title: French Decadent Tales (Oxford World's Classics)
author: Stephen Romer
description: <br><strong>Stephen Romer</strong> is a specialist of French and British Modernism. He has published four collections of poetry, the most recent of which, <em>Yellow Studio</em> (Carcanet/Oxford Poets, 2008) was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot prizze. He has edited and co-translated <em>Twentieth-Century French Poems</em> (Faber, 2002), and has served as judge for the Tower poetry prize, the Popescu Prize for European Translation, and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. He reviews regularly for the <em>Guardian</em> and the <em>TLS</em>.<br>
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  **André Couvreur**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **The Exploits of Professor Tornada**
  
  
  **Volume 2:**
  
  
  **_The Phosphorescent Waltzer_**
  
  
  **_The Memoirs of an Immortal_**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  translated, annotated and introduced by
  
  
  **Brian Stableford**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A Black Coat Press Book
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **TABLE OF CONTENTS**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [_Introduction_ 4](004.html#a12)
  
  
  [THE PHOSPHORESCENT WALTZER 8](005.html#a16)
  
  
  [THE MEMOIRS OF AN IMMORTAL 138](012.html#a42)
  
  
  [FRENCH SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY COLLECTION 261](023.html#a75)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **_Introduction_**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Le Valseur phosphorescent” by André Couvreur, here translated as “The
  Phosphorescent Waltzer,” was originally published in _Oeuvres Libres_ no. 30
  (December 1923). “Les Mémoires d’un immortel” was originally published in
  _Oeuvres Libres_ no. 42 (December 1924). Neither story was ever reprinted in
  book form, although Couvreur had apparently signed a contract with Albin
  Michel, who had publ