Les Mains d'Orlac

Les Mains d'Orlac (English: The Hands of Orlac) is a French fantasy/horror novel written by Maurice Renard, first published in 1920. It is an early example of the body horror theme in fiction.[1][2][3]

Les Mains d'Orlac
First edition: Nilsson, Paris 1920
AuthorMaurice Renard
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
GenreFantasy, Body Horror
Set inFrance
Published1920 (Serialized Publication)
PublisherL'Intransigeant
Publication date
May 15——July 12, 1920 (L'Intransigeant)
Pages248

Plot

In the novel, the pianist Stephen Orlac suffers a railway accident that gives him serious head injuries and deprives him of his hands. The famous and controversial transplant doctor Cerral gives him new hands, transplanted from a freshly guillotined assassin. Afterward, Orlac begins to wonder if he has become a Mr. Hyde who has inherited the criminal proclivities of his donor via his hands.

He seems to suffer from hallucinations and sinks into depression. His wife attempts to save him, but the couple are caught in a spiral of conspiracy, mystery and crime.

Origins

The character of Dr. Cerral was inspired by real life French surgeon and Nobel Prize winner Alexis Carrel (1873-1944), and his experiments with biological transplants and grafting procedures.[4]

Adaptations

The story has been adapted into film and television many times, including the following:

The story was also an inspiration for the 1976 Doctor Who serial The Hand of Fear.

References
  1. Norris, J. F. (October 31, 2018). "Pretty Sinister Books: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: The Hands of Orlac - Maurice Renard".
  2. Wass, Janne (June 13, 2018). "The Hands of Orlac".
  3. "The Hands Of Orlac". www.goodreads.com.
  4. "Arthur B. Evans- The Fantastic Science Fiction of Maurice Renard". www.depauw.edu.
  5. "Maurice Renard". BFI.
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