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The World of Null-A / Universe Maker
The World of Null-A - 182 pp
The classic novel of non-Aristotelian logic and the coming race of supermen.
Universe Maker - 138 pp
Morton Cargill is about to die for a crime he committed 400 years ago.
The classic novel of non-Aristotelian logic and the coming race of supermen.
Universe Maker - 138 pp
Morton Cargill is about to die for a crime he committed 400 years ago.
- GenresScience Fiction
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
1 person is currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
A.E. van Vogt
647 books456 followersAlfred Elton van Vogt was a Canadian-born science fiction author regarded by some as one of the most popular and complex science fiction writers of the mid-twentieth century—the "Golden Age" of the genre.
van Vogt was born to Russian Mennonite family. Until he was four years old, van Vogt and his family spoke only a dialect of Low German in the home.
He began his writing career with 'true story' romances, but then moved to writing science fiction, a field he identified with. His first story was Black Destroyer, that appeared as the front cover story for the July 1939 edtion of the popular "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine.
van Vogt was born to Russian Mennonite family. Until he was four years old, van Vogt and his family spoke only a dialect of Low German in the home.
He began his writing career with 'true story' romances, but then moved to writing science fiction, a field he identified with. His first story was Black Destroyer, that appeared as the front cover story for the July 1939 edtion of the popular "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 14, 2016
A.E. van Vogt
Null-A:
I've read this three times now. Everytime I do, it feels like I'm reading it for the first time. So weird. But the thing is that I really like it. It is such a strange book. like reading a 'norm' from a parallel dimension. "Is this what a normal run of the mill novel is like in your world?" In mine it is all wrong; sloppy disjointed, illogical, but if you put yourself in that other world: van's world, it is a master piece of scifi literature.
I love this novel. I really do. And Players of Null-A (the sequel) is even better. (less)
Yet another long complicated way about to tell a simple story. This was an expansion on a shorter work van Vogt, one of his last during his first wave, published in Startling Stories Jan. 1950 under the title “The Shadow Men.” http://icshi.net/sevagram/biblio/shad...
Starts out nicely. The year is 1953 and Morton Cargill, a lieutenant on leave serving in the Korean war had apparently had several too many a drink with a woman (Marie Chanette) in a bar. There is talk about him driving her home in her Chevrolet coupe or whether or not to cab it... The next morning, he reads in the paper that the woman he was with had died in the car crash. Naturally, it was all a blur to him but the article in the paper was quite clear...
After a year or so, he is sent a letter signed Marie Chanette requesting a meeting. Though the name means nothing to him, he agrees to go. It turns out that she is that she is Marie’s descendant from four hundred years in the future and wants him to be prosecuted for the crime he had committed and own up. He is then ‘taken’ to this future..
There he learns that there are three types of human beings: The Floaters, The Tweeners, and The Shadows. All these in one way or another are in a sort of conflict. Cargill has a part to play in each one of these as they determine he can lead them either in revolution or defense and so...
From there the story is twisted and tangled up in the usual van Vogt fashion with the odd vignette of his usual dated views on politics and men / women relationships although it comes to a satisfactory conclusion but he takes us on a screwy road to get there. It’s as if you were following someone out of the woods who is as lost as you are. However, like I said, you do eventually make it home before almost dying of exposure.
The Universe Maker: Yet another long complicated way to tell a simple story. This was an expanded shorter work, one of his last during his 'first wave' published in Startling Stories Jan. '50 under the title “The Shadow Men.” http://icshi.net/sevagram/biblio/shad...
Starts out nicely. The year is 1953 and Morton Cargill, a lieutenant on leave serving in the Korean war had apparently had several too many a drink with a woman (Marie Chanette) in a bar. There is talk about him driving her home in her Chevrolet coupe or whether or not to cab it... The next morning, he reads in the paper that the woman he was with had died in the car crash. Naturally, it was all a blur to him but the article in the paper was quite clear...
After a year or so, he is sent a letter signed Marie Chanette requesting a meeting. Though the name means nothing to him, he agrees to go. It turns out that she is Marie’s descendant from four hundred years in the future and wants him to be prosecuted for the crime he had committed and own up. He is then ‘taken’ to this future..
There he learns that there are three types of human beings: The Floaters, The Tweeners, and The Shadows. All these in one way or another are in a sort of conflict. Cargill has a part to play in each one of these as they determine he can lead them either in revolution or defense and so on...
From there the story is twisted and tangled up in the usual van Vogt fashion with the odd vignette of his usual dated views on politics and men / women relationships. Although it comes to a satisfactory conclusion, he takes us on a screwy road to get there. It’s as if you were following someone out of the woods who is as lost as you are. However, like I said, you do eventually make it home before almost dying of exposure.
Null-A:
I've read this three times now. Everytime I do, it feels like I'm reading it for the first time. So weird. But the thing is that I really like it. It is such a strange book. like reading a 'norm' from a parallel dimension. "Is this what a normal run of the mill novel is like in your world?" In mine it is all wrong; sloppy disjointed, illogical, but if you put yourself in that other world: van's world, it is a master piece of scifi literature.
I love this novel. I really do. And Players of Null-A (the sequel) is even better. (less)
Yet another long complicated way about to tell a simple story. This was an expansion on a shorter work van Vogt, one of his last during his first wave, published in Startling Stories Jan. 1950 under the title “The Shadow Men.” http://icshi.net/sevagram/biblio/shad...
Starts out nicely. The year is 1953 and Morton Cargill, a lieutenant on leave serving in the Korean war had apparently had several too many a drink with a woman (Marie Chanette) in a bar. There is talk about him driving her home in her Chevrolet coupe or whether or not to cab it... The next morning, he reads in the paper that the woman he was with had died in the car crash. Naturally, it was all a blur to him but the article in the paper was quite clear...
After a year or so, he is sent a letter signed Marie Chanette requesting a meeting. Though the name means nothing to him, he agrees to go. It turns out that she is that she is Marie’s descendant from four hundred years in the future and wants him to be prosecuted for the crime he had committed and own up. He is then ‘taken’ to this future..
There he learns that there are three types of human beings: The Floaters, The Tweeners, and The Shadows. All these in one way or another are in a sort of conflict. Cargill has a part to play in each one of these as they determine he can lead them either in revolution or defense and so...
From there the story is twisted and tangled up in the usual van Vogt fashion with the odd vignette of his usual dated views on politics and men / women relationships although it comes to a satisfactory conclusion but he takes us on a screwy road to get there. It’s as if you were following someone out of the woods who is as lost as you are. However, like I said, you do eventually make it home before almost dying of exposure.
The Universe Maker: Yet another long complicated way to tell a simple story. This was an expanded shorter work, one of his last during his 'first wave' published in Startling Stories Jan. '50 under the title “The Shadow Men.” http://icshi.net/sevagram/biblio/shad...
Starts out nicely. The year is 1953 and Morton Cargill, a lieutenant on leave serving in the Korean war had apparently had several too many a drink with a woman (Marie Chanette) in a bar. There is talk about him driving her home in her Chevrolet coupe or whether or not to cab it... The next morning, he reads in the paper that the woman he was with had died in the car crash. Naturally, it was all a blur to him but the article in the paper was quite clear...
After a year or so, he is sent a letter signed Marie Chanette requesting a meeting. Though the name means nothing to him, he agrees to go. It turns out that she is Marie’s descendant from four hundred years in the future and wants him to be prosecuted for the crime he had committed and own up. He is then ‘taken’ to this future..
There he learns that there are three types of human beings: The Floaters, The Tweeners, and The Shadows. All these in one way or another are in a sort of conflict. Cargill has a part to play in each one of these as they determine he can lead them either in revolution or defense and so on...
From there the story is twisted and tangled up in the usual van Vogt fashion with the odd vignette of his usual dated views on politics and men / women relationships. Although it comes to a satisfactory conclusion, he takes us on a screwy road to get there. It’s as if you were following someone out of the woods who is as lost as you are. However, like I said, you do eventually make it home before almost dying of exposure.
November 11, 2014
Another re-read of one of sci-fi's legendary Authors. Space travel, futuristic dystopian society and the coming of the super-human make for an entertaining yar. More complicated than sci-fi written today and needs your undivided attention.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews