| Planet of the Apes | |
| Translator: | Xan Fielding |
| Author: | Pierre Boulle[1] |
| Title Orig: | La Planète des singes |
| Country: | France |
| Language: | French |
| Genre: | Science fiction |
| Publisher: | Éditions Julliard |
| Release Date: | 1963 |
| Media Type: | Print (hardback and paperback) |
La Planète des singes, known in English as Planet of the Apes in the US and Monkey Planet in the UK, is a 1963 science fiction novel by French author Pierre Boulle. It was adapted into the 1968 film Planet of the Apes, launching the Planet of the Apes media franchise.[2]
The novel tells the tale of three human explorers from Earth who visit a planet orbiting the star Betelgeuse, in which great apes are the dominant intelligent and civilized species, whereas humans are reduced to a savage animal-like state.
In a frame story, a rich couple sailing in space, Jinn and Phyllis, rescue and translate a manuscript from a floating bottle.[3]
The manuscript was written by Ulysse Mérou, a French journalist who, in 2500, was invited by Professor Antelle to accompany him and his disciple, physician Arthur Levain, to Betelgeuse. Because of time dilation, centuries pass on Earth during their two years in transit. They land their shuttle on a temperate, lushly forested planet which they name Soror (Latin for sister). Attracted by a naked "golden" woman whom they call Nova, they swim below a waterfall. She is frightened by their pet chimpanzee, Hector, and strangles it. Her tribe, who exhibit the behavior of dumb animals, wreck the newcomers' clothing and shuttle.
Gorillas, dressed as big-game hunters, attack the tribe with firearms. Many are killed including Arthur. Ulysse is captured and brought to a city populated by apes. The apes smoke tobacco, photograph their hunting trophies, drink through straws, and appear civilized. Their society is divided into three strata: militaristic gorillas as police and soldiers, conservative orangutans as politicians and religious authorities, and liberal chimpanzees as scientists.
In an urban biological research facility, Ulysse recognizes conditioning methods being used on captured humans. He is mated with Nova. Curious chimpanzee researcher Zira takes an interest in his geometric drawings and his ability to speak a few simian words. With help from Zira's fiancé, Cornélius, Ulysse makes a speech in front of several thousand apes. He is granted freedom, social prestige, and tailored clothing. Antelle reverts to primitive humanity in the zoo and is moved to the laboratory for safety, where he is mated to a young female.
Cornélius, an archaeologist, excavates an ancient human city and invites Ulysse.[3] An unconscious human lab subject recites from genetic memory the events that led to the fall of human civilization: humans tamed apes and used them as servants. As apes learned to talk, a cerebral laziness took hold of the humans. Apes took over human homes, driving the humans into camps outside of the cities. In the final memory, apes attacked the last human camp.
Nova bears Ulysse a son named Sirius who walks and talks at three months. Fearing for their lives, they take the place of the human test subjects in a space flight experiment. Because all humans look alike to apes, Ulysse and Nova escape without notice and rendezvous with the orbiting ship. Ulysse programs the ship back to Earth. As they fly over Paris; Orly Airport and the Eiffel Tower look the same. When they land, however, they are greeted by a field officer in a jeep who is a gorilla. Horrified, Ulysse and Nova take off in their ship, leaving Earth behind. Ulysse then writes his manuscript as a record of what has happened, places it in a bottle, and casts it into space.
In the frame story, it is revealed that Jinn and Phyllis are chimpanzees. They discard Ulysse's story as fantasy because they find the idea of intelligent humans unbelievable.
The novel was published in France in 1963 by Éditions Julliard.[4]
The first English language version, with a translation by Xan Fielding, was published in the United States by Vanguard Press in June 1963 under the title Planet of the Apes.[5]
In January 1964, it was published in the United Kingdom as Monkey Planet by Secker & Warburg of London,[6] then re-issued as Planet of the Apes in August 1973 to tie it in to the film franchise it inspired.[7]
The first paperback edition was published in the US in March 1964 by Signet / New American Library.[8]
In May 1964, Saga: The Magazine For Men printed an abridged version of the novel.[9]
The novel was adapted into the media franchise by 20th Century Studios (Since 1968) consisting of ten films, two television series (one animated), a behind-the-scenes documentary, and several comic books.[10]
The first film was Planet of the Apes (1968), a science fiction feature film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a screenplay by Michael Wilson & Rod Serling and starring Charlton Heston.[11] The film was a critical and commercial success, spawning four sequels on a one-film-a-year basis between 1970 and 1973.[12] [13]
A second adaptation of the book was released in 2001 directed by Tim Burton as a loose remake of the 1968 film of the same name. The film´s ending shares similarities with the conclusion of the novel. Planet of the Apes (TV series), Return to the Planet of the Apes and Planet of the Apes (video game) also share the novel´s premise of male astronauts being stranded in the far future in a world populated by advanced apes and primitive humans leading to analog characters and repeated plot points.
A series reboot with a new production team called Rise of the Planet of the Apes was released in 2011 to critical and commercial success. It was the first in a new series of films.[14]