Something To Read by Ken Slater

Back in NEBULA 22 I invited you to send me your definitions of Science-Fiction. As that issue has, at the time I'm writing this, only just reached the stands, the postmen have not yet started to totter up the path, bowed down under the weight of mail. . .

However, another correspondent to whom I'd outlined the point of the dictionary-definition of the word "science" has come back with a point I'd rather glossed over, and that is that acceptance of the complete definition of "science" could take us too far the other way; instead of narrow, clearly-defined "personal" meanings to the term "science-fiction" we would have a "blanket" coverage that would include practically everything. The efforts of a farmer to breed a slightly better strain of milchcow, love-interest provided by his attachment for the daughter of the squire; action in the form of the farmer's battles with his opponent (same squire, to keep it simple) who is ag'in these newfangled methods of artificial insemination. Light relief provided by Joe, who spends his time muckin' out the byre and falling into his labours. . .

Somehow, I can't see myself enthralled in such a yarn as a science-fiction story, but my correspondent is perfectly correct in pointing out that acceptance of the full definition of "science" would also mean acceptance as science-fiction stories with even less claim to our interest than the above "possible ". At the same time, he also agrees with me that the present limited definition in common use is not enough. It is not possible to limit the "science " in "science-fiction " to a few, or even to all, of the physical and/or applied sciences.

Accordingly, and with malice aforethought, I therefore recommend as the best book on the "science fiction" market at the moment Groff and Lucy Conklin's THE SUPERNATURAL READER (Cassell, 349pp, 16/-). The name of Groff Conklin and the term "s-f anthology" were almost synonymous a few years ego; let us hope that this title may be the first of several more expertly chosen anthologies of "borderline" literature.

Let me firstly assure you that "supernatural" doesn't mean "ghosts", in this instance. It means things like Ted Sturgeon's SHOTTLE BOB (that story does include ghosts, true, but not of the normal kind) and Herb Paul's THE ANGEL WITH PURPLE HAIR (which includes a very charming lady angel who thinks nothing of a visit to a cocktail bar). On the other side, and from another era, Groff (or Lucy) has selected F. Marion Crawford's FOR THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE, a straightforward and spine-chilling vampire story, and THE MOONLIT ROAD, a smooth and rather terrifying short by Ambrose Bierce. Changes on the story of King Midas are rung by Charles R. Tanner in ANGUS MACAULIFFE AND THE GOWDEN TOOCH, and Ray Bradbury's private brand of almost-horror is represented by THE TOMBLING DAY. Other contributions (there are twenty-seven in all) include Will Jenkins, A. E. Coppard, Fitz-James O'Brien, " Saki ", Edgar Pangborn, M. R. James, Stephen Grendon. . . If you don't insist on "practical science" let me recommend you try this cocktail of the borderline sciences of mythology, magic and psychic phenomena, well-stirred with a swizzle-stick of writer's craft.

OPERATION: OUTER SPACE by Murray Leinster (Grayson and Grayson, 190pp, 10/6) belongs to the space-opera class. Well-written, fast-moving, it makes no pretence to be anything but an action story with a cosmic background. Jed Cochcrane, publicity man, is bulldozed into the job of making a name for a "scientist", Dabney. Dabney has a certain influence with the firm employing public-relations expert Cochcrane, and so Cochcrane gets the job pushed onto him. Jed soon discovers Dabney is no scientist—Dabney is not anything much but a bundle of neurotic tendencies—and that Dabney's discovery (a means of sending faster-than-light messages from the moon to Terra, and back) has been "bought" from the real discoverer, Jones. The discovery, as such, is currently worthless. Mankind, not having got further than the moon, is not worried about sending messages ftl. But when Jed takes over, and gets on the line of "if messages, why not...? " things start to develop, and before long we have Jed, Jones, and some other folk (including Babs, Jed's secretary, in the story for romance) taking off in a made-over space-ship for a short tour of the universe. There are dramatic interludes, some really excellent scenes when Jed is fighting to get support—financial and otherwise—for his FTL ship, emotional highspots, and although the real antagonist in the story is the universe and the limits it places on man's endeavours, Mr. Leinster has set up Mr. Dabney as nasty little niggler, hanging around grabbing off kudos but making sure of avoiding all blame for failure, for the benefit of those readers who need a personality to hate. Mr. Dabney equates with Mr. Universe (or Mother Nature) on a personal level. I wonder if this is why some otherwise excellent stories seem to misfire—must we always have a personalised opponent as well as the "real" one? Anyway, philosophical considerations by the way, this is a good and exciting yarn. Recommended for all space-opera fans.

THE TREMBLING TOWER by Claude Yelnick (Museum Press 160pp, 10/6)  is a translation from the French. It bears some resemblance to Eden Phillpotts' ADDRESS UNKNOWN, but lacks most of the sociological and philosophical argument which made up the larger part of the latter. Christmas in a lighthouse, and a storm wrecks a Norwegian vessel—one sailor survives and is rescued by the two keepers. The lighthouse is subject to some influence which is causing "vibrations", and there is some doubt whether these are caused by a material or a supernatural influence; the underkeeper favours the supernatural, and keeps referring to "the Ankou", —death, or the bringer of death. About halfway through the book the influence has developed to the point where it effects light, and Olaf, the Norwegian, had advanced a theory that the influence is caused by "the Others" someone "outside" (shades of Lovecraft?). Olaf tries to get into communication with the Others, and there follows a series of experiments culminating in communication, during which the Others announce they are vibrations, and the vibrations men make are disturbing and hurting them, and man will cease hurting them, and man will cease to make them or else. One of the Others turns out to be Maria, the love of the lighthouse keeper who had vanished some years before, and of whom he was believed to be the murderer.

Although well written, this book is not likely to appeal to the modern science-fiction reader. I would recommend it to the older "fans" who can still re-read early Science Wonder Stories, 1929 vintage Weird Tales, and similar material with enjoyment. But the plot content has the making of a short-story in the modern usage of sf, and those of you who can't qualify as above will probably find it too slow for pleasant reading.

On the paperback front, Corgi have issued Arthur C. Clarke's celebrated THE CITY AND THE STARS, at 3/6. And from Penguin come a couple of Thorne Smith humourous fantasies, THE NIGHT LIFE OF THE GODS and TOPPER TAKES A TRIP, at 2/6 each.

from Nebula No.24. September 1957

 

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