The Carnelian Cube: Difference between revisions
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| image_caption = first edition of ''The Carnelian Cube'' |
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| author = [[L. Sprague de Camp]] and [[Fletcher Pratt]] |
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Finch, frustrated with the irrationality of his existence as an archaeologist, yearns for a more rational world in which he could realize his true dream of being a poet. Sleeping with the stone beneath his pillow he finds himself cast into a [[parallel universe (fiction)|parallel world]] as "Finch Arthur Poet" — who is, indeed, a poet. Unfortunately, the stone does not make the trip with him, and Finch's only means of escaping his new and not entirely congenial existence is to purloin its counterpart from the local version of Tiridat. |
Finch, frustrated with the irrationality of his existence as an archaeologist, yearns for a more rational world in which he could realize his true dream of being a poet. Sleeping with the stone beneath his pillow he finds himself cast into a [[parallel universe (fiction)|parallel world]] as "Finch Arthur Poet" — who is, indeed, a poet. Unfortunately, the stone does not make the trip with him, and Finch's only means of escaping his new and not entirely congenial existence is to purloin its counterpart from the local version of Tiridat. |
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This and later worlds visited by Finch tend to place him in or near his native [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], [[Kentucky]] rather than the [[Middle East]]ern locale he starts out from, but Kentuckys that, while appearing to share much of the "real" world's history, |
This and later worlds visited by Finch tend to place him in or near his native [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], [[Kentucky]] rather than the [[Middle East]]ern locale he starts out from, but Kentuckys that, while appearing to share much of the "real" world's history, have developed in radically different directions due to alterations in their worlds' psychological or physical properties. Finch's new home sets the pattern; it is entirely ''too'' rational, with its denizens acting solely from self-interest in a society organized on a strict patron-client basis. '''Sullivan Michael Politician''' is the local patron. |
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Securing the rational world's counterpart stone, Finch uses it to project himself into yet another parallel world, this one exemplifying the individualism he has missed in the rational world. But he finds the individualist world one of rampant vanity and violence, in which megalomaniacal bully-boys like '''Colonel Richard Fitzhugh Lee''' uneasily dominate a population of extreme egocentrics defensive of their "originality" and touchy about being told what to do. It is also a more fantastic place, in which claims of [[Extrasensory perception|ESP]] or the ability to raise spirits tend to be real. |
Securing the rational world's counterpart stone, Finch uses it to project himself into yet another parallel world, this one exemplifying the individualism he has missed in the rational world. But he finds the individualist world one of rampant vanity and violence, in which megalomaniacal bully-boys like '''Colonel Richard Fitzhugh Lee''' uneasily dominate a population of extreme egocentrics defensive of their "originality" and touchy about being told what to do. It is also a more fantastic place, in which claims of [[Extrasensory perception|ESP]] or the ability to raise spirits tend to be real. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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*{{cite book | last=Laughlin | first=Charlotte | coauthors=Daniel J. H. Levack | title=De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography | location=San Francisco | publisher=Underwood/Miller | |
*{{cite book | last=Laughlin | first=Charlotte | coauthors=Daniel J. H. Levack | title=De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography | location=San Francisco | publisher=Underwood/Miller | year=1983 | pages=29–30}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carnelian Cube}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carnelian Cube}} |
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Revision as of 23:54, 7 April 2010
 first edition of The Carnelian Cube | |
| Author | L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | David Kyle |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
Publication date | 1948 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 230 pp |
| ISBN | NA Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
The Carnelian Cube is a fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt. It was first published in hardcover by Gnome Press in 1948, and in paperback by Lancer Books in 1967. It has also been translated into Italian and German.
Plot summary
The carnelian cube of the title is a small red "dream stone" confiscated by archaeologist Arthur Cleveland Finch from Tiridat Ariminian, one of the workers on the dig he is supervising in Cappadocia. It bears an inscription in Etruscan that appears to identify its original possessor as Apollonius of Tyana, and supposedly allows the bearer to attain the world of his dreams.
Finch, frustrated with the irrationality of his existence as an archaeologist, yearns for a more rational world in which he could realize his true dream of being a poet. Sleeping with the stone beneath his pillow he finds himself cast into a parallel world as "Finch Arthur Poet" — who is, indeed, a poet. Unfortunately, the stone does not make the trip with him, and Finch's only means of escaping his new and not entirely congenial existence is to purloin its counterpart from the local version of Tiridat.
This and later worlds visited by Finch tend to place him in or near his native Louisville, Kentucky rather than the Middle Eastern locale he starts out from, but Kentuckys that, while appearing to share much of the "real" world's history, have developed in radically different directions due to alterations in their worlds' psychological or physical properties. Finch's new home sets the pattern; it is entirely too rational, with its denizens acting solely from self-interest in a society organized on a strict patron-client basis. Sullivan Michael Politician is the local patron.
Securing the rational world's counterpart stone, Finch uses it to project himself into yet another parallel world, this one exemplifying the individualism he has missed in the rational world. But he finds the individualist world one of rampant vanity and violence, in which megalomaniacal bully-boys like Colonel Richard Fitzhugh Lee uneasily dominate a population of extreme egocentrics defensive of their "originality" and touchy about being told what to do. It is also a more fantastic place, in which claims of ESP or the ability to raise spirits tend to be real.
Hiring a medium-provided spirit to do the dirty work, Finch again obtains his current world's counterpart of the carnelian cube and makes his escape, this time hoping to regain his original existence as an archaeologist reconstructing the past. Once more the stone over-literalises his dream; he ends up in a world in which astrology-guided archaeologists really do reconstruct the past, drafting and magically conditioning vast numbers of people to reenact past events. He finds himself project head of a recreation of the Assyrian siege of Samaria, and quickly discovers the reenactment no mere fantasy; the brainwashed participants actually fight, kill and die in the furtherance of scientific knowledge.
Caught up in the chaos, Finch faces execution at the order of the reenactor portraying usurping Assyrian king Sargon. "Sargon" turns out to be yet another version of Tiridat, who, like the others, is the possessor of this world's carnelian cube. Begging the cube from the "king" as a last request, Finch determines to escape once again by dreaming himself into a truly ideal world.
The novel ends without recounting either the protagonist's possible execution or projected escape, leaving the plot open-ended and providing an obvious opportunity for a sequel. However, no such sequel ever appeared.
Note
De Camp reused the concept of using brainwashed people to reenact the past in his later science fiction novel The Glory That Was.