Empire of the Atom
Encyclopedia
Empire of the Atom is a science fiction novel by A. E. van Vogt
. It was first published in 1957
by Shasta Publishers
in an edition of 2,000 copies. The novel is a fix-up
of the first five of van Vogt's Gods stories which originally appeared in the magazine Astounding. The remaining Gods stories are collected in The Wizard of Linn
. Author and critic James Blish
observed that the plot of the Gods stories resembled that of Robert Graves
' Claudius
novels. Author and critic Damon Knight
said that the plot was "lifted almost bodily" from the plot of I, Claudius A genealogy chart of the ruling family of the Empire of Linn is included.
reviewer Floyd C. Gale faulted the novel for its odd internal contradictions, in particular a scene where "a fleet of spaceships makes a strafing run over the enemy, loosing flights of arrows from point-blank range."
A. E. van Vogt
Alfred 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....
. It was first published in 1957
1957 in literature
The year 1957 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Lawrence Durrell publishes the first volume of The Alexandria Quartet. The final of the four volumes will be published in 1960....
by Shasta Publishers
Shasta Publishers
Shasta Publishers was a science fiction and fantasy small press specialty publishing house founded in 1947 by Erle Melvin Korshak, T. E. Dikty, and Mark Reinsberg, who were all science fiction fans from the Chicago area...
in an edition of 2,000 copies. The novel is a fix-up
Fix-up
A fix-up is a novel created from short stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material—such as a frame story—is written for the new novel. The term was coined by the science fiction...
of the first five of van Vogt's Gods stories which originally appeared in the magazine Astounding. The remaining Gods stories are collected in The Wizard of Linn
The Wizard of Linn
The Wizard of Linn is a science fiction novel written by A. E. van Vogt and a sequel to Empire of the Atom. The novel was originally serialized in the science fiction magazine Astounding Science Fiction...
. Author and critic James Blish
James Blish
James Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling, Jr.-Biography:...
observed that the plot of the Gods stories resembled that of Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
' Claudius
I, Claudius
I, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius. As such, it includes history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41...
novels. Author and critic Damon Knight
Damon Knight
Damon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
said that the plot was "lifted almost bodily" from the plot of I, Claudius A genealogy chart of the ruling family of the Empire of Linn is included.
Contents
- "A Son Is Born"
- "Child of the Gods"
- "Hand of the Gods"
- "Home of the Gods"
- "The Barbarian"
Plot introduction
The novel concerns adventures of a mutant genius in a barbaric future where spaceships and other forms of advanced technology are used without being understood, most knowledge having been destroyed in an atomic war with an alien species long before the opening of the story.Reception
GalaxyGalaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
reviewer Floyd C. Gale faulted the novel for its odd internal contradictions, in particular a scene where "a fleet of spaceships makes a strafing run over the enemy, loosing flights of arrows from point-blank range."
Publication history
- 1957, USA, Shasta PublishersShasta PublishersShasta Publishers was a science fiction and fantasy small press specialty publishing house founded in 1947 by Erle Melvin Korshak, T. E. Dikty, and Mark Reinsberg, who were all science fiction fans from the Chicago area...
, Pub date 1957, Hardback - 1957, USA, Ace BooksAce BooksAce Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
D-242 , Pub date 1957, Paperback, abridged, Ace Double with Space Station No. 1 by Frank Belknap LongFrank Belknap LongFrank Belknap Long was a prolific American writer of horror fiction, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, gothic romance, comic books, and non-fiction. Though his writing career spanned seven decades, he is best known for his horror and science fiction short stories, including early contributions to... - 1959, Germany, Zimmermann, Pub date 1959, Hardback, as Das Erbe des Atoms
- 1959, Germany, Terra 95, Pub date 1959, Hardback, as Das Erbe des Atoms
- 1963, Italy, La Tribuna SF B. C., Pub date 1963, Hardback, as L'impero dell'atomo, with The Wizard of Linn
- 1966, USA, Macfadden 60-267 , Pub date 1966, Paperback
- 1968, France, Ed. Opta 'Classique SF' 11, Pub date 1968, Hardback, as L'empire de l'atome, with The Wizard of Linn