人猿星球 (1963)

《人猿星球》（法语：La Planète des singes，英语：Monkey Planet或Planet of the Apes），1963年出版的一部法语科幻小说，作者是彼埃尔·布勒。它曾以《Monkey Planet》之名在英国出版。后来再版时，为与“人猿星球”的电影发行一致，改名为《Planet of the Apes》。海洋出版社1982年曾以《猿猴世界》之名出版过该书的中文简体版。

衍生作品

电影

《人猿星球》（1968年）是一部基于布勒的小说的科幻电影，这部由查尔顿·赫斯顿主演的电影是根据迈克尔·威尔逊和罗德·瑟林改编的剧本，由弗兰克林·斯凡那导演拍摄的。该片获得了巨大的成功，并拍了四部续集。2001年，蒂姆·伯顿再次拍摄了基于该书的电影《人猿星球》（2001年），该片较1968年版更加忠实于原著。2011年，鲁伯特·瓦耶特重新开始拍摄该系列电影，首部《猩球崛起》于2011年8月5日上映。第二部《猩球崛起：黎明之战》于2014年7月11日上映。第三部《猩球崛起3：终极之战》于2017年7月14日上映。第四部《猩球崛起：王国诞生》于2024年5月24日上映。

La Planète des singes, published in English as Planet of the Apes in the U.S. 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.

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.

Plot

In a frame story, a rich couple sailing in space, Jinn and Phyllis, rescue and translate a manuscript from a floating bottle.

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. 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.

Publication history

The novel was published in France in 1963 by Éditions Julliard.

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.