Best of OMNI Issue #5
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J ^^^^ ^^^ w^p* SCIEN %v*i m sp** 9 w? -» COLLECTOR'S EDI ... 19 STORIES-5 NEVER- BEFORE-PUBLISHED. FEATURING PHILIP K. DICK, ROBERT SIIVERBERG, HARLAN ELLISON, DAMON KNIGHT, AND GREGORY BENFORD. EDITED BY DON MYRUS THE BEST OF Dnnrui SCIENCE FICTION NO.5 bought by about one million people. EDITED BY DON MYRUS " THE BEST OF DRJlfUl SCIENCE FICTION NO. 5 SPECIAL EDITORIAL SERVICES FOR THIS BOOK WERE PROVIDED BY AARON OMNI ENCORE/PART ONE NORMAN. SPECIAL DESIGN BY RICHARD BLEIWEISS. 6 RAUTAVAARA'S CASE by Philip K. Dick BETSY VAYDA, ASSISTANT EDITOR. 11 A TRIBUTE TO PHILIP K. DICK by Michael Kurland 12 ONLY YOU FANZY by Sherwood Springer ". 14 LESSON ONE by James Randi FACING PAGE PAINTING BY 17 PICTORIAL by Rudolf Hausner HELMUT K. WIMMER 24 THE HUNTING OF HEWLISH by Sam Nicholson Acknowledgements "Basileus" by Robe'l Silverberg copyrighl 1983 by Agberg. Lid. 32 NEW IS BEAUTIFUL by Tony Holkham "The Soul Painter and the Shapeshifier and "The Palace ai Midnight" by Robed A ROBERT SILVERBERG CELEBRATION Silverberg copyright 1981 by Agberg. Lid Robert Silverberg Appreciation" by Harlan 40 BASILEUS Ellison copyrighl £ 1983 by The Kilimanjaro Corporalion "Helen O'Loy by Lesler del Rey reprinted b\ permission ol the author and 48 THE SOUL PAINTER AND THE SHAPESHIFTER the author's agents, Scott Meredith Literary Agency. Inc . 845 Third Avenue. New York. New 56 THE PALACE AT MIDNIGHT York 10022 "Down There" by Damon Knighl reprinted by permission ol the author. "The 63 AN APPRECIATION by Harlan Ellison Touch'" by Gregory Benford copyrighl IB 1953 by Abhenlord Assoc. Inc Cover painting SCIENCE FICTION CLASSICS by James Christen sen courtesy ot the Will Stone Collection Painlings pages 66 and 120-121 Lester del by Gerard Di-Maccio courtesy ot Galerie 66 HELEN O'LOY by Rey Ra. Paris V 71 PICTORIAL by Chesley Bonestell 78 DOWN THERE by Damon Knight f. 10D22. All rights I tiing may b- reproi SCIENCE FICTION ORIGINALS le publisher Published WW ihe United Stales ot America 84 THE TOUCH by Gregory Benford and in Canada. First edition Printed in the United Slates ol America by Meredith Printing Corporalion and distributed in the U.S.A., THE LOST SECRET by Laurence M. Janifer Canada, U.S. territorial possessions, and the world (except the U.K.) by Curtis Circulation 96 THERE WERE PEOPLE ON BIKINI by William Tenn Company. 21 Hei derson Drive. Wesl Caldwell, N.J. 07006. Distr luted in the U K. by Comag 101 VILLAGE OF THE CHOSEN by Alan Dean Foster Ltd . Tavistock Rt ad, West Drayton. Middlesex. UB7 70E. Englar 3 Certain ol the materials were previously published in OMNI ENCORE/PART TWO Omni and were copyrighted 1978 to 1982 inclusive by Omni Publications International 108 MALTHUS'S DAY by Jayge Carr Lid Omni is the registered trademark ot Omni 113 PICTORIAL by Gervasio Gallardo 120 BODY BALL by John Keefauver 124 PRIME TIME by Norman Spinrad 130 IN THE HEREAFTER HILTON by Bob Shaw 134 AND WHETHER PIGS HAVE WINGS by Nancy Kress 139 PICTORIAL by Ernst Fuchs autavaara's Case" by Philip K. Dick is a startling and provocative metaphor concerning religion— in this "case" the ironic contrast between Christianity and the theology of a non-human species from a faraway planet. Glowing with vivid imagery, the story involves an extraordinarily unorthodox conflict over the doc- trine of the Eucharist. The message in Dick's brilliant construction is that one's faith may be another's anathema. Yiddish humor, such as that to be enjoyed in Sherwood Springer's "Only You Fanzy," is encountered from time to—time in science-fiction literature. Avram Davidson has worked the vein "The Golem," for ex- ample—as has William Tenn, who with hilarious effect gave us the memorable, "On Venus Have We Got a Rabbi." Springer's short-short onnrui concerns a madam and a Mr. Lefkoviz. He performs a mitzvah (good deed) on her behalf—but a mitzvah, maybe exactly it isn't. James Randi's "Lesson One" involves a venerable stage illusionist and his prodigiously gifted young protege. That Randi chose to write about such a pair will not surprise those readers who are aware of his colorful career as a magician and escape artist. But since he has also gained great notice as a dedicated debunker of ESP and other so- called paranormal performances, the denouement of his story is sure to raise some eyebrows. "The Hunting of Hewlish" by Sam Nicholson delineates the beguiling aspects of a highly evolved civilization on future Earth. It's a love story, although one quite different from the emotion-wrought romances all too familiar since the Age of Chivalry. Nicholson's vision takes place in a cool, super-sophisticated and somewhat complacent high-tech society. In "New is Beautiful," Tony Holkham presents a postwar world com- pletely different from that usually imagined. Instead of the stereotypical retrogression to a primitive status, mankind emerges as a race of Ein- steinian wunderkinder who are smart enough to know that even the brightest of students can be enriched by a wise, experienced tutor. — IK The aliens saved the woman's life only to tind themselves defending their action before a board of inquiry RAUTAVAARA'S GASE BY PHILIP K. DICK reasoning al the lime. The three technicians of the floating globe We could not get there in lime to save sion or analyze our signaled that it had found no monitored fluctuations in interstellar mag- the three Earthpersons, but we did dis- The robol function in the two males and that netic fields, and they did a good job until patch a robot to see whether any of them brain their neural tissue degenerated. Re- the moment they died. could be regenerated. Earthpersons do not had Rautavaara, a slight brain Basalt fragments, traveling at enormous like us, but in this case Iheir survey globe garding Agnela could be detected. So in Rauta- velocity in relation to their globe, ruptured was operating in our vicinity. There are rules wave vaara's the robot would begin a res- their barrier and abolished their air supply. governing such emergencies that are case toration attempt. Since it could nol make a The two males were slow to react and did binding on all races in Ihe galaxy. We had decision on its own, however, it nothing. The young female technician from no desire to help Earihpersons, but we obey judgmenl told it to make Ihe at- Finland, Agneta Rautavaara, managed to the rules. contacted us. We fault the guilt, so to speak iii gel her emergency helmet on, but the hoses The rules called for an attempt on our tempt. The — therefore lies with us. we been on the tangled; she aspirated and died; a mel- part to restore life lo the three dead tech- Had have better. ancholy death, strangling on her own vomit. nicians, but we allowed a robol to take on scene, we would known We blame. Herewith ended the survey task of EX208, the responsibility, and perhaps there we accept Ihe hour later the robot signaled lhal it their floating globe. In another month the erred Also, Ihe rules required us to notify An significant brain function in technicians would have been relieved and the closest Earth ship of the calamity, and had restored Raulavaara by supplying her brain with I this relumed to Earth. we chose not to. will not defend omis- PHOTOGRAPH BY HUBERT KRETZSCHMAR I i " " " said, gravely. at full with oxygen-rich blood from her dead body. The proximations. It is an Earth slur regarding "Look," she said to Travis and Elms. "There." Elms nodding tavaara's brain function both Centauri system and the Sol system. oxygen, but nol the nutriments, came from our origin in Ihe Proxima Centauri system. The figure wore a traditional white robe Frightened, Agneta said to the figure. "Go video and audio transduction, which of Later, in discreet discussion with my easy on us. The three of us have been course was recorded; meanwhile, the mat- companions. I suggested that attempt the robot. We instructed it to begin synthe- What it implies is that we are not authentic, and sandals: his hair was long and f we sis of nutriments by processing Rauta- that we merely simulate life. with what looked like moonlight, r through a major trauma." She wondered, ter of censuring us was put in suspension. to infuse our own conception of the After- suddenly, whelher Travis and Elms re- I personally found myself fascinated life Guide of Soul into ar- vaara's body, using it as raw material. This This was our reward in the Rautavaara his iace was gentle and wise. Just like in by the Rautavaara's is the point at which the Earth authorities case. To be derided. And indeed there was the holoads the churches back home put membered that they had been killed, that the Earth idea of the Savior It was, for us. tificially sustained brain. My point: It would later made their most profound objection. an inquiry. out. Agneta thought. Robed, bearded, wise their bodies had been destroyed. an antique and quaint conception— not be interesting to see how she reacted. But we did not have any other source of and gentle, and his arms slightly raised. The figure smiled, as if to reassure her. because it was anthropomorphic but be- At once my companions pointed out to nutriments. Since we ourselves are a Within the depths of her damaged brain Even the nimbus is there. How odd that our "Travis," Agneta said, bending down over cause it involved a schoolroom adjudica- me the contradiction in my logic.