In Planet of the Apes, Pierre Boulle sends his protagonist, the aptly-named Ulysse, on a hero's adventure. The objective is to gain scientific knowledge and then return with it to earth-an endeavor, which, if successful, would result in the effective circumnavigation of all three segments of the monomyth. Ulysse's goal is to garner success for himself by bringing back the story of the distant planet. He states: "Even if my story was not to be published for eight hundred years, perhaps for that very reason it would have unusual value" (15).

A heroic return, then, would consist of his having visited a distant planet, learned its secrets, and brought them back to an enthralled public. The journey begins in accordance with the traditional pattern, with Ulysse separating from his known world on earth and traveling in a rocket ship to a distant planet, which he and his companions name...