A. E. Van Vogt - The Best Of A. E. Van Vogt.pdf - A. E. Van Vogt - borsukomiks

“THE BEST OF ...” collections are intended to present the representative stories of the

masters of science fiction in chronological order, their aim being to provide science fiction

readers with a selection of short stories that demonstrate the authors’ literary

development and at the same time to provide new readers with a sound introduction to

their work.

The collections were compiled with the help and advice of the authors concerned,

together with the invaluable assistance of numerous fans, without whose good work, time

and patience they would not have been published.

In particular the advice of Roger Peyton, Gerald Bishop, Peter Weston and Leslie Flood

is appreciated.

ANGUS WELLS , Editor

Also in Sphere Books in the “Best of ...” seríes:

THE BEST OF ISAAC ASIMOV

THE BEST OF ARTHUR C. CLARKE

THE BEST OF JOHN WYNDHAM

THE BEST OF ROBERT HEINLEIN

THE BEST OF FRITZ LEIBER

THE BEST OF JOHN W. CAMPBELL

THE BEST OF FRANK HERBERT

THE BEST OF CLIFFORD D. SIMAK

The Best of

A. E. van Vogt

Volume 2

SPHERE BOOKS LIMITED

30/32 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8JL

First published in Great Britain by Sphere Books Ltd. as part of a single volume 1974

TRADE

MARK

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated

without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar

condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Set in Monotype Times Roman

Printed in Great Britain by

Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd.

Aylesbury, Bucks

Contents

Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... 6

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 7

DEAR PEN PAL .............................................................................................................. 10

THE GREEN FOREST ..................................................................................................... 15

WAR OF NERVES .......................................................................................................... 30

THE EXPENDABLES ...................................................................................................... 44

SILKIES IN SPACE ........................................................................................................ 65

THE PROXY INTELLIGENCE ..................................................................................... 100

The Science Fiction Books of A. E. Van Vogt .................................................................. 133

About the e-Book ............................................................................................................ 136

Acknowledgments

Introduction

“ BEST ” is what is called in General Semantics a defining word. What this means is that the word of itself

implies a state, or level, of superiority in something.

But that, if you will think about it, is merely a value judgment of a person, a committee, or a group.

That is, it is an intellectual, or emotional, consideration. As such, it can never be an operational term.

So we are not surprised when, each year in the U.S.A. these days, half a dozen publishers issue

best-of-the-year science fiction. Worse, with a couple of well-advertised exceptions, none of the stories

in one “Best” is the same as those of any of the others.

Authors have lived with such contradictions with equa-nimity since the early days of SF.

Not too long ago, one of the best-of-that-year editors asked an SF writer if he had a story that had not

already been anthologized too often. Said author presently sent, along a story which he had selected

because, until then, it had only been printed in a collection of his own stories. The editor accepted it as

one of the best of the year without reading any of the other stories written by that author.

Now, it happened that the story which was submitted under these restricting requirements was the best

short story ever written by that author. That year it won the Hugo award of the World Science Fiction

Convention. None of the other “Best” editors had had the foresight to include it in their anthologies,

I have a lesser example from my own experience. Years ago, the editor of a magazine asked me to

select one of my stories for what was called an author’s choice of his own best story. The editor,

however, required that I limit my selection to a story printed in his magazine. The problem was he had

only published three of my stories.

Like most SF authors I handled this situation with the total aplomb of someone who realizes that failure

to make such a choice simply means your story is not included. P.S. I got the check.

Still--I should report--no one likes to be cynical.

Truth is, I have always had my own favorites among my stories, and occasionally re-read these.

Before I tell you my own choice, let me list for you those stories of mine which have repeatedly won

the accolade of my particular readership.

Short stories: (early titles) “Far Centaurus”, “Enchanted Village”, “The Monster”. This last has

sometimes been titled “Resurrection”, (more recent title) “Itself”.

Novelettes: (early titles) “Black Destroyer”, “Cooperate--Or Else”, The Weapon Shop”, (recent titles)

“The Proxy Intelligence”, “The Silkie”--novelette version--and “The Reflected Men”.

Novels: (early) Slan, The Voyage of the Space Beagle and The World of Null-A, (recent) Quest for

the Future and The Darkness on Diamondia.

Now, why are those not my choices also? Well, I like far-out science fiction.

Does far-out--you may wonder--mean unscientific? Does it mean that I have a fantasy orientation as

distinct from scientific extrapolation. Does it mean that I like it when an author creates bizarre but

impossible situations.

No--to all three questions.

Take “The Storm”--which I include in my list. Surely, at first look, some of the ideas in it are as

far-fetched as you could ask for. A “storm” in space. A planet revolving around the most fantastic sun in

the known universe: S-Doradus.

I’ll concentrate on that last item. When I got the idea, I wrote John W. Campbell, editor of

Astounding, and asked him if it was possible to obtain any valid concept of such a planet. What would

the sky look like? The plant life? etc. He wrote an astronomer friend. Among the three of us we evolved

the planet as described in the story. So far as I know it’s the only description in existence. And it’s

accurate.

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