Alain Damasio's sci-fi cult classic Horde of the Counterwind—a major creative inspiration for Sandfall Interactive's RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—is finally receiving its first English translation. Hardback copies of the book will hit store shelves on October 13 in the US via Abrams Books, followed by a UK release on November 12.
Quick Facts
- US Release Date: October 13, 2026 (Abrams Books)
- UK Release Date: November 12, 2026
- Author: Alain Damasio
- Translator: Alexander Dickow
Connecting the Book and Expedition 33
Originally published in French more than twenty years ago as La Horde du Contrevent, the novel follows twenty-three adventurers climbing endlessly against a harsh desert wind to reach the Upper Reaches and discover its source. Thirty-three hordes before them failed over 800 years, requiring survivors to collaborate closely as a unit.
Sandfall Interactive co-founder and lead programmer Tom Guillermin previously cited the book as a key influence on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, highlighting its shared themes of venturing into the unknown on a dangerous voyage against impending doom. For over two decades, the novel was considered difficult to translate due to its unconventional wordplay, but translator Alexander Dickow has now completed the English adaptation.