On an interstellar cruise ships, a mysterious individual in full environmental suit is working hard to get to Earth. On Earth, meanwhile, another person in a spacesuit is exploring a nuclear reactor on behalf of its owners. That second man is Valerian, and since the disappearance of Galaxity, he’s been forced to make a living by putting his advanced knowledge and equipment to good use. But what he’s discovered insidethe plant is extremely worrisome...

."..Valerian and his beautiful, sharp-witted and sharp-tongued partner, Laureline, live adventures set against visually stunning backgrounds: complex architectural inventions, futuristic machines, otherworldly landscapes, and odd-looking aliens..."--Amazon.com.

Valerian and Laureline take a break from adventuring and go on a cruise, but Valerian feels uncomfortable among the idle and the powerful. He’s not bored for long, though, because when a quartet of mercenaries board the cruise ship to kidnap the son of the Caliph of Iksaladam, they end up taking Laureline as well. With the almighty Caliph offering a massive reward for his son’s return, Valerian’s quest to rescue his girl is suddenly hindered by every bounty hunter in the galaxy...

Galaxity, capital of the Terran Empire in the 28th century. Valerian and Laureline are agents who protect mankind from rogue time travellers. Now they are sent to New York in 1986 to intercept Galaxity's worst megalomaniac, Xombul-except that in 1986, the world is in ruins and New York is about to be swallowed by the ocean. The two agents must navigate the shifting waters of the past to make sure that the future will exist.

The (false?) gods of Hypsis are once again interfering with Human history. Tired of their lower status among their peers, the trinity in charge of planet Earth opens communications with megacorporation Vivaxis at the end of the 20th century – an occurrence Valerian and Laureline’s allies report to the two ex-agents. But to what end did the Hypsians initiate such a contact? And who is the mysterious Sat who, from the depths of Point Central, also endeavours to meddle with Human affairs?

The first science fiction course in the American academy was held in the early 1950s. In the sixty years since, science fiction has become a recognized and established literary genre with a significant and growing body of scholarship. The Cambridge History of Science Fiction is a landmark volume as the first authoritative history of the genre. Over forty contributors with diverse and complementary specialties present a history of science fiction across national and genre boundaries, and trace its intellectual and creative roots in the philosophical and fantastic narratives of the ancient past. Science fiction as a literary genre is the central focus of the volume, but fundamental to its story is its non-literary cultural manifestations and influence. Coverage thus includes transmedia manifestations as an integral part of the genre's history, including not only short stories and novels, but also film, art, architecture, music, comics, and interactive media.

Exploring Syrte, the capital planet of a system of one thousand worlds, agents Valerian and Laureline must decide whether this decaying empire poses any danger to Earth.

Two agents of 24th century Earth patrol space and time to safeguard both the planet's future and its past. The 12th volume of Valerian and Laureline, one of the most influential science-fiction comic series of the past 40 years!

In this book you will find volumes 3 to 5: The Land Without Stars, Welcome to Alflolol and Birds of the Master – three stories that introduce the societal criticism aspect of the series. Battle of the sexes, totalitarianism and extreme productivism are lambasted, but never at the expense of fantasy or of the action. And as they travel from world to distant world, Laureline becomes a truly equal partner, far from the stereotypical female sidekick roles of the time. Finally, the second part of the exclusive interview with the authors and director Luc Besson is followed by an in-depth portrait of Pierre Christin, the writer.

"Valerian on the big screen ? I blame it all on Jean-Claude Mézières and Pierre Christin ! When I was ten, every week I'd read the adventures of Valerian in Pilote... And I have to confess that I was very much in love with Laureline, even though I quite liked Valerian. It'd be great if the film could make as strong and long-lasting an impression on its viewers." Luc Besson (from his interview with J. C. Mézières and P Christin) Born out of the Wild imagination of Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières, the characters of Valerian and Laureline first appeared in the pages of Pilote in 1967. Through its creativity and daring, the series quickly became the definitive reference for all readers of science-fiction bandes dessinées.