The Answer: A Fable for Our Times

by Philip Wylie

In this ingenious and unforgettable twentieth-century parable, a world on the brink of war is thrown into chaos when angels fall from heaven Major General Marcus Scott is a seasoned veteran of combat, a loyal American, and a skeptic in a volatile world. But amid the aftermath of a nuclear weapons test in the South Pacific, everything Scott believes—and refuses to believe—will be turned upside down.   In a pool of clear water lies a single casualty of the blast, a beautiful winged being certainly not of this earth. And when a second celestial creature is discovered following a Russian H-bomb test, the military establishments of two major powers are thrown into chaos. Sworn enemies, each pledged to the other’s destruction, they must now deal with the unthinkable and the that the Cold War has transcended the boundaries of the world, reaching into heaven to bring down angels.   A provocative tale as beguiling as it is disturbing, Philip Wylie’s The Answer is a captivating fantasy of the nuclear age. Set at the height of the United States–Soviet arms race, it is a page-turning thriller that taps into the anxieties and paranoia of a bygone era, offering a heartfelt plea for peaceful coexistence while decrying the suicidal insanity of war.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

51 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, Philip Gordon Wylie was the son of Presbyterian minister Edmund Melville Wylie and the former Edna Edwards, a novelist, who died when Philip was five years old. His family moved to Montclair, New Jersey and he later attended Princeton University from 1920–1923. He married Sally Ondek, and had one child, Karen, an author who became the inventor of animal "clicker" training. After a divorcing his first wife, Philip Wylie married Frederica Ballard who was born and raised in Rushford, New York; they are both buried in Rushford.

A writer of fiction and nonfiction, his output included hundreds of short stories, articles, serials, syndicated newspaper columns, novels, and works of social criticism. He also wrote screenplays while in Hollywood, was an editor for Farrar & Rinehart, served on the Dade County, Florida Defense Council, was a director of the Lerner Marine Laboratory, and at one time was an adviser to the chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee for Atomic Energy which led to the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission. Most of his major writings contain critical, though often philosophical, views on man and society as a result of his studies and interest in psychology, biology, ethnology, and physics. Over nine movies were made from novels or stories by Wylie. He sold the rights for two others that were never produced.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Short, antiwar novella from the 1950's about a U.S. nuclear missle tests that results in a single and unusual casualty. The casualty appears to be an angel. The writing was good and the message was nice, but it was not as powerful as I would have hoped. Okay but not great.

P.S. I listended to the audio version and the production value was very good as was the narrator.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This (not very long novella) was separately published in hard covers back in 1955. It's an antiwar fable and has survived the passage of time quite well. After each of two US and Soviet H-bomb tests an injured angel flutters from the sky and dies. Two different political systems must endeavour to cope with the implications, and in the event both fail. In a way Wylie was doing the same sort of thing as I did more recently in my own novel Leaving Fortusa, using fantasy in a sciencefictional setting to work out moral/ethical questions, although otherwise the works are extremely different. I can't think why it took me so long to get round to reading this little book, which I bought nearly a decade ago.

[Shari Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though written in the early '50s, this story is as poignant and haunting as if it was written yesterday. Super short, and easily read it packs a wallop that will resonate with all right thinking people. Unfortunately the hate-mongers - who SHOULD read it, will either never read it, or never understand its message if they do read it. Though it was obviously inspired by the horrifying threat of nuclear war, the story also contains a thoroughly simplistic yet completely human solution to the terrorism and hate crimes we face today. This should be required reading.

[Dean McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE ANSWER: A FABLE FOR OUR TIMES by Philip Wylie -- This short work was published in 1942, a few years prior to the height of atomic & nuclear bomb testing by the USA and Soviet Union. In the fable, the USA conducts a nuclear bomb test on an island. It is later discovered that there was a survivor -- an angel.....with wings and a book. The angel dies in the test, falls to earth, and the body recovered by the military. Amid tight secrecy, they call together a group of scientists, politicians, theologians, and others, to consider the ramifications of the discovery. Is this proof of the biblical truth, or perhaps a Russian plot or scam? At the same time, during a Russian nuclear bomb test, another angel dies and is discovered by the military. The military establishments of two major powers are thrown into chaos. Sworn enemies, each pledged to the other’s destruction, they must now deal with the unthinkable and the that the Cold War has transcended the boundaries of the world, reaching into heaven to bring down angels. A provocative indictment of the insanity of war. In my youth I also read Wylie's GENERATION OF VIPERS, which changed how I thought about life, culture, and I still recommend if you don't know it. THE ANSWER is highly thought provoking and enjoyable.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
In the course of testing a nuclear warhead, a US general finds the test has killed an innocent bystander - an angel.

Review
The Answer is interesting, so far as it goes, but it doesn’t go very far – it’s a novelette, and a brief one. While it does wrap up nicely with a message for humanity, I frankly wish it had gone substantially further in exploring the premise. Wylie is primarily interested in getting across a concern about nuclear weapons and a wish that we’d all just get along, but I felt there was more complex story in here that he could have explored. As it stands, it’s a nice, efficient message story, but not much more.

Wylie takes an effective tack in making his protagonist, a general, a sceptic of both war and religion, allowing him enough distance to function as a commentator without getting in the way of the story. He’s an engaging character, and I would have liked to see more of him.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fable makes the reader consider the repercussions that arise contingent on whether world view, scientific evidence, or personal perspective are deemed valid. The tensions and hierarchies described in the era of the Cold War have implications for current times. For a short book with some fantastical elements, I was impressed by the vocabulary and clarity of observation so that the reader knew exactly whose point of view was being represented. This fable include some elements that date if for the modern reader, and other elements that transcend the particulars of time, especially in terms of what we choose to communicate and why.

[Debra Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, but good

Are angels real?
I see this could be expanded and hope it will be the start of a series.
Movie??

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written in 1955, but has thought provoking plot lines that ring true today.
I think I will read it again to see what I missed.

[Jiri Starek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Snůška relativně nezáživných kontemplací o humanitě a duchovnu zakódovaná v dobovém, politicky angažovaném sci-fi.

[Bronwen Whyatt]

Interesting short story - love one another.