Jean Marie Stine - Future Eves

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FUTURE EVES

Great Science Fiction About Women by Women

Edited by

Jean Marie Stine

A Futures-Past Science Fiction Classic– Selected and Introduced by Jean Marie Stine

A Renaissance E Books publication

ISBN 1-58873-070-0

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.

For information contact:

Renaissance E Books

P. O. Box 494

Clemmons, NC 27012-0494

USA

Email comments@renebooks.com

CONTENTS

Introduction

PART I: FROM THE 1920s – '30s

Conquest of Gola – Leslie F. Stone

Delilah – Margaretta W. Rea

The Man of Stone – Hazel Heald

PART II: FROM THE 1940s – '50s

Days of Darkness – Evelyn Goldstein

Alien Invasion – Marcia Kamien

Miss Millie's Rose – Joy Leache

The Goddess of Planet Delight – Betsy Curtis

Cocktails at Eight – Beth Elliott

The Last Day – Helen Clarkson

INTRODUCTION

"Eve."

It's a name freighted with negative associations: Temptation. Sin. Deception. The fall

of man. For some three or four thousand years, this venerable lady's name has been

blackened in every way imaginable.

But, when the story is examined, a diametrically opposite picture emerges. For, old

Eve did pretty well by humankind. To her, if the tale be accurate, we owe:

Knowledge. Science. Progress. Long life. Physical comforts. Perhaps even freedom

from tyranny (if this be the step-child of knowledge and progress).

Clearly, Mother Eve must have been a remarkable and courageous woman.

Nor did the gifts end with Eve's generation. Today's Eves, equally remarkable and

courageous women, have given us: Anti-fungal antibiotics. Egalitarian relationship

models. Eyeglasses. Consciousness of social justice. And, of course, much, much

more.

But what of Future Eves–on Earth and among the Stars? What gifts will they

bestow? Group consciousness? Immortality? Universal cheap power? A perfected

economic and social system? Faster-than-light star drives?

There is no way to know, of course. But who is more qualified to give an educated

guess than the women who write science fiction? It is into their stories we must peer

if we wish a glimpse of the gifts future Eves may hold out to us. As futurists and

feminists, they are in the best position to imagine the parts women may play and the

contributions they may make in the world of tomorrow.

This anthology showcases nine classic tales by female science fiction writers,

penned between 1926 (the publication of the first science fiction magazine) and 1960

(the dawn of modern SF), each featuring its own, unique future Eve. Although it is

generally assumed that no – or few – women were writing science fiction during this

period, research reveals a strikingly different picture. Recently a review was

conducted of every issue of every SF magazine published from the debut first

science fiction magazine in 1926 (Amazing Stories) and the modern age in SF

magazine publishing in 1959 (when Imagination, the last pulp-influenced periodical

went broke and the more literary, purse-sized magazines typical today became

dominant). An unsuspected one hundred women contributed stories to their pages

during those three and a half decades. Some researchers estimate the true number

may well be twice that, as doubtless many women – believing, perhaps rightly, that

their work would find readier acceptance – concealed their gender behind

androgynous names, the anonymity of initials or beneath male pseudonyms.

Whatever names they may have chosen to write under, these pioneering women were

so far ahead of most other women – and men – of their time that that they rightly

deserve to be considered future Eves themselves. Take the cases of the nine writers

represented here: Leslie F. Stone was so far ahead of her time that nothing like her

novelette, "The Conquest of Gola" (1931), an encounter with Earth males told from

the point-of-view of an alien matriarch, would be attempted again in science fiction

until the work of Alice Sheldon (AKA James Tiptree, Jr.) in the 1970s. The scientific

detective story is a subgenre of science fiction that flourished in the early 1900s with

the adventures of Arthur B. Reeve's Craig Kennedy character; and Margarette Rea is

one of the few women of the time to have, in "Delilah" (1933), written in the

subgenre (in this instance utilizing the newly emergent science of "psychology").

Hazel Heald's novelette "The Man of Stone" is searingly feminist, all the more so

since her heroine, like so many women of the time, takes her brutalized situation so

much for granted; the title can be seen as having both a literal meaning and a

metaphorical one in relation to the heart of the principle male character (Lovecraft

fans are in for a real treat.) On a more modern note, Evelyn Goldsmith offers what is

both a legitimate science fiction puzzle story and one of character in her "Days of

Darkness" (1959) the tale of a spinster's encounter with an invisible, vampiric alien

invader. Although "Alien Invasion" (1954) by Marcia Kamen is short, it is one many

women will sympathize with – after all, what else is sex between a man and a

woman? In "Miss Millie's Rose" (1959), Joy Leche manages what so few male

science fiction writers of the era seemed able to do: portray a character whose

psychology arises out of her own future world and not our own. Betsy Curtis is a

deceptively mild name for someone able to produce a work like "The Goddess of

Planet Delight," a short novel in the classicAstounding mode that mixes a

sociological puzzle with pointed satire, high-adventure and romance in its story of a

traveling salesman who has to stop over one night at... "Cocktails at Eight" seems a

deceptively mild domestic comedy, until you realize what author Beth Elliot is saying

about the children her heroine has produced. Finally, the unknown Helen Clarkson

offers "The Last Day," a haunting poignant short-short so prophetic that, though

chosen prior to 9/11, hits home all the harder in the aftermath of that horrendous

tragedy. You will find an Eve of the future at the heart of each of these classic

science fiction stories about women by women.

Jean Marie Stine

1/9/2002

Watch for the next Futures-Past/PageTurner E-Books release,and be sure to visit

Future Sagas, our free on-line magazine of classic science fiction to see the original

magazine illustrations for some of these stories, as well as forgotten fiction, rare

covers, articles and illustrations, plus news of our forthcoming e-books. URL:

http://www.hometown.aol.com/pulplady/FUTURES.html/

PART I:

FROM THE 1920s – '30s

THE CONQUEST OF GOLA

Leslie F. Stone

(Wonder Stories, April 1931)

HOLA, my daughters (sighed the Matriarch), it is true indeed,

I am the only living one upon Gola who remembers the invasion from Detaxal. I

alone of all my generation survive to recall vividly the sights and scenes of that past

era. And well it is that you come to me to hear by free communication of mind to

mind, face to face with each other.

Ah, well I remember the surprise of that hour when through the mists that enshroud

our lovely world, there swam the first of the great smooth cylinders of the

Detaxalans, fifty tas in length, as glistening and silvery as the soil of our land,

propelled by the man-things that on Detaxal are supreme even as we women are

supreme on Gola.

In those bygone days, as now, Gola was enwrapped by her cloud mists that keep

from us the terrific glare of the great star that glows like a malignant spirit out there in

the darkness of the void. Only occasionally when a particularly great storm parts the

mist of heaven do we see the wonders of the vast universe, but that does not prevent

us, with our marvelous telescopes handed down to us from thousands of

generations before us, from learning what lies across the dark seas of the outside.

Therefore we knew of the nine planets that encircle the great star and are subject to

its rule. And so are we familiar enough with the surfaces of these planets to know

why Gola should appear as a haven to their inhabitants who see in our

cloud-enclosed mantle a sweet release from the blasting heat and blinding glare of the

great sun.

So it was not strange at all to us to find that the people of Detaxal, the third planet of

the sun, had arrived on our globe with a wish in their hearts to migrate here, and end

their days out of reach of the blistering warmth that had come to be their lot on their

own world.

Long ago we, too, might have gone on exploring expeditions to other worlds, other

universes, but for what? Are we not happy here? We who have attained the greatest

of civilizations within the confines of our own silvery world. Powerfully strong with

our mighty force rays, we could subjugate all the universe, but why?

Are we not content with life as it is, with our lovely cities, our homes, our daughters,

our gentle consorts? Why spend physical energy in combative strife for something

we do not wish, when our mental processes carry us further and beyond the

conquest of mere terrestrial exploitation?

On Detaxal it is different, for there the peoples, the ignoble male creatures, breed for

physical prowess, leaving the development of their sciences, their philosophies, and

the contemplation of the abstract to a chosen few. The greater part of the race faces

forth to conquer, to lay waste, to struggle and fight as the animals do over a morsel

of worthless territory. Of course we can see why they desired Gola with all its

treasures, but we can thank Providence and ourselves that they did not succeed in

"commercializing" us as they have the remainder of the universe with their ignoble

Federation.

Ah yes, well I recall the hour when first they came, pushing cautiously through the

cloud mists, seeking that which lay beneath. We of Gola were unwarned until the two

cylinders hung directly above Tola, the greatest city of that time, which still lies in its

ruins since that memorable day. But they have paid for it – paid for it well in

thousands and tens of thousands of their men.

We were first apprised of their coming when the alarm from Tola was sent from the

great beam station there, advising all to stand in readiness for an emergency. Geble,

my mother, was then Queen of all Gola, and I was by her side in Morka, that

pleasant seaside resort, where I shall soon travel to partake of its rejuvenating waters.

With us were four of Geble's consorts, sweet gentle males that gave Geble much

pleasure in those free hours away from the worries of state. But when the word of

the strangers' descent over our home city, Tola, came to us, all else was forgotten.

With me at her side, Geble hastened to the beam station and there in the matter

transmitter we dispatched our physical beings to the palace at Tola, and the next

moment were staring upward at the two strange shapes etched against the clouds.

What the Detaxalan ships were waiting for we did not know then, but later we

learned. Not grasping the meaning of our beam stations, the commanders of the

ships considered the city below them entirely lacking in means of defense, and were

conferring on the method of taking it without bloodshed on either side.

It was not long after our arrival in Tola that the first of the ships began to descend

toward the great square before the palace. Geble watched without a word, her great

mind already scanning the brains of those whom she found within the great machine.

She transferred to my mind but a single thought as I stood there at her side and that

with a sneer "Barbarians!"

Now the ship was settling in the square and after a few moments of hesitation, a

circular doorway appeared at the side and four of the Detaxalans came through the

opening. The square was empty but for themselves and their flyer, and we saw them

looking about surveying the beautiful buildings on all sides. They seemed to

recognize the palace for what it was and in one accord moved in our direction.

Then Geble left the window at which we stood and strode to the doorway opening

upon the balcony that faced the square. The Detaxalans halted in their tracks when

they saw her slender graceful form appear and removing the strange coverings they

wore on their heads they each made a bow.

Again Geble sneered, for only the male-things of our world bow their heads, and so

she recognized these visitors for what they were, nothing more than the despicable

males of the species! And what creatures they were!

Imagine a short almost flat body set high upon two slender legs, the body tapering in

the middle, several times as broad across as it is through the center, with two arms

almost as long as the legs attached to the upper part of the torso. A small

column-like neck of only a few inches divides the head of oval shape from the body,

and in this head only are set the organs of sight, hearing, and scent. Their bodies

were like a patchwork of a misguided nature.

Yes, strange as it is, my daughters, practically all of the creature's faculties had their

base in the small ungainly head, and each organ was perforce pressed into serving

for several functions. For instance, the breathing nostrils also served for scenting out

odors, nor was this organ able to exclude any disagreeable odors that might come its

way, but had to dispense to the brain both pleasant and unpleasant odors at the same

time.

Then there was the mouth, set directly beneath the nose, and here again we had an

example of one organ doing the work of two, for the creature not only used the

mouth with which to take in the food for its body, but it also used the mouth to

enunciate the excruciatingly ugly sounds of its language.

Never before have I seen such a poorly organized body, so unlike our own highly

developed organisms. How much nicer it is to be able to call forth any organ at will,

and dispense with it when its usefulness is over! Instead these poor Detaxalans had

to carry theirs about in physical being all the time so that always was the surface of

their bodies entirely marred.

Yet that was not the only part of their ugliness, and proof of the lowliness of their

origin, for whereas our fine bodies support themselves by muscular development,

these poor creatures were dependent entirely upon a strange structure to keep them

in their proper shape.

Imagine if you can a bony skeleton somewhat like the foundations upon which we

build our edifices, laying stone and cement over the steel framework. But this

skeleton instead is inside a body which the flesh, muscle and skin overlay.

Everywhere in their bodies are these cartilaginous structures – hard, heavy, bony

structures developed by the chemicals of the being for its use. Even the hands, feet

and head of the creatures were underlaid with these bones – ugh, it was terrible when

we dissected one of the fellows for study. I shudder to think of it.

Yet again there was still another feature of the Detaxalans that was equally as

horrifying as the rest, namely their outer covering. As we viewed them for the first

time out there in the square we discovered that parts of the body, that is the part of

the head which they called the face, and the bony hands were entirely naked without

any sort of covering, neither fur nor feathers, just the raw, pinkish-brown skin

looking as if it had been recently plucked.

Later we found a few specimens that had a type of fur on the lower part of the face,

but these were rare. And when they doffed the head coverings which we had first

taken for some sort of natural covering, we saw that the top of the head was overlaid

with a very fine fuzz of fur several inches long.

We did not know in the beginning that the strange covering on the bodies of the four

men, green in color, was not a natural growth, but later discovered that such was the

truth, and not only the face and hands were bare of fur, but the entire body, except

for a fine sprinkling of hair that was scarcely visible except on the chest, was also

bare. No wonder the poor things covered themselves with their awkward clothing.

We arrived at the conclusion that their lack of fur had been brought about by the fact

that always they had been exposed to the bright rays of the sun so that without the

dampness of our own planet the fur had dried up and fallen away from the flesh!

Now thinking it over I suppose that we of Gola presented strange forms to the

people of Detaxal with our fine circular bodies, rounded at the top, our short

beautiful lower limbs with the circular foot pads, and our short round arms and hand

pads, flexible and muscular like rubber.

But how envious they must have been of our beautiful golden coats, our movable

eyes, our power to scent, hear and touch with any part of the body, to absorb food

and drink through any part of the body most convenient to us at any time. Oh yes,

laugh though you may, without a doubt we were also freaks to those freakish

Detaxalans. But no matter, let us return to the tale.

II.

On recognizing our visitors for what they were, simple-minded males, Geble was

chagrined at them for taking up her time, but they were strangers to our world and

we Golans are always courteous. Geble began of course to try to communicate by

thought transference, but strangely enough the fellows below did not catch a single

thought. Instead, entirely unaware of Geble's overture to friendship, the leader

commenced to speak to her in most outlandish manner, contorting the red lips of his

mouth into various uncouth shapes and making sounds that fell upon our hearing so

unpleasantly that we immediately closed our senses to them. And without a word

Geble turned her back upon them, calling for Tanka, her personal secretary.

Tanka was instructed to welcome the Detaxalans while she herself turned to her own

chambers to summon a half dozen of her council. When the council arrived she

began to discuss with them the problem of extracting more of the precious tenix

from the waters of the great inland lake of Notauch. Nothing whatever was said of

the advent of the Detaxalans, for Geble had dismissed them from her mind as

creatures not worthy of her thought.

In the meantime Tanka had gone forth to meet the four who of course could not

converse with her. In accordance with the Queen's orders she led them indoors to

the most informal receiving chamber and there had them served with food and drink

which by the looks of the remains in the dishes they did not relish at all.

Leading them through the rooms of the lower floor of the palace she made a

pretence of showing them everything which they duly surveyed. But they appeared

to chafe at the manner in which they were being entertained.

The creatures even made an attempt through the primitive method of conversing by

their arms to learn something of what they had seen, but Tanka was as supercilious

as her mistress. When she thought they had had enough, she led them to the square

and back to the door of their flyer, giving them their dismissal.

But the men were not ready to accept it. Instead they tried to express to Tanka their

desire to meet the ruling head of Gola. Although their hand motions were perfectly

inane and incomprehensible, Tanka could read what passed through their brains, and

understood more fully than they what lay in their minds. She shook her head and

motioned that they were to embark in their flyer and be on their way back to their

planet.

Again and again Detaxalans tried to explain what they wished, thinking Tanka did not

understand. At last she impressed upon their savage minds that there was nothing for

them but to depart, and disgruntled by her treatment they reentered their machine,

closed its ponderous door and raised their ship to the level of its sister flyer. Several

minutes passed and then, with thanksgiving, we saw them pass over the city.

Told of this, Geble laughed. "To think of mere man-things daring to attempt to force

themselves upon us. What is the universe coming to? What were their women back

home considering when they sent them to us? Have they developed too many males

and think that we can find use for them?" she wanted to know.

"It is strange indeed," observed Yabo, one of the council members. "What did you

find in the minds of these ignoble creatures, O August One?"

"'Nothing of particular interest, a very low grade of intelligence, to be sure. There

was no need of looking below the surface."

"It must have taken intelligence to build those ships."

"None aboard them did that. I don't question it but that their mothers built the ships

for them as playthings, even as we give toys to our 'little ones,' you know. I recall

that the ancients of our world perfected several types of space-flyers many ages

ago!"

"Maybe those males do not have 'mothers' but instead they build the ships

themselves. Maybe they are the stronger sex on their world!" This last was said by

Suiki, the fifth consort of Geble, a pretty little male, rather young in years. No one

had noticed his coming into the chamber, but now everyone showed surprise at his

words.

"Impossible!" ejaculated Yabo.

Geble, however, laughed at the little chap's expression. "Suiki is a profound thinker,"

she observed, still laughing, and she drew him to her gently hugging him.

And with that the subject of the men from Detaxal was closed. It was reopened,

however, several hours later when it was learned that instead of leaving Gola

altogether the ships were seen one after another by the various cities of the planet as

they circumnavigated it. It was rather annoying, for everywhere the cities' routines

were broken up as the people dropped their work and studies to gaze at the

cylinders.

Too, it was upsetting the morale of the males, for on learning that the two ships

contained only creatures of their own sex they were becoming envious wishing for

the same type of playthings for themselves.

Shut in, as they are, unable to grasp the profundities of our science and thought, the

gentle, fun-loving males were always glad for a new diversion and this new method

developed by the Detaxalans had intrigued them.

It was then that Geble decided it was high time to take matters into her own hands.

Not knowing where the two ships were at the moment it was not difficult with the

object-finder beam to discover their whereabouts, and then with the attractor to draw

them to Tola magnetically. An ous later we had the pleasure of seeing the two ships

rushing toward our city. When they arrived above it, power brought them down to

the square again.

Again Tanka was sent out, and directed the commanders of the two ships to follow

her in to the Queen. Knowing the futility of attempting to converse with them without

mechanical aid, Geble caused to be brought her three of the ancient mechanical

thought transformers that are only museum pieces to us but still workable. The two

men were directed to place them on their heads while she donned the third. When

this was done she ordered the creatures to depart immediately from Gola, telling

them that she was tired of their play.

Watching the faces of the two I saw them frowning and shaking their heads. Of

course I could read their thoughts as well as Geble without need of the transformers,

since it was only for their benefit that these were used, so I heard the whole

conversation, though I need only to give you the gist of it.

"We have no wish to leave your world as yet," the two had argued.

"You are disrupting the routine of our lives here," Geble told them, "and now that

you've seen all that you can there is no need for you to stay longer. I insist that you

leave immediately."

I saw one of the men smile, and thereupon he was the one who did all the talking. (I

say "talking," for this he was actually doing, mouthing each one of his words

although we understood his thoughts as they formed in his queer brain, so different

from ours.)

"Listen here," he laughed, "I don't get the hang of you people at all. We came to

Gola (he used some outlandish name of his own, but I use our name of course) with

the express purpose of exploration and exploitation. We come as friends. Already

we are in alliance with Damin (again the name for the fourth planet of our system was

different, but I give the correct appellation), established commerce and trade, and

now we are ready to offer you the chance to join our federation peaceably."

"What we have seen of this world is very favorable; there are good prospects for

business here. There is no reason why you people as those of Damin and Detaxal

can not enter into a nice business arrangement congenially. You have far more here

to offer tourists, more than Damin. Why, except for your clouds this would be an

ideal paradise for every man, woman and child on Detaxal and Damin to visit, and of

course with our new cloud dispensers we could clear your atmosphere for you in

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FUTUREEVESGreatScienceFictionAboutWomenbyWomenEditedbyJeanMarieStine AFutures-PastScienceFictionClassic–SelectedandIntroducedbyJeanMarieStine ARenaissanceEBookspublicationISBN1-58873-070-0AllrightsreservedSpecialContentsCopyright©2002byJeanMarieStineThisbookmaynotbereproducedinwholeorinpartwithoutwr...

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