Anderson's Question And Answer (New York, 1978) begins with Ecclesiastes, ix. 16-18, which we discussed here.
The alternative title, Planet Of No Return, identified the latter novel as sf whereas Question And Answer is genre-neutral. An opening Biblical quotation does not identify genre so how soon in the text do we realize that we are reading sf? The novel is copyright 1956. The opening sentence refers to "...a robot..." (CHAPTER I, p. 1). When alarm lights flash red and a siren hoots:
"Three of the techs dropped what they were doing and shoved for a purchase against the nearest wall." (ibid.)
They shove for purchase because they are in free-fall. They are in space which, in 1956, was sf. The techs flee from gamma radiation which alone is enough to locate the narrative in a science-based context. We all remember phrases from books that we have read in the past. In the 1960s, I read an sf paperback, title and author's name long since forgotten, that began by informing us that its protagonist's hair was receding so fast that you would think that his nose was radioactive. This amusing opening immediately established a scientifically oriented setting. In Question And Answer, CHAPTER I, the viewpoint character, named Kemmel Gummus-lugil, must cope with the radiation threat after the techs have fled. We do not yet know much else about the background.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
QUESTION AND ANSWER was first pub. in 1956, which means it was prob. being written in 1955, maybe even in 1954. Which means the story belongs to Anderson's early phase as a writer, which I wold date 1946-1958/9. He was still learning how to write in those years and trying out many ideas and themes, some of which he soon abandoned.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment