Perhaps -- France herein makes similar points -- with tongue firmly in cheek, of course. You'll just to decide for yourself. France won the Nobel Prize for literature back in the days when it meant something. This farce is a treat whether or not the conspiracy is farce. The fantastique is a substantial genre within French literature. Arguably dating back further than English language fantasy, it remains an active and productive genre which has evolved in conjunction with anglophone fantasy and horror and other French and international literature.