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| The Genesaunt Trilogy |
Now, in this blog post, I want to go further back in time and explore a way to alter Vance's writing at an embryonic stage, in 1940.
Time Travel
What is known about the earliest writings of Vance? This page lists a 1940 editorial in The Daily Californian by Vance about jazz music, written and published while Vance was in school.
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| 1946 |
The Summer 1945 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories not only has "The World-Thinker", but also some personal information about Vance. In the part of the magazine called "The Story Behind the Story", it is stated that Vance was then 24 years old, but if Vance was born in 1916... well, you do the math. Some folks say that Vance was actually born in 1920. Does it matter? If I understand this correctly, Thrilling Wonder Stories was being "secretly" edited by Samuel Merwin when Vance finally broke into the world of pulp Sci Fi story publishing. Apparently Merwin was married to a woman named Lee Anna Vance. Small world.
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| 1945 |
Insectoid
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| interior art by Marco Marchioni |
Wratch discovers that (now inside the Phalid body) he has telepathic abilities, an innate human ability now revealed by having his brain inside an alien body. The alien being in Vance's story "The World-Thinker" also had telepathic abilities.
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| "Laoome's Planet" by prutzworks |
I previously read the 1955 published version of "The World-Thinker" and wondered if that version had been altered from the 1945 version (download here).
Welcome to the Hi Tek™ world of 2074 where the Tellurian Empire has applied atomic power to space travel and can now send men like
Laoome
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| page 95 of the Fantastic Story Magazine, Winter 1955 |
There are two good reasons to read "The World-Thinker" as it was printed Fantastic Story Magazine in 1955. One is the interior art work by Edmund Emshwiller. The other unexpected nugget: right in the middle of the 1955 printing of "The World-Thinker" is a full page advertisement for Real magazine. The ad proclaims: "SPIES FROM OUTER SPACE", which was a topic in the November 1954 issue of Real.
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| interior art for "Planet of the Black Dust" |
Dustup
Summer of 1946 saw another Vance story published: "Planet of the black Dust". It is easy to imagine that "Planet of the black Dust" was written after Vance went to sea. Vance begins the story on board the space-freighter Perseus and soon we are dealing with evil pirates.
From my perspective in 2019 and reading "Planet of the black Dust", it seems exactly the kind of contrived adventure story that might have appeared in a magazine like Real. I can only just (barely) believe that "Planet of the black Dust" was written by Jack Vance.
The Qua Intervention
Zal entered the Viewing room where Qua was making last minute preparations to enter into Time. Images from 1940 swirled around Qua as she immersed herself in the feel of California. Zal issued a warning, "Don't break an ankle in those ridiculous heels."
Qua turned, grinned at Zal and switched off the Viewer. "Hey! What are you doing here, Zal?"
Zal handed a vial of infites to Qua and replied, "Since you are going to be in Berkeley at the right time, I have a small task for you. We are shutting down the Philip Dick Intervention."
Qua slipped the vial into her pocket and looked quizzically at Zal. "Are you serious?"
Zal nodded and let her breath out, producing a loud sigh. "Never fear, we are moving on to a new plan for leaking information about hierion physics to the Earthlings. In fact, while you are in California you can simultaneously terminate the Dick Intervention and help me get the new back-up plan rolling."
Qua complained, "I was only a few moments away from stepping into Time... I can't believe you waited until the last second to spring this on me."
Zal laughed, "We have all the time in the world. Relax. This will be simple."
Qua tried to relax, but she did not like sudden changes. She wished she could wipe Zal's smug grin off of her face. Qua took a deep breath and asked, "What do you need me to do?"
"Carry out your mission at the Radiation Lab as planned. After you are sure that plans for the atom bomb project are finalized, don't immediately return to Eternity. Keep your eyes open! After the military security team departs with the Europeans, stay in the conference room. A work crew will arrive and start repairs to the AV equipment. A member of that crew is J. H. Vance, a work-study student." Zal lifted a finger and sent a puff of infites into Qua.
Almost instantly, Qua could "see" an image of Vance; a newly implanted memory. Zal was still speaking, "Arrange to go out on the town with Vance... I recommend that you suggest going to the Big Bear Tavern to listen to music. Talk to Vance about his story writing. The following morning is the optimal opportunity to deal with Philip." Zal turned and walked away, heading towards the nearby corner of the room that held the teleportation equipment. She turned her head over her shoulder and said, "Have fun!"
Qua shouted, "Wait!" She ran after Zal. "What do I do with Philip?"
"Don't fret. I can't tell you too much about your future. You will be stepping into a complex Time nexus in Berkeley, so just play it by ear. Everything will work out fine." Zal stepped onto the teleporter pad and disappeared.
Qua stamped her foot in exasperation and twisted her ankle. Stupid high heels! She went back to the Viewer and tried to look at her own future. All she got was a flashing red warning message: TEMPORAL PARADOX WARNING - ACCESS DENIED.
Muttering quietly to herself, Qua went to the corner of the room where the time travel equipment awaited her. She double checked the Time settings and then entered into the year 1940.
As a Grendel, Qua could reshape her body into any convenient form. Now, she was using her shape-shifting ability to impersonate a U. C. Berkeley student named Anna Dawson. At the moment when Qua arrived on Earth in 1940, Anna was simultaneously shifted out of Time for the duration of Qua's mission on Earth. Anna was held in the information buffer of the time travel equipment for the duration of Qua's mission.
Appearing in California, Qua was behind the wheel of her car. She immediately turned her attention to the plans that Anna had formulated for the morning. Since she had no classes on Fridays, Anna had volunteered to help with a task facing the University Function Decorating Committee. Qua drove to the Radiation Laboratory east of campus. Joining up with the rest of her squad, they proceeded to set out decorations for a meeting of physicists and high-level government officials.
During the meeting, Anna and the other University Function Decorating Committee members waited in the front lobby of the Radiation lab. They saw Ernest Lawrence and about two dozen other men pass through the lobby on their way to the conference room. Anna (Qua) was the only one who knew that this meeting would determine the course of nuclear fission research and nuclear bomb development in the United States. During the two hour meeting, Anna and the other members of the University Function Decorating Committee read and did school work. When the meeting finally ended, the lobby became noisy. A work crew arrived and Ana recognized John Vance as one of the newly arrived workers who along with the University Function Decorating Committee members were now allowed into the conference room. The flower bouquets were carefully packed up into boxes and then the security team brought in a big janitorial trash cart on wheels and threw all the flowers and the vases into the trash cart.
The director of the University Function Decorating Committee crew objected, "Don't throw away the vases. And we were going to reuse these flowers!"
A security officer said, "I have orders to incinerate all the decorations."
"Do you really think there is a tiny tape recorder hidden in one of these?"
"I don't think, I follow orders. How much are the vases and the flowers worth?"
"At least fifty dollars."
The security man opened his wallet and handed over 100 dollars. "Sorry for the inconvenience." His men wheeled away the cart full of flowers to the building's furnace.
The University Function Decorating Committee crew departed from the Radiation Lab, returning to the main campus, but Anna had begun talking to John Vance. Pretending that she had hurt her ankle, she hobbled over and sat down in a chair and watched him work. She asked him, "What are you doing?"
He was splicing together two cables, but he explained, "Yesterday I watched those security goons cut all of the microphone lines in this room. Today we get to repair the cut lines."
Anna took off her shoe and massaged her foot and ankle. She asked, "We?"
Vance pointed to one member of the crew, "Mr. Torres is actually a university electrician. Ralph and I are work-study students for the AV Club." During the next ten minutes, Vance and Anna managed to discuss their class schedules, what they knew about Ernest Lawrence and the Radiation Lab and their shared interest in jazz music. Torres finally approached and spoke to Vance, "Let's test that line." He hooked up a microphone to the repaired line and spoke through the speaker system. "Good job Vance. In the time you fixed one line, Ralph repaired five others." He turned to Anna and asked, "And who are you, besides a major distraction?"
Anna laughed. "Sorry I distracted John. I'm Anna Dawson, from the University Function Decorating Committee."
The head security officer said to Torres, "If you are done, let's go. My team has to get to the airport." Anna, John, Ralph and Torres were carefully searched and then escorted out of the building.
Torres and Ralph were heading towards the visitors parking lot. Torres turned back to where Vance and Anna stood in the shade of the building; they were again talking about their interests in music. Torres called, "You coming, Vance?"
Anna replied, "I'll give him a ride."
Vance was having no luck keeping his eyes off of Anna. She was dressed in a red-stripped shirt and stylish pants that showed off her long legs. He smiled at Anna and mumbled, "Thanks."
After a rather intense discussion about which instruments should be present in a jazz band, John said, "I love that you know so much about music. Do you play an instrument?"
Anna replied, "Sadly, I have not had time for music lately." She pointed down the street and told John, "I'm parked over here." She led the way to her car. She asked, "So, you play jazz horn?"
He replied, "Well, I'd like to. I try. I don't really have much experience."
"I'd like to hear you play."
"Not if you like jazz. I play to have fun. I'm really not any good." They had reached Anna's car. Vance looked at the shiny, sleek vehicle and asked, "This is your car?"
"Yes. I hope you are not unhappy with the fact that my father dotes on me. I admit, I'm really quite spoiled."
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| Anna's Packard |
"Yes. Almost new."
"I've heard of this car, but I've never seen one."
"It may have been the first one to reach the west coast. Daddy had it shipped out for my birthday."
They got into the car and Anna drove back towards the main campus. Anna said, "I'm glad I met you today. Since we both like jazz, I'd like to invite you to join me tonight. There's a band I want to hear... they are playing at the Big Bear Tavern tonight."
John nodded, "That sounds wonderful. I have to get to class now, and then I have two more hours of work scheduled this afternoon, but I'll be free at 5:00."
"I'll pick you up at the South Gate at 5:15." Anna pulled up at the East Gate of the campus and stopped the Packard 180.
Vance got out of the car and said, "I'm glad I met you, Anna. And thank you for the invitation. South Gate at 5:15!" He closed the passenger door, waved to Ana through the window, turned and hurried to his geology class.
At 5:10, Vance found Anna waiting at the South Gate. She was on the sidewalk, leaning against the passenger side door of the Packard. When she saw Vance she waved to him and she gave him a brief hug. "You drive, John."
He got into the driver's seat and started the engine. Vance asked, "150 horse power?"
"Theoretically, 160, but who knows? I don't trust advertising claims." She turned on the radio and the Packard filled with music being played by station KMKY in Oakland.
Vance said, "Two good tests of an engine are towing a load or climbing hills. I ruined my first car going up Mt. Diablo."
Anna said, "Cars are like girls. Treat them gently."
Vance laughed. "A guy always wonders just how much he can get out of an engine... or a girl. Let's go up to old Round Top." He turned onto Claremont Avenue and soon they were making their way up into the Oakland hills.
Anna asked, "Are you a science major or in engineering?"
Vance laughed, "I'm an English major, but I don't think in terms of narrow niches. I'm taking mostly science classes right now, but since I want to become a writer, I should probably take more writing and literature classes."
At the ridge-line, they got out of the car and walked to the rim of the volcano. On the way back to the car, they watched the red colors of the setting sun.
Vance drove them on to the east, over the ridge and then south through to Moraga. On a stretch of straight and level road in the valley, Vance got the Packard up to 75 miles per hour. Anna said, "Please don't drive us into the ditch at this speed."
Having determined how much he could get out of the Packard, Vance slowed down to a sensible speed and said, "For a minute there I felt like we were flying." He turned up Redwood Road and drove them on to the Big Bear Tavern.
Inside the Tavern, Anna seated them in the quietest corner, away from the band and asked Vance about his writing. He told her all about a story that he had submitted for publication. While he spoke, he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into Anna's big eyes. He imagined that he could see a strange new world there in the dark depths of her eyes. After describing the plot and characters of his story, he told Anna, "I think it is a good story, but I have not been able to convince anyone to publish it."
Anna said, "I'd like to read it." She asked, "How do the spaceships in your story actually work?"
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| original cover art by Gilmore |
Anna shrugged, "It is fun when some technical details are provided. These days, with cyclotrons and nuclear physics in the news, you should invent some fancy nuclear power source for your space travel needs." Anna discovered that in among the infites she had received from Zal was a large amount of information about science fiction. She asked Vance, "Have you seen the latest issue of Astounding? Campbell has a new story about alien visitors who help Earthlings develop a new nuclear power source."
Vance shook his head, "I'll have to get my hands on that. All I've ever gotten from Campbell are rejections of my stories."
"Come with me back to my place. You can read my copy."
The next morning, Vance woke up in Anna's bed. She was calling from the kitchen, "Get up, sleepy head. We're going to be late."
He staggered out of bed and was hit by a wave of dizziness. After resting for a minute, his head cleared and he was able to pull on his clothes. A copy of the issue of Astounding with "Nuclear Spy Ring" on the cover rested on the night stand. He vaguely remembered having read the story and then there were also fragments of memory from having discussed that story with Anna then... nothing. Or were there additional memories of strange dreams? Good aromas were drifting through the house. Anna had a big breakfast waiting for him. Vance let his murky memories fade away and he feasted his eyes on Anna while he ate. John was certain that she looked even more beautiful across the breakfast table than she had seemed the previous day.
After eating, Vance was feeling better, but was still unable to remember clearly how he had ended up at Anna's house and in her bed. While he had eaten, she'd talked about the local science fiction fan club whose members were a mixture of high school and college students. Mostly she talked about one member of the club, someone named Philip. "He's just a kid, but he has already started writing stories for the Berkeley Daily Gazette."
Vance gave his head a little shake and tried to snap himself out of the contented daze he had fallen into. He told himself: I don't want to snap out of it! He decided that he was quite happy listening to Anna's lovely voice and watching her magical movements.
They got into Anna's big Packard and Vance asked, "You are a member of the fan club?"
Anna laughed, "No, I've just been told to pay Philip a visit... and to bring you along."
Vance rubbed his head in confusion. "Told by who?"
Anna did not respond immediately. She turned on the radio and for a time she and John talked about music. Soon they reached the parking lot at the high school where the science fiction fan club met on Saturday mornings. Anna parked the car and turned towards Vance. "I need to warn you. Things might get strange today."
Vance said, "Tell me about it. Everything has been strange since I met you."
Anna laughed and winked at John. "You've discovered my secret: turning the lives of men upside-down." She took hold of his hand. "Your life will soon get back to normal. Last night you read "Nuclear Spy Ring"; that story tells my mission on Earth... making sure that nuclear science developed in a way that will do the least harm to this planet. However, today we have to deal with Philip. He has attracted the attention of aliens, and we have to step in and make sure that he does not... well, I'll just say... we don't want him to get carried away." She jumped out of the car.
Vance followed Anna into the school building. "I don't know what you are talking about." That was almost true, except for the fact that now he seemed to remember Anna telling him about her "mission". Or was that a dream memory... or part of the plot in "Nuclear Spy Ring"? He could almost remember Anna talking late into the night, telling him how she had come to be on Earth....
Vance seemed to recall that Anna had said, "I was born a Bicephalid, on a distant planet near the center of the galaxy. My name does not easily translate into English, but after I worked odd jobs here on Earth for a time, I adopted the name Qua. For this mission, half of my brain was transplanted into the body of an Earth girl named Anna Dawson. I was at the Radiation Lab yesterday to make sure that America would develop a nuclear bomb and use it to end the war."
Vance had listened to Anna with fascination and had objected only to mundane facts that contradicted Anna's (or Qua's) wild story. "America is not involved in the war."
Anna/Qua explained, "America will get into the war soon enough and America will finish it, with a bang. While working here on Earth, I'm in telepathic contact with the other half of 'my' brain, which is still inside my body. I was well trained for my mission of making sure that America develops a nuclear bomb, but this science fiction mission with Philip is an emergency matter, and I'm just getting information on the fly from my other half. Anyhow, we might run into an Overseer when we go to meet Philip, so don't be surprised if things get weird."
Upon arriving in Anna's comfortable house, Vance had been trying to read the story "Nuclear Spy Ring" while Anna talked. He wondered: did I ever manage to reach the end of that story? Now, in the light of day, his memories were twisted and he could not reconstruct a sensible linear sequence of events from the previous evening. Maybe Anna had been telling him about how that science fiction story would turn out? He remembered thinking at one point: if only I could calm down and think... but all he could do was keep turning the pages of the story and reading.
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| Overseer Tement |
Now they went through the front door of the high school and Anna paused, looking left and right down the long hallways, as if uncertain where to go. Voices came echoing down the corridors from unseen people. Another woman came in through the door behind them and said to Anna, "Qua? Is that you?" Anna's disguise was transparent to the woman, who easily recognized Qua by making use of sophisticated nanite probes. "What are you doing here?"
Anna turned and looked at the woman. She said, "I'll have to ask you the same thing, Overseer."
The Overseer pointed to Vance. "Who is this?"
Vance pointed at the Overseer and asked Anna, "Who is this?"
Anna said, "Overseer Tement, meet John Vance. John, this is Belinda Tement, an Earth Overseer." She spoke to Belinda, "I suppose you want to make use of Philip as your agent on Earth."
Admitting nothing, the Overseer shrugged. She was carrying a magazine. "I just need to deliver some reading material to the science fiction fan club." She waved an issue of Secret Science Stories towards Anna. "Why are you here?"
At that moment, a new voice replied to the Overseer, "Anna was tasked with carrying some special nanites to this place and time. You will now find it very difficult to remain on your feet."
A small swarm of nanites had migrated from Qua into the body of Overseer Tement. Tement now teetered and then slumped to the floor. Anna stepped forward and picked up the copy of Secret Science Stories. The mysterious voice said, "Don't let Philip see that magazine! It was designed to capture his imagination and turn him into a fanatical writer, on a mission to reveal the secrets of alien visitors to Earth."
Anna handed the magazine to Vance and she told him, "Take this back to the car. I'll join you there in just a minute."
Vance wanted to ask who the mysterious voice belonged to and what was going on, but like Overseer Tement, he was completely under the control of Qua's nanites. Taking the magazine in hand, he obediently turned and walked back to the Packard, looking with curiosity into the pages of Secret Science Stories.
Anna picked up Overseer Tement, tucked her body under one arm and carried her into the nearest classroom. Anna/Qua knew that the Overseer would regain consciousness in about an hour and not remember anything about having met either Vance or Qua.
When Anna came back through the classroom door into the hallway, Philip Dick had just come in through the front door. Anna said to him, "I'm looking for the meeting of the Latin Lovers Club."
Philip pointed up the hallway. "The Latin club meets in room 430, but you'd have more fun if you come with me. I'm going to the meeting of the Berkeley Science Fiction Club."
Anna patted Philip on the head, "You run along and have fun. I've never understood science fiction."
He shrugged and went down the other hallway, looking back over his should once at Anna.
She went up the hallway, past room 430, out the side door of the school and back to the car where Vance waited, reading a story in the Secret Science Stories magazine. Wordlessly they got into the car. When she started the engine, he said, "I've never heard of this magazine. It has the craziest stories..."
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| hierion tubes |
The mysterious disembodied voice said, "Wrap this up, Qua. You need to get back over to Berlin."
Qua complained, "Don't be so pushy, Zal. I have plenty of time."
Vance looked up from the magazine. "Anna, what's going on? Who are you talking to?"
Anna replied, "Zal is an old friend who asked me to do her a favor."
"But why can't I see her?"
"John, I don't have time to explain it, but Zal's voice is reaching us via a hierion tube... a type of advanced technology not yet known to Earth. Read that issue of Secret Science Stories. The Overseers created it as a way to tell Philip about alien science and technology, including hierion physics. Get the feel of those stories. Later tonight, your memories will be edited again. After that final editing, you won't remember most of yesterday or today, or much about me, but you will have a few, mostly subconscious memories that will alter the course of your writing career."
Vance was vastly intrigued by what Anna had said, but at the same time, he seemed to already know what she was telling him. Her words only confirmed another voice that was already deep in his mind.
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| original cover art by Virgil Finlay and Lawrence Stevens |
Vance looked at Anna and stammered, "John. I'm John."
Anna had a look of fear on her face. "Get out of my car. I don't know who you are or how you got in here. Get out!"
Vance got out of the car and watched Anna drive away. He turned his attention back to the Secret Science Stories and walked back home. Later that night, as he had been promised, after he fell asleep, his memories were altered and the copy of Secret Science Stories disappeared. Sunday morning he awoke and began writing a new story about an alien species called the Phalids.
Next: The Ancient Drones of Jack Vance.
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