Daniel Foucard's 'Cold': A Sci-Fi Exploration of Language and Sexuality in Antarctica

Daniel Foucard's novel 'Cold', published by Éditions Léo Scheer, is a science fiction narrative set in Antarctic research stations. The story follows Lain, a young chemist who arrives by sea to investigate the effects of a psychotropic substance on aphasic patients. The 'bodies' encountered suffer from language disorders, signaling a supposed disappearance or transformation of human life. Lain uses the Ofusen, a destabilizing drug or parasite that loosens tongues and reconfigures brains, to explore lost sexuality. The narrative draws parallels to Philip K. Dick's universe and employs a fragmentary, core-sampling style reminiscent of Foucard's previous works. Key characters include SYD, a hologram with a fleshy armor, who suffers from erectile dysfunction after a forced swim in icy waters. The novel probes questions about the end of sexuality and humanity, and whether robots can simulate orgasms. The Antarctic setting allows for a temporal probe into biological evolution through ice core analysis, preserving the world's memory. The review by Christophe Duchatelet in artpress highlights Foucard's method of accumulating secrets and dissimulating reality.