Volume 9 Number 4 Article 16

12-15-1983

Lewis Carroll, scientifictionist (Part II)

Joe R. Christopher (emeritus) Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX

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Recommended Citation Christopher, Joe R. (1983) "Lewis Carroll, scientifictionist (Part II)," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 9 : No. 4 , Article 16. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol9/iss4/16

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Abstract Considers Carroll “as a writer of science fiction, as a forerunner (in a general way) of Lewis and other SF writers.” Cites examples from a number of Carroll’s works.

Additional Keywords Carroll, Lewis—Relation to Science Fiction; Science fiction in Lewis Carroll

This article is available in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol9/iss4/16 M YTH LO RE 34: Winter 1983 page 45 Lewis Carroll, scientifictionist (Part II) Joe R. Christopher

The two science-fictional episodes in Sylvie rative version of a Victorian stage entertain­ and Bruno Concluded unfortunately occur in an ment, combining slapstick and magic, and ending anticlim actic order, so I am arbitrarily dis­ with a literal explosion as the Professor's cussing them out of sequence. Near the end of final Experiment blows up. Dodgson was an in­ the book, the Professor gives his long-delayed veterate theater goer (surprising in his age science lecture in Outland (Ch. 21, "The Pro­ for a clergyman), but the general level of fessor's Lecture," with a brief conclusion in dramas in the Victorian Period was not high— Ch. 22, "The Banquet"). Carroll plays this and "The Professor's Lecture" (if I am correct for burlesque, perhaps because he (as Dodgson) about its theatrical resemblances) does nothing was troubled by the teaching of science at to alter one's view of the time. Oxford University, as is shown by his letter, "Natural Science at Oxford," published in the In the Sylvie and Bruno books, there are Pall Mall Gazette, 19 May 1877.11 The lecture several sets of characters—with one in Outland, consists of some Axioms, the exhibition of the other in England—who are them atically tied Specimens, the explanation of a Process, and a together by blends (as the narrator enters or few Experiments. The tone is suggested by this leaves the "eerie" state) or by verbal echoes— passage about Axioms: Lady Muriel and Sylvie are one example, and the Professor and Mein Herr (he has no other name) 'An Axiom, you know, is a thing which you are another. So it is with some appropriateness accept without contradiction. For in­ that the science fiction in Sylvie and Bruno stance, if I were to say "Here we are!", Concluded involves only the Professor and Mein that would be accepted without any con­ H e r r . tradiction, and it's a nice sort of re­ The latter shows up at two social occasions mark to begin a conversation with. So only. He is a "venerable old man—a German it would be an Axiom. Or again, suppos­ obviously—"who has a "magificent beard" (S&BC, ing I were to say, "Here we are not!", Ch. 7, "Mein Herr"). A hint about his extra­ that would be— ' terrestrial origin occurs on the second occa­ '—a fib!' cried Bruno. sion. He is speaking of a friend of his who, via balloon, visited a planet so small that one 'Oh, Bruno!' said Sylvie in a warning could walk all the way around it in twenty min­ whisper. 'Of course it would be an Axiom, utes. The account of a battle on it, which he if the Professor said it!' gives, suffers from the same problem as the mock battle on G ulliver's handkerchief in L illi- '—that would be acceptable, if people put: the space seems inadequate for the events were civ il,' continued the Professor; 'so narrated. (How could such a small planet—or it would be another Axiom.' asteroid?—support two armies, or even contain a full-scale battle?) Also, the account of 'It might be an Axledum.' Bruno said: shooting around the planet implies a heavier 'but it wouldn't be true!' [S&B, Ch. 21] gravitational force than the size suggests (sim­ ply to keep the bullets from going into outer Not all of the lecture is. this poor, but the space). Meim Herr goes on to report on this above suggests the reduction of science which small planet's government, and then— Carroll thinks is funny. Bruno is presumably meant to function like the small boy in Hans 'You say you are "told" what happens Christian Andersen's tale, or perhaps like a in this planet,' I said. 'May I venture more judgmental G ulliver in a milder Grand to guess that you yourself -are a visitor Academy of Lagado; but his comments undercut from some other planet?' what might be taken as an amusing parody by raising moral issues. (Alice did not spend her Bruno clapped his hands in his excite­ time in Wonderland flatly denouncing others as ment. 'Is oo the Man-in-the-Moon?' he liars.) Parody—I do not think Carroll reaches c r i e d . the level of Swiftian satire—should be allowed to make its own comment in its own way. Mein Herr looked uneasy. 'I am not in the Moon, my child,' he said evasively. During the exhibition of Specimens, the [ s&BC, Ch. 1 1 , "The Man in the Moon"] Professor shows an elephant which, under a minimifying-glass or Megaloscope, appears—and Later that evening Mein Herr discusses the In- then is—small as a mouse and stands on the troduction of "the B ritish Principle" (of having palm of the Professor's hand; likewise, a Flea, opposition within an institution, taken from the with the viewing tubes on the Megaloscope re­ two parties in Parliament) into the Army in his versed, is the size of a horse; it gets out of nation—which led to a m ilitary defeat. the compartment and leaps away. Perhaps the latter episode can be held parallel to the ...large tears began to roll down his giant insects which infested SF movies in the cheeks. ... 'This caused a Revolution; 1950s. Actually, the comparison to a modern and most of the Government were banished. dramatic form is not displaced: the whole of I myself was accused of Treason, for hav­ the Professor's lecture reads much like a nar­ ing so strongly advocated "the B ritish page 46 M YTH LO RE 34: W in ter 1983

Principle". My property was all for­ first conversation is about at this level. feited, and—and—I was driven into exile! Mein Herr describes railroad trains without en­ "Now the m ischief's done," they said, gines: the tunnels from one place to another "perhaps you'll kindly leave the country?" run in straight lines through the ground—gravi­ It nearly broke my heart, but I had to go!' ty pulls the trains down for the first half of [S&BC, Ch. 13, "What Tottles Meant"] the trip and they coast up for the second half; no one mentions friction and wind resistance. This is all that Carroll gives by way of back­ Mein Herr describes a method of avoiding run­ ground, but it is enough to indicate the sub- away horses which end with upset carriages: the type within the science-fictional field. In horse is in a space in the middle of the car­ the nineteenth century and for at least two riage, and if he gets frightened, he can be centuries earlier, the use of the Moon as a raised off the ground by a belt under him at­ setting for social satire is wide spread. Wil­ tached to a windlass—and thus his galloping liam Blake left in manuscript "An Island in cannot upset the carriage. By this point,- Mein the Moon" (c. 1787), for example, where the Herr has dropped the pretense of having visited island is obviously Great ^Britain. 22 Mein this country, and is now speaking of "our" Herr's reference to a friend's balloon voyage practices. His final comment is about unmatched to a small planet is in the tradition of Edgar oval wheels on their carriages, which give the Allan Poe's "The Unparalleled Adventure of passengers the benefits of a rolling sea voyage One Hans Pfaall" (1835; rev. 1840). The combi­ without any danger of drowning. Perhaps, of nation of such materials indicates that Car- the matters mentioned in this conversation, the roll knew the tradition, slightly outdated as raisable horse is intended as a semi-serious it was by his day. suggestion; the engineless train would not work, and an unsteady carriage, with its probable cre­ But the point of the tradition is satire, ation of "sea"-sickness, seems unlikely to have and Carroll has some of that, as well as (typi­ wide-spread popularity. Obviously the last idea cally) other things—paradoxes, quibbles, and is intended as an odd and amusing custom of extrapolations. In Mein Herr's first appear­ "foreigners." ance, for afternoon tea (Ch. 7), he suggests to Lady Muriel the sewing of a Fortunatus' The second conversation is at a dinner party purse from three handkerchiefs—it would be a ten days later. It begins in Chapter Nine, "The version of the Klein bottle, probably, if it Farewell-Party"; continues in the latter part of could be done, with topologically no inside or Chapter Ten, "Jabbering and Jam," in Chapter outside. He refers to a Mobius strip (or an Eleven (already mentioned), Chapter Twelve, "Fai­ Afghan band, for magicians) in the discussion, ry-Music," and Chapter Thirteen (also previously although he uses no technical names. The dis­ mentioned); and concludes very briefly and rath­ cussion of this purse—a purse which contains er disappointingly—much as conversations at all the world—leads to a discussion of Time parties are often interrupted or broken off— which has been wasted. at the start of Chapter Sixteen, "Beyond These Voices." There is no reason to trace the top­ 'W ell, in my—I mean in a country I have ics here in the same detail as above, but a visited,' said the old man, 'they store brief survey w ill suggest the approach. Mein it up: and it comes in very useful, years Herr tells of methods tried for introducing afterwards!' matters of interest and novelty for conversa­ tion at dinner parties, including a split, Typical of C arroll's humor in the Alice books revolving, circular, table, at which guests in and elsewhere, this is little more than a quib­ the center moved one way and those on the out­ ble on the phrase about "wasting time," a tak­ side the other—so one had new persons to talk ing of a metaphor literally. The hesitancy of to throughout. Later, after dinner, Mein Herr Mein Herr to say that it is his country is used refuses to be drawn about his age; he tells again in the second conversation—an obvious about people being bred for lightness, so that enough device, but effective in the tea-table no one ever sinks into water and drowns. and dinner settings. (There have been some later SF stories in which A rtificial Selection is used on humans, as in The Earl was listening with a slightly Robert A. H einlein's Methuselah's Children incredulous smile. 'Why cannot you ex­ (1941 serial; rev. 1958 book), where financial plain the process?' he enquired. rewards cause some people to breed for longev­ ity.) Mein Herr tells of getting money back Mein Herr was ready with a quite un­ from the government for mailing a package be­ answerable reason. 'Because you have no cause the packing—"cotton-wool" he calls it, words. in your language, to convey the presumably meaning the raw cotton—has been ideas which are needed. I could explain bred for lightness until it is lighter than it in—in—but you would not understand air; if a person must pay to mail a heavy pack­ i t ! ' age, then the government must pay him for mail­ ing one with a negative weight. Mein Herr 'No indeed!' said Lady Muriel, grac­ tells of a map of his country (he is back to iously dispensing with the name of the admitting he is talking about his country again) unknown language. 'I never learnt it— inspired by British maps, but on the scale of at least, not to speak it fluently, you a mile to a mile; the farmers objected to it know . , , . ' 1 3 being opened out. On his friend's visit to a small p.lanet (to echo Gore Vidal's title for So far this first conversation has introduced an SF television script of c. 1955), the friend some paradoxes in connection with Fortuna's found a government consisting of a number of purse and a verbal ingenuity. The rest of the kings and a single subject—kings who made con­ MYTHLORE 34: Winter 1983 page 47 tradictory laws. Mein Herr, who once taught in science fiction by C. S. Lewis is the best way a university in his country, tells of their to end this paper. Both wrote SF poems (C. S. esteem for the most obscure teachers, and of a Lewis's "Science-Fiction Cradlesong," for exam­ phase for preparing students only for exami­ ple). Both wrote a clear-cut SF short story nations—without other knowledge—followed by apiece (C. S. Lewis's "M inistering Angel"). a phase of rewarding students for each good If Lewis did not write a paragraph of geometric answer in class with a coin; finally, the Heads science fiction, none the less he occasionally of Colleges would meet the trains of students borrowed from Flatland to illustrate points in coming to the University and chase down and his expository works. Lewis's two borrowings capture the good students for their individual from an SF story for The Great Divorce (the Colleges. Later, Mein Herr mentions examina­ second footnoted in the English edition, not tions for scholars at the end of thirty or for­ the American) may, for our purposes, be equated ty years instead at the end of three or four with C arroll's A Tangled Tale. And both wrote years at the University. He also discusses the novel sequences which, among other elements, application of the British Theory of Political contain SF, perhaps the Ransom Trilogy more Dichotomy (this is the British Principle men­ than the Sylvie and Bruno duo; both novel se­ tioned above) to his country's government, ag­ quences use SF at times for satire, and both riculture, commerce, and m ilitary, reducing are conservative works within the genre. three of them to impotence and being dropped in But the main point is not that these are paral­ the other area (commerce). lel science-fictional careers so much as that these two Oxford authors were prim arily w riters What is a reader to make of all these? Some of fantasy—of the two Alice books, of the of them, like the revolving dinner table, are Narnian heptalogy and T ill We Have Faces. Their impractical but not necessarily nonsense. (One science fiction is an interesting part of their thinks of the emphasis on the circulation of work, but—even for Lewis, perhaps; clearly for guests at some cocktail parties.) Several of Dodgson—it is not the most important part. them, such as the breeding for lightness or the Dodgson's SF is interesting in the nineteenth large maps are procedures (selective breeding) century—so much so that one wishes an academic or ideas (detailed maps) extended to absurdity. anthology would pick the Mein Herr conversations The discussions of university affairs and of out of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded to draw at­ political parties have more of a satiric edge. tention to his contribution—but, if all his C arroll's treatment of methods of teaching science fiction were lost, Dodgson would still going through phases may be exaggerated, but be immortal as Lewis Carroll, author of A lice's not extremely ("...som ething tells me we are Adventures. further on than you in the eternal cycle of change—and that many a theory we have tried and found to fail, you also will try, with a Notes wilder-enthusiasm: you also will find to fail, with a bitterer despair!"); the exaggeration 11A dislike of science, or some aspects of is for entertainment, but a generally valid science, is not a necessary lim itation in an point remains. And the recruitment of the SF w riter, as is shown in the early work of Ray better students by top universities—and some­ Bradbury and C. S. Lewis's views of scientism. times the recruitment of any students by aver­ A work which raises basic questions about the age universities—may not have reached the value of technology and which has a high repute level of the Cub-Hunts at the train stations within the SF field is A Canticle for Lelbowltz which Main Herr describes; but certainly they (1959), by Walter M. M iller, Jr. are more intense with brochures and other mail­ ings—and with scholarships—than what seems 12M arjorie Hope Nicholson's Voyages to the to be Carroll's ideal: "...the Colleges com­ Moon (19-48) surveys the English works of the peted against each other, and the boys let seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, although themselves out to the highest bidder! What she does not mention Blake—perhaps because his geese we were! Why, they were bound to come work is not a voyage but just set (in theory) to the University somehow. We needn't have on the Moon. In Nicholls' The Science Fiction paid 'em!" The ruination of the country from Encyclopedia, under "The Moon" listing, there the introduction of a two-party system through­ are a number of works mentioned, including some out says something about C arroll's view of of the nineteenth and many of the twentieth B ritish politics in his day: each party was century (Blake is still omitted). Nicholson more interested in the frustration of the spots the use of Mein Herr by Carroll (although other's programs than it was in the good of the she attributes him to Sylvie and Bruno, not the country (Mein Herr quotes some B ritish newspa­ second volume), but Nicholls (actually Brian per clippings to back this up). Carroll pro­ Stableford, who wrote that listing) misses him jects this attitude into other areas, but with (as does John Clute, who wrote the "Lewis Car- the implication that by seeing the impotence roll" listing). This omission in The S c ie n c e there, one will see B ritain's political impo­ Fiction Encyclopedia suggests that C arroll's tence more clearly. Here, most obviously, is SF is not generally known in the SF community. the old tradition of the Lunar society used for satire. l3Nicholson (cited in footnote 12) says that this excuse of language difficulties is typical Is there any final estimation of Lewis Car­ o f th e e a r l y SF t r a d i t i o n . ro ll's science fiction which a reader may make? Certainly, as the earlier and later parallels 14The conservatism of Lewis has not been il­ in this paper have suggested, it is within the lustrated, but some aspects of his use of past SP tradition; but is there any more general works are mentioned by Nicholson in her "Epi­ point to be made? Perhaps a comparison to the lo g u e ." page 48 MYTHLORE 34: Winter 1983

15Logically> this paper should have a second hagen. I do not think any of the science- part which discusses the use science-fiction fictional chess stories mention Carroll, but the w riters have made of Dodgson's works, prim arily final item in the book is an essay on the chess the Alice books. But I do not know enough to moves in Through the Looking-glass. do more than suggest in this footnote a few And then there are the ones which got away. beginning place. There are a number of works There was a paperback called A lice's World per­ I have not read. For example, Kate Wilhelm's haps ten years ago; I ordered it after a late "With Thimbles, with Forks and Hope" (1981) review suggested its connection with Alice's takes its title from The Hunting of the Snark Adventures, but it had gone out of print. I ( 1876), but I know nothing of its content. no longer have the author's name (I think he Titles are sometimes misleading. Henry Kutt- was European), although I could start looking ner's "The Voice of the Lobster" (1950) has through the Cumulative Book Index. Also, I am nothing Carolingian. On the other hand, Evan haunted by the memory of a story (in the later H. Appelman's "'Twas B rillig" (1951) has a days of Astounding or the early days of Analog, functional title in terms of meaning, but with­ I think) which began "The Sllthy Toves did gyre out allus.ion to C arroll's works. and gimble in the wabe"—it was a spaceship Henry Kuttner wrote at least two stories coming out of hyperspace. with Carolingian content. In "The Fairy Chess­ men" (1946, as by Lewis Padgett), there are at Mythopoesis, continued from page 27 least an allusion each to Carroll and to Through the Looking-glass—although Kuttner incorrectly Smaug, as an example of favorable derivation, has has a character think that Lewis Carroll had "a a fairly obvious line of literary pregenitors. The thoroughly elastic mind, one not bound by con­ dragon in Heinlein's Glory Road is equally derivative, ventional values." Kuttner's more famous Caro­ but unfavorably so. The difference lies with the imag­ lingian story, "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" (1943, inations of the authors. Tolkien said "i desired as by Lewis Padgett)—in which Dodgson appears dragons. " One cannot hear Heinlein saying that. The briefly as "Uncle Charles"—also has a flaw: desire for such things, in and of themselves, justifies it assumes that the introductory stanza of its presence in the tale. The use of such things, be­ "Jabberwoeky" was told Dodgson by some young cause they traditionally appear in that kind of story, pre-Alice "in the latter half of the nineteenth only makes its presence in the tale sound hollow. century"; actually, it was written in 1855 Who would accuse C.S. Lewis of "using" Christ in (which barely fits the alloted time) at Croft, forming Aslan? The writer obviously had deep feel­ Yorkshire (where Dodgson's father was parish ings for the Original and its derivative, a feeling priest from 1843 until his death in 1868). which made Aslan native to Narnia. The links the Dodgson was about 23 when he wrote that stanza, w riter's imagination desires to make should not be and there is no reason to think he was, as yet, denied, should not be condemned. A surprising (to cultivating th§ friendships of little girls. the writer) connection between two previously separ­ Since Dodgson started keeping a diary in 1854, ate, though enjoyed, ideas should be encouraged for this is fairly certain. (The diary had not the fruit it may bear. Who could imagine Middle- been published when Kuttner wrote his story, earth without hobbits ? Yet Tolkien originally meant of course.) I should add, to be strictly cor­ them to be two different things. His affection for rect, that Dodgson had an eye for girls' beau­ both refused to acknowledge the barrier, and he sud­ ty and character even then—cf. the entries in denly found his comfortable, homey hobbits dropped his diary for 21 August, 27 August, 4 September, into High Matters dear to his heart. and 11 September. The use of "Uncle Charles" An individual's progress in mythopoesis is not probably only occurs later; Dodgson certainly and should not be predictable. If it were, we would s ig n e d a l e t t e r to I s a Bowman t h a t way on 4 never have had, let alone be able to love Prodo the April 1889. Ringbearer. The surprises of derivation in the pro­ The mention of a proto-Alice reminds me that cess of mythopoesis are the Creator's gift of delight Alice Liddell is revived from death in Philip to the Sub-Creator. Jose Farmer's Riverworld Tetralogy—To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971), The Fabulous River- If you are a Faculty Member, vigorously request boat (1971), The Dark Design (1977), and The your Library to take Mythlore. If you know Faculty Magic Labyrinth (1980); perhaps a fictional Members, ask them to do this. It is the most effect­ version of A lice's non-fictional self is worth ive way to increase Library circulation. mentioning. And the appearance of Dodgson in "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" is a suitable enough reason to mention his appearance in the thirty- Other Society Publications fourth chapter of Robert A. Heinlein's The Number of the Beast (1980)—Don Sherwin has a MYTHELLANY is a fiction annual that also contains review of this chapter in Jabberwocky, 10:2/46 art and poetry. $2.50 a copy. (Spring 1981), 50-51 (he does not comment on MYTHPRINT is the Society's monthly newsletter and Dodgson's lack of a stutter when talking with contains meeting information, news items, editorials, and strange adults—something I wondered about--nor book reviews. $6 for 12 issues. has he noted how Heinlein condenses Dodgson's Both Mythellany and Mythprint can be ordered through career, combining the episode of tale-telling the Orders Department, 1008 N. Monterey St. Alhambra, to the Liddell sisters, 1862, and an interest CA 91801. in sorites—Dodgson's interest in logic began later, I believe, and one finds his discussion REVEL is a cassette fantasy magazine for the blind o f " s o r i t e s e s " in The Game o f L o g ic , 1887). and others prevented from reading printed material, and Perhaps as an associational item from the is distributed to any blind person who would like to SF field, Pawn to Infinity (1982) is an antholo­ subscribe for the cost of tape and handling. Write to gy edited by Fred Saberhagen, with Joan Saber- Revel, P.O. Box 961, San Francisco, CA 94101.