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| Mentor/New American Library 1979, Art: Paul Stinson |
As the story goes, in the 1970s writer James Gunn began teaching a course on science fiction. His classroom lecture notes were apparently later used to annotate a series of anthologies titled The Road To Science Fiction. Originally designed to be complete in three volumes, it eventually grew to a total of six. The second volume in the series is subtitled "From Wells to Heinlein" and covers roughly the history of (mostly American) science fiction from 1901 to 1941. Below are synopses of the stories included in this volume, preceded by summaries of Gunn's introductory notes to each story (some of Gunn's best passages are found in quoted paragraphs). Cover images of the original pulp magazines and earliest editions of these stories are also included.
Volume 1 of this series ("Gilgamesh to H.G. Wells") is covered here.
Introduction
"The New Accelerator" (H.G. Wells, 1901)
"The Machine Stops" (E.M. Forster, 1908/1928)
The Chessmen of Mars (Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1922)
"The People of the Pit" (A. Merritt, 1917)
"The Red One" (Jack London, 1918)
"Dagon" (H.P. Lovecraft, 1917)
"The Tissue-Culture King" (Julian Huxley, 1927)
"The Revolt of the Pedestrians" (David H. Keller, 1928)
Last and First Men (Olaf Stapledon, 1930)
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley, 1932)
"A Martian Odyssey" (Stanley G. Weinbaum, 1934)
"Twilight" (John W. Campbell, 1934)
"Proxima Centauri" (Murray Leinster, 1935)
"What’s It Like Out There" (Edmond Hamilton, 1952)
"With Folded Hands" (Jack Williamson, 1947)
"Hyperpilosity" (L. Sprague de Camp, 1938)
"The Faithful" (Lester del Rey, 1938)
"Black Destroyer" (A.E. Van Vogt, 1939)
"Nightfall" (Isaac Asimov, 1941)
"Requiem" (Robert A. Heinlein, 1939)
· Gunn describes early science fiction (before H.G. Wells) as being mankind’s attempt to confront the mysterious forces at work around him (more or less from the viewpoint of an individual facing the unknown). H.G. Wells is considered the father of science fiction because he began approaching new phenomena and concepts from the viewpoint of man as a species. His books The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds are examples of this species-wide viewpoint approach, where the science-fictional elements affect all of mankind, not just one person (or even one nation).
· After the appearance of the first
science-fiction magazine in 1926, sf stories began to fall into four
types of subject matter: journeys, aliens, the past, and the future. During these first
decades of the 20th century, the general attitude in sf literature was one of optimism and
belief in progress. This would eventually change in the ensuing decades due to things like the Depression and the two World Wars.
· Frank Munsey began publishing pulp magazines for
a general audience in the late 19th century (Argosy, etc). In 1906, he
published the first specialized magazine, The Railroad Man’s Magazine.
In 1926, Hugo Gernsback began publishing a specialized pulp devoted to science
fiction, Amazing Stories, and looked to Jules Verne, H.G. Wells
and Edgar Allan Poe as his models. In 1930 another science fiction pulp, Astounding Stories of Super-Science,
began publication. In 1937, John W. Campbell took over Astounding and
remade it to his own tastes, ushering in the “Golden Age of Science Fiction”. Nonetheless, Golden Age or not, from 1926 to 1946 SF fell into a critical “ghetto”, and these pulp stories were generally not deemed worthy of book publication.
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| Amazing Stories reprint of "The New Accelerator", Art: Frank R. Paul |
Introduction Title: Science: The New Accelerator
Wells published The Time Machine in 1895, although parts were written years before. In his following novels he proposed both disastrous futures for mankind (The War of the Worlds, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man, etc) as well as utopian ones. In contrast to other writers of his time, he later preferred to promote a “message” as his primary goal, rather than demonstrate the “art” of writing. However, “The New Accelerator” is an early work and its sociological message is relatively mild compared to his later books (which could be perceived as propaganda by some).
Synopsis: Wells’ scientist friend Gibberne invents a potion which can accelerate the movements and senses of a person for a short time. When he and Wells try a potion together it accelerates their abilities to such a degree that when they go to the public park everyone appears to be virtually motionless. Gibberne sees a dog that has always annoyed him and throws the immobile canine through a parasol. Their movements are so fast that friction with the air begins to burn their clothes. The potion suddenly wears off and they seem to pop out of thin air to the people in the park. Wells notes to the reader that he has written this entire story in just a few minutes under the influence of the Accelerator. As well as allowing many great things to be done in a short amount of time, Gibberne also proposes to invent a complimentary Retardant so that outside time will go by much faster in order to endure unpleasant situations. These potions will allow man to break free from the yoke of time in some respects.
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| "The Machine Stops", revised and reprinted in 1928. |
Introduction Title: The Literary Dissent
Wells proposed a utopian future for mankind in his later novels. However, a backlash to this occurred in the form of anti-utopian (“dystopic”) science fiction. E.M. Forster's “The Machine Stops” directly targets Wells’ technology-driven utopia and describes the dangers of a machine-dependent society.
Synopsis:
I. The Airship: In a future where all needs of an underground humanity are catered to through automation (controlled by “The Machine”), a woman named Vashti is contacted by her son Kuno. Kuno asks her to visit him, but she is reluctant to step outside her fully-automated comfort zone. Eventually her anxiety and curiosity motivates her to take an air-ship over the dead surface of the Earth to Kuno’s home.
II. The Mending Apparatus: There, Kuno tells her a story in which he had managed to reach the surface by breaking through a tunnel shaft and climbing up out of an exhaust vent. He had then seen a woman approach, but a “mending apparatus” (designed to repair breaches in the airshaft) had then appeared and killed the woman. It then forced Kuno to return underground. Now, Kuno has been informed that he will soon be exiled from the underground city for his surface transgression. Vashti feels sad, but knows her son’s fate is inevitable.
III. The Homeless: As time passes, the people of Earth further abandon interest in the surface, and devote themselves fully to The Machine. One day Vashti receives a surprise message from Kuno, claiming “the Machine stops”. Skeptical, she dismisses this claim. True to Kuno’s message, the music and facilities provided by The Machine begin to deteriorate. When no repairs are made, mankind merely becomes accustomed to the disrepair. Eventually The Machine stops functioning completely and chaos erupts in the now-darkened underground city. Vashti has a brief reunion with Kuno, who informs her just before the end that those who had been earlier exiled to the surface will rise again to rebuild the Earth, but this time will not allow a Machine to govern their lives. An air-ship crashes into the underground city, killing everyone.
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| Art: J. Allen St. John |
Introduction Title: Islands in the Sky, Or Romance Triumphant
With all areas of the Earth being explored in
the 18th century, writers had to look off-planet for new locales to inspire
wonder. H.G. Wells wrote about Mars in “The Crystal Egg” (1897) and in The War of
the Worlds (1898). In 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote A Princess of Mars (or
“Under the Moons of Mars” when serialized in All-Story), the first story
in his Mars (“Barsoom”) series. Burroughs is important to science-fiction because his “adventure fantasies” helped
to popularize it. Unconcerned about literary style or even scientific accuracy, his main goal was to tell an exciting romance.
Other adventure fantasy stories during this early period include The Lost World (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1912), Darkness and Dawn (George Allan England, 1912), Charles B. Stilson’s Polaris of the Snows trilogy (1915), J.U. Giesy’s Palos of the Dog Star Pack trilogy (1918) and other books by Garrett P. Serviss, H. Rider Haggard, M.P Shiel, Edwin Lester Arnold (Phra the Phoenician (1890), Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation (1905)), Austin Hall, Homer Eon Flint, Ray Cummings, Victor Rousseau, Francis Stevens and Garrett Smith.
Synopsis (novel excerpt): John Carter’s daughter, Tara of Helium, heads out into a great storm on a flyer and ends up in unknown territory. She discovers a strange race of headless beings who are “ridden” by beings in the shape of enlarged heads. The storm causes great damage to Helium, preventing Carter from going in search of his daughter, but another warrior named Gahan takes off in his stead. Meanwhile, Tara is chased up a tree by a banth (lion-like monster).
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| All-Story Weekly, Jan 5 1918 |
Introduction Title: More Things Under Heaven and Earth
Merritt was an adventure fantasy writer who placed more
emphasis on a battle between good and evil amidst a fantastic environment. His
books include The Moon Pool, The Metal Monster (1920), The Ship of Ishtar
(1926), Seven Footprints to Satan (1928), The Face In the Abyss (1931),
Dwellers In the Mirage (1932), Burn Witch Burn! (1933) and Creep, Shadow
(1934).
Synopsis: Two explorers in the Alaskan north come across a mountain-range shaped like a giant hand. They see searchlights and floating lights amongst the peaks. A ragged-looking man named Stanton appears, crawling on disfigured hands and knees. He tells the two men that he had discovered a giant canyon on the other side of the peaks leading to an ancient, alien city of flying, tentacled slugs, ruled by some kind of invisible horror. He had also discovered side caverns which then provided shelter from the tentacled glowing slug creatures. Eventually, the beings had captured him, but over several days he had managed to break his bonds and slowly climb back out of the pit, with each step being a mental struggle against the psychic pull of the creatures. After he relates this story of ancient, hidden horror, he dies.
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| The Cosmopolitan, Oct 1918 |
Introduction Title: The Call of the Fantastic
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s science fiction included The Lost World (1912), The Poison Belt (1913), and The Maracot Deep (1927)). Jack London wrote science fiction in Before Adam (1906), The Star Rover (1914) and the socialist propaganda novel The Iron Heel (1907). He also wrote “A Thousand Deaths” and later “The Scarlet Plague” (1915). “The Red One” is very sophisticated for its time for presenting an extraterrestrial element so casually, a feat not common until the Golden Age.
Synopsis: A scientist named Bassett arrives on the shore of one of the Solomon Islands and hears a great booming tone ringing out from the interior. He travels inland alone, suffering terribly from insects, disease and headhunter stalkers. Severely ill, he eventually makes it to a village where one of the female savages becomes infatuated with him. Although Bassett is repulsed by the primitive Balatta, he romances her so that she will take him to see the “Red One”, the god which her tribe worships. When they get there, Bassett sees that the savages worship a gigantic red metal sphere which has apparently come down from the stars. Pictures of helmeted figures are seen in reliefs carved in walls around the sphere. The savages sound the Red One during sacrificial ceremonies by hitting it with a giant wooden clapper mounted on a pendulum. Bassett tries to recover from his ailments so that he can alert the outside world of this interstellar artifact/message, but eventually realizes that he will soon die in the forest. He agrees to allow the savages to slay him as a sacrifice, but requests to hear the booming of the Red One just once, before the witch-doctor decapitates him. His wish granted, an ecstatic Bassett is subsequently decapitated.
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| Weird Tales, Oct 1923, Art: R.M. Mally |
Introduction Title: The Horror Out of Providence
Weird Tales began publication in 1923, and Farnsworth Wright was its editor from 1924 to 1938. Lovecraft’s first Weird Tales story, “Dagon” was published only 6 months into Weird Tales’ run, although it had previously been published in 1919 in The Vagrant. Lovecraft’s horror was unique for being interested in “profound, unknown spheres and powers from the known universe’s utmost rim.” Fantasy presents awesomely exotic locals and situations beyond belief. In contrast, science fiction uses logic to explain some of these fantastic elements.
Synopsis: During WWI, a man’s lifeboat becomes stuck in an area of black mire. He assumes that this is the ocean floor, thrust to the surface by volcanic activity. After a couple days of walking across the dried out sea-bed he discovers a gigantic white monolith, covered with aquatic hieroglyphs featuring whale-sized mermen. Suddenly, a giant, scaled creature emerges from a nearby channel of water and proceeds to wrap its arms around the monolith in a manner portrayed by the hieroglyphics. The sailor flees and winds up in a hospital. Later, he asks an ethnologist about the legendary fish-god Dagon. Afraid that someday the fish-men will take over the world, the sailor contemplates suicide. As he hears some suspicious, "wet, slippery" noises at his door, he makes for the open window.
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| Amazing Stories, Aug 1927, Art: Frank R. Paul |
Introduction Title: The Science-Fiction Magazine Begins Its Amazing Career
Hugo Gernsback began Amazing Stories in 1926, starting out with reprints of Poe, Verne and Wells. Julian Huxley’s “The Tissue Culture King”, published a year later, stands out for its emphasis on biology (as opposed to the more popular physical sciences). Huxley (brother to Aldous) was a biologist and science writer (among many other things) and this is his only sf story. In this story he shows that he was ahead of his time by addressing the social responsibility of science’s advances.
Synopsis: In an unexplored area of Africa, a man named Jones discovers a tribe consisting of giants, dwarves and other “freaks”. He also discovers strangely-mutated animals such as multi-headed frogs and snakes. Held captive by the strange tribe, Jones soon meets a scientist named Hapscombe, another prisoner in the village. Jones learns from him that this tribe had once been “normal”, but in order to convince the natives spare his life, Hapscombe had offered to give them scientific secrets. Through various cellular experiments, he had managed to develop ways of manipulating the natives’ pituitary glands to effect more “desirable” growth patterns. Hapscombe’s latest experiment involves a device which enables long-distance telepathy and mind-suggestion. The two scientists escape the village by transmitting a mass mental command to have everyone in the village go to sleep. However, once the villagers awaken, their priest uses Hapscombe’s telepathy device to order the two men to return to the village. Hapscombe succumbs, but Jones realizes what is transpiring and manages to break free of the mind control signal. In the end, Jones reaches civilization, and warns mankind to beware of the dangers of scientific advancement, since its powers may be abused by those seeking power.
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| Amazing Stories, Feb 1928, Art: Frank R. Paul |
Introduction Title: Pedestrian Words, Soaring Concepts
With the appearance of Amazing Stories, many new writers began to appear, including Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Cummngs, Murray Leinster, Max Brand, Arthur J. Burks, Captain S.P. Meek, Harl Vincent, Stanton A. Coblentz, E.E. “Doc” Smith, Philip Nowlan, etc. David H. Keller was a doctor in psychoanalysis. “The Revolt of the Pedestrians” stands out for its matter-of-fact approach to a futuristic social divide and its leanings towards social satire. In contrast to later works such as Brave New World or 1984 however, the characters in this story still manage to effect positive change.
Synopsis: Centuries in the future, mankind has embraced a completely
automated and motorized lifestyle, so much so that they no longer use their
legs (most people’s legs become shriveled, purposeless appendages). However,
one small segment of humanity resists this development, the “Pedestrians”. In
order to eliminate these non-conformists, it becomes legal (and actually encouraged)
to kill off the Pedestrians by running them over with automobiles. Although all
of the Pedestrians are eventually believed killed, a resistance group living in
the wilderness survives, and plots vengeance on their motorized oppressors. One
day, the government is infiltrated by one of the Pedestrians and the
electricity is turned off. Thus rendered powerless (unable to move themselves
without motorized assistance), all of mankind perishes except for the
revolting Pedestrians, who then take over.
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| Cape & Smith 1931, Art: Arthur Hawkins |
Introduction Title: The Philosopher of Time and Space
Astounding Stories of Super Science began publication in 1930 and tried to include more action and adventure than Amazing Stories. Important novels were also still being published by H.G. Wells (The Shape of Things To Come (1933), The Holy Terror (1939), Star Begotten (1937)), Philip Wylie (Gladiator, The Murderer Invisible, When Worlds Collide), and Sinclair Lewis (It Cant Happen Here). Olaf Stapledon was a philosopher who believed it important to envisage future scenarios in order to put perspective on current issues. However, he also believed that these imaginative flights needed to strictly disciplined. His other books include Last Men In London, Odd John (about a super-man), Star Maker (a history of the universe) and Sirius (about a super dog). Stapledon’s efforts (as well as that of E.E. Smith and Ed Hamilton) to create a “future mythology” inspired later writers such as Asimov and Heinlein.
Synopsis: The writer is mentally-contacted by an entity from 2 billion years in the future. This intellect is a member of the Last Men, the Eighteenth evolutionary incarnation of mankind. The writer is a member of the First Men, who will dominate the Earth for several millennia, after which they are replaced by the Second Men, a more advanced evolutionary form. The man from the future dictates a history of mankind’s 2 billion year history to the writer. In the end, he states that the destruction of the solar system is soon to arrive (caused by a kind of interstellar “dark matter”) and that the Last Men plan to send their genetic seed out into the universe in the hope that some essence of mankind will survive and sprout anew in some other system or galaxy. Meanwhile, people from the past (such as the writer) are being mentally-contacted by members of the Last Men in order to provide a sense of motivation to continue this final, desperate project.
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| Chatto & Windus 1932, Art: Leslie Holland |
Introduction Title: Ford’s in His Flivver
The first half of the 20th century brought industrialization and manufacturing technology to the masses, allowing them more free time to identify problematic social issues. Aldous Huxley, writing just after the beginning of the Depression, saw a more ambiguous future than the one predicted by Henry Ford, resulting in Brave New World. His other sf novels include After Many A Summer Dies A Swan and Ape and Essence. In later years he became more optimistic and wrote the utopian novel Island (1962). He also wrote mystical books like Doors of Perception and The Perennial Philosophy.
Synopsis: In the future, the government enforces a form of social stability by genetically-engineering workers to be specifically-designed to handle tasks of different levels of menial work. Art, history and religion are suppressed in order to prevent yearnings for any other kind of society (which may cause stress or disobedience). Happiness amongst the people is guaranteed by post-hypnotic suggestion, hallucinogenic drugs and a broad acceptance of casual sex. However, several “reservations” exist (isolated tribes) who do not subscribe to this new form of civilization. They live simple lives, eating off of the land in a pre-technological state. One of these “savages” is discovered to be the illegitimate son of a city official and is brought into the city as a curiosity. This man, dubbed John Savage, is disturbed by this “brave new world” where yearning and suffering have been completely eliminated. He tries to challenge this sterile, highly-controlled form of society but is out-maneuvered by the City Controller’s cold logic. John tries to find relief by sequestering himself on an isolated lighthouse isle, but the curious public hounds him as a zoo-curiosity. After a night of violence and sexual debauchery takes place on his island (partially-instigated by his own loss of control), a penitent and disgusted John eventually takes his own life.
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| Wonder Stories, July 1934, Art: Frank R. Paul |
Introduction Title: The Alien from Milwaukee
“A Martian Odyssey” is innovative because it presents more sophisticated kinds of aliens which can be sympathetic, as well as enigmatic. Prior to this most aliens were based on the tentacled-monsters of Wells or looked like humans. Aside from his ground-breaking, credible aliens, he also added characterization, sometimes a light romantic aspect and an idea-based plot (as opposed to an action-based one). Isaac Asimov states that Weinbaum’s explosive impact on sf was only matched by that of E.E. Smith and Robert Heinlein’s.
Synopsis: Jarvis, a member of a Martian exploration team, becomes stranded when his rocket crash lands far from his base. While heading back on foot, he rescues an ostrich-like alien from a black, tentacled creature and earns its trust. After naming his new friend “Tweel”, Tweel escorts Jarvis on his days-long odyssey home. On the way they encounter various Martian life-forms, including animated grasslands, silicon-based creatures who spend their lives building small pyramids, and a predatory creature which uses mental visions to lure its victims (Tweel’s original attacker). They later encounter a race of barrel-shaped creatures who gather surface detritus and sacrifice it to their giant underground grinding wheel. Near the grinding wheel is a strange crystal which apparently heals through some kind of radiation. The barrel creatures chase Jarvis and Tweel to the surface and are about to kill them when they are saved by the sudden arrival of an Earth ship. Tweel returns to his own people, while Jarvis reveals that he now possesses the healing crystal worshiped by the barrel creatures.
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| Astounding Stories, Nov 1934, Art: Howard V. Brown |
Introduction Title: Who Went There?
Due to new discoveries in cosmology and atomic science,
writers began to reach for the stars in greater proportions. Ed Hamilton began
writing about an Interstellar Patrol (Crashing Suns) and E.E. Smith
began writing his Skylark and Lensman series. Later, John W.
Campbell became equally known for space opera and published his novel The
Mightiest Machine (1935). However at the same time Campbell began writing
stories such as “Twilight” which were
“less frantic, more poetic, more concerned with sociology, psychology and philosophy than astronomy and physics.
They were also more realistic in their portrayal of scientific culture and more
romantic in their treatment of ultimate themes.” Campbell became editor of Astounding
in 1937 and began promoting this new emphasis in the magazine. Campbell also
published the famous story “Who Goes There?” (1938) under a byline (Don A.
Stewart).
Synopsis: A man from the year 3059 travels 7 million years into the future and discovers that mankind has conquered the entire solar system and destroyed all other competitive life. Science has advanced to levels equivalent to near omnipotence. However, most scientific knowledge has been lost and the remaining vestiges of mankind are slowly dying out in a universal haze of ennui. Man has lost his sense of curiosity and life is maintained by machines. Lamenting this sad twilight of mankind, the time traveler programs one of the machine to try to seek out and restore the curiosity that Man has lost, and then heads back to his own time. On the way back he lands in the 20th Century and tells a local farmer his tale.
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| Astounding Stories, Mar 1935, Art: Howard V. Brown |
Introduction Title: The Idea Machine
In sf, character is less important and less defined than in fantasy of regular fiction because humanity itself is often at stake (is the character). Ideas were more important: “sped up evolution, cryogenics, robots with protoplasmic brains, reduction in size and submicroscopic people, non-humanoid aliens, time travel to the end of the world, the enslavement of humanity by aliens from Venus, aliens on the moon, the inspection of the future through long periods of self-induced coma, the universe as an atom, the planets as eggs laid around the sun that begin to hatch, alternate universes, the universe expanding because other worlds are fleeing from Earth’s contamination with protoplasmic life, the shrinking of a scientist through smaller and smaller planetary atoms, aliens who can imitate anything and read minds, the devolution of intelligent one-celled interstellar colonists into multicellular creatures and finally men, antimatter, cities enclosed within impenetrable walls, and many others.“ Murray Leinster published his first story, “The Runaway Skyscraper”, in 1919.
“He was distinguished by his originality: he was a first-class idea man in a business that dealt in ideas, and he originated many of the concepts that later would become the mutual property of the genre. His 1920 story “The Mad Planet” described a world in which plants and insects have grown huge, leaving humanity dwarfed and hunted. “Sidewise in Time” (1934) fathered a generation of alternate-universe stories. “First Contact” (1945) was the definitive treatment of the problem of alien meeting. His 1945 novel Murder of the USA may have been the first of the atomic-attack treatments. “A Logic Named Joe” (1946) dealt with the problems that might be caused by home computer terminals. “The Strange Case of John Kingman” (1948) involved a man who had been locked in an insane asylum for 162 years and was discovered to be an alien. His later novelette “Exploration Team” won a Hugo in 1962.”
“Proxima Centauri” introduced the idea of self-sustaining life capsules in order for humans to reach other stars without breaking the light barrier. Although the aliens in this story are hostile, his story “First Contact” (1945) presents a more optimistic view.
Synopsis: An Earth colony ship named the Adastra spends 7 years traveling to Proxima Centauri. However, as they near the system, they are intercepted by “organic” ships coming from the system itself. The ships attack the Adastra and board it. The aliens are described as mobile plant creatures who value animal tissue in the same way that humans value gold. The aliens capture the Adastra and massacre most of its crew. One man and woman (lovers Gary and Helen) are assigned to remain with a cargo ship which the alien leader has decided to send to a planetary reserve as his personal prize. The captain of the Adastra is forced to pilot his ship back to the aliens’ home-world. He then tricks the aliens and causes a self-destruct sequence in the Adastra which, through a chain-reaction, destroys the entire planet. Gary and Helen await the arrival of another colony ship from Earth.
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| Thrilling Wonder Stories, Dec 1952, Art: Walter Popp |
Introduction Title: The World-Wrecker on Mars
Partly due to John W. Campbell’s influence and partly due to greater scientific knowledge, sf adventure stories became harder to write, due to its need to be realistic. However, Edmond Hamilton was successful as an adventure writer in the 1930s and he frequently wrote for Weird Tales. His Interstellar Patrol series proposed a future where an alliance of aliens defended the galaxy. He liked writing stories where one man saved the entire galaxy and became known as the “world-wrecker”. “What’s It Like Out There?” was originally written in 1933 but rejected for 20 years, probably due to its pessimistic realism.
Synopsis: After returning from a highly dangerous mission to Mars, a spaceman visits the families of some of the men who had died on the mission. When the families ask him about his experiences on Mars (and the details of their loved ones’ deaths), he refrains from telling them the truth about the harsh conditions of the mission, or the desperate acts resulting from the hardships. Instead, he forces himself to paint a more “romantic” picture, in order to spare the family members’ feelings. He realizes the necessity of keeping up a positive image of space exploration, but he also knows that he will never be as naïve about space ever again.
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| Astounding Science Fiction, July 1947, Art: William Timmins |
Introduction Title: The Legion of Science Fiction
Jack Williamson started out as a fan and eventually became an important writer. Early books include Golden Blood (serialized in Weird Tales), The Legion of Space trilogy, The Legion of Time, and Darker Than You Think. In the 40s he wrote about antimatter mining in the books Seetee Ship (1951) and Seetee Shock (1950). After WW II he began writing more sociological sf in stories like “With Folded Hands”, which was later followed by “…And Searching Mind” (The Humanoids). Although Williamson’s greatest period of influence was in the 1930s, “With Folded Hands” “may be the definitive treatment of the theme of man and machine.”
Synopsis: A robot salesman named Underhill begins to feel threatened when a the “Humanoid Institute” arrives in his town and its new Humanoid androids are clearly far superior to his own robots. Underhill is gradually driven out of business as everyone in town embraces the Humanoids, who are willing to work for free on a “trial basis”. Underhill then befriends a man named Sledge who is soon revealed to be the inventor of the Humanoids. Sledge had attempted to create the perfect solution to mankind’s problems, but soon realized that the Humanoids’ Prime Directive (to protect all mankind from harm) also prevents man from living a real life, or to enjoy the freedom of taking risks. On every planet in which the Humanoids have landed on, people have become blessed with total luxury and safety, but also imprisoned in fully-automated and safety-restricted environments. Underhill agrees to help Sledge build a device which will destroy the central brain of the Humanoids, rendering all of the Humanoids inert. Unfortunately, the Humanoids have already shielded their central brain from this kind of attack, and have always known of their creator’s destructive plans. Until now, they have allowed Sledge to complete his machine so that they could co-opt the new machine’s technology to further their own takeover of the universe. In despair, Sledge surrenders to his creations and is taken away to a hospital. When Underhill meets him again, Sledge has been “altered” into embracing the aims of the Humanoids. Underhill is told that Sledge’s claims were the result of a brain tumor, which has now been removed. Underhill resolves to pretend to believe this story, for fear of being “cured” himself.
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| Astounding Science Fiction, Apr 1938, Art: Howard V. Brown |
Introduction Title: Mission of Levity
“Throughout the epochs of science fiction, one writer or another has tried to satisfy, occasionally or regularly, the desire of the reader to laugh at the past or the future, or himself and his own aspirations: Henry Kuttner and Robert Bloch in the ’30s and 40s; William Tenn (Philip Klass) in the ’40s and ’50s; Mack Reynolds and Fredric Brown, singly and in collaboration, in the ’50s; Frederik Pohl and Cyril Kornbluth, individually and together, in the ’50s and ’60s; and Robert Sheckley in the ’50s and ’60s. Each of them achieved their effects differently: Kuttner with burlesque, Bloch with wordplay and ridiculous situations, Tenn with wit and situation, Reynolds and Brown with burlesque and ridicule, Pohl and Kornbluth with satire, some of it black, Sheckley with ingenuity and sometimes with conscious parody of familiar situations. The first great master of humorous science fiction, however, was de Camp.” de Camp first found success in Unknown, Campbell’s fantasy magazine, in stories like Divide and Rule and Lest Darkness Fall. With Fletcher Pratt he wrote The Incomplete Enchanter and The Compeat Enchanter, made up of “a series of novellas in which mathematical formulae translate characters into worlds where magic operates, first the world of the Norse legends, then the world of Spenser’s Faery Queen.” The second book includes the world of Orlando Furioso.
Synopsis: In 1971, a mysterious pandemic causes all men and women to grow several inches of hair over their entire bodies. After some time, it is discovered that this hirsute state was Man’s “original” state, but several thousand years in the past a new virus had caused the loss of Man’s body hair. Now, another new virus has nullified the effects of the first, depilatory virus. Eventually the speaker and his friend Ramon develop a cure for this “hyperpilosity” (or "hyperpelosity"), but by the time they reveal it to the public, everyone has already adapted to their new hirsute existence and prefers to remain that way. During all this time, the speaker has also been investing in depilatory creams. At the end of the story, he reveals that his investment has obviously failed, whereas his neighbor has become a rich man due to his investment in “curry combs” (horse hair combs).
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| Astounding Science Fiction, April 1938, Art: Charles Schneeman |
Introduction Title: The Alchemists Gather
In 1938 Campbell began making his mark on science fiction as the editor of Astounding. The writers of the following era were more optimistic than before, and were the first generation to build on a previous one (of sf writers). In the late 30s the possibility of genetic manipulation and nuclear Armageddon were becoming much more acceptable, leading to Lester del Rey’s first story, “The Faithful”. “His first story brought together several major themes: genetic manipulation, atomic energy and ultimate war, the extinction of man, increased longevity, and the continuance of man’s heritage by another species.” He also wrote “Helen O’Loy”, and the nuclear accident novel Nerves.
Synopsis: Genetic technology allows mankind to artificially increase the intelligence of dogs and apes. Eventually an apocalyptic world war causes all of Mankind to be destroyed by a plague. The Dog-people, led by a genetically-modified dog named Hungor, try to retain the technology and wisdom they have learned as faithful companions to Man. One day a man named Kenyon appears, apparently the last of his kind (who has survived the plague this long only through artificial self-mutation). The Dog-people tell him that their greatest wish (aside from the return of Man) is to have hands so that they can advance their own society and technology. With Kenyon’s help, the dog-people locate a tribe of man-apes who have also been given artificially-enhanced intelligence and more importantly, opposing digits on their hands. Kenyon tells Hungor that the apes will be the Dog-people’s hands. During Kenyon’s dying days, Hungor tells him that he hopes that the Man-apes will one day develop into a new form of man, continuing mankind’s destiny. Kenyon, thinking of its recent self-destruction, hopes that the Man-apes will not follow too closely in Man’s footsteps, and then quotes a Bible passage in which Jesus Christ cites that no man may know the time of the passing of mankind.
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| Astounding Science Fiction, July 1939, Art: Graves Gladney |
Introduction Title: The Fairy Tales of Science
A.E. Van Vogt’s fiction deals with extraordinary humans and other “fairy tale” archetypes. “Black Destroyer” was his second story, and was published in Astounding. He later wrote Slan, a novel about super mutants, which made Van Vogt famous. “Black Destroyer” and its sequels (The Voyage of the Space Beagle) were based on Oswald Spengler’s theories of history. The World of Null-A was based on Korzybski’s General Semantics. His other science-fiction stories and novels include “The Weapon Shop” (1942), The Weapon Makers (1943), The Weapon Shops of Isher (1949), The Mixed Men (1952), The Players of Null-A (1948), The War Against the Rull (1959), and The Wizard of Linn (1950). Van Vogt was known for complicated twists in his plots. “Van Vogt had a vision of humanity beset with ignorance and terrible though often unknown perils, but possessing untapped, sometimes unsuspected powers, if man could only discover who he is and what his powers are and how to use them, much like the hero or heroine of almost every fairy tale.”
Synopsis: When a group of space explorers (led by a man named Morton) land on an unknown planet, they discover the ruins of a dead civilization. They also soon encounter a cat-like predator who, in its own narrative, calls itself Coerl. Although an apex predator on his own world, Coerl hides his true nature from the explorers by projecting a facade of domestication. When the men bring Coerl aboard their ship, Coerl begins to secretly and systematically outwit and kill off the members of Morton’s crew, who are initially ignorant of just how intelligent Coerl really is. Finally, the historian of the crew states that the artistic nature of the planet’s ruins indicates that the native civilization must have self-destructed through a consciously “criminal” act. Assuming Coerl to be a descendant of this evil race, Morton and his crew begin to understand the full extent of the creature’s sentience. In the meantime, Coerl gains control of the spaceship’s engine room and launches the craft into deep space, hoping to find more prey on the humans’ home planet. As Morton’s men increase their efforts to hunt down and destroy Coerl, the creature soon realizes that its true nature has been discovered and that it must escape the ship. Coerl begins building an escape craft in the ship’s machine shop. As the men close in with atomic blasters, Coerl launches in his makeshift shuttle, intending to return to his home planet and then use the technology he has obtained to create an invasion fleet for his people. Unfortunately (for Coerl) Morton and his men are able to intercept the much slower escape craft. In despair, Coerl kills himself before the men open the hatch.
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| Astounding Science Fiction, Sept 1941, Art: Hubert Rogers |
Introduction Title: The Stars Appear
By 1939 the new “stars” Campbell was looking for began appearing in Astounding. This included stories by Theodore Sturgeon (“Ether Breather”), Robert A. Heinlein (“Life-Line”), Van Vogt (“Black Destroyer”), and Isaac Asimov (Trends”). However Asimov did not blossom until 1941’s “Reason”, one of his robot stories (I, Robot). In it he defied the antiquated ideas of the monster robot. His ideas were “irreverent and iconoclastic.” This would lead to “Nightfall”. Asimov later became famous for his Foundation trilogy and many other novels. His greatest influence was felt in the 40s and 50s and his writing supported Campbell’s ideas about pragmatism in sf writing during this time.
Synopsis: Having 6 suns, the people of the planet Lagash never experience night. However, a scientist named Aton predicts that a solar eclipse will plunge the planet Lagash into total darkness for the first time in 2050 years, kicking off a social and technological apocalypse which will take 2000 years from which to recover from (after which the cycle will repeat itself). At the scientist’s observatory, a news reporter named Theremon expresses skepticism, while a cultist named Latimer claims that the phenomenon is a religious miracle predicted in the cult’s famous “Book of Revelations”. A psychologist named Sheerin describes to Theremon how the mental strain caused by this inconceivable “darkness” will prompt the citizenry to light their cities on fire in order to drive off the night, although this will also cause the collapse of their civilization. While these men discuss the approaching doom in the scientist’s observatory, cultists begin wreaking havoc in the nearby city in preparation for their “rapture”. When the eclipse becomes total, the witnesses are shocked to discover that their sky is filled with tens of thousands of stars (where they had only expected a half dozen). The unexpected realization that their planet is only a tiny part of a much larger universe drives them all mad.
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| Astounding Science Fiction, Jan 1940, Art: Charles Schneeman |
Introduction Title: The Man Who Sold the Genre
Verne had led the way in the 1860s, Wells in the 1890s, and Burroughs in the 1910s. Heinlein led during the 30s and 40s. He first made his mark in Astounding while developing his “Future History” stories. After WW II he began publishing in mainstream magazines and started getting actual books printed. Soon he became known for his juvenile sf books. His book Rocketship Galileo became part of the film Destination Moon (1950). Stranger In A Strange Land (1961 became another huge success.
“More than any other writer, Heinlein had the ability to present carefully crafted backgrounds, including entire societies, in economical but convincing detail. This and, at its best, his narrative drive and his spare, vigorous prose provided science fiction with models for the authors who followed after.”
Synopsis: A wealthy but elderly businessman named Delos Harriman has dreamed of going to the moon all of his life. However, by the time moon travel has finally become feasible to the public, he is deemed too elderly for such arduous travel. He hires two freelance spacemen and with their help secretly builds his own spacecraft. Although Delos’ health begins to fail, he undertakes the journey and lands on the Moon. He feels a great feeling of contentment even as he draws his last breath on the lunar surface. The two spacemen feel sympathy for the old man and prop up his corpse so that it faces the Earth, and leave him with a note containing Robert Louis Stevenson's poem, "Requiem".
The Road to Science Fiction #3: From Heinlein to Here (ed. James Gunn, 1979)
