Magazine/Anthology, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Serial

[June 4, 1970] Something old, something new (July-August 1970 IF)

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A white man with short gray hair poses in front of a wooden wall. He is wearing a gray blazer, yellow shirt, and black necktie, and is smiling toward the left of the viewer.
by David Levinson

Voyages into the known

Readers over 30 may remember Thor Heyerdahl and his Kon-Tiki expedition of 1947. He hoped to prove that the Pacific islands had been reached from South America before Polynesians got there from the west. The balsa log raft he built eventually ran aground in the Tuamotu archipelago in French Polynesia, demonstrating that such a voyage was at least possible. However, most archaeologists and anthropologists consider it far more likely that any contact between Polynesia and the Americas (there is some highly inconclusive evidence) was initiated by the Polynesian people, who have a proven track record of crossing vast distances into the unknown.

In any case, Heyerdahl has inspired a number of imitators hoping to travel farther, including some attempts to travel west to east. On May 29th, Spanish sailor Vital Alsar Ramirez started his second attempt to sail from Ecuador to Australia. The first attempt in 1966 failed after 143 days when the raft was rendered no longer seaworthy by teredo worms.

The new raft, dubbed La Balsa, has one major improvement over the Kon-Tiki: a moving keelboard. This will allow the raft to be steered toward more favorable currents, where Kon-Tiki could only drift with assistance from the simple square sail. Such keelboards are known to Ecuadoran natives and so are a perfectly reasonable addition. Best of luck to the four men aboard.

A black and white photo of a wooden raft on the water against a foggy background.  It has a square sail on a tall mast near the center.  On the left, a person is standing holding a line attached to the sail.  Under the sail three people are sitting.  To the right of the mast there is a small shelter with a grass roof, containing boxes and barrels. La Balsa puts to sea.

Speaking of Thor Heyerdahl, his current interest is in demonstrating that ancient Egyptians could have reached the Americas in reed boats. His first attempt last year aboard the Ra got within about 100 miles of the islands of the Caribbean before it became so waterlogged it began to break apart. Now he’s giving it another go.

The Ra II features a tether to keep the stern high, which should help keep the boat from suffering the fate of its predecessor. This is something the original ought to have had; such tethers are clearly visible in ancient Egyptian depictions of reed boats. The crew also plan to take marine samples along the way to study ocean pollution. The Ra II set out from Morocco on May 17th.

Of course, as with the Kon-Tiki, proving that such a voyage could have been made won’t prove that it was. The Egyptians were never great sailors, generally contracting ocean navigation out to more maritime cultures of the eastern Mediterranean. Still, best of luck to Heyerdahl and his crew as well.

A color photograph of a modern reconstruction of an ancient Egyptian reed boat on the water, against a clear blue sky.  It has a black sail at the prow supported by a tall mast made up of two timbers leaned together in a triangle.Oars are sticking out horizontally from the main deck. One person is standing at the prow and another at the stern, where a rudder extends into the water.  Two people are standing on the upper deck near one of the mast timbers. The Ra II under way. Note the tether keeping the stern high.

Polishing the family silver

Science fiction has a lot of tried and true plots, some better than others. But good writing can occasionally make a hackneyed, sub-par plot something better, and bad writing can turn an intriguing concept into a slog. Fortunately, this month’s IF has a lot more of the former.

The front cover of Worlds of If science fiction magazine. The magazine title is in the upper left corner, and on the lower left the featured pieces are listed with titles in black and authors in red: Second-hand Stonehenge, by Ernest Taves; Time Piece, by Joe Haldeman; and The Fifth Planet, by Larry Eisenberg.  THe cover illustration is a painting of a white man's face shown half in shadow against an abstract background. The left of the background is blank white, extending in swirls into an abstract helmet surrounding the man's face.  A headset microphone extends down the right side of his face to his mouth. The right of the background is bright red with jagged yellow and black accents, which are reflected in the left side of the helmet. In front of the man's face tiny oval spaceships fly upward in an arc, surrounded by tiny blue planets and white stars, at which the man gazes intently.Suggested by “Time Piece”. Art by Gaughan

Second-Hand Stonehenge, by Ernest Taves

After an argument with his wife, a computer scientist from M.I.T. sends away for a replica Stonehenge. He regrets it the next morning and stops payment on the check, but it arrives at his family property in New Hampshire that summer anyway. In spite of, or maybe because of, the end of his marriage, he builds the thing, and on the summer solstice of the following year, something appears in the center of the structure as the sun rises.

A black and white illustration of the silhouette of a miniature stonehenge replica against a white background.  On the right of the image a humanoid being stands with legs wide apart and one arm bent upward toward the chest.  It is backlit, with light showing only the sides of the body and the profile of the face. Its hairless head faces left, looking over the top of the mini Stonehenge.Just what is the purpose of Stonehenge anyway? Art by Gaughan

Everything about this story is wrong. The plot went out of fashion in the 40s and was considered silly even earlier, it’s too long, and the end of the protagonist’s unhappy marriage is treated as an afterthought. Despite all that, I really liked it. Somehow it works.

A low four stars.

The Fifth Planet, by Larry Eisenberg

Early in his psychiatric residency at a mental hospital, a young doctor hears a wild tale from a patient: a story of aliens, the destruction of a planet between Mars and Jupiter recorded in ancient Sumerian tablets, and a secret society persecuting him for uncovering the truth. Gradually, the doctor comes to wonder if some of it might be true.

The two-page title illustration for THe Fifth Planet, which is a black and white drawing.  On the left page, a line sketch of a man lying prone with his head toward the viewer and his feet extending upward out of the frame.  The story title is printed in black serifed capitals along the right edge of the left page, starting at the man's head and continuing down over his arms which are splayed in front of him. A thick black curve crosses the middle third of his body, which is outlined in white against it, and continues across both pages. The curve gets smaller toward the right as if moving away from the viewer. To his right, enclosed by the curve, is a white sphere with straight black lines intersecting across it as though scribbled.  On the opposite page, a line drawing of an object like a cross between a fish and a spaceship is picked out in white against the black curve, with smaller black line drawings of similar style above the curve against the white space. Art uncredited, but it looks like Gaughan to me

Here’s another hoary old plot that went out of favor long ago. Larry Eisenberg makes it work, which is a surprise if you mostly associate him with those awful Emmett Duckworth stories. There’s just enough uncertainty to make you wonder if the doctor has fallen into a folie à deux with the patient.

Three stars.

Time Piece, by Joe Haldeman

It’s often said that those who join the military, whether they go to war or not, are never really able to go home, because they no longer fit in with the old patterns. It’s not a strange concept to science fiction; Heinlein’s dealt with it a couple of times, at least tangentially. How much more difficult would it be for those engaged in an interstellar war fought at relativistic speeds?

The title illustration for Time Piece.  A black and white pointillist style illustration shows a person with shoulder length hair facing toward the right at a three quarter profile. They have a large flower on the left side of their uniform as it faces the viewer, with military style ribbons pinned all across the front.  Some have medals of varying sizes and lengths hangingfrom them.  The person is gazing at their hand, which is held up as though they were about to rest their face on it. The title of the story is written in serifed capitals across the bottom of the illustration.Art uncredited, but probably Gaughan

Joe Haldeman’s protagonist is not quite 30 or over 400 years old, depending on how you count. He’s already survived more missions than most, but retiring means returning to a world he doesn’t understand and that doesn’t understand him. The dilemma is the whole of this story, but I suspect Haldeman could examine the problem in much greater depth.

Four stars.

Equals Four, by Piers Anthony

Accidental, interstellar dentist Dr. Dillingham is settling into his new role as an administrator at the Galactic University of Dentistry, but he needs an assistant. He tries out several candidates while on a tricky field assignment.

A pen and ink drawing of various creatures standing in a queue as though waiting to be interviewed.  At the front, a blob with no discernible features or limbs is heaped on the floor.  Behind it, a human-sized centiped-type creature with long antennae rises upwards, its many legs extending to the sides and bent downward.  Behind that stands a creature that looks like a cross between a horse and a llama with a long narrow face and thick curly fur.  Its body is pointed toward the right of the image, with its head curving around to look back toward the left.  Behind its haunches stands a robot with light bulbs for ears, several antennae extending from its head, and a friendly-looking expression.  It is leaning to the left around the rear of the horse-creature and its eyes are shifted to the right to look at the creatures in front of it. Some candidates for the position. Art by Gaughan

Piers Anthony has some unfortunate tics when it comes to female characters. Apart from esthetic, unattached, and female being part of the job requirements for the assistant, they don’t show up here at all. The stories in this series are trifles, but they’ve grown on me. I’d much rather see more like this from Anthony than some of his more “mature” work.

Three stars.

The Communication Machine, by Lee Harding

A black and white charcoal drawing shows the head and neck of a man with a blank expression against a shadowed background.  He is wearing a futuristic headset with ear cups that cover the ears and wires that extend from the ear cups toward the left and out of the frame.  His face is breaking as though it were a ceramic bust that had been dropped on the floor, with cracks extending upward over the forehead and some pieces missing from the neck and lower face. Some pieces lie next to it, others are still in the process of falling. Art uncredited, probably Gaughan

What would be the effect on poetry of a machine that enables perfect communication? That is the question faced by a celebrated poet when an old friend shows him his new invention. This one has a subtle sting in its tail.

Three stars.

What’s Become of Screwloose?, by Ron Goulart

The title illustration for What's Become of Screwloose?  A black and white pen and ink drawing shows a man with an agitated expression on the left side of the page against a blank background.  Part of his ear and his shoulder extend to the left out of the frame. He has straight hair sticking straight up in spikes.  His head is tilted slightly back so that he appears to be looking down at the viewer. Thick black smoke is pouring out from his ears, both straight up and horizontally to the right, extending out of the frame. He wears a plain button down shirt, but only the collar and front placket are drawn. Art by Gaughan

Ron Goulart may be best known for his stories of machinery and computers gone wildly awry. With very rare exceptions, they tend to be wacky comedies. This tale of a private detective searching for a missing heiress sure looks like it’s going to be another comedy, what with the title and starting with a dishwasher trying to kill the protagonist. This time, however, the satire bites hard, and the heart of the story isn’t smothered by all the silliness.

A low four stars.

Grandfather Pelts, by Neal Barrett, Jr.

A smuggler specializing in furs comes to Pharallel IV, where the natives sport beautiful pelts and are known for storing the hides of their ancestors. He’s surprised by a human customs officer who’s an old foe, but he has a long con planned.

A black and white painting showing a Pharallelian which appears to be standing in a stream or river.  It is a creature with a long narrow face whose nose comes to a point, with long thin ears above.  It has a long straight mane extending down its neck and back.  The forelegs are visible under the long neck but the rest of the body is obscured by the water.The Pharallellians resemble elephant-sized Russian wolfhounds. Art uncredited

Barrett tells this familiar story in a workmanlike fashion. It goes where you expect it to, though probably not in the way you thought. There’s just enough here to keep things interesting.

Three stars.

The Misspelled Magician (Part 2 of 2), by David Gerrold and Larry Niven

In Part 1, a human scientist came to an alien world and managed to violate most local customs. That installment ended with the wizard Shoogar working a mighty curse on the human Purple’s “flying nest” to minimal effect.

The locals flee, expecting Purple’s retribution to be terrible. Only narrator Lant stays behind to help Shoogar prepare for the duel that must come. And only one person ever walks away from a duel between wizards.

A black and white drawing of two humanoid aliens, Lant and Shoogar, in a cluttered wizard's laboratory.  In the background Lant stands in front of some indeterminate objects on a pedestal.  He is wearing a pale poncho-style robe of cross-hatch pattern fabric and large ovals in a line at the hem.  The poncho has a tall hat-hood that resembling a drum major's hat, complete with feather decoration at the front. It is decorated in swirls and curlicues.  He is looking down at Shoogar with an anxious expression and pointing urgently toward the upper right of the page. In front of him, Shoogar is staring with an intent frown at the contents of a mortar and pestle which he is holding in one hand and stirring with the other.  His dark robe has small white rings all over it, and his hat is likewise tall but has fewer decorations. Strewn around Shoogar on his work surface are many jars and bottles, some with implements stuck into them, along with unopeneds crolls and a tall utensil rack with several arms sticking out to the sides with amulets hung over them.Shoogar prepares a spell while Lant looks on. Art by Kirk

As before, this is a well-told examination of Arthur C. Clarke’s assertion that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Unfortunately, the joke names are ramped up even further. The world orbits the twin suns of Virn and Ouells; we learn that Elcin, the god of thunder and lighting, is small of stature; and so on and so forth. The locals’ horrible treatment of women is also presented without comment as right and natural.

But worst of all, perhaps, is that the whole thing feels incomplete. The duel ends and the story’s over, boom. It feels like there’s a lot missing.

Three stars, a little higher for this part, about average for the whole, maybe less if you can’t tolerate the humor.

Dark, Dark, the Dead Star, by Jack Dann and George Zebrowski

The second tale from this new duo brings us a survivor of the first interstellar expedition, locked in a coma. He relives the accident that left him this way, while we also get occasional commentary from two people in his hospital room.

A black and white drawing shows a black hole in the center against a dark background littered with stars and galaxies.  A line drawing of an astronaut in a space suit is drawn in white ink over top.  He is horizontal as though floating in space, with his arms outstretched ahead of him toward the left of the frame.Art by Gaughan

This is a moody piece with some ambition, but I’m not sure it succeeds. There’s nothing wrong with it, really, it just fails to evoke the things the authors clearly hope to make the reader feel.

Three stars.

Reading Room, by Lester del Rey

The title image for the Reading Room column.  The title is written in a large serifed font in the center of a rectangle with a thick black outline as if taken from an architect's drawing. On the upper left of the rectangle is an architect's symbol for a door opening inward.  The name Lester Del Rey is written in smaller block capitals just above the bottom of the rectangle.
Lester del Rey begins this month’s column with a discussion of the difference between schmaltz and kitsch. He seems to consider any use of emotion to be schmaltz, which I don’t really agree with, but it’s the basis for the rest of his reviews. First up is Poul Anderson’s Satan’s World. He finds it lacking, as many reviewers have, but he seems to like it more than our own Traveler did.

Next up is Cliff Simak’s Out of Their Minds. Lester feels this one tips over into kitsch, while my colleague Brian liked it. I didn’t get the feeling del Rey necessarily thought it was bad, just overdone.

In the Ace double of The Winds of Darkover/The Anything Tree, he’s again at odds with our reviewer. He found the Bradley novel to be acceptable kitsch, while Winona gave it a mere two stars. On the other hand, he thought The Anything Tree was good reading, but not worth recommending, while Winona gave it four stars.

Edmond Hamilton’s Return to the Stars gets called a fun read, but not Hamilton’s best work. That’s roughly in line with various Journey reviewers who gave the pieces that make up the novel two or three stars.

The lengthy book column wraps up with two books we haven’t covered. The first is The Yellow Fraction, by Rex Gordon. Del Rey finds this one interesting, but in need of good editorial advice and some emotional content. A Piece of Resistance, by Clive Egleton hasn’t been marketed as science fiction, but deals with an England that has been conquered by Russia. Lester finds no redeeming value in this one.

Summing up

This turned out to be a pretty good issue. Three 4-star stories, though one of them has no real right to be one; that’s just how it hit me. At worst, it’s a high three stars. The other two definitely deserve their ratings, and if Haldeman can write more like “Time Piece,” he has a bright future ahead of him. The serial was disappointing, less than the sum of its authors. Still, I’ve been worried about a drop-off in quality lately, but this is more like those early Jakobsson issues. There may be a dance in the old girl yet.




6 Comments Leave A Comment

6 thoughts on “[June 4, 1970] Something old, something new (July-August 1970 IF)”

  1. I think IF combining with GALAXY was a mighty strange move for the two magazines.  They didn't seem to have much in common. Reminds me of funny doings in the magazine industry. A lot like that was going on back then. Shifty Kangaroo is the way I saw it.

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  2. Thor Heyerdahl was a real records breaker, all right. He was more like what gets written about than a writer. A historical adventurer with his own concept of doings. One of his sidekicks wrote a smaller follow-up called KON-TIKI AND I. He had his own view of the significance of the voyage.

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  4. Omg, a Goulart story worth reading? (I know, he has his fans but I bounce off his work). Is it better than his normal fare (seems like it) or are you a fan of his normal fare?

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    1. I think if you don't like Goulart, then you won't like this. It has all of his usual tics, they're just expressed a little better.

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