Science-Fiction Studies Volume1 Part 3 Spring 1974 StanislawLem. TheTime-Travel Story and Related Matters of SFStructuring ...143 JohnHuntington. TheUnity of Childhood's End ... 154 Douglas Barbour. Wholeness and BalanceintheHainish Novels of Ursula K. LeGuin... 164 Peter Fitting. SFCriticism inFrance... 173 Ursula K. LeGuin. EuropeanSF: Rottensteiner's Anthology, theStrugatskys,and Lem ... 181 Manfred Nagl. SF, Occult Sciences, and Nazi Myths ... 185 David Ketterer. TheSFElement intheWork of Poe: A Chronological Survey ... 197 Robert Scholes. Change, SF, and Marxism: Openor Closed Universes?...213 Robert M. Philmus. A DialogueBetweenIdeaphilos and Philologos... 214 Notes, Reports, and Correspondence. Ravmond Williams and SF(DS) ... 216 Ketterer onSFas ApocalypticLiterature(S.C. Fredericks) ... 217 A ReactiontoSFS#2 (DamonKnight) ... 219 Bretnor Returns (Charles Nicol) ... 220 H.G. Wells and Earlier SF(DS) ... 221 AnIndex toAmericanMass-Market Paperbacks (RDM) ... 222 A Special SFIssue(RDM) ... 223 SomeContemporary Material onFrankenstein(RDM) ... 223 A Correction(RDM) ... 223 This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:09 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions142SCIENCE-FICTION STUDIESSCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES, Volume 1, Part3, Spring1974, Copyright?1974 by R.D. Mullenand DarkoSuvin. SUBSCRIPTION:$5.00 per volume; subscriptions beginwith thefirst part of thecurrent volume. Volume1 will consist of four parts (Spring, Fall, Spring, Fall 1973-74). Volume2 will consist of threeparts (March, July, November 1975). Theparts ordered separately are$2.00 each. ADDRESSall communicationstoScience-FictionStudies,Departmentof English, Indiana StateUniversity, TerreHaute, Indiana 47809. EDITORS:R.D. Mullen, Indiana StateUniversity; DarkoSuvin, McGill Uni- versity(onleavethroughJuly1974). A SSOCIATEEDITOR:CharlesNicol,ISU. MANAGING EDITOR:Elaine L. Kleiner,ISU.EDITORIALCONSULTANTS:James Blish, Harpsden; GaleE. Christianson,ISU; Peter Fitting,Universityof Toronto; H. BruceFranklin, MenloPark; Northrop Frye, Universityof To- ronto; Mark R. Hillegas, SouthernIllinois University; FredricJameson,Uni- versity of California, SanDiego; David Ketterer, Sir GeorgeWilliams Uni- versity; James B. Misenheimer, ISU; Patrick Parrinder, CambridgeUni- versity; Robert M. Philmus, Loyola Collegeof Montreal; Franz Rottensteiner, Vienna; David N. Samuelson,CaliforniaStateUniversity,LongBeach; Donald F. Theall, McGill University. SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIESpublishesarticlesresultingfromthe studyof sciencefiction-includingutopianfiction, but not, except for purposes of comparisonand contrast, supernatural or mythological fantasy. Articles in- tended for Science-FictionStudies should bewritteninEnglish,accompa- nied by anabstract of fewer than200 words, and submitted intwocopies conforming totheMLA stylesheet, except that for cheap paperbacks or other editions not likely tobefound inlibraries, references should betochapter rather thanpage(cf thenext paragraph). BIBLIOGRAPHICALDATA.Unlessthereis indication tothecontrary,each book cited inthesepages was published inhardback intheUnited States and/ or theUnited Kingdom intheyear specified. Informationof greater particu- larity is givenonly whendeemed necessarytothevalidityof a page-ref- erence. Whenthework inquestionhas beenpublished invarious formats and henceinvarious paginations,references aremadenot topages but tochapters or such other divisions as theauthor has provided. 5:4 =Volume5, Page4. ?5 =Chapter 5-orthefifth of thesmallest divisions numbered continuously throughout thework. ?5:4 =Book 5, Chapter 4-orsomesimilar combination. ?5 =Note5-orSecondary Work Number 5. #5 = Primary Work Number 5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.The essayinthisissue byStanislawLemappears as thechapter "Struktura swiata i struktura dziela, II" inhis Fantastyka i futurologia, Vol. 1 (Cracow 1970). Theessayinthis issueby Manfred Nagl is from hisScienceFictioninDeutschland(Tiubingen1972, pbd as Band 30 der Untersuchungendes Ludwig-Uhland-Institutsby theTiibinger Vereinigung fiir Volkskunde, D-74 Tiibingen, Schloss, Germany). This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:09 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHETIME-TRAVEL STORY143 StanislawLem TheTime-TravelStoryandRelatedMattersofSFStructuring Let's look at a couple of simplesentenceswhichlogic,byvirtueofa"discon- nectedmiddle" or byvirtue ofa tautology,assertsare alwaystrue,andlet's investigatewhetherthere canbe worldsinwhichtheirveracityceases.The firstwillbe theever realdisjuncture: "Johnisthefatherof Peteror Johnis notthefatherofPeter."Anylogicianwouldacknowledgethatthisdis- juncturesatisfiesatalltimestherequirementfortruthsincetertiumnon datur, itisimpossibletobe 40%fatherand60%non-father. Next,let'swork withacomplexsentence:"If Peterhassexualrelations with his mother, thernPeter commitsincest."The implicationisa tautological onesince,accordingtothesemanticrulesoflanguage,tohavesexualre- lationswithone'smotheristantamounttocommittingincest.(Ourcon- junction is not a complete tautologysinceincestconstitutesa conceptbroader thansexualrelationswithamother,referringrathertorelationswithany personofsuchclosekinship.Wecouldbringthesentencetoaperfect tautology,butthiswouldnecessitatecomplexitieswhichwouldinnoway altertheessenceofthematterandmerelymaketheargumentationmore difficult.) To simplifymattersweshallinvestigatefirsttheimpactofchangeson theveracityorfalsityofthestatement"JohnisthefatherofPeter."We shouldpointoutthatwhatisinvolvedhereisatrulycausativebiological relation to the birth of a child,andnottheambiguoususeof thedesignation "father" (sinceitisindeedpossibletobeabiologicalfatherandnotbea baptismalfather,or conversely,tobe agodfather,but nota parent). Suppose Johnisaperson whodiedthreehundredyearsago,butwhose reproductivecellswerepreservedbyrefrigeration.Awomanfertilizedby them willbecome Peter's mother. Will Johnthenbe Peter'sfather?Undoubt- edly. But thensupposethe following: Johndied and did notleavereproductive cells,butawomanaskedagenetictechniciantomakeupinlaboratorya spermatozoonof JohnfromasinglepreservedcellofJohn'sepithelium(all thecellsof thebodyhavingthesamegeneticcomposition).Will John,once fertilizationiscomplete,nowalsobe Peter'sfather? Nowsupposethefollowingcase:Johnnotonlydied,butdidnotleave a singlebodily cell. Instead,Johnleft a willinwhichheexpressedthedesire thata genetictechnicianperform thestepsnecessarytoenableawomanto become themotherofachildofJohn,i.e.thatsuchawomangivebirthto a child and thatthe child be markedly similarto John.In addition,the genetic technicianisnotpermitted touseanyspermatozoa.Rather,heissupposed tocauseaparthenogeneticdevelopmentofthefemaleovum.Alongwith thisheissupposedtocontrolthegenicsubstanceanddirectitbyembryo- genetictransformationsinsuchawaythatthePeterborn is"thespitand imageof John"(there are photographsof Johnavailable,arecordingofhis voice,etc.).Thegeneticist"sculptures"inthechromosomalsubstanceof This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions144SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES thewomanallthefeaturesJohncravedforinachild.Andthus,tothe question"Is Johnthe fatheror notthefatherof Peter?" itisnowimpossible to give an unequivocalanswer of "yes" or "no." In somesensesJohnisindeed thefather,but inothersheisnot.Anappealto empiricismalonewillnotin itselffurnishaclearanswer.Thedefinitionwillbeessentiallydetermined by the cultural standardsof thesocietyinwhichJohn,Peter'smother,Peter, aswellasthegenetictechnician,alllive. Let's assumethatthesestandardsarefixed,andthatthechildrealized instrictaccordancewithJohn'stestamentalinstructionsisgenerallyac- knowledgedtobe hischild.If, however,thegenetictechnicianeitheronhis ownor at theinstigationofothersmadeup45% ofthegenotypicalfeatures of the child not in accordancewiththestipulationsof thewill,but inaccord- ancewithanentirelydifferentprescription,itwouldthenbeimpossibleto maintainthat John,in agreementwith the standardsof a givenculture, either isor is not the child'sfather. The situationisthesameaswhensomeexperts sayaboutapicture reputed tobeaworkofRembrandt:"Thisisacanvas byRembrandt"whileotherssay:"ThisisnotacanvasbyRembrandt." SinceitisquitepossiblethatRembrandtbeganthepicture,butthatsome anonymousperson finishedthework, then47%ofthework couldbesaidto originatefrom Rembrandt,and53% fromsomeoneelse.Insuchasituation of"partialauthorship,"tertiumdatur.Inotherwords,therearesituations in which it is possible to be a fatheronlyin part. (It isalsopossibleto achieve suchsituationsinotherways,e.g.,byremovingacertainnumberofgenes fromaspermatozoonofJohnandsubstitutinganotherperson'sgenesfor them.) Thepossibiltiesof thetransformationsmentionedabove,whichentaila changeinthelogicalvalueofthedisjunction-"JohnisthefatherofPeter or Johnis not the father of Peter"-lie,onemayjudge, inthebosomofa not too distantfuture. Thusa work describingsuchamatterwouldbefantastic today,but thirtyor fiftyyearshenceitmightindeedberealistic.However, thework by nomeansneedstorelatethestoryofadefinite,concreteJohn, Peter,andmotherofPeter.Itcoulddescribefictitiouspersonsinamanner typicalofanyformofliterarycomposition.Therelationalinvariablesbe- tweenfather,mother,andchildwouldnothaveatthattimethefictitious nature theyhaveinthepresent.Theinvariablesthatconcernpaternityare todaydifferentfromthoseofatimewhengeneticengineeringwouldbe realized.Inthissenseacompositionwrittentodayanddepictingagiven situationwithouta"disconnectedmiddle"inthepredicationofpaternity, maybeconsideredafuturologicalprognosisorahypothesiswhichmay prove to be true. Forarealtautologytobecomeafalsehood,thedeviceoftravelintime isnecessary.SupposePeter,havinggrownup,learnsthathisfatherwasa veryvileperson,viz.thatheseducedPeter'smotherandabandonedher only to disappearwithouta trace. Burningwiththedesire tobringhisfather toaccountfor sodespicableanactandunabletolocatehiminthepresent, Peter boardsa timevehicle,setsout for thepastandseeksoutthefatherin thevicinityoftheplacewherehismotherwassupposedtohaveresidedat thattime. The search,althoughvery thorough,turnsout tobe invain.How- ever, inthecourse of establishingvariouscontactsrelatedto hisexpedition, This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE TIME-TRAVEL STORY145 Peter meetsayounggirl whoattractshim.Thetwofallinloveandababy isconceived.Peter,however,cannotremainpermanentlyinthepast;heis obliged to return to hisoldmother, for whomheisthesolesupport.Having beenconvincedby thegirl thatshehasnotbecomepregnant,Peterreturns tothepresent.Hehasnotsucceededinfindingtracesofhisfather.One day he finds in one ofhismother's drawers a thirty-year-old photographand to hishorror recognizesinitthegirl whomheloved.Notwishingtoimpede him,shecommitteda whitelie,andhidherpregnancy.Peterthuscomesto understandthathe did notfindhisfatherfor thesimpleenoughreasonthat hehimselfisthefather.So,Peterjourneyedintothepasttosearchfora missingfather,assumingthenameofJohntofacilitatehissearchby remainingincognito.Theupshotofthisjourneyishisownbirth.Thus,we havebefore usacircularcausalstructure.Peterishisownfather,but,as againstasuperficialjudgment,hedidnotcommitincestatall,since,when hehadsexualintercoursewithher,hismotherwasnot(andcouldnotbe) hismother.(Fromapurelygeneticpointofview,ifweforgetthat-asis today believed-thecausalcircle is impossible,Peter is genotypicallyidentical withhismother.Inotherwords,Peter'smotherforallpracticalpurposes gavebirth tohimparthenogeneticallysince,ofcourse,nomaninseminated her whowasaliento her.) THISSTRUCTUREconstitutestheso-calledtimeloop,acausalstructure char- acteristic of an enormous number of SFcompositions.The compositionwhich Idescribed isa"minimal"loop,yetthereisonestill"smaller,"createdby Robert Heinleinin the story "All You Zombies" (1959).1 Itsplot isasfollows: acertainyounggirlbecomespregnantbyamanwhothenpromptlydisap- pears.Shebearsachild,ormorecorrectly,givesbirthtoitbyCaesarean section.Duringtheoperation,thedoctorsascertainthatsheisahermaph- rodite anditisessential(for reasonsnotexplainedby theauthor) tochange hersex.Sheleavestheclinicasayoungmanwho,becausehewasuntil quiterecentlyawoman,hasgivenbirthtoachild.Sheseeksherseducer for alongtime,untilitcomestolightthatsheherselfishe.We havethe followingcircularsituation:oneandthesameindividualwasintimeTi both a girl and her partner sincethegirl, transformedintoa manbysurgical intervention,wastransferredby thenarrator to timeTifromafuture time, T2. Thenarrator,atimetraveller,"removed" theyoungmanfromtimeT2 andtransferred himto timeTiso thatthelatterseduced"himself." NinemonthsaftertimeTithechildwasborn.Thenarratorstolethis child and took itback intimetwentyyears,to momentTO, sohecould leave itunderthetreesofafoundlinghome.Sothecircleiscompletelyclosed: thesameindividualcomprises"father,""mother,"and"child."Inother words,apersonimpregnatedhimselfandgavebirthtohimself.Thebaby, bornasaresultofthis,isleftbehindintime,bringingaboutintwenty yearsthegrowthofagirlwhohasintimeTisexwithayoungmanfrom time T2. The youngmanissheherself,transformedintoamanbyasurgical operation.Thefactthatasexualhermaphroditeshouldnotbeabletobear achildisarelativelysmallhindrance,sincethepuzzlingsituationofa person's givingbirth to himselfisconsiderably"more impossible."Whatwe are dealingwithhere isanactofcreatioexnihilo.Allstructuresof thetime- This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions146SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES loop varietyare internallycontradictoryinacausalsense.Thecontradicto- riness,however,isnotalwaysasapparentasinHeinlein'sstory. Frederic Brown writesaboutamanwhotravelsintothepastinorder to punishhisgrandfatherfor tormentinghisgrandmother.Inthecourseofan altercationhekillshisgrandfatherbeforehisfatherhasbeenengendered. Thusthetimetravellercannotthencomeintotheworld.Who, therefore, in factkilledthegrandfather,ifthemurderer hasnotcomeintotheworldat all?Hereinliesthecontradiction.Sometimesanabsent-mindedscientist, havingleftsomethinginthepastwhichhehasvisited,returnsfor thelost objectandencountershisownself,sincehehasnotreturnedexactlyto themomentafterhisdepartureforthepresent,buttothetime-pointat whichhewasbefore. When suchreturnsare repeated,theindividualissub- ject to multiplereproduction intheformofdoubles.Sincesuchpossibilities appeartobepointless,inoneofmystoriesaboutIonTichy(the"7th Journey"),2 I maximalized"duplication" of thecentralcharacter.Ion Tichy's spaceshipfindsitselfingravitationalwhirlpoolsthatbend timeintoacircle, so thatthespace-shipisfilledwithagreatnumber ofdifferentIons. The loop motif canbe used,for instance,inthefollowingways:someone proceedsintothepast,depositsducatsinaVenetianbankatcompound interest, and centuries later in New York demands from a consortiumof banks paymentoftheentirecapital,agiganticsum.Whydoesheneedsomuch moneyallofasudden?Sothathecanhirethebestphysiciststoconstruct for himathusfarnonexistenttimevehicle,andbymeansofthisvehicle go back in time to Venice where he willdepositducatsat compound interest... (Mack Reynolds,"Compounded Interest" [1956]). Or anotherexample:inthe future someonecomestoanartist(inonestorytoapainter,inanotherto awriter) andgiveshimeitherabook dealingwithpaintinginthefutureor anovelwritteninthefuture. Theartistthenbeginsto imitatethismaterial asmuch aspossible,andbecomesfamous,theparadoxbeingthatheisbor- rowingfrom hisownself(sincehehimselfwastheauthorofthatbookor thosepictures, only"twentyyearslater"). Welearn,further,fromvariousworksofthissorthowtheMesozoic reptilesbecameextinctthankstohunterswhoorganizeda"safariintothe past"(Frederic Brown),orhow,inorder tomoveintimeinonedirection, an equal massmust be displacedin the oppositedirection, or howexpeditions intimecanreshapehistoricalevents.Thelatterthemehasbeenusedtime andagain,asinoneAmericantaleinwhichtheConfederateStatesare victoriousovertheNorth(WardMoore'sBringtheJubilee[1952/1953]). Thehero,amilitaryhistorian,setsoutforthepastinorder toinvestigate howtheSouthernersgainedvictorynearGettysburg.Hisarrivalinatime machine,however,throwsGeneralLee'stroopformationsintodisarray, whichresultsin victory for the North.The hero isnolongerableto return to the future, because hisarrivalalsodisturbed thecausalchainupon whichthe subsequent constructionof histimemachinedepended. Thus, theperson who wassupposedtohavefinancedtheconstructionof themachinewillnotdo this,themachinewillnotexist,andthehistorianwillbestuckintheyear 1863withoutthemeanstotravelbackintotheoriginaltime.Ofcourse herealsothereisaninherentparadox-justhowdidhereachthepast? As a rule, the fun consistsin the waytheparadoxisshiftedfrom one segment This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE TIME-TRAVEL STORY147 of theactiontoanother.Thetimeloopasthebackboneofawork'scausal structure isthusdifferentfromthefarloosermotifofjourneysintimeper se;but,ofcourse,itismerelyalogical,althoughextreme,consequenceof thegeneralacceptanceofthepossibilityof"chronomotion."Thereare actuallytwo possibleauthorialattitudeswhichare mutuallyexclusive:either onedeliberatelydemonstratescausalparadoxesresultingfrom"chrono- motion"withthegreatestpossibleconsistency,orelseonecleverlyavoids them.In thefirstinstance,thecarefuldevelopmentoflogicalconsequences leadsto situationsasabsurdastheonecited(anindividualthatishisvery ownfather, thatprocreates himself),andusuallyhasacomiceffect(though thisdoesnotfollowautomatically). EVENTHOUGHacircular causalstructuremaysignalizeafrivoloustypeof content,thisdoes notmeanthatitisnecessarilyreduced totheconstruction of comic antinomiesfor the sakeof pure entertainment.The causalcircle may be employed not as the goalof the story, but asa meansof visualizingcertain theses,e.g.fromthephilosophyofhistory.Slonimski'sstoryoftheTime Torpedo3 belongshere.Itisabelletristicassertionofthe"ergoness"or ergodicityofhistory:monkeyingwitheventswhichhavehadsadconse- quencesdoesnotbringaboutanyimprovementofhistory;insteadofone group ofdisastersandwarstheresimplycomesaboutanother,innoway better set. Adiametricallyopposedhypothesis,ontheotherhand,isincorporated intoRayBradbury's"A Soundof Thunder" (1952). Inanexcellentlywritten short episode, a participantin a"safarifor tyrannosaurs"tramplesabutter- flyandacouple of flowers,andbythatmicroscopicactcausessuchpertur- bancesof causalchainsinvolvingmillionsof years,thatupon hisreturn the Englishlanguagehasa different orthographyand a differentcandidate-not liberalbut ratherakindof dictator-haswoninthepresidentialelection.It isonlyapitythatBradbury feelsobligedtosetinmotioncomplicatedand unconvincingexplanationstoaccountfor thefactthathuntingfor reptiles, whichindeed fallfrom shots,disturbsnothinginthecausalchains,whereas the tramplingof a tinyflower does (whena tyrannosaurdrops to theground, thequantityof ruined flowersmustbe greaterthanwhenthesafaripartici- pantdescendsfromasafetyzonetotheground)."ASoundofThunder" exemplifiesan "anti-ergodic" hypothesisof history,asopposed to Slonimski's story.Inaway,however,thetwoarereconcilable:Historycanasawhole be"ergodic" ifnotveryresponsivetolocaldisturbances,andatthesame timesuchexceptionalhypersensitivepointsinthecausalchainscanexist, thevehementdisturbanceofwhichproducesmore intensiveresults.Inper- sonalaffairssucha"hyperallergicpoint" wouldbe, for example,asituation inwhichacarattemptstopassatruckatthesametimethatasecondcar isapproachingfrom theoppositedirection. AsisusuallythecaseinSF,athemedefinedbyacertaindevised structureofoccurrences(inthisinstancepertainingtoajourneyintime) undergoesacharacteristiccognitive-artisticinvolution.We couldhavedem- onstratedthisforanygiventheme,butlet'stakeadvantageoftheoppor- tunityathand. Atfirst,authorsandreadersaresatisfiedbythejoyofdiscerningthe This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions148SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES effectsofinnovationsstillvirginalasfarastheirinherentcontradictions are concerned. Then,anintensesearchisbegunfor initialsituationswhich allowfor the most effectiveexploitationof consequencesthatare potentially presentinagivenstructure. Thus,thedevicesofchronomotionbeginsup- porting,e.g.,thesesofhistoryandphilosophy(concernedwiththe"ergo- dicity" or non-ergodicityofhistory).Then,grotesqueandhumorousstories likeFredericBrown's"TheYehudiPrinciple"(1944)appear:thisshort storyisitselfacausalcircle(itendswiththewordsthatitbeganwith:it describes a testof adevicefor fulfillingwishes;oneof thewishesexpressed isthatastory"write itself,"whichiswhatjusthappened). Finally,thepremise of timetravelservesfrequentlyasasimplepretext forweavingtalesofsensational,criminal,ormelodramaticintrigue;this usuallyinvolvestherevivalandslightrefurbishmentofpetrifiedplots. Time travelhasbeenusedsoextensivelyinSFthatithasbeendivided intoseparatesub-categories.Thereis,e.g.,thecategoryofmissentparcels thatfindtheirwayintothepresentfromthefuture:someonereceivesa "Build-a-Man Set"boxwith"freeze-dried nervepreparations,"bones,etc.; hebuildshisowndouble,andan"inspectorfromthefuture,"whocomes toreclaimtheparcel,disassemblesinsteadoftheartificialtwin,thevery heroofthestory;thisisWilliamTenn's"Child'sPlay"(1947).InDamon Knight's"Thing of Beauty"(1958) there isadifferentparcel-anautomaton thatdrawspicturesbyitself.Ingeneral,strangethingsareproducedin thefuture,SFteachesus(e.g.,polka-dottedpaintaswellasthousandsof objects withsecret namesandpurposesnotknown). Anothercategoryistiersintime.Initssimplestform itispresentedin AnthonyBoucher's"The Barrier" (1942), aslightlysatiricwork. Thehero, travellingtothefuture,comestoastateof"eternalstasis,"which,to protect itsperfectstagnationfromalldisturbances,hasconstructed"time barriers"thatfoilanypenetration.Nowandthen,however,abarrier becomes pervious. Rather disagreeableconditionsprevail in thisstatewhich isruled bya police similarto theGestapo(Stapper). One mustbe aslightly more advancedSF reader to followthestory.The hero findshiswayimme- diatelyintoacircleofpeoplewhoknowhimverywell,butwhomhedoes notknowatall.Thisisexplainedbythefactthatinordertoeludethe police hegoessomewhatfurther back intime.He atthattimegetstoknow theseverypeople,thenconsiderablyyounger.Heisforthemastranger, but he, while he wasinthefuture, hasalreadysucceededingettingtoknow them.Anoldlady,whogotintothetimevehiclewiththeherowhen theywere fleeingfrom thepolice,meetsasa resulther ownselfasayoung personandsuffersasevereshock.Itisclear,however,thatBoucherdoes notknowwhattodo withthe"encounteringoneself'motifinthiscontext, and therefore makesthelady'sshocklonganddrawnout. Further jumpsin time,oneafteranother,complicatetheintrigueinapurelyformalway. Attemptsare begun to overthrow the dictatorialgovernment,but everything goestopieces,providingintheprocesssensationalism.Anti-problematic escapismintoadventureisaverycommonphenomenoninSF:authors indicateitsformaleffectiveness,understoodastheingenioussettingofa gameinmotion,astheskillofachievinguncommonmovements,with- outmasteringandutilizingtheproblematicandsemanticaspectsofsuch This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE TIME-TRAVEL STORY149 kinematics. Suchauthorsneitherdiscussnorsolvetheproblemsraisedbytheir writing,but rather"take care" ofthembydodges,employingpatternslike thehappyendingor thesettinginmotionofsheerpandemonium,achaos whichquicklyengulfsloosemeanings. Suchastateofaffairsisaresultofthedistinctly"ludic"orplayful positionofwriters;theygoforaneffectasatankgoesforanobstacle: withoutregardforanythingincidental.Itisasiftheirfieldofvisionwere greatlyintensifiedand,simultaneously,alsogreatlyconfined.Asin Tenn's story, theconsequencesofa"temporal lapse"inapostalmatterareevery- thing.Letuscallsuchavisionmonoparametric.Atissueisasituation whichisbizarre,amusing,uncanny,logicallydevelopedfromastructural premise (e.g., from the presuppositionof "joumeysintime,"whichimpliesa qualitativedifferenceintheworld'scausalstructure).Atthesametime sucha visiondoesnotdealwithanythingmore thanthat. Thiscanbe seenreadilyfrom anexampleof "maximalintensification" of thesubject of governmentsintimeor "chronocracy,"describedbyIsaac AsimovinhisnovelThe EndofEternity(1955)."TheBarrier"showeda singlestateisolatingitselfinthehistoricalflowofevents,asoncetheChi- neseattemptedtoisolatethemselvesfromthedisturbinginfluencesby buildingtheChinesewall(a spatiallyexactequivalentofa"timebarrier"). The EndofEternityshowsagovermentinpowerthroughouthumanity's entire temporal existence.Inspector-generals,travellingin time,examinethe goingson inindividualepochs,centuries,andmillenia,andbycalculating theprobabilityofoccurrencesandthencounteractingtheundesirable ones, keep in hand the entire system-"historyextended in a four-dimensional continuum"-ina stateof desirableequilibrium.Obviously,presuppositions of thissort are more thicklylardedwithantinomiesthanisthescrawniest hare larded withbacon.While Asimov'sgreatproficiencyismanifestedby thesizeoftheslalomoverwhichthenarrativeruns,itis,intheend,an ineffablynaiveconceptionbecausenoissuesfrom philosophyor historyare involved.Theproblem of"closedmillenia,"whichthe"tempocrats"do not have accessto, isexplainedwhena certainbeautifulgirl, whoman inspector fallsinlovewith,turnsouttobenotalowlyinhabitantofoneofthe centuries under thedominionof thetempocracy,but asecretemissaryfrom the"inaccessiblemillenia."Thetimedictatorshipasacontrolover thecon- tinuumofhistorywillbedestroyed,andaliberatedhumanitywillbeable to take up astronauticsandotherselectsuitableoccupations.Theenigmaof theinaccessiblemilleniaisremarkablysimilartothe"enigmaof theclosed room" foundinfairytalesanddetectivestories.Thevariousepochsabout whichtheemissariesofthechronocracyhoveralsorecallseparaterooms. The End of Eternityisanexhibitionofformalentertainmenttowhichsen- timentsaboutthefightforfreedomandagainstdictatorshiphavebeen tackedon rathercasually. WEHAVEalreadyspokenabout the"minimaltimeloop." Letustalknow, simplyfor thesakeof symmetry,about the"maximal"loops. A.E.vanVogthasapproachedthisconceptinTheWeaponShopsof Isher(1949/1951),but let'sexpounditinour ownway.Asisknown,there This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions150SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES isahypothesis(itcanbefoundinFeynman'sphysics)whichstatesthat positronsareelectronsmoving"againstthetide"intheflowoftime.Itis alsoknown thatinprinciple, evengalaxiescanarisefrom atomiccollisions, as longasthecollidingatomsare sufficientlyrichinenergy.Inaccordance withthesepresuppositionswecanconstructthefollowingstory: ina rather distantfutureacelebratedcosmologistreaches,onthebasisofhisown researchaswellasthatofallhispredecessors,theirrefutableconclusion that,ontheonehand,thecosmoscameintobeingfromasingleparticle and,on theother, thatsuchasingleparticlecould nothaveexisted-where couldithavesprungfrom?Thusheisconfrontedwithadilemma:the cosmos hascome into being,but it could not come intobeing!He ishorrified bythisrevelation,but,afterprofoundreflections,suddenlyseesthelight: thecosmosexistsexactlyasmesonssometimesexist;mesons,admittedly, breakthelawofconservation,butdothissoquicklythattheydonot breakit.Thecosmosexistsoncredit!Itislikeadebenture,adraftfor material and energy whichmust be repaid immediately,becauseitsexistence isthepurest onehundredpercentliabilitybothintermsofenergyandin termsofmaterial.Then,justwhatdoesthecosmologistdo?Withthehelp ofphysicistfriendshebuildsagreat"chronogun"whichfiresonesingle electronbackward"againstthetide"intheflowoftime.Thatelectron, transformedintoapositronasa resultofitsmotion"againstthegrain"of time, goes speedingthroughtime,andinthecourse of thisjourneyacquires moreandmoreenergy.Finally,atthepointwhereit"leapsout"ofthe cosmos,i.e.inaplaceinwhichtherehadasyetbeennocosmos,allthe terribleenergiesithasacquiredarereleasedinthattremendouslypower- fulexplosionwhichbringsabouttheUniverse!Inthismannerthedebt is paidoff.Atthesametime,thankstothelargestpossible"causalcircle," theexistenceof thecosmosisauthenticated,andapersonturnsouttobe theactualcreatorofthatveryUniverse!Itispossibletocomplicatethis storyslightly,forexample,bytellinghowcertaincolleaguesofthecos- mologist,unpleasantandenviouspeople, meddled inhiswork,shootingon theirownsomelesserparticlesbackwardsagainstthetideoftime.These particlesexplodedinaccuratelywhenthecosmologist'spositronwaspro- ducing the cosmos, and becauseof thisthatunpleasantrashcame intobeing whichbotherssciencesomuchtoday,namelytheenigmaticquasarsand pulsarswhichare notreadilyincorporated intothecorpusofcontemporary knowledge.Thesethenarethe"artifacts"producedbythecosmologist's maliciouscompetitors.Itwouldalsobepossibletotellhowhumanityboth createdanddepraveditself,becausesomephysicistshotthe"chronogun" hurriedly andcarelesslyanda particlewentastray,explodingasanovain thevicinityof thesolarsystemtwomillionyearsago,anddamagingbyits hard radiancethehereditaryplasmaof theoriginalanthropoidswhothere- fore did not evolveinto"man good and rational"as"should havehappened" without the newparticle.Inother words, thenewparticlecausedthedegen- erationof Homo sapiens-witnesshishistory. In thisversion,then,we created thecosmosonlyina mediocre fashion, andour ownselvesquitepoorly.Obviouslyaworkofthissort,inwhich- evervariant,becomesironical,independentlyofitsbasicnotion(i.e.the "self-creative" applicationof the"maximaltimeloop"). This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE TIME-TRAVEL STORY151 As one can see, what is involvedis an intellectualgame, actuallyfantasy- makingwhichaltersinalogicalor pseudo-logicalmannercurrent scientific hypotheses.This is"pure" Science-Fiction,or Science-Fantasyasitissome- timescalled.It showsusnothingserious,butmerelydemonstratesthecon- sequencesofareasoningwhich,operatingwithintheguidelinesofthe scientificmethod,isusedsometimesinunalteredform(inpredictingthe "compositionpercentageof paternity"we haveinnowayalteredthescien- tificdata), and sometimessecretlymodified. And thusSFcanbe responsibly or irresponsiblypluggedintothehypothesis-creatingsystemofscientific thought. Theexampleof"self-creation"revealsfirstofallthe"maximalpro- portions"ofaself-perpetratingparadox:Petergavebirthonlytohimself, whereasintheuniversalvariant,mankindconcocteditself,and,whatis more, perhapsnotinthebestmanner,sothatitwouldbeevenpossibleto use "Manichaean" terminology.Furthermore, thisexampleatthe sametime demonstratesthattheconceptualpremiseofessentialinnovationsinthe structureoftheobjectiveworldpresentediscentraltoascience-fictional work(inthecaseofjourneysintime,achangeincausalityisinvolved, by admittingthe reversibilityof thatwhichwe considertodayasuniversally andcommonlyirreversible).Thequalitiesoffictionalmaterialwhichserve adominantconceptare thussubjecttoanassessmentbasedontheuseful- nessto thisconcept. Fictionalmaterialshould inthatcasebe anembodiment ofapseudo-scholarlyor simplyscholarlyhypothesis-andthat'sall.Thus "pure" SFarises,appealingexclusivelyto"pure reason."Itispossibleto complicateawork withproblemslyingbeyondthescopeofsuchanintel- lectualgame:when,e.g.,the"Manichaeismofexistence"isinterpretedas duetoanerror ofanenviousphysicist,thenanopportunityforsarcasm or ironyarisesasaharmonic"overtone" abovethenarrative'smainaxis. But bydoingthis,we haveforced SFtoperform "impure" services,because it isthennotdeliveringscientificpseudo-revelations,but functioninginthe samesemanticsubstratuminwhichliteraturehasnormallyoperated.Itis becauseofthisthatwecallSFcontaminatedbysemanticproblems"re- lationalSF." However,justas"normal"literaturecanalsoperformhighandlow services-producesentimentallove stories and epics-relationalSF showsan analogousamplitude. Aswasnoted, it ispossibleto interpret itallegorically (e.g., Manichaeismin relationtothecreationofthecosmos)-andthiswill be thedirection of grotesqueor humorousdeparturesfromastateof"intel- lectualpurity"whichissomewhatanalogousto"mathematicalvacuity." Itisalsopossibletooverlaythehistoryofcreatingthecosmoswith melodrama, e.g., to make it part of a sensational,psychopathologicalintrigue (thecosmologistwhocreatedtheUniversehasawickedwifewhomhe nonethelesslovesmadly;or,thecosmologistbecomespossessed;oralso, facedwithhisdeeds,thecosmologistgoesinsaneand,asamegalomaniac, willbe treatedslightinglyinaninsaneasylum,etc.). THUS, in the end, the realisticwriter isnotresponsiblefor theoverall-e.g., thecausal-structureof the realworld. Inevaluatinghisworks,wearenot centrallyconcernedwithassessingthestructureoftheworldtowhich This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions152SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES theynonethelesshavesomerelation. On the contrary, theSF writer isresponsibleboth for theworld inwhich he hasplacedhisaction,andfor theactionaswell,inasmuchashe,within certainlimits,inventsbothoneandtheother. However,theinventionofnewworldsinSFisasrareasapearlthe sizeof abread loaf.Andso99.9% ofallSFworksfollowcompositionallya scheme, oneof thethematicstructureswhichconstitutethewholeSFreper- toire. For a world truly new instructural qualitiesisone inwhichthecausal irreversibilityofoccurrences isdenied,or oneinwhichaperson'sindivid- ualityconflictswithanindividualscientificallyproducedbymeansofan "intellectronicevolution,"oroneinwhichEarthlycultureisincommun- icationwithanon-Earthlyculturedistinctfromhumanculturenotonly nominallybut qualitatively,andsoforth.However,justasitisimpossible toinventasteamengine,oraninternalcombustionengine,oranyother already existingthing,it isalsoimpossibleto inventoncemore worldswith thesensationalqualityof "chronomotion"or of "a reasoningmachine."As the detective story churnsout unweariedlythesameplot stereotypes,so does SF when it tellsus of countlessperipetiesmerely to showthatby interposing a time loop they havebeen successfullyinvalidated(e.g. inThomasWilson's "TheEntrepreneur"[1952]whichtalksaboutthedreadfulCommunists havingconquered theUSA,andtimetravellerswhostartbackwardsatthe necessarypoint,invalidatingsuchaninvasionanddictatorship).Inlieuof Communists,theremaybeAliensoreventheSamePeopleArrivingfrom theFuture (thanksto thetimeloop,anyonecanbattlewithhimselfjustas longashepleases),etc. Ifnewconcepts,thoseatomickernelsthatinitiateawholefloodof works,correspondtothatgiganticdevicebywhichbioevolutionwas"in- vented"-i.e.,to theconstitutionalprincipleof typesof animalssuchasver- tebrates and nonvertebrates, or fish,amphibians,mammals,and birds-then, inthe"evolutionofSF,"theequivalentoftype-creatingrevolutionswere theideasoftimetravel,ofconstructingarobot,ofcosmiccontact,of cosmicinvasion,andofultimatecatastropheforthehumanspecies.And, aswithintheorganizationofbiologicaltypesanaturalevolutionimper- ceptiblyproducesdistinctivechangesaccordingtogenera,families,races, andsoforth-similarly,SFpersistentlyoperateswithinaframeworkof modest,simplyvariationalcraftsmanship. Thisverycraftsmanship,however,betraysasystematic,unidirectional bias:aswestatedanddemonstrated,greatconceptsthatalterthestructure of thefictionalworld are amanifestationof apure playof theintellect.The resultsare assessedaccordingto thetypeof play.Theplaycanalsobe"re- lational,"involvedwithsituationsonlylooselyor notatallconnectedwith thedominantprinciple.Whatconnectionisthere,afterall,betweenthe existenceof the cosmologistwho createdtheworld,andthefactthathehas abeautifulsecretarywhomhebeds?Or, bywhatifnotbyaretardation devicewillthecosmologistbesnatchedawaybeforehefiresthe"chrono- gun"? Inthismanneranidealendingitselftoarticulationinacoupleof sentences(aswehavedonehere)becomesapretextforwritingalong novel(wherea"cosmos-creating"shotcomesonlyintheepilogue,after somedeliverers sentby theauthorhavefinallysavedthecosmologistfrom This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE TIME-TRAVEL STORY153 hissorry plight).Thepurely intellectualconceptisstretchedthoroughlyout of proportion to itsinherentpossibilities.ButthisisjusthowSFproceeds- usually. On the other hand,rarely isa departure made from "emptiness"or"pure play" inthedirectionof dealingwithasetof importantandinvolvedproW lems.ForintheworldofSFitisstructurallyaspossibletosetupan adventureplotasapsychologicaldrama;itisaspossibletodealinsen- sationalhappeningsasitistostimulatethoughtbyanontologicalimpli- cationcreated by thenarrativeasawhole.Itispreciselythisslidetoward easy,sensationalintriguewhichisasymptomofthedegenerationofthis branchofliterature.AnideaispermittedinSFifitispackagedsothat onecanbarelyseeitthroughtheglitterofthewrapping.Asagainstcon- ventionsonlysuperficiallyassociatedto innovationsin theworld's structure and whichhaveworncompletelythreadbarefromcountlessrepetitions,SF should be stimulatedand induced to deviatefrom thistrendof development, namely,by involutionawayfrom the"sensationalpole." SFshouldnotop- erate by increasingthenumber of blastersor Martianswhoimpedethecos- mologistinhiseffortstofirefromthe"chronogun";suchinflationisnot appropriate. Rather, oneshouldchangedirectionradicallyandheadfor the oppositepole.Afterall,inprinciplethesamebipolaroppositionalsopre- vailsinordinaryliterature,whichalsoshuttlesbetweencheapmelodrama andstorieswiththehighestaestheticandcognitiveaspirations. Itisdifficult,however,todetectinSFaconvalescenceoroutright salvationofthissort.Anodd fateseemstoloomheavilyoveritsdomain, whichprompts writers withthehighestambitionsandconsiderabletalent, such as Ray Bradbury or J.G. Ballard,to employthe conceptualand rational tools of SF inan at timesadmittedlysuperb way,yetnotinorder to ennoble thegenre,butinsteadtobringittowardan"optimal"poleofliterature. Aiminginthatdirection,theyaresimultaneously,ineachsuccessivestep, givingup theprogrammaticrationalismofSFinfavouroftheirrational; theirintellectfailstomatchtheirknow-howandtheirartistictalent.In practice, whatthisamountsto isthattheydo notusethe"signallingequip- ment"ofSF,itsavailableaccessories,toexpressanytruly,intellectually newproblemsorcontent.TheytrytobringabouttheconversionofSF to the "creed of normalliterature" througharticulating,byfantasticmeans, suchnon-fantasticcontentwhichisalreadyold-fashionedinanethical, axiological,philosophicalsense.The revoltagainstthemachineandagainst civilization,thepraiseofthe"aesthetic"natureofcatastrophe,thedead- endcourseofhumancivilization-thesearetheirforemostproblems,the intellectualcontentoftheirworks.SuchSFisasitwereapriorivitiated bypessimism,inthesensethatanythingthatmayhappenwillbeforthe worse. Suchwriters proceed asiftheythoughtthat,shouldmankindacknowl- edgetheexistenceofevenaone-in-a-millionorone-in-a-billionchance transcendingthealreadyknowncyclicalpulsationofhistory,whichhas oscillatedbetweenastateof relativestabilizationandofcompletematerial devastation-suchanapproachwouldnotbeproper.Onlyinmankind's severe,resoluterejectionofallchancesofdevelopment,incompletene- gation,ina gesture of escapismor nihilism,do theyfindtheproper mission This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions154SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES ofallSFwhichwouldnotbecheap.Consequentlytheybuildondead-end tragedy. Thismaybe calledintoquestionnotmerelyfrom thestandpointof optimism,ofwhateverhueandintensity.Rather,oneshouldcriticizetheir ideologybyattemptingtoprovethattheyteartoshredsthatwhichthey themselvesdonotunderstand.Withregardtotheformidablemovements whichshakeour world, theynourishthesamefearofmisunderstandingthe mechanismsofchangethateveryordinaryformofliteraturehas.Isn'tit clearwhatproportionstheirdefectionassumesbecauseofthis?Cognitive optimism is,first of all,a thoroughlynon-ludic premise inthecreationof SF. The result isoftenextremelycheap,artisticallyaswellasintellectually,but itsprinciple isgood. According to thisprinciple, there isonlyone remedyfor imperfectknowledge:betterknowledge,becausemorevariedknowledge. SF,to be sure,normallysuppliesnumeroussurrogatesforsuchknowledge. But,accordingtoitspremises,thatknowledgeexistsandisaccessible:the irrationalismof Bradbury's or Ballard'sfantasynegatesboth thesepremises. One isnotallowedtoentertainanycognitivehopes-thatbecomestheun- written axiomof their work. Insteadof introducingintotraditionalqualities ofwritingnewconceptualequipmentaswellasnewnotionalconfigura- tionsrelyingon intellectualimagination,theseauthors,whileriddingthem- selvesofthestigmaofcheapanddefectiveSF,inonefellswoopgiveup allthatconstitutesitscognitivevalue.Obviously,theyareunawareofthe consequencesofsuchdesertion,but thisonlyclearsthemmorally:somuch theworseforliteratureandforculture,seriouslydamagedbytheirmis- take. -TranslatedfromthePolishbyThomasH.HoisingtonandDarkoSuvin. NOTES 'Thedatesgiveninthisessayareeitherforfirstpublicationwhether inserialor book form or for serial/bookpublication.-RDM. 2"The SeventhJourneyofIonTichy"isavailableinseveralPolish editions,suchasDzienniqwiazdowe(Cracow1966);ithasnotyetbeen publishedinEnglish.-DS. 3Antoni Slonimski,born in1895, Polishpoetandessayist;hisTorpeda czasu(i.e., Time Torpedo) wasfirstpublishedin1967. -THH. JohnHuntington TheUnityofChildhood'sEnd Childhood'sEndisanovelwhichononelevelmaybemerelyanexercise in satisfyinga specialmarket but onanotherengagesideasofdeep concern totheauthorhimself.Quiteasidefromitsfrequentlybanalslickness,the novelrenderswithclarityandcompletenessanideaofthenatureand importance of progress thatliesat the center of Clarke's imagination.Butan This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:23 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE UNITYOF CHILDHOOD'S END155 idea alonedoes not create successfulart. InChildhood's EndClarke succeeds inawayhedoesnotinanyofhisothernovels,for,thoughhedevelops versionsof thesamemythofprogressinotherworks,onlyinChildhood's End does he overcome themyth'sintrinsicdualityandcreateaunifiedwork whichdoes justicetothecomplexityoftheissuebyexpressingtheexhila- rationof progressandat thesametimegivingfullrecognitiontothelimits of mere human aspirationand to the tragicsacrificeinvolvedin transcending the human. The serious myth behind Childhood's Endgivesthe novelweight, but itisinitsshapingofthatmyththatthenovelstandsoutasaspecial work of art. Clarke's mythof progress consistsof two stages:thatof rational,techno- logicalprogress,andthatoftranscendentevolution.1Manyofhisnovels remain on the first stageand render technologicalspeculationsin painstaking detail. As hisnumerous non-fictionalessayson the future attest,Clarke finds suchspeculationsatisfyinginitself,andideologicallyheseemstohave complete faiththatanefficienttechnologywillproduce abetterfuture. But inhismostfar-reachingnovelstechnologicalprogressfailstosatisfy,and mankindadvances,notbyinventingmorecompetentmachinery,butby mutatingintoahigherform of being.Thistranscendentalvisionoffers,not the detailedingenuityof mechanicalinvention,but powerful hintsofmodes of understandingandperception andof mentalpowersandcontrolsthatso completely surpass thosewhichwe ourselvesexperiencethattheyare incom- prehensibletous.Sucharealmofbeingcanonlybehintedat;itneedsa languageofsymbolandsuggestioninplaceofthetechnologicalvision's concrete detail.Whereasthelatterofferstheexcitementofcomprehension, the former offers theexcitementof obscurity. In Clarke's myth the transcendentstate isnotsimplythe higheststageof technologicalprogress. Thoughthere existsa sequentialrelationbetweenthe two worlds-thetranscendentalwaysfollowsthetechnological-thereisno structuralsimilaritywhichwouldallowforcommunicationbetweenthem. The transcendentworld representsacompletelydifferentorder of beingand perception,anorder which,insteadofsubsumingthetechnologythathas preceded it,obliteratesit.Themodelfortherelationofthetwovisionsis thatof the Paulinepromise thatforms thebasisfor Childhood'sEnd: "When I wasa child, I spake asa child, I understood asa child,I thoughtasachild: but when I became a man I put awaychildishthings.For now we see through aglassdarkly; but thenfacetoface."2 Justasthematureman"putaway childishthings,"transcendentconsciousnesscompletelydispenseswiththe attainmentsofrationalscienceandtheinventionsoftechnology.The children,havingenteredtheOvermindattheendofChildhood'sEnd, destroytheEarth.Thishigherstateisthusverydifferentfromthatofthe Platonicseer who,afterhehasescapedthecaveandseenthesun,isstill abletoreturn-isevenobligedtoreturn-tohisbenightedfellowsandto communicate hisinsightasbest hecangiventhelimitsoflanguageandthe prejudicesofhishearers.InClarke'sschemenosuchcommunicationis possiblebetweenthetwostatesofinsight;theyrepresentstepsinanevo- lutionaryprogress, but theyhavenothingstructurallyincommon. Thereisalsoanimportantdifferencebetweennormaltechnological progressandthekindofevolutionaryleapthatleadstothetranscendent This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions156SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES vision.Clarke repeatedly describestheelevationfrom normalhumanreason andpreception(i.e.thetechnologicalstate)tothetranscendentstateas generated, notby thepowers inherentinman,thoughwithoutthosepowers nothingispossible,norbyman'sownachievements,butbyagenetic transformationin mancausedby theinterferenceofsomehigherbeing.The leapfromhumantoOvermindisachievedbygrace,notbyman'sown works.Weseethebasicpatternin2001:ASpaceOdysseywhenhigher being by impressinga visionin one ape's mindchangeshisbrain'sstructure andmakeshimaman(?3). Clarkeimpliesthatthelaboriousprocessof naturalselectionisinsufficientfor trueprogress,thatanyprogressanape or a manachieveson hisownmerely earnsthe privilegeofattaininghigher statesanddoes notactuallyleadto thathigherstate. The gratuitous nature of transcendenceand the fact that it alwaysfollows thetechnologicalstateleavemannochoicebuttopursue thetechnological vision,3 but withthe importantawarenessthattechnologicalprogressisnot true progress, merelya testofman'smoralandintellectualenergies.Aswe shallsee,technologicalprogressaloneleadstoadeadend.Trueprogress comes onlyasa kindof reward infusedbytheOvermind intoman'shistory. At theendof "The Sentinel,"thestorythatforms thebasisfor 2001,thisis made explicit: higherbeings,thenarrator tellsus,wouldnotbe"concerned with races stillstrugglingup from savagery.Theywouldbe interestedinour civilizationonly if we proved our fitnessto survive-bycrossingspaceandso escapingfrom theEarth,our cradle."4 Technologydoesnotitselfleadany- where important; itmerely proves"our fitnesstosurvive."Thus,attheend of 2001, whenBowmanreachesSaturn,hesimplyleavesbehindthefancy machinesthathaveoccupied hisandour attentionfor themajor partofthe novel.He doesn'tneed them. ThismythofprogressfunctionsasagiveninClarke'swork.Whilewe mayobject to the mythasaninterpretationofactualreality,itispart of the fictionalrealitythatwe acceptwhenwebeginreadingandagreetosuspend disbelief.Itseemstome, therefore, thatthemythitselfliesbeyondcriticism insofarasweare interestedintheartisticpatternofthenovelasopposed to itsideology. 2001:ASpaceOdysseyeloquentlyrendersClarke'sbasicmythofpro- gress,butitdoesnotmakeitclearwhy,iftechnologicalprogressitself delightshimasmuchasitseemsto,Clarkeshouldfindthetranscendent stagenecessary.In thatnovelweexperiencethemythwithoutanysenseof whatitsabsencemightentail.Inanearlier novel,TheCityandtheStars, Clarke exploresmoreexplicitlytheinsufficiencyoftechnologicalprogress alone,and,thoughthenovelitselfstumblesaroundalot,itsfailureto create acoherentmythilluminates,perhapsbetterthanamoresuccessful work might,Clarke's needfor amythologythatwillvaluetechnologywith- out limitingitselfto it. Clarke beginsTheCityandtheStarsbyimaginingtechnologicalper- fection, theeternal,self-sufficientcityof Diaspar,whichcaterstoallitscit- izens,createseveryimaginedpleasure,andinwhichmendonotdiebut merely return tothe"memory banks"ofthe"CentralComputer"for a few thousandyearstobereissuedfromthe"HallofCreation"fullgrownand This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE UNITYOFCHILDHOOD'S END157 capableof remembering alltheirpastexistences.On onelevelClarkeseems to admire this technologicalmarvel in which the various scienceshaveworked together tocreate aworld inwhicheverybody-exceptAlvin,theadolescent hero of thenovel-ishappy.But,ifClarke canadmireDiasparasan engi- neering feat, he finds it morally repulsive.He accusesitsinhabitantsof being "sick" and "insane." We are told thatDiasparrepresentsa "cowardly" "fear" of the unknown. It isman'sretreat from "reality." The problem with Diaspar is thatthe activitiesthatwentintotheutopia'screation,thescientificexper- imentsandthe intellectualdaring,havebeenrendered uselessbythe city's success.Diaspar, indeprivingmanof"that sparkof curiositythatwas once Man'sgreatestgift"(?7), representsaparadoxthatisinherentinthe very notionoftechnologicalprogress:themoresuccessfulsuchprogressis,the lessneedwilltherebeformoreofit.Theveryactivitythatprovesman's "fitnesstosurvive,"asitachievesitsperfection,underminesthat fitness.5 Let me make it clear thatClarke doesnotcondemnDiasparbecauseitis totalitarian.The themeof theperfection of machineryleadingtosomekind of political repression isa common one insciencefiction,but whatiscurious hereintermsofthetraditionisthatClarkedoesnotattributeanysuch tyrannytothismachine.TheCentralComputerofDiasparismuchless totalitarianinitsenforcementof itsownideaoforder thanisthemachine inForster's"TheMachineStops"orthe"Well-Doer" inZamiatin'sWe. The computer never obstructs Alvin; when he learnsto use it it evenaidshim. Thustheusualpoliticalobjectiontosuchautopiaseemsirrelevanthere. Nor istheproblem Clarke envisionsa resultofanykindofmisfunction of the machine. Forster's machinestops, but the Central Computer of Diaspar seemstrulyeternal.SomeyearsbeforeClarkeinventedDiaspar,JohnW. Campbell had created situationsroughly like Clarke's but withtwo important and illuminatingdifferences. First, Campbell'sstoriesmake itclear inaway that Clarke's never does that the very survivalof the race is in danger. Second, Campbell solvesthe problem simplyby improvingthemachine.6 For Clarke, however, theproblem isnotsoeasilydescribedor solved.Thereisnoflaw totechnologicalperfectionherewhichneedscorrection; itistechnological perfection itselfthatisobjectionable. Clarke doesnotclaim,however,thatalltechnologicalprogressneces- sarilyleadstosuchaparadox.AttheendofTheCityandtheStarshe placestheblamefor Diaspar'sfailureon theshortsightedcowardiceofthat conservativeelementofmankindwhich,whenmillionsofyearsagothe chancewasofferedmantoleavethegalaxyinthecompanyofsome incomprehensiblytranscendentbeing, refused to go and tried to protect them- selvesfrom higherrealitiesbybuildingDiaspar.Finally,therefore, thebind ofperfectionderives,notsimplyfromthenatureoftechnologicalprogress itself,butfromtheconsciousplanofthefoundersandtheirfearoftran- scendence.Technologyisatraponlywhenittriestoprecludehigherre- alities.In2001andChildhood'sEndman'stranscendentmetamorphosis restores the opennessthat the technologicalperfection of Diasparobviates.In The City andthe Stars,however,transcendentpossibilitiesare treatedmore ambivalently,for though they are clearly outlined, theyare finallyenvisioned astotallyalienandincomprehensible:"ToAlvin,thethoughtsofVana- This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions158SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES monde were asmeaninglessasa thousandvoicesshoutingtogetherinsome vast,echoingcave" (?24). At theendofthenovelAlvin,wearyofthestars, turnsasidefromseekingtranscendentbeinginfavorofthemoremodest taskof restoring theEarth,nowa desert, to fertility: "No;Iwantnothingmoreofspace.Evenifanyothercivilizationsstill surviveinthisGalaxyIdoubt iftheywillbeworththeeffortoffinding. There is so much to do here; I knownowthatthisismyhome,andI amnot goingto leaveitagain." He looked down at the greatdeserts,but hiseyessawinsteadthewaters thatwouldbesweepingoverthemathousandyearsfromnow.Manhad rediscovered hisworld,andhewouldmakeitbeautifulwhileheremained upon it. Andafter that- "We aren't ready to go out to thestars...." (?26)7 The higherforms of progress are nowopen inawaytheyneverwere solong asDiasparwasasuccess,buttheyarenotconceivedofasreallypossible objects for contemplationyet,andthenovelfallsbackonaversionofthe technologicalvision. Thedisjunctionthatexistsbetweenthetwostagesofprogressraisesa serious aestheticproblem, for, sincethere isno structural connectionbetween thetwostages,anynovelthattriestoencompassbothwillprobablyfind itselffallingintotwodistinctandunconnectedparts.InTheCityandthe StarsClarke tries to avoidthisartisticproblem byhavingAlvindeclinethe transcendentleveland remainon thetechnologicallevelwhilethepotential for transcendentprogress isleftopen.Theeffect,however,ofgoingbackto the beginningand startingagain,whatevermaybe saidfor suchhumilityin reallife,ispartlytorenderirrelevantthespacetravelandthesearchfor higher being thathavegonebefore. Ironically,asomewhatsimilarcriticism holdsfor2001wherethesuccessfulshiftintothetranscendentvision,in effect,junksthetechnologicalvisionthathasoccupiedusformostofthe novel.Justasfrom Alvin'spointofviewVanamondeisincomprehensible, fromtheperspectiveoftheStar-Childattheendof2001,technologyis merelytrivial.8 We canseetherationalefor theshiftfromonestagetothe other, but neithernoveloffersasatisfactoryartisticrenditionofthemyth. Childhood's End,whileby usingthetwo-stagemythof progressitsatis- fiesthedemandsofprogressandavoidsthefrustrationsofattainment, escapesthe disablingdichotomyof structure of 2001 byintroducingamiddle term which joins the two statesof vision.In Childhood's End the transcendent evolutionaryleap both opens new prospects and, importantly,conservespast achievement;thefinaldestructionoftheEarth,whileitcallsuptragic emotions,alsorepresentsacontinuationof thehumanspirit. TheplotelementinChildhood'sEndthatimportantlydistinguishesit from 2001 isthe presence of the Overlords.9 Theyfunctionasbothaprospect of thepossibilitiesoftechnologyandasfiguresoftragiclimitation,andin doingso theymediatebetweenthetwostagesofprogress.Atthebeginning of thenoveltheyrepresentanadvancedtechnology,admirablyrational,a model for mankind,agoalfor progress. Bytheendof thenovelwediscover thattheyrepresent thedead end of technologicalprogress,andtheybecome admirable mainlyfor theirrefusaltosuccumbtodespair.Whilewecanad- This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE UNITYOFCHILDHOOD'S END159 miretheirsuperior scienceandmoralityatthestart,wecanadmiretheir stoicismattheend. The Overlords are masterfulthemselves,andyettheyare mere servants of theOvermind. ThisservitudeofTitansraisessomedifficultproblems.A parallelwithSatan,suggestedbythesituationitself,isunderlinedinthe novel by the physicalappearance of theOverlords'0 and mayat first makeus pauseandseekfordarker purposesintheirseeminglybenevolentactions. ButtheOverlords, unlikeSatan,foralltheirfrustrationwithbeinglimited toatechnologicalstate,andfor alltheirenvyofthemysteriousheightsof transcendence,ultimatelyacquiesceto theirfate: Foralltheirachievements,thoughtKarellen,foralltheirmasteryofthe physicaluniverse,hispeoplewerenobetterthanatribethathadpassed itswholeexistenceuponsomeflatanddusty ptlain. Faroffwerethe mountains,where power andbeautydwelt,where thethundersported above theglaciersandtheairwasclearandkeen.Therethesunstillwalked, transfiguringthepeakswithglory, whenallthelandbelowwaswrapped in darkness.Andtheycouldonlywatchandwonder;theycouldneverscale thoseheights. Yet, Karellen knew, theywould hold fastuntiltheend: theywouldawait without despair whatever destinywastheirs.They would serve the Overmind becausetheyhadnochoice,buteveninthatservicetheywouldnotlose their souls.(?24) ThoughbothDevilsandOverlordsaredeniedHeaven,inplaceofSatan's vowofeverlastingwar,hisheroicnonserviam,theOverlordsasserta spirit of stoic resignation.They understandthe Overmind enoughto acknowl- edgethefutilityofrebellion.DucuntFatavolentem,nolentemtrahunt.11 LikeStormgrenwhointhefirstsectionofthenovel,inspiteofdoubts, submitstotheoverwhelmingpoweroftheOverlords,theysubmittothe Overmind. ThebasicstructureofChildhood'sEndcanberepresentedbyan equation: Humans/Overlords= Overlords/Overmind.Whereasthefirsttwo sectionsof thenoveldeveloptheHuman/Overlordrelation,thelastsection develops the Overlord/Overmindrelation. When theRussianrocket scientist, Schneider,firstseestheshipsoftheOverlords, "for thefirsttimeinhis lifeheknewdespair"(?1). We discoverthatthissamedespairintheface of theunattainableiswhattheOverlords themselveshavetofight.Butthe novelasawholedoesnotpreachdespairbecause,whileitrepeatsthe initialsituationonahigherplane,italsoperformsthemiraculoustrans- formationofhumanintoOvermindsothatthefirstandthelastterms of theproportion areseenasspirituallythesame.TheOvermindisbotha mysterioustranscendenceandanexpressionofqualitiespotentialinman- kind. The important point is that logicallyClarke is havingit two wayshere. If humanandOverlord are notequal,thenhumanandOvermindcannotbe equal; andyettheyare. TheOvermind,thus,representsbothprogressand stasis.While on theonehandweare movinghigherandhigher,fromman throughOverlord toOvermind,ontheotherwearealsoreturningtothe samelevel.TheOvermindhererepresentsakindofmagicalsolutionto theproblemwediscoverattheendofTheCity andtheStars.Inthat This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions160SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES novelthetranscendentbeing,Vanamonde,12isacreationofman,butbe- cause he is seen as somethingcompletelyother thanmanAlvinlosesinterest inhim.InChildhood'sEnditisasifAlvinhadmadetheefforttoaccept and become Vanamondewithallthedenialof humanconcernthatsuchan actentails. Whatinthebasicstructureofthenovelconstitutesalogicalincon- sistencygeneratesan artistic whole, and thisunity is mirrored andsupported by thesmallerdetailsofimageryandcharacter.Mypurposehereisnotto interpretindetailtheselesserstructures,butsimplytosuggestalineof analysiswhich,ifdeveloped fully,would revealthatthenovelresolveslog- icalinconsistencyonmanylevels,notmerelyonthelevelofthelarge structurewithwhichwehavebeenconcerned.Throughoutthenovel,for example,imagesofdestructionareassociatedwithprogress:justasthe Overminddestroysearth,sotootherocket"Columbus,"atthebeginning of the novel,will, inachievingitsbreakthroughintospace,destroytheatoll fromwhichitislaunched.Thevolcanoofthenovel'sopeninglinerecurs asthepresence of theOvermind on theOverlord's planet,andintheircom- munalsuicide the New Athenspeople imitatethevolcano.It isthusthemat- icallyimportant thatman'spotentialfor self-destructionshouldbe themark of hispotentialfor transcendence.TheOverlords, whoarrivetopreventthe former,duetotheircompleterationalcompetence,aredeniedthelatter. Thequestionwhetherchaoticself-destructionandcreativeprogressareso relatedinactualfactdoesnotreallyapplyhere;weareconcernedatthis point, not with thematictruth, but withthematicpattern.The imagesof the novelengagecontradictoryideasandrepeatedlyunifythem. Themajor humancharactersinChildhood'sEndsharetheOverlords' doubleness,but because theyfailto generatethe unifiedresponsethatwould allowussimplytoacceptthem,theymakeusawareoftheinadequacyof our conventionalsolutionsto the problems the novelraises.Stormgrenseems awiseman,andyetattimesoneismadetowonderwhetherheisnot simplyaquisling.13 OntheotherhandWainwrightisareligiousfanatic and,inpart,anobjectofsatire,butatthesametime,asanadvocateof independence,heisaspokesmanforattitudesclosetoClarke'sownas expressedelsewhere.Thehumansengagethesameissuesweseeinthesit- uationof theOverlords, butwhenputinpurelyhumantermstheseissues become irresolvablyambiguous.TheOverlords, perhapsbecausetheir intel- lectualandmoral superiorityseemsto liftthemabovethedichotomiesthat torture Stormgren and Wainwright,do notgenerateambivalence.TheOver- lordsmediatebetweenrivalpositionsofindependenceandserviceand reconcilethedilemmasthatweexperiencewhenfacedwiththehuman figures. Similarly,theparadoxthatthemagicalstructureofthewholenovel resolvesappearsasa problem, anothersource of ambivalence,inthemiddle sectionsofthenovel.BeforetheexistenceoftheOvermindhasbeenre- vealedandbefore themidwifefunctionof theOverlords isapparent,Clarke makesus puzzle throughsome of theconventionalsolutionstotheproblems oftechnologicalprogress.Inessence,heoffersustwopossible,butunsat- isfactory,solutionstothechallengeoftheboredomofperfection.One, This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHE UNITYOFCHILDHOOD'S END161 the New AthensCommunity,attemptsto reinvigoratethecreativeactivities that haveconstituted man'sglories in the past by retreatingfrom thesmooth- functioningand technologicallysophisticatedworld run by the Overlords and settingupaconsciouslyprimitivesociety.Theotherpossiblesolutionis embodiedinJanRodricks,anAlvin-likecharacterwho,frustratedwitha worldwithoutadventure,setsouttoexploredespitetheprohibitionsof theOverlords. The ideabehindNewAthensisto preservethespiritofhumanitybya kindofartificialprimitivismandanartisticfocus.Clarke'sambivalent attitudetowardsthisattemptisrevealedinasmalljokehemakeswhen George and Jean,the youngcouple we watchthroughoutthissection,arrive inthecolony.Jeanwonderswhethershewillbeabletostandcooking inakitchenafteralifeofbeingabletodial"FoodCentral"andgetting her order five minuteslater (?15). The joke here isan easyone, but like many jokes itconcealsanuneasiness,anambiguousattitude,on itsmaker'spart. Ontheonehand,byexpressingcontemptforthepamperedfuturewhich judgeswhatweconsiderluxuryacurse,thejokeimpliesthatthetech- nologyofthefuturehasbeennotonlyfrivolousincreatingsuchwork- saversas"Food Central," buthasactuallyweakenedman'sabilitytoface eventhemosttrivialhardship.At itscenter thejokeengagesanimportant themethatwe havelooked atalreadyinTheCityandtheStars:thattech- nology,insofarasitcreatesluxury,beguilesmanofhisbasicmoralfiber and leadshimtoavoidstruggle,risk,andadventure.Like Marie Antoinette dressingup asa shepherdess,the technologicalaristocratneedstogetaway fromhiseaseandbacktosomereal,humanidentity.Buttheotherside of thejokeridiculesthiswholeattemptatrecoveryoftheprimitiveinteg- rity. Just as Marie Antoinette'spastoralismis ultimatelya sentimentalescape fromreality,sotheself-consciousprimitivismoftechnologicallysophis- ticatedpeople isfalse.TheNewAthensattempttogetbacktonatureis hererevealedtobe,inpart,adenialoftechnologicalreality,akindof sentimentaland reactionary pastoralism.The joke about Jean'skitchenholds togetherdiametricallyopposedinsightsintothedebilitatingeffectoftech- nologicalprogressandtheliberatingpossibilitiesof it. The other human escape from utopia is viewed lessambivalentlythanthe NewAthensexperiment,butittoohasafutileresolution.JanRodricks, likeAlvininTheCityandtheStars,frustratedbythelimitsputonhis curiositybytheGoldenAgeimposedbytheOverlords,breaksfreetoex- ploreotherworlds.Hisheroicandbrashactobviouslyhastheauthor's sympathies,but itleadstotragicisolation,nottorenewal,for Janreturns toanearthcompletelyemptyofhumanbeings.Thewholeepisodewould seemmerelyanostalgicexcrescencetothemainthemeofthenovelwere itnotthatattheendJanoffersusahumanperspectiveforthefinal metamorphosisand therebypowerfullybringstobear theawarenessof loss that man's triumphant progress into higherbeing entails.The annihilationof mankindintheformweknowit,acatastrophewhichattheendof2001 Clarke dismissesasan ominousandconventionaljoke, isheregivenamore consideredweightbythepresenceofahumanfigurewhofindsvaluein the technologicalvisionand who devoteshimselfto exploringtheunknown. This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions162SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES Jangivesusascalebywhichwecanmeasurethesacrificetranscendence involves. Pastoralretreat andindividualdaringbothfailtoresolvethedilemma of progress. While theinquiryintotheirpotentialsshedslightontheprob- lemandgivesurgencytotheissue,ittakesthetranscendentstagetosave thehumanenergythatleadstoprogressfromfutilelywastingitself.And, then,ittakesinadditionthemagicalagencyof theplottocreateanimage anda situationwhich,whilerecognizingtheir incompatibility,canunifythe twostagesoftechnologyandtranscendence.TheOvermind,whichcon- servesthehumanspiritasitdestroysit,andtheOverlords,whoareboth mastersand servants,combine to render a complexparadoxwhichexpresses ourhopesforprogressaswellasourdoubtsaboutit.Thattheliterary solutionClarke hasarrived at shouldbe soprofoundlyparadoxicalneednot alarmus; itis,afterall,acommonplaceofliterarycriticismthatparadox ofsortsworksatthecenterofmuchliterature,andthedisciplinesofpsy- chologyandanthropology,tosaynothingofphilosophy,haverepeatedly shownus how often imaginativefictions,whethertheybe dreams,primitive myths,poems,or stories,acceptandresolvethecontradictionsexperienced inlife.Thefirstquestionthathastobeaskedoftheartistisnot,have youappealedtocontradictorytruths?buthaveyoucreatedapatternof meaningthatiscoherent initself? Thatwecanviewthebasicstructureofthenovelascoherentandcan perceivehowotherelementsofthenovelmaysupportthatcoherence doesnotmeanthatChildhood'sEndiswithoutfaults.AsSamuelsonwell notes,thebanalstyleofthenovelisnotadequatetothetheme.The characters,whileonedoesn'texpectfinedetailintheirportraitssincethe mainconcernofthenoveliswithlargerissuesofprogress,arealter- natelypretentiousandtrivial.Onemightarguethatthefrivolousnessof muchofthemiddlesectionofthenovelisintendedasanironicfoilto emphasizethegapbetweenhumanandOvermind,but,evenifthatisthe intention,thedevice remainsclumsyanddistracting.Mostimportant,asa presencetheOvermind,inevitably,frustrates.Wecanhaveonlyvague hintsofvalueandpower; wecanknowitonlybyitsconsequences.But, giventhecoherence of thenovel'slargestructure,thesespecificcomplaints diminishinimportance.Childhood'sEnd,whateverdetailedfaultswefind, seems to succeed at the end. Thoughafter numerous readings,asI canattest, thebasicstructure maynolongersurpriseanddelightandtheflawsmay beginto distract,the conclusionof the novelstillbringstogetherinapower- ful way the thematicthreadsandsolvestheproblems that,howevermechan- icallyandclumsily,Clarke hasraised.Noneof hisother novelssucceedsso well. NOTES 'DavidN.Samuelsoninhisarticle"Clarke'sChildhood'sEnd:A MedianStageofAdolescence?"SFS1(1973):4-17,usesthewordmystic todescribe thisstate.Iprefer thetermtranscendentbecauseitseemsless pronetomisinterpretationasbeingopposedtoreason.Thetranscendent stateisnotirrational;itissuperrational.Thedistinctionisimportant. This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHEUNITYOF CHILDHOOD'S END163 2The languageofthePaulinetextisechoedearlyinChildhood'sEnd, thoughtheradicalimplicationsof"maturity"arenotatthatpointunder- stood:"'WhatdoesanyoneknowofKarellen'spowers?'retortedStorm- gren.'When I wasaboy, theFederationofEurope wasadream-butwhen Igrew tomanhoodithadbecomereality.Andthatwasbeforethearrival of the Overlords. Karellen ismerely finishingthework wehadbegun'" (?2). 3Samuelson arguesthatinChildhood's End"the reader isalmostforced to make a choice between two positions,"thatof the "scientificallyoriented" "Devil's party" and thatof the"mystically-oriented"Overmind-God (p9). In fact,thoughonecancontemplatethetwomodesofcognition,thereislittle roomforchoicehere.AccordingtoClarke'smyth,wehavenochoicebut to followreasonandscience,foronlybyholdingontoreasonnowcanwe hope to transcenditinthefuture. 4The storyappeared firstin1951 andisreprintedinClarke'scollection Expeditionto Earth(1953). 5The themeisnotatallnewtosciencefiction.Wells'sTimeTravel- ler,meditatingonhisfirstexperiencesinthefuture,postulatesthatthe decadenceof theEloiresultsfrom technologicalsuccess."We arekeptkeen on thegrindstoneof painandnecessity"(TheTime Machine,?4/?6). 6In "Twilight"(1934) atimetravellersimplyreprogramsthemachine togeneratecuriosity.In"The StoryoftheMachine"(1935) themachineis sowisethatwhenitseesthatmanhasbecomeoverlydependentonit,it simplyturnsitselfoff. 7TheCity and the Stars variesthebasicmythwe havetraced by suggest- ingthatperhapsmanmaybeabletoattainsomeformoftranscendence onhisown.Vanamonde,thechildishsupermind,isahumancreation. Also,attheendofthenovelAlvinsendshisspaceship,pilotedbythe robot, out beyond the galaxy:"One dayour cousinswillreceivemymessage and they'll know thatwe are waitingfor them here on Earth. They will return, andIhopebythenwewillbeworthyofthem,howevergreattheyhave become"(?26). Thoughtheconcernforworthinessechoestheconcernfor fitnessattheendof"TheSentinel,"thesituationisimportantlydifferent. Firstofallweinitiatethesignalandinvitethemtofindus.Second,it'sa kind of by-your-own-bootstrap theoryof evolution,for thesuperior racewho willelevateus if we are worthy isa branchof thehumantree, our "cousins." 8At theveryendof2001Clarkerevertstooneoftheoldestdiches ofsciencefiction:thevaguethreatofawfulthingstocome.Ifwetakethe threatseriouslywemustconcludethatthenovelconstitutesawarning againstengaginginthekindsofscientificactivitiesandexplorationsthat willleadultimatelyto transcendence.Sincesuchamoralseemshighlyun- likelygivenClarke's ideology,andsincenothingelseinthenovelsupports such a reading,onesuspectsthattheendof 2001merelysignifiesaturning awayfromtherealissuesthatthenovelmightraise.Notonlydoesthe novelendup trivializingtechnology,ittrivializestranscendencetoo. 9Hal,thecomputerfortheJupiterprobein2001,mightbeseenas structurallysimilarto the Overlords, but thoughHalistechnologicallymar- vellous, he merely parodies thehumanitasthatallowstheOverlords tounify Childhood's End. 10Samuelson (p7) notesotherparallels,amongthemthesimilaritybe- tweentheOverlords' homeplanetandHell. "lSoSpenglerconcludesTheDeclineoftheWest,quotingSeneca's translation(in Epistle107) of theStoicphilosopherCleanthes. 12Vanamonde isa highform of being,butThe CityandtheStarsposits This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions164SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES thepresenceofmuchhigherbeingssothat,onthescaleweareusedto from2001andChildhood'sEnd,Vanamondeisquiteamodestlevelof transcendence. 13Theissueisraised obliquelyinchapterthreewhenStormgrenponders whether insupporting the Overlords he isn'tactinglike anIndiantolerating Britishcontrol andtherebydestroyinghisownculture. Douglas Barbour Wholeness and Balance in the Hainish Novels of Ursula K. Le Guin ThefivestoriesbyUrsulaK.LeGuinwithwhichthisessayisdirectly concerned-Rocannon'sWorld(1966), Planetof Exile(1966), City of Illusions (1967),TheLeftHandofDarkness(1969),and"TheWordforWorldis Forest" (1972)1-areallsetinwhatmaybe calledtheHainishuniverse,for itwasthepeopleof theplanetHainwhooriginally"seeded"allthehabit- able worlds of thispart of the galaxyand thus produced a humanoiduniverse thatissingle,expanding,andhistoricallycontinuous,but atthesametime marvelousinitsvariety,foreachplanetaryenvironmentcausedspecific local mutationsin itshumanoidsastheyadaptedanddeveloped.The result isauniversefullof"humans"whodisplayenoughvarietytoprovidefor anynumber of alienencounters,andsinceanypossiblestageofcivilization canbefoundonsomeparticularplanet,newdefinitionsof"civilization" canbe madeina narrativerather thanadiscursivemode. In Rocannon'sWorld and Planetof ExileLe Guinsketchesintheback- ground of theLeagueofAllWorlds, whichispreparingtofightanEnemy fromsomedistantpartofthegalaxy,andpreparesthereaderforCityof Illusions,whichisthestoryofthemanwhowilleventually"rescue" humanityfrom the Shing,the mind-lyingaliens.The Left Handof Darkness isset in an even further future whentheShinghavebeendefeatedandmost ofhumanityhasonceagainunited,thistimeintheEkumenofKnown Worlds-asubtlerandhumblertitlethantheformerone."TheWord for World is Forest," beingset in thefirst year of theLeague,bringstheHainish universecomparativelyclose toour owntime. Besidesthecontinuoustime-spacehistory,thesenarrativesarebound togetherbyaconsistentimagerythatbothextendsandinformsmeaning. AlthoughLe Guin hasusedparticularimageswhichemergenaturallyfrom the cultural and ecologicalcontextof her imaginedworlds aslinkingdevices withineachwork, shehasalsoconsistentlyusedlight/darkimageryasa linkingdeviceforthewholeseries.Againandagain,goodemergesfrom ambiguousdarkness,evilfrom blindinglight.Thusthereisaspecificlocal imageryineachnovel,andapervasivelight/darkimageryinallofthem. InRocannon'sWorld thelocalimageisthe"EyeoftheSea."This This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHEHAINISHNOVELSOF URSULAK. LE GUIN165 jewel,theefficientcauseofSemley'sactionsinthe"Prologue,"appears throughout Rocannon'sadventuresuntil, when he hasaccomplishedhis task, he gives it, as a final sign that he hasfound hishome, to the Lady Ganye, who, at theend of thestory,appearsas"hiswidow,tallandfair-haired,wearing agreat blue jewelsetingoldat her throat." Thelight/darkimageryismore pervasiveandmore complex.Fromthe verybeginningtheinterdependenceoflightanddarknessaremadeclear. Take Kyo's explanationof the difference betweenhispeople andtheGdmiar: theFiiachoseto liveonlyinthelight,theClayfolkchose"nightandcaves andswords"(?7), andbothlostsomethingbytheirchoice.Theimageof theFiiadance,"aplayoflightanddarkintheglowofthefire"(?7), reflectsapatternwhichRocannonrealizeshadexistedbetweenKyoand himself.Thisdanceofshadowsandlightistheproperimagefortheir interplayinallLeGuin'swork: boththelightandthedarkarenecessary if anypattern is to emerge from chaos(see Left ?16). WhenRocannonmeets theAncientOne, hemustenterthe"dark place"togainthegiftofmind- hearing(?8). Later heenterstheFTL shipson"a nightwhenofallthefour moons only the littlecaptured asteroid...would be intheskybefore midnight" (?9). Thesuccessofhismission,theexplosiondestroyingtheenemybase, ismarkedby"notthelightbutthedarkness,thedarknessthatblinded hismind,theknowledgeinhisownfleshofthedeathofathousandmen allinonemoment"(?9). Clearlyandconsistentlylight/darkimagesdance throughthewholenovel. ThetitleofthefirstchapterinPlanetofExile,"AHandfulofDark- ness,"refers toAgat'sdark handagainstRolery'swhiteone.Thealliance offarbornsandhilfs,ofblackandwhite,istouchedonthroughoutthe novel: Agat'sand Rolery's growingloveisimagedintheseterms.AsRolery "seemed toholdagainstherpalmahandfulofdarkness,wherehistouch hadbeen"(?1), soAgat"recalled briefly...thelight,lithe,frightenedfigure of thegirl Rolery, reachingup herhandtohimfromthedarksea-besieged stones"(?3). Roleryfeelsa"littlerushoffearanddarknessthroughher veins"(?5) becausesheisanaturaltelepathandhasbeen"bespoken"by Agat;later,whenAgatisattackedandwoundedandsendsoutcallsfor help,"Rolery's mindwentquitedarkforawhile"(?6) andsheistheone to find him. Both are youngand fear theWinter, for theyhaveonly"known thesunlight"(?5).Thatoncoming5000-daycoldspellprovidessomeof thelocalimagepatternsof thisnovel,asdo thecustomsoftheAskatevar, but thelight/darkimageryweavesitswayfrom book tobook. "Imaginedarkness.Inthedarknessthatfacesoutwardfromthesuna mutespiritwoke.Whollyinvolvedinchaos,heknewnopattern."Thus beginsCity of Illusion,andthusbeginsFalk'sbook-longsearchfor thecor- rect pattern,onemadeupoflightanddarknessasallgoodpatternsmust be.Naturallyenough,inastoryof lieandparadox,lightanddarkseldom carryordinarymeanings.Falkbeginsandendsindarkness,yetthetwo darknessesare opposed: the firstamentalchaos,thelastanimportantpart ofthewholepatternhehassought.Astheimagesgather,webeginto seethepattern,andtheplayofparadoxandillusionwithinit.Theold This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:55 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions166SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES Listener's warningabout "the awful darknessof the bright lightsof EsToch" (?3)presentsoneofthecentralparadoxes,oneFalkmustresolveifhe istosurvive.InEsTochitis"thewordspokenindarknesswithnone tohearatthebeginning,thefirstpageoftime"towhichFalkturnsas hetries to outmaneuvertheShing(?8). Thetwomajorlocalimagesarethe"patterningframe"(??1,5)and the"Way" of the"Old Canon" (i.e., theTao-te ching).ReferencestoFalkas a stonewithinthe frame appear throughoutthe story,asdo quotationsfrom andallusionstotheTao.Falk-Ramarren'sfinalrecognitionthat"there's alwaysmore thanonewaytowardsthetruth"(?10), whichishispersonal resolution of the dark/lightpattern, isan "open" one. Yet it hasbeen implicit intheimageryof thepatterningframeandtheTao,whichhasbeenvery carefullyorganized,andwhichleadsdirectlytothenovel'sfinalpara- graph: OnthescreendawncomingovertheEasternOceanshoneinagolden crescentfora momentagainstthedustof thestars,likea jewelonagreat patterningframe. Then frame and patternshattered,the barrier waspassed, andthelittleshipbroke freeoftimeandtookthemoutacrossthedark- ness. "Tormer's Lay,"from whichThe LeftHandofDarknesstakesitstitle (?16),suggeststheimportanceofthelight/darkimagepatterninthat novel.When Ai finallycomes to acceptand loveEstravenasa wholeperson, heshowshimtheYin-Yangsymbol:"Light,dark.Fear,courage.Female, male.It isyourself,Therem. Bothandone. Ashadowonsnow."(?19). This listofoppositesyokedtogetherexpressespreciselythedeepmeaningthat theimagepatternpointsto; itclearlyowesmuchtotheTaosensibilityof ChuangTzu whosimilarlyyokesoppositestogetheron theWay.2 When Estreven says that the word Shifgrethor, which Ai hasfound impos- sibletounderstand,"comesfromanoldwordforshadow"(?18), aclear light iscastback acrossthe novel,illuminatingpassageafter passagewhere shadowsorthelackofthemarementionedwithparticularemphasis evenAihimselfhadsaidof theOrgotathatitwas"asiftheydidnotcast shadows"(?10). ThissequenceofimagesissolidlygroundedinGethenian psychologyand philosophy,yet it simultaneouslyfitsintothelargerpattern thatconnectsallthenovels.InLeftHandshadowimagesconcernedwith personalintegrityindicatewhatkindofpersonisbeingreferredto;they are alsodeeplyembedded intheecologyof theplanet,thewarmshadowsof thehearthsopposingthesnow,theterriblecold,sobrightwithdanger:no wonder theHanddaraisa"fecund darkness"(?5). The essentialunityof lightand darknessisalwaysimplicitintheimag- ery, asinthedescriptionof theForetelling:"Hours andsecondspassed,the moonlightshoneon thewrongwall,there wasnomoonlightonlydarkness, andinthecenterofalldarknessFaxe:theWeaver:awoman,awoman dressed inlight"(?5). TheForetellingemergesfrom theDarkness,thevery darknesstheHanddararelyon,asisshownbytheir"shortandcharming graceofinvocation,theonlyritualwords" Aieverlearnsofthem:"Praise This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:55 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHEHAINISHNOVELSOF URSULAK. LE GUIN167 thendarknessand Creation unfinished"(?18). "Dothe," thespecialstrength Handdaratacancallup intheirbodies,isthe"strengthoutoftheDark," and "thangen,"thesleepof recovery,is"the dark sleep"(?14). Yet Faxethe Weaver shineswithhisownlight,eveninnoonsunlight(?5). AstheLay says,"Two are one ... like theendandtheway"(?16). Havingheard EstravenreciteTormer's Lay,Aispeaksof thedifference betweenGetheniansandTerrans: "You'reisolated,and undivided. Perhapsyou are asobsessedwithwholeness aswe are withdualisms." "We aredualiststoo.Dualityisessential,isn'tit?Solongasthereis myselfandthe other." "IandThou,"hesaid."Yes,itdoes,afterall,goevenwiderthan sex...."(?16) Aswideastheuniverseofmeaningitself,theimagessay:wholenessand duality,together and separateat once, a pattern of lifeitself,woventhrough anartist'sfictions,thematrixof her vision. AsTHEDISCUSSIONof imageryhasshown,Le Guin'sartisticvisionismulti- plex,dualistic,andholistic.Thatshehasneversoughtsimplisticphilo- sophicalsolutionsfor thehumanproblemssheexploresinhernarratives, could be demonstrated in her first three books, but I wishto concentratehere onherartistichandlingofbalanceasawayoflifeinTheLeftHandof Darknessand"The Word for World isForest." Very few SF books havesucceeded aswellasThe Left Handof Darkness ininvokingawholeenvironment,acompletelyconsistentalienworld,and in makingthe proper extrapolationsfrom it. Le Guin haschosenaform that allowsforvariouskindsof"documentation":sixofthetwentychapters (nottomentiontheAppendix)aredocumentsseparatefromtheactual narrative-three"Hearth tales"(?? 2, 4, 9), a report onGetheniansexuality (?7), excerptsfromasacredbook(?12), and"AnOrgotaCreationMyth" (?17)-eachplaced so as to aid our understandingof the narrativeat a partic- ular point in its progression. And the narrativeitselfis a document, consisting partly of Ai's transcriptionof passagesfrom Estraven'snotebookandpartly of Ai'sdirect report tohissuperiorsintheofficialdomoftheEkumen.The wholeisamasterfulexampleof form creatingcontent. Quiteearlyinthestory,immediatelyaftera"hearthtale"concerned withtheir Foretellings,Ai spendsconsiderablespacereportingon hisexper- iences at a Handdara Fastness,and it soon becomes obvious that he considers the Handdara a religion of considerableprofundity. I think it is safe to assume thatLeGuinmeansustoagreewiththisopinion,partlybecauseofthe way in which HanddarathoughtreflectstheTao-te ching,whichisexplicitly drawn upon inCity of Illusions.InLeft HandthebasicHanddarareligious philosophyisinfluencedbythespecificparaverbaltalenttheGethenians have,yet there are manyallusiveconnectionsbetweenthisinventedreligion andTaoism. "TheHanddara,"saysAi,"isareligionwithoutinstitution,without priests,withouthierarchy,withoutvows,withoutcreed; I amstillunableto This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:55 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions168SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES saywhetherit hasagod or not.It iselusive.Itisalwayssomewhereelse." (?5). Similarly,theTao-te ching: The thingthatiscalledTaoiseludingandvague. Vagueandeluding,thereisinittheform. Eludingandvague,initare things. Deep andobscure, initistheessence. (?21; translationbyWing-tsitChan)3 AlthoughTaoist-influenced Zen Buddhismhasmanypointsincommon with theHanddara,Le Guin hascreated inthis"elusive"religionsomethingthat is still alien as well as very human. The Handdara's"only fixed manifestation isin the Fastnesses,retreats to whichpeople mayretire andspendthenight or a lifetime"(?5). AivisitstheOtherhord Fastnesstoinvestigatethe"fore- tellings"fortheEkumen;thesepredictions,whichmustbepaidfor,are apparentlycompletely true. Aiarrivesaskepticanddepartsabeliever,hav- ingparticipatedunwillinglyintheForetellingbyvirtueofhisownpara- verbal talent.He remarks thatalthoughthe humanoidsof theEkumenhave certain paraverbal abilities, they have not yet "tamed hunch to run in harness; for that we must go to Gethen." But thischapteralsorevealsbasicHanddara beliefsand attitudeswhichlater clarifyEstraven'sbehavior,for he hasbeen Handdaratrained.TheresponseofyoungGosstowhatAiintendsasan apologyforbeing"exceedinglyignorant"-"I'mhonored!...Ihaven'tyet acquired enoughignorancetobeworthmentioning."-isimportantinthat itintroducesthecentraldoctrine of Handdaralife: It wasanintrovertedlife,self-sufficient,stagnant,steepedinthatsingular "ignorance" prized by the Handdarataand obedient to their rule of inactivity or non-interference.Thatrule(expressedinthewordnusuth,whichIhave totranslateas"no matter") istheheartofthecult,andIdon'tpretendto understandit.(?5) Most readers will sympathizewithAi'slastsmallcomplaint,but theseideas havemuch incommonwiththeTaoof bothLao Tzu andChuangTzu.Tao ?37says,"Taoinvariablytakesnoaction,andyetthereisnothingleft undone," andChuangTzu writes: "I takeinactionto be true happiness,but ordinarypeople thinkitisabitterthing....theworldcan'tdecidewhatis rightand whatiswrong. Andyetinactioncandecide this.Thehighesthap- piness,keepingalive-onlyinactiongetsyouclosetothis."4 Thetimethat AispendsattheOtherhord Fastnessisthehappiesthehasknown. The Handdarata, EstraventellsAi, are perhaps,incomparisonwiththe YomeshtaofOrgoreyn,whoaresomewhatfurtherintothepatternofthe ecology-breakingculturesofotherworlds,"lessawareofthegapbetween menandbeast,beingmoreoccupiedwithlikenesses,thelinks,thewhole of whichlivingthingsare apart" (?16). Thispreoccupationwithwholeness andlikenessesisfoundthroughouttheTao, fortheWayunitesallthings. Tormer's Lay,whichEstravenrecitesforAiin?16,bringstoafocusthe lightanddarkimagerywhichhasoperatedwhichsuchpoeticsubtlety This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:55 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsTHEHAINISHNOVELSOF URSULAK. LE GUIN169 throughout;italsoexpressesinhighlychargedandculturallyconsistent imagerythe ideasof wholenessand balancewhichhavebeen implicitinthe languageof thenovel: Lightisthelefthandof darkness anddarknesstherighthandof light. Two are one,lifeanddeath,lying togetherlikeloversinkemmer, like handsjoinedtogether, liketheendandtheway. LIGHTANDDARKNESSsharingtheworld andour apprehensionof it: thisis a deeply Taoist insight,but it is alsoa deeply holistic/artisticone. On Athshe, theworldof"TheWordforWorldisForest,"itisoneofthebasesof lifeforthenatives,andalostfragmentofoldknowledgefortheTerran colonists.Here Le Guin departs from anyobvioususe of Taoism; instead,she approachesthethemeof balance,of thelightanddarknessjoinedtogether, throughahighlydenseandspecificcreationofanecologyandculture inextricablyentwined,andthroughtheideasofDementandHadfieldon thenatureofdreams.5 Increatingacultureinwhichpeoplebalancetheir "sanitynotontherazor'sedgeofreasonbutonthedoublesupport,the finebalanceofreasonanddream"(?5),shehasalsocreatedapower- fulimageofholisticduality.ThesanityandbalanceofAthsheansociety, theAthshean'sawarenessof "the wholeofwhichlivingthingsareapart" (Left Hand ?16), standsin stark contrastto theemotionalandmentalimbal- anceoftheEarth-imperialistcolonialculturewhichrepresentsalogical extensionofcertainpresent-daytechnologicalandpoliticaltrends.Despite thefactthattheEarthmencomefromallpartsoftheglobe(ironically, theirleader,ColonelDongh,isfromVietNam),theyareallimbuedwith theattitudesofthe"Judeao-Christian-RationalistWest,"asHaberwillso fondlycallitin?6 ofThe LatheofHeaven(1972). TheTerrancolonistsarexenophobicdespitetheirknowledgeofother star-travelinghumanoidraces(thestoryissetintheperiodinwhichthe leagueofAllWorlds isfirstfounded): theystillbelievetheyarekingsof theuniverse.Theyhavenodesiretounderstand,or, more important,learn from, thehilfs.With thesoleexceptionofLyubov,themilitarymenofthe colonyseetheAthsheansas"creechies," animal-creatures;thatis,asnon- humanandtherefore tobe treatedasanimals.Althoughthegroupispre- sentedingeneralterms,thefociofinterestare theindividualpsychologies ofDavidsonandLyubov.Theseareextremetypes,atoppositeendsofthe Earth-human spectrum, and in each we can see thoseattitudesand behavioral mannerismswhich,ina mixedway,are theheritageofacivilizationgiven over to theacquisitionofmaterialgoodsandpower, theattitudesofwhich arefixedintheHobbesianvisionofman.Davidson'snearlyincoherent "reasoning" providesaspectacularinstanceofhowaman'spsychosis(in thiscase,paranoia)correlatestotheexcessiveexploitationofaworld's inhabitantsandnaturalresources.Lyubov'storturedsoul-searching,eager This content downloadedon Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:15:55 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions170SCIENCE-FICTIONSTUDIES reachingout to othersfor knowledge,andfinalrefusalofSelver'sproffered gift of dreaming, reveal a mild, humane,liberal, and finallyweak man.Selver, theAthsheanwhobecomesa"god"andactswithviolencetoprotecthis peoplewhennecessitysodictates,revealsbycontrasttheweaknessof Lyubov'sposition. These contrastsof character are partiallyexposedinlight/darkimagery and partiallytranslatedintobalance/imbalanceimagery.Thebrightnessof DonDavidson'smind, intense,paranoid,andinlovewiththefire thatkills others,especially"creechies,"isfrighteninglyunbalanced.Seeing"water and sunlight,or darknessandleaves"onlyasopposites,hechoosesto"end thedarkness,andturn thetree-jumble intocleansawnplanks,moreprized on Earththangold" (?1). Earthmen,tryingtobalancetheirsanity"on the razor's edgeof reason,"failto comprehend"thefinebalanceofreasonand dream"andthusliveinfearofthedarkforestsoftheAthsheans,where "into wind, water, sunlight,starlight,therealwaysenteredleafandbranch, boleandroot, theshadowy,thecomplex"(?2). Thecomplexisthatfusion oflightanddarknesswhichrepresentswholeness.Theconceptofliving inbothdream-timeandworld-timereflectsthiswholeness.Lyubov'sre- flectiononhisoriginalfearoftheforestandhisgradualacceptanceof itrevealshowmuchtheEarthmen,fromatechnological,well-lit,treeless Earth,havelostintheirrelentlesspursuitofpower. Theywouldcleanout theforest, burn itoff,toletthelightshineonthebarrengroundthatthey mistakenlybelievewillbeargrowthagain.Drivenbythe"yumens"to struggleforsurvival,theAthsheanshave"takenupthefiretheyfeared intotheirownhands:takenup themasteryover theevildream: andloosed thedeaththeyfearedupontheirenemy"(?8). Truthiscomplex,darkand lightatonce,andthevariousimagesattachedtotheforest,thatplaceof norevelation,"nocertainty,"allcontributetoourunderstandingofthis. The Athsheansare athomeinthecomplex,andsitunder abigtree to meet withtheyumens:"The lightbeneaththegreattreewassoft,complexwith shadows"(?8).Thiscomplexityisdeeplyembeddedintheirculture,in whicheveryone livesinboth times,thatof thedreamandthatof theworld. Although specific references to darknessand lightare not as numerous as insome of the other stories, thepatternisdefinitelythere,intheambiguous forest,behindthewordsandimagesthatdoappear.Inaveryimportant sense,thedisturbedbalanceofdream-timeandworld-timeisthelocal image-systeminthiswork. Selver,recognizingthenecessityof armed resistance(of fightingawar ofliberationthathasobviousparallelswithThirdWorld struggles,espec- iallythatinVietNam),isthedreamerwhobecomesagod,translating to hispeople theterrible but necessarynewdream of killingone'sownkind (for the Athsheans,unlike the yumens,haverecognizedthe essentialoneness of thetworaces).Theirsurvivaldependsuponit,buttheirinnocencehas beenforeverlost,andherecognizeswhataterriblepricethatistopay for freedom (?8). Le Guin'shandlingofthisspecificpoliticalproblemisre- markable,atleastintheworld of popular SF,for itsintellectualtoughness: Lyubov's death resultsdirectly from his"liberal" inabilityto facethereality o