, j'ai bien aimé les exercices de style de la "Horde de Contrevent" et de la "Zone du Dehors", notamment parce qu'il y a une histoire, alors que pour ce recueil, à part 2 nouvelles, le reste a été très indigeste, trop abstrait, voire incompréhensible, donc difficile à lire et ne m'a pas apporté le plaisir que j'attends de la lecture. ( )

Dans la même veine que la horde du Contrevent, c'est de la littérature fantastique en français : on en redemande. Ces nouvelles sont plutôt sombres, mais captivantes, les héros touchants et la fin rarement triste. ( )