The Big Book of Science Fiction

by The Big Book of Science Fiction (retail) (epub)

  “What we have seen of this world is very favorable; there are good prospects for business here. There is no reason why you people as those of Damin and Detaxal cannot enter into a nice business arrangement congenially. You have far more here to offer tourists, more than Damin. Why, except for your clouds this would be an ideal paradise for every man, woman, and child on Detaxal and Damin to visit, and of course with our new cloud dispensers we could clear your atmosphere for you in short order and keep it that way. Why, you’ll make millions in the first year of your trade.

  “Come now, allow us to discuss this with your ruler-king or whatever you call him. Women are all right in their place, but it takes the men to see the profit of a thing like this—you are a woman, aren’t you?”

  The first of his long speech, of course, was so much gibberish to us, with his prate of business arrangements, commerce and trade, tourists, profits, cloud dispersers, and whatnot, but it was the last part of what he said that took my breath away, and you can imagine how it affected Geble. I could see straightaway that she was intensely angered, and with good reason too. By the looks of the silly fellow’s face I could guess that he was getting the full purport of her thoughts. He began to shuffle his funny feet and a foolish grin pervaded his face.

  “Sorry,” he said, “if I insulted you—I didn’t intend that, but I believed that man holds the same place here as he does on Detaxal and Damin, but I suppose it is just as possible for woman to be the ruling factor of a world as man is elsewhere.”

  That speech naturally made Geble more irate, and tearing off her thought transformer she left the room without another word. In a moment, however, Yabo appeared wearing the transformer in her place. Yabo had none of the beauty of my mother, for whereas Geble was slender and as straight as a rod, Yabo was obese, and her fat body overflowed until she looked like a large dumpy bundle of fat held together in her furry skin. She had very little dignity as she waddled toward the Detaxalans, but there was determination in her whole manner, and without preliminaries she began to scold the two as though they were her own consorts.

  “There has been enough of this, my fine young men,” she shot at them. “You’ve had your fun, and now it is time for you to return to your mothers and consorts. Shame on you for making up such miserable tales about yourselves. I have a good mind to take you home with me for a couple of days, and I’d put you in your places quick enough. The idea of men acting like you are!”

  For a moment I thought the Detaxalans were going to cry by the faces they made, but instead they broke into laughter, such heathenish sounds as had never before been heard on Gola, and I listened in wonder instead of excluding it from my hearing, but the fellows sobered quickly enough at that, and the spokesman addressed the shocked Yabo.

  “I see,” said he, “it’s impossible for your people and mine to arrive at an understanding peaceably. I’m sorry that you take us for children out on a spree, that you are accustomed to such a low type of man as is evidently your lot here.

  “I have given you your chance to accept our terms without force, but since you refuse, under the orders of the Federation I will have to take you forcibly, for we are determined that Gola become one of us, if you like it or not. Then you will learn that we are not the children you believe us to be.

  “You may go to your supercilious queen now and advise her that we give you exactly ten hours in which to evacuate this city, for precisely on the hour we will lay this city in ruins. And if that does not suffice you, we will do the same with every other city on the planet! Remember, ten hours!”

  And with that he took the mechanical thought transformer from his head and tossed it on the table. His companion did the same and the two of them strode out of the room and to their flyers, which arose several thousand feet above Tola and remained there.

  Hurrying in to Geble, Yabo told her what the Detaxalan had said. Geble was reclining on her couch and did not bother to raise herself.

  “Childish prattle,” she conceded, and withdrew her red eyes on their movable stems into their pockets, paying no more heed to the threats of the men from Detaxal.

  I, however, could not be as calm as my mother, and I was fearful that it was not childish prattle after all. Not knowing how long ten hours might be I did not wait, but crept up to the palace’s beam station and set its dials so that the entire building and as much of the surrounding territory as it could cover were protected in the force zone.

  Alas, that the same beam was not greater. But it had not been put there for defense, only for matter transference and whatever other peacetime methods we used. It was the means of proving just the same that it was also a very good defensive instrument, for just two ous later the hovering ships above let loose their powers of destruction, heavy explosives that entirely demolished all of Tola and its millions of people and only the palace royal of all that beauty was left standing!

  Awakened from her nap by the terrific detonation, Geble came hurriedly to a window to view the ruin, and she was wild with grief at what she saw. Geble, however, saw that there was urgent need for action. She knew without my telling her what I had done to protect the palace. And though she showed no sign of appreciation, I knew that I had won a greater place in her regard than any other of her many daughters and would henceforth be her favorite as well as her successor.

  Now, with me behind her, she hurried to the beam station and in a twinkling we were both in Tubia, the second-greatest city of that time. Nor were we to be caught napping again, for Geble ordered all beam stations to throw out their zone forces while she herself manipulated one of Tubia’s greatest power beams, attuning it to the emanations of the two Detaxalan flyers. In less than an ous the two ships were seen through the mists heading for Tubia. For a moment I grew fearful, but on realizing that they were after all in our grip, and the attractors held every living thing powerless against movement, I grew calm and watched them come over the city and the beam pull them to the ground.

  With the beam still upon them, they lay supine on the ground without motion. Descending to the square Geble called for Ray C, and when the machine arrived she herself directed the cutting of the hole in the side of the flyer and was the first to enter it with me immediately behind, as usual.

  We were both astounded by what we saw of the great array of machinery within. But a glance told Geble all she wanted to know of their principles. She interested herself only in the men standing rigidly in whatever position our beam had caught them. Only the eyes of the creatures expressed their fright, poor things, unable to move so much as a hair while we moved among them untouched by the power of the beam because of the strength of our own minds.

  They could have fought against it if they had known how, but their simple minds were too weak for such exercise.

  Now glancing about among the stiff forms around us, of which there were one thousand, Geble picked out those of the males she desired for observation, choosing those she judged to be their finest specimens, those with much hair on their faces and having more girth than the others. These she ordered removed by several workers who followed us, and then we emerged again to the outdoors.

  Using hand beam torches the picked specimens were kept immobile after they were out of reach of the greater beam and were borne into the laboratory of the building Geble had converted into her new palace. Geble and I followed, and she gave the order for the complete annihilation of the two powerless ships.

  —

  Thus ended the first foray of the people of Detaxal. And for the next two tels there was peace upon our globe again. In the laboratory the thirty who had been rescued from their ships were given thorough examinations both physically and mentally and we learned all there was to know about them. Hearing of the destruction of their ships, most of the creatures had become frightened and were quite docile in our hands. Those that were unruly were used in the dissecting room for the advancement of Golan knowledge.

  After a complete study of them, which yielded little, we lost interes
t in them scientifically. Geble, however, found some pleasure in having the poor creatures around her and kept three of them in her own chambers so she could delve into their brains as she pleased. The others she doled out to her favorites as she saw fit.

  One she gave to me to act as a slave or in what capacity I desired him, but my interest in him soon waned, especially since I had now come of age and was allowed to have two consorts of my own, and go about the business of bringing my daughters into the world.

  My slave I called Jon and gave him complete freedom of my house. If only we had foreseen what was coming we would have annihilated every one of them immediately! It did please me later to find that Jon was learning our language and finding a place in my household, making friends with my two shut-in consorts. But as I have said I paid little attention to him.

  So life went on smoothly with scarcely a change after the destruction of the ships of Detaxal. But that did not mean we were unprepared for more. Geble reasoned that there would be more ships forthcoming when the Detaxalans found that their first two did not return. So, although it was sometimes inconvenient, the zones of force were kept upon our cities.

  And Geble was right, for the day came when dozens of flyers descended upon Gola from Detaxal. But this time the zones of force did not hold them since the zones were not in operation!

  And we were unwarned, for when they descended upon us, our world was sleeping, confident that our zones were our protection. The first indication that I had of trouble brewing was when, awakening, I found the ugly form of Jon bending over me. Surprised, for it was not his habit to arouse me, I started up only to find his arms about me, embracing me. And how strong he was! For the moment a new emotion swept me, for the first time I knew the pleasure to be had in the arms of a strong man, but that emotion was short lived, for I saw in the blue eyes of my slave that he had recognized the look in my eyes for what it was, and for the moment he was tender.

  Later I was to grow angry when I thought of that expression of his, for his eyes filled with pity, pity for me! But pity did not stay, instead he grinned and the next instant he was binding me down to my couch with strong rope. Geble, I learned later, had been treated as I, as were the members of the council and every other woman in Gola!

  That was what came of allowing our men to meet on common ground with the creatures from Detaxal, for a weak mind is open to seeds of rebellion and the Detaxalans had sown it well, promising dominance to the lesser creatures of Gola.

  That, however, was only part of the plot on the part of the Detaxalans. They were determined not only to revenge those we had murdered, but also to gain mastery of our planet. Unnoticed by us they had constructed a machine which transmits sound as we transmit thought and by its means had communicated with their own world, advising them of the very hour to strike when all of Gola was slumbering. It was a masterful stroke, only they did not know the power of the mind of Gola—so much more ancient than theirs.

  Lying there bound on my couch I was able to see out the window and, trembling with terror, I watched a half dozen Detaxalan flyers descend into Tubia, guessing that the same was happening in our other cities. I was truly frightened, for I did not have the brain of a Geble. I was young yet, and in fear I watched the hordes march out of their machines, saw the thousands of our men join them.

  Free from restraint, the shut-ins were having their holiday, and how they cavorted out in the open, most of the time getting in the way of the freakish Detaxalans, who were certainly taking over our city.

  A half ous passed while I lay there watching, waiting in fear at the loss of what life we had led up to the present, and trembled over what the future might be when the Detaxalans had infested us with commerce and trade, business propositions, tourists, and all of their evil practices. It was then that I received the message from Geble, clear and definite, just as all the women of the globe received it, and hope returned to my heart.

  There began that titanic struggle, the fight that won us victory over the simple-minded male weaklings below who had presumptuously dared to conquer us. The first indication was that the power of our combined mental concentration at Geble’s orders was taking effect on the men of our own race. They tried to shake us off, but we knew we could bring them back to us.

  At first the Detaxalans paid them no heed. They knew not what was happening until there came the wholesale retreat of the Golan men back to the buildings, back to the chambers from which they had escaped. Then grasping something of what was happening the already defeated invaders sought to retain their hold on our males. Our erstwhile captives sought to hold them with oratorical gestures, but of course we won. We saw our creatures return to us and unbind us.

  Only the Detaxalans did not guess the significance of that, did not realize that inasmuch as we had conquered our own men, we could conquer them also. As they went about their work of making our city their own, establishing already their autocratic bureaus wherever they pleased, we began to concentrate upon them, hypnotizing them to return to the flyers that had disgorged them.

  And soon they began to feel of our power, the weakest ones first, feeling the mental bewilderment creeping upon them. Their leaders, stronger in mind, knew nothing of this at first, but soon our terrible combined mental power was forced upon them also and they realized that their men were deserting them, crawling back to their ships! The leaders began to exhort them into new action, driving them physically. But our power gained on them and now we began to concentrate upon the leaders themselves. They were strong of will and they defied us, fought us, mind against mind, but of course it was useless. Their minds were not suited to the test they put themselves to, and after almost three ous of struggle, we of Gola were able to see victory ahead.

  At last the leaders succumbed. Not a single Detaxalan was abroad in the avenues. They were within their flyers, held there by our combined wills, unable to act for themselves. It was then as easy for us to switch the zones of force upon them, subjugate them more securely, and with the annihilator beam to disintegrate completely every ship and man into nothingness! Thousands upon thousands died that day and Gola was indeed revenged.

  Thus, my daughters, ended the second invasion of Gola.

  Oh yes, more came from their planet to discover what had happened to their ships and their men, but we of Gola no longer hesitated, and they no sooner appeared beneath the mists than they too were annihilated until at last Detaxal gave up the thought of conquering our cloud-laden world. Perhaps in the future they will attempt it again, but we are always in readiness for them now, and our men—well, they are still the same ineffectual weaklings, my daughters….

  A Martian Odyssey

  STANLEY G. WEINBAUM

  Stanley G. Weinbaum (1902–1935) was a US science fiction writer who had a substantial impact on the American science fiction scene despite his short life. Early on, two years studying chemical engineering at the University of Wisconsin helped Weinbaum envision the premise of his most famous work, “A Martian Odyssey” (Wonder Stories, 1934), reprinted here. The story broke new ground in attempting to envisage life on other worlds in terms of strange and complex ecosystems. Told in Weinbaum’s fluent style, it became immediately and permanently popular. Weinbaum followed up “A Martian Odyssey” with a less successful sequel, “Valley of Dreams” (Wonder Stories, 1934). Other Weinbaum stories in this vein include four stories in Astounding Science Fiction in 1935: “The Lotus Eaters,” which features an interesting attempt to imagine the worldview of an intelligent plant; “The Mad Moon”; “Flight on Titan”; and “Parasite Planet.” He also contributed to the well-known round-robin SF story solicited by Fantasy Magazine for its September 1935 issue, “The Challenge from Beyond,” with Murray Leinster, E. E. Smith, Harl Vincent, and Donald Wandrei.

  Weinbaum’s premature death from lung cancer robbed science fiction of its most promising writer of the 1930s, the full measure of his ability only becoming apparent when his longer works began to appear posthumously. The New Adam (
1939) is a painstaking account of the career of a potential superman who grows up as a kind of “feral child” in human society; it initiates into the pulp science fiction world the kind of superman story more commonly told in scientific romance form by Olaf Stapledon and other English writers, the kind of story in which the superman cannot adjust to normal humans and suffers fatal solitude. Another posthumously published SF novel, the psychological horror story The Dark Other (1950), is an early exploration of the Jekyll-and-Hyde theme. The King’s Watch (1994 chapbook) is a previously unprinted hard-boiled detective tale.

  “A Martian Odyssey” was his second published story, but his first in the science fiction genre. (A year earlier he had published a romance novel using the pseudonym Marge Stanley.) In the collection The Best of Stanley G. Weinbaum, Isaac Asimov wrote that the story “had the effect on the field of an exploding grenade. With this single story, Weinbaum was instantly recognized as the world’s best living science fiction writer, and at once almost every writer in the field tried to imitate him.” In 1970, when the Science Fiction Writers of America voted on the best stories (prior to the existence of their Nebula Award), this story came in second to Asimov’s novella Nightfall and was the earliest story to receive such recognition.

  As with Edmond Hamilton’s work, Weinbaum’s science fiction influenced horror and weird fiction as well. H. P. Lovecraft wrote, “Somehow [Weinbaum] had the imagination to envisage wholly alien situations and psychologies and entities, to devise consistent events from wholly alien motives and to refrain from the cheap dramatics in which almost all adventure-pulpists wallow.”

  A MARTIAN ODYSSEY

  Stanley G. Weinbaum