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Three Novels
An excellent collection of SFWA Grandmaster Damon Knight's always-excellent stories—three short novels in this Rule Golden—what if the Golden Rule were enforced in reverse by some force—the bad things you do to others are done to you? Natural State—are cities doomed by genetic engineering? The Dying Man—what would it be like to be immortal... then suddenly find out you'd become mortal? (Note that Rule Golden and Other Stories includes these same three, plus two more.)
- GenresScience Fiction
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
25 people want to read
About the author
Damon Knight
558 books93 followersDamon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, and critic.
Knight's first professional sale was a cartoon drawing to a science-fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. His first story, "Resilience", was published in 1941. He is best known as the author of "To Serve Man", which was adapted for The Twilight Zone. He was a recipient of the Hugo Award, founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), cofounder of the National Fantasy Fan Federation, cofounder of the Milford Writer's Workshop, and cofounder of the Clarion Writers Workshop. Knight lived in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife Kate Wilhelm.
Knight's first professional sale was a cartoon drawing to a science-fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. His first story, "Resilience", was published in 1941. He is best known as the author of "To Serve Man", which was adapted for The Twilight Zone. He was a recipient of the Hugo Award, founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), cofounder of the National Fantasy Fan Federation, cofounder of the Milford Writer's Workshop, and cofounder of the Clarion Writers Workshop. Knight lived in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife Kate Wilhelm.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 4, 2024
An uneven collection of "novels". Really it's two borderline novelettes and a longish short story. "Rule Golden" is okay at best, while "Natural State" is good and "The Dying Man" might be a new favourite.
"Rule Golden" (1954) - What if we felt all the pain we inflicted on others? Well, things would be different, I guess. Knight takes this to a far-reaching conclusion, and he briefly considers some of the side issues that would arise (theft? predators?), but cursorily. "You'll figure it out" is the guidance of the alien causing the change. With the cessation of war and crime, we'll have the capacity to figure out solutions to the side effects of the cure. And wow, the collapse of the USSR in the 50s. Sure it took alien space magic, but that was the real imaginative barrier for like 50 years. The actual story is dry, and could have been much shorter without losing anything crucial. The paranoia established early on never seems deeply rooted in our protagonist, who more or less freely aids the alien making saints of humanity. He worries that Earth is perhaps just being softened up for invasion, but come on Knight, you already wrote "To Serve Man", who would believe you would write the same story twice? (Please ignore the many, many writers who have done exactly that.)
This story mentions Manitoban Doukobors which is a bit of local trivia so obscure I'm shocked I wasn't able to find any biographical connection between Knight and Canada.
Barlowe's Triped is cute. I would have given him more of a wasp waist, but it's a quibble. He has a mascot quality, which is fitting for his physical smallness and the way his human companion occasionally totes him around in a suitcase. I'm not sure whether the lines on the neck are supposed to suggest a twisting of the head (why? he's got six damn eyes) or grooves for the neck spines, which are described as moving and quivering, but not retracting.
★ "Natural State" (1951) - In 2064, the 22 remaining cities of America are massive sealed domes, their citizens living extremely hectic, antiseptic, patriotic lives. In order to stimulate the economy of an ailing New York, an actor, Alvah, is sent out to the unwashed ruralite Muckfeet to shill the latest products. The conditions he discovers there are not what he expects in the slightest. Something of a more comical and small-scale Against the Fall of Night. Great fun, and an amusing reversal of a well-worn scifi cliche.
This one I actually wish could be expanded to short novel size. The concept, while not strangled by its length, could be even better with extra breathing space. Wytak, the forward-thinking Manager of New York, and Alvah's biologist love interest B.J. (lol) have very small parts. The "romance" involved could be so much less perfunctory, and Wytak given an actual role in the climax.
As a historical note, this story features what seems to be an extremely early example of a laser pointer in fiction, possibly the earliest. "Wytak's porter put a metal tube with a shaped grip into his hand; a tiny spot on the map fluoresced where he pointed it." Written in 1951, laser pointers didn't become a commercial product until the 80s (from what I could find, it's a bit spotty).
★ "The Dying Man" (1957) - In the far distant future, humanity is immortal and invulnerable. The intellectual students manage and design the world, keeping it fresh, while the athletic players travel and play in it. The student Dio discovers that he is no longer immortal, and the player Claire visits him over the course of years. She tries to understand what is happening to him, and her own feelings for a changing man.
Maybe I'm just at the right/wrong place to read this but DAMN did it get me. I'm also sucker for the Princess Kaguya/Last Unicorn "mortal teaches an immortal loss" story. It's done with a light touch. It's a melancholy story, not a tearjerker, nor is this a tale of dystopia. Knight is not suggesting that immortality would ruin us, merely diminish us. Dio's disconnection from a society that cannot understand him is as tragic as his passing and its mark on Claire.
Knight's depiction of the world of the immortals, with their constant whirlwind of stimulation, tenuous personal relationships, and striking durability (Claire walks into a fire fully clothed to warm up and clean herself) is a treat. The players are childlike, and though Dio is a student, we're shown relatively little of their side, other than that they have preserved at least some science and history of humanity.
"Rule Golden" (1954) - What if we felt all the pain we inflicted on others? Well, things would be different, I guess. Knight takes this to a far-reaching conclusion, and he briefly considers some of the side issues that would arise (theft? predators?), but cursorily. "You'll figure it out" is the guidance of the alien causing the change. With the cessation of war and crime, we'll have the capacity to figure out solutions to the side effects of the cure. And wow, the collapse of the USSR in the 50s. Sure it took alien space magic, but that was the real imaginative barrier for like 50 years. The actual story is dry, and could have been much shorter without losing anything crucial. The paranoia established early on never seems deeply rooted in our protagonist, who more or less freely aids the alien making saints of humanity. He worries that Earth is perhaps just being softened up for invasion, but come on Knight, you already wrote "To Serve Man", who would believe you would write the same story twice? (Please ignore the many, many writers who have done exactly that.)
This story mentions Manitoban Doukobors which is a bit of local trivia so obscure I'm shocked I wasn't able to find any biographical connection between Knight and Canada.
Barlowe's Triped is cute. I would have given him more of a wasp waist, but it's a quibble. He has a mascot quality, which is fitting for his physical smallness and the way his human companion occasionally totes him around in a suitcase. I'm not sure whether the lines on the neck are supposed to suggest a twisting of the head (why? he's got six damn eyes) or grooves for the neck spines, which are described as moving and quivering, but not retracting.
★ "Natural State" (1951) - In 2064, the 22 remaining cities of America are massive sealed domes, their citizens living extremely hectic, antiseptic, patriotic lives. In order to stimulate the economy of an ailing New York, an actor, Alvah, is sent out to the unwashed ruralite Muckfeet to shill the latest products. The conditions he discovers there are not what he expects in the slightest. Something of a more comical and small-scale Against the Fall of Night. Great fun, and an amusing reversal of a well-worn scifi cliche.
This one I actually wish could be expanded to short novel size. The concept, while not strangled by its length, could be even better with extra breathing space. Wytak, the forward-thinking Manager of New York, and Alvah's biologist love interest B.J. (lol) have very small parts. The "romance" involved could be so much less perfunctory, and Wytak given an actual role in the climax.
As a historical note, this story features what seems to be an extremely early example of a laser pointer in fiction, possibly the earliest. "Wytak's porter put a metal tube with a shaped grip into his hand; a tiny spot on the map fluoresced where he pointed it." Written in 1951, laser pointers didn't become a commercial product until the 80s (from what I could find, it's a bit spotty).
★ "The Dying Man" (1957) - In the far distant future, humanity is immortal and invulnerable. The intellectual students manage and design the world, keeping it fresh, while the athletic players travel and play in it. The student Dio discovers that he is no longer immortal, and the player Claire visits him over the course of years. She tries to understand what is happening to him, and her own feelings for a changing man.
Maybe I'm just at the right/wrong place to read this but DAMN did it get me. I'm also sucker for the Princess Kaguya/Last Unicorn "mortal teaches an immortal loss" story. It's done with a light touch. It's a melancholy story, not a tearjerker, nor is this a tale of dystopia. Knight is not suggesting that immortality would ruin us, merely diminish us. Dio's disconnection from a society that cannot understand him is as tragic as his passing and its mark on Claire.
Knight's depiction of the world of the immortals, with their constant whirlwind of stimulation, tenuous personal relationships, and striking durability (Claire walks into a fire fully clothed to warm up and clean herself) is a treat. The players are childlike, and though Dio is a student, we're shown relatively little of their side, other than that they have preserved at least some science and history of humanity.
March 22, 2020
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
"Damon Knight’s Beyond the Barrier (1964) was so egregious that I have stayed away from his work until recently. Around a year ago I acquired Three Novels (1969)—containing the two novellas “Rule Golden” (1954) and “Natural State” (1951) and one novelette “The Dying Man” (variant title: “Dio”) (1951)—in order to start my reappraisal of the supposed [....]"
"Damon Knight’s Beyond the Barrier (1964) was so egregious that I have stayed away from his work until recently. Around a year ago I acquired Three Novels (1969)—containing the two novellas “Rule Golden” (1954) and “Natural State” (1951) and one novelette “The Dying Man” (variant title: “Dio”) (1951)—in order to start my reappraisal of the supposed [....]"
July 15, 2011
The most interesting of these three novellas is Rule Golden, the concept of which hinges upon the invention of a drug which causes persons to feel the pain they inflict on others.
Damon Knight may be most known for his To Serve Man which was adapted for television for The Twilight Zone series. In the 1950 original, incidentally, they look like piggies in bibs.
Damon Knight may be most known for his To Serve Man which was adapted for television for The Twilight Zone series. In the 1950 original, incidentally, they look like piggies in bibs.
August 17, 2013
Three novellas - Rule Golden, Natural State and The dying man
Would persuade me to read more by him
Would persuade me to read more by him
October 20, 2016
[FIRST READING: * * * ]
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews