Fiction Flights in Space & Time

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20 Fiction Flights in Space & Time S.-F. Roundup These are the books that Mr. Pratt discusses in the accompanying arti cle: FLETCHER PRATT THE BLIND SPOT. By Austin Hall and Homer Eon Flint. Philadelphia: Prime Press. $3.50. SEEDS OF LIFE. By John Taine.' Read ing, Penna.: Fantasy Press. $2.75. ET's face it: the leading drawback perfectly aware that a story should TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND THE from which science-fiction cur progress from point A to point B, not FAIRY CHESSMAN. By Lewis Padgett. I rently suffers is bad writing. This merely move from situation to situa New York: Gnome Press. $2.75. SLAN. By A. E. Van Vogt, New York: is, of course, traceable to the fact tion until the author is ready to write Simon & Schuster. $2.50. the the form is firmly rooted in the 30. He has proved it on numerous TIME AND AGAIN. By Clifford D. pulps, but not for the reason a super occasions, especially in the domain of Simak. New York: Simon & Schuster. ficial glance would suggest, that the $2.50. fantasy. But the constant demand of SEETEE SHIP. By Will Stewart. New pulps are storehouses of bad writing. the science-fiction magazines for new, York: Gnome Press. $2.75. After all, H. G. Wells and Arnold Ben not merely carefully worked out, sci GRAY LENSMAN. By Edward E. Smith. nett were published in pulp maga Reading, Penna.: Fantasy Press. $3. entific principles has caused those BULLARD OF THE SPACE PATROL. By zines, and so was C. S. Forester's "Cap principles to become intricate and ab Malcolm Jameson. Cleveland: World tain Horatio Hornblower." A certain struse to such a degree that the two Publishing Co. $2.50. amount of really badly written sci KINSMEN OF THE DRAGON. By Stanley long stories in this volume are ar Mullen. Chicago: Shasta Publishers. ence-fiction does get into the pulps and cane; only the constant reader* of $3.50. out of them again into hard covers, science-fiction will know what is being WINE OF THE DREAMERS. By John D. to be sure; accepted, read, and even MacDonald. New York: Greenberg talked about. That constant reader will Publisher. $2.75. bought for the novelty of the scientific welcome the new Padgett volume, but FOUNDATION. By Isaac Asimov. New idea on which the story is based, or any other will find it heavy and dif York: Gnome Press. $2.75. because of a rapidly-moving story line. ficult. THE HOUSE OF MANY WORLDS. By Sam A fine example in the current batch Merwin, Jr. New York: Doubleday & It is quite as bad with three other CO. $2.75. is "The Blind Spot," by Austin Hall books from the past season's produc THE CITY IN THE SEA. By Wilson and Homer Eon Flint •— not really Tucker. New York: Rinehart & Co. tion—A. E. Van Vogt's "Slan," science-fiction at all, but something $2.50. 'like the other-worldly adventure stor Simak's "Time and Agaiii," and- Will THE PUPPET MASTERS. By Robert A. Stewart's "Seetee Ship." "Slan," Heinlein. New York: Doubleday & ies of the late A. Merritt, with the ob Co. $2.75. ligatory explanation at the end read (a reissue, by the way, but somewhat SPACE ON MY HANDS. By Fredric rewritten) moves rapidly until one Brown. Chicago: Shasta Publishers. ing, "The occult is concrete." It $2.50. jumps maddeningly from character to gets to inquiring what is going on FANCIES AND GOODNIGHTS. By John stock character, the events are not among all these mind shields and Collier. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. atomic flows, and discovers that es $3.50. even faintly plausible, and the dia THE HOLY SINNER. By Thomas Mann. logue comes straight out of mid-Vic sentially it is nothing but good old New York: Alfred A. Knopf. $3.50. Superman of the comic strips, not a NEW TALES OF SPACE AND TIME. Edited torian mellerdramer. But there is by Raymond J. Healy. New York: something doing every minute, even story at all, but a parade of marvels Henry Holt & Co. $3.50. if you cannot understand just what. and without much scientific justifica THE OUTER REACHES. Edited by August Derleth. New York: Pellegrini & In the same category as to literary tion. "Time and Again" is almost a Cudahy. $3.95. quality falls John Taine's "Seeds of superman story, but not quite, be THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES Life," like "The Blind Spot" a popular cause there is an acceptable explana OF 1951. Edited by Everett E. Bleiler tion of why the superman is super and, and T. E. Dikty. New York: Freder old-timer revived, and not standing ick Fell. $2.95. modern competition very well. Even in addition, it has a pretty nifty treat POSSIBLE WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION. the idea of altering germ plasm by ment of both the eternal recurrence By Groff Conklin. New York: Van hard radiation, which is the central and time-travel themes; clearly the guard Press. $2.95. scientific theme, has become common best of these three. But the science is place and has been exploited by more pretty pseudo, and there is so little at skilful hands. The fact that the story tention given to mere human reactions cosmic, with planetary and inter-plan has nothing to offer in the ideological and so much to cosmic problems that it etary forces tossing around like dust- field brings distressingly to light thfe will make few converts among those motes and often in defiance of known long passages of summary, the weak who are not already members of the scientific fact, which is a violation of dialogue, and the fact that it is only church. The latter will eat it up. An ex the very principles of science-fiction. one more mad-scientist-bent-on-de- amination of "Seetee Ship" puts the But more than that, the people are re stroying-the-world story. finger on some of the reasons why duced to types, there are long and things have been going a little bit pointless meditations and even longer Both these are collector's items, wrong in the science-fiction field this and more pointless conversations. however, good stories when written, past year. It also is overwhelmingly E. E. Smith's "Gray Lensman," and chiefly of nostalgic value today. part of a well-known series, is super- They do not represent the type of cosmic, with all sorts of super beams, bad writing that is the current afflic super seeds, mind forces, and mind tion of science fiction. Lewis Padgett's screens. It follows the classical pat "Tomorrow and Tomorrow" does. tern of a struggle between' good and Now let it be set down that Padgett evil, and guess who wins; that is, it is a highly competent literary crafts is a fairly low-level adventure story. man who knows what dialogue is for, But the series has had an enduring can characterize through action, and is popularity among science-fiction read-

PRODUCED 2005 BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 2] ers and for a couple of good solid rea sons. Smith never over-writes his dialogue, and there is always some thing happening; really happening, not threatening to happen. In fact, it is possible to oppn "Gray Lensman" at the beginning of any given chapter and read to the end of that chapter without having previously made the acquaintance of any of the entities in it (few of them are human) and with a certain amount of interest in how the thing is going to be worked out. The same is true of "Bullard of the Space Patrol," by the late Malcolm Jameson, which is quite frankly a series of connected shorts and quite as frankly directed at the upper level of adolescent readers. Jameson, a Naval officer himself, has simply and ingeniously altered the problems and customs of the U. S. Navy to what might be encountered in a space navy, taking his Bullard from cadet up to high admiral. The result is really good reading for the age group in tended. The same age group will probably get a heavy charge out of Stanley Mul len's "Kinsmen of the Dragon," but so will the more adult and far larger group who have for years hung on the doorsteps of bookstores panting for the next item in the saga of the insidious Dr. Fu Manchu. Rarely have there been wilder goings-on or more of them than in this story, which com bines druidic lore,- the world at the center of the world theory, and the Atlantis legend. Yes, I know; a com bination like that has to be seen to be believed, but there it is. Jacket design for "The Outer Reaches." jects, which is the foreseeable recovery also because he has filled his worlds T this point the borderline is of a technical civilization after a long with perfectly real people whose in A crossed into an area of books period of eclipse, forces him to com dividual fates become important. which have something to say to the press wide historical movements into The purpose is somewhat more seri adult reader who is not a devotee of small fields of action and short spaces ous in Wilson Tucker's story of a re science-fiction and does not intend to of time, and the result is some over mote postatomic world, in which man devote much time to it. I am not sure simplification. But having allowed for has mutated into various species out that John D. MacDonald's "Wine of these points, the "Foundation" series of contact with each other, "The City the Dreamers" genuinely belongs in is well up the scale, both as stories in the Sea." But it is handled with this category; the characters are not and in what the stories have to say. that light dexterity of touch which is very far from the type-block, the situ Occupying a point so different from perhaps the leading contribution of ations at the beginning of the story are the last two that the three make a lit science-fiction to the discussion of mat forced when a little more care would erary triangle is Sam Merwin, Jr.'s ters that used to be reserved for have made them easy, and the solu "The House'of Many Worlds." It may pundits in university lecture halls. tion is too rapid. But underneath these have a deeper meaning, but on the There is some feeling here, too, and trappings it is a story dealing with the surface at least it is nothing but a the story moyes along nicely to a genuineness of human impulse, and it fast-moving adventure story, wrapped surprise, but perfectly logical ending, has something worth saying on the around the theme of mutually exist which is a hard thing to come by these point. ent worlds which have diverged along days. Recommended. Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" different streams as the result of cer On the other hand, there is nothing stories have attained a deserved pop tain key events. This thematic mater light whatever about Robert A. Hein- ularity within the science-fiction field, ial is at least as old as Murray Lein- lein's "The Puppet Masters," a new and he has here assembled the first ster, but this man has made something variation on the invasion of the earth five, which are better than some of the quite new out of it, both by intro theme, and what is usually called "a later ones. They, too, have their de ducing a couple of really interesting tale of creeping horror" on the con fects. For one thing, they are .talky; variant worlds (the Burr conspiracy tents pages of magazines. This one is every bit of action has to be argued succeeded in one of them) which have so creeping as to be actually unpleas out beforehand and reviewed after been worked out in the utmost detail ant at times. It runs along at the ward. For another, his choice of sub and with fascinating consistency, and (Continued on page 34)

PRODUCED 2005 BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 22 their characters and so little about their hearts. The Saturdqp Review E do not even know why men Wwho enjoy what we believe are the blessings of freedcyn and democracy turn into Communists. It is a commen Editor, NORMAN COUSINS tary on our creative novelists that the Chairman, Editorial Board, HENRY SEIDFI. CANBY writers who are attempting to give the Chairman, Board of Directors, E. DEGOI.YER reasons for this phenomenon are writ ing their autobiographies. It is cer Associate Editors, AMY LOVEMAN, HARRISON SMITH, IRVING KOLODIN tainly one of the major tragedies of Assistant Editor, ELOISE PEBRY HAZARD Feature Editor, ROLAND GELATT today that intelligent citizens risk Book Review Editor, RAYMOND WALTERS, JR. their careers and lives and reason it Contributing Editors, JOHN MASON BROWN, BENNETT CERF, MARY GOULD DAVIS, self for a cause which brings upon JAMES THRALL SOUY, HORACE .SUTTON, JOHN T. WINTERICH humanity the horrors of mass murders and slavery for a vision of what Whit- taker Chambers calls "Man without Publisher, J. R. COMIN.SKY Associate Publisher, W. D. PATTERSON God." Contents Copyrighted, 19^2. by The Satttrday Retiew Associates. Inc. If humanity ever needed writers who are capable of creating and giving life to the heroes and the victims of this ominous period in history, it needs A Time for Humanity them now. We need to see ourselves reflected, not as objects of pity and N the year-end number of the generation, to document their weak even contempt, but as larger than we 'Partisan Review William Barrett nesses as if they were writing a clini are. All the mechanics of literary I attempts to approach our contem cal report. They are unable to create production need not stop them since porary literary production "in a great and enduring characters in their actually they make the writers' task thoroughly American spirit." "There books because they have neither met easier and bring them the audience and are now more typewriters tapping," them in the flesh nor can believe in* the response without which a man he writes, "more paper soiled by ex their existence. They know the Oedi writes in a vacuum and becomes pectant writers, more brains cudgeled pus complex by heart; their teachers weary and sterile. It is not for lack and sweat poured; more writing or the psychiatrists they have read of talent that they are failing since courses, writing conferences, writing have taught them to understand the the techniques of their craft are fami fellowships, critical schools, and cri mental sufferings of Hamlet and Kas- liar to them and they are more skilled tical organs; more money won or lost kolnikov, but they cannot produce than many of the writers of the past from writing, or matter that resembles anyone resembling them on paper. whose work is still memorable. They writing, than at any time in the past." We live in an intensely dramatic age must write less about the outward Why, he asks, are we not producing of vast wars and revolutions and the follies and failures of man, and write, the greatest literature in man's his outward manifestations of this period as William Faulkner said at Stock tory, and why has not all of this are at our novelists' command, so that holm, about the human heart. They energy brought forth an "Oedipus," James Jones can write a long Army must trade satire for compassion, and "Hamlet," or "Brothers Karamazov" novel which is sold to a million people cold analysis for a comprehension of during the last decade? but which leaves its readers in a state the doubts, the suffering, and the fears Mr. Barrett has woven together a of exasperation. The ship in Herman of humanity in these fateful years. straw man for the pleasure of knock Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny" is more —H. S. ing it down, since no one in his senses interesting than his mad captain, and can confuse all of this mechanical and John P. Marquand's full-sized and physical business — the typewriters, presumably heroic general, Melville sweat, conferences, and prizes — with Goodwin, is led around by the nose The Fly the production of enduring works of by his wife and his one-time mistress. The sorrows and the yearnings of the genius. Neither Sophocles, Shake By Melville Cane speare, nor Dostoievsky would be at little people in countless other novels home in the intellectual and emotional are pathetic rather than tragic. It is BIG black buzzing fly. atmosphere of this or any other decade unfortunate that the husband in Wil A So safe in the open sky. of twentieth-century America. The liam Styron's "Lie Down in Darkness" Has blundered into the room great issues that are presented to man married the wrong woman, took to And begins its battle with kind today have less to do with man's drink, and loved a daughter who com doom. soul than with his schemes for get- • mitted suicide, and even more so that With dashes and loops ting along in life avt^t in succeeding he had trouble getting her coffin into It bashes and swoops in a chosen profession; his deepest its grave. But there is neither passion And bangs again and again nor depth here to keep the reader preoccupation is mth the mechanics At the window-pane. of survival against a formidable polit awake nights or to return to his mind after the lapse of a year or perhaps ical and economic creed which is di I sit at my desk to write, only a week. At least "From Here to viding the world and threatening the Entrapped in the creature's Eternity" was written by an angry extinction of what we know as civili plight. man who wished to reform the United zation. Has it lost the power of sight? States Army, and anger is a rare Has it missed the invisible Apparently our writers are forced quality in these days when writers only to comment on what is happen know so much about the minds of crack? ing to the men and women of this To the pathway back?

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