# The “untranslatable” book that inspired Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been translated, and you can buy it later this year

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-untranslatable-book-that-inspired-clair-obscur-expedition-33-has-been-translated-and-you-can-buy-it-later-this-year/
- Published: 2026-08-12T15:46:54+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-12T16:06:12+00:00
- Original publisher: Eurogamer
- Original article: https://www.eurogamer.net/horde-of-the-counterwind-translated-expedition-33
- Topics: Gaming

## Key points

- Expedition 33-inspired novel receives its first English translation.
- US hardback arrives on 13 October 2026.
- UK date is listed as 12 November, unconfirmed.

## Summary

Alain Damasio’s cult French science-fiction novel *The Horde of the Counterwind*, a key inspiration for *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*, will receive its first English translation later this year. Its release matters because the book’s distinctive prose has long been considered exceptionally difficult to translate, allowing English-speaking readers to access a modern French sci-fi classic that influenced the successful role-playing game.

Abrams Books will publish the hardback edition in the US on 13 October 2026, while Amazon currently lists a UK release date of 12 November, pending publisher confirmation. The 2004 novel follows explorers battling a relentless wind to find its source after 33 previous expeditions failed; it won the 2006 Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire and is translated by poet and scholar Alexander Dickow.

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