Northwest Smith

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Northwest Smith is the main character of a series of science fiction - short stories by American writer Catherine L. Moore . He first appeared in the short story Shambleau , which appeared in pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1933 .

Basics of the plot

Smith is a spaceman, smuggler and adventurer in an undefined future in which mankind has opened up the entire solar system . It is based on the assumption that all planets are basically habitable and that they are actually at least partially inhabited by human-like cultures. Earthly culture, however, dominates the solar system. It assumes the role of a colonial power that actually controls civilizationally inferior or degenerate systems, comparable to the colonial powers of the 19th century. Earthly culture maintains external and trading posts on the planets; Outside of these posts, degenerate systems and conditions on the edge of anarchy predominate. Governments in the sense of effective central powers are not described and do not seem to exist.

character

Smith is a questionable hero with relaxed moral terms. He is often presented as a smuggler, or the description of his "business" is deliberately kept so vague that a legally dubious background suggests itself. Although he basically has a “good core” and a touch of chivalry , he appears ruthless, selfish and cynical . Smith is described as a dark-haired man with light eyes and skin tanned from the harsh sunlight. He wears a leather spaceman suit and is always armed with a radiation pistol, which he also uses. He has his own little spaceship, the Maid .

Smith is often with his companion, the Venusian Yarol, who is the sidekick throughout the story .

backgrounds

The universe described by Moore in the "Northwest Smith" short stories is in many ways typical of early 20th century pulp science fiction. All planets are habitable, regardless of the real and already known circumstances, and usually have their own, more or less human-like cultures. Earthly culture and technology dominate, it has settled on the planet and stands outside of the social and political situation there. The parallels to the Wild West powder novels that appeared during this period are obvious. In the “cities” there is a relative order, even if it is threatened in many ways by violence and corruption, outside the cities chaotic conditions prevail, in which only the hero can survive. This depicts the basic assumption that was still prevalent at the time that “Western” colonial powers were superior to “native” cultures.

The characters involved in pulp science fiction were, like the actions themselves, mostly direct transfers from western trivial literature , which are characterized by greatly simplified character traits and pronounced black and white painting. Numerous elements of the Wild West were adopted in an adapted form. The western cities became spaceports, the prairie became space, the horse became a spaceship, the revolver became a ray gun, the opaque Indians became alien cultures. In fact, Moore's Northwest Smith was also first thought of as a western character. Moore kept the name, however, because she found it amusing that a character should be named "Northwest" in an environment where cardinal points no longer mean anything.

The amoral, dazzling Smith stands out from these schematized characters, while the hero of the Wild West and the science fiction novels based on it is clearly positive. This was the first time that a hero appeared in this genre whose character and motifs are complex and ambiguous.

Just as Northwest Smith was a new hero in the genre, Jirel also emancipated himself from Joiry , another character from Moore, from the traditional role clichés. Both characters can be seen as groundbreaking in the fiction / fantasy genre.

bibliography

First prints
  • Shambleau (November 1933, Weird Tales )
    • German: Shambleau. Translated by Chr. Nogly. In: Michel Parry (ed.): Devilish kisses. Pabel (Vampir Taschenbuch # 64), 1978. Also as: Shambleau. Translated by Irene Holicki. In: Wolfgang Jeschke (Ed.): Heyne Science Fiction Annual Volume 1982. Heyne SF&F # 3870, 1982, ISBN 3-453-30756-9 . Also in: The kiss of the black god. 1982. Also called: Shambleau. In: HR Giger (Ed.): Vampirric. Festa (Festa Nosferatu # 1404), 2003, ISBN 3-935822-58-8 .
  • Black Thirst (April 1934, Weird Tales )
    • German: Schwarzer Durst. In: The kiss of the black god. 1982.
  • Scarlet Dream (May 1934, Weird Tales )
  • Dust of the Gods (August 1934, Weird Tales )
  • Julhi (March 1935, Weird Tales )
  • Nymph of Darkness (April 1935, Fantasy Magazine , also as Nyusa, Nymph of Darkness , with Forrest J. Ackerman)
  • The Cold Gray God (October 1935, Weird Tales )
  • Yvala (1936, with Forrest J. Ackerman as Amaryllis Ackerman)
  • Lost Paradise (July 1936, Weird Tales )
  • The Tree of Life (October 1936, Weird Tales )
  • Werewoman (Winter 1938, Leaves # 2 )
  • Song in a Minor Key (February 1940, Scienti-Snaps )
Collections
  • Northwest of Earth (1954)
  • Shambleau (1958)
  • Scarlet Dream (198, also as Northwest Smith , 1982)
  • Northwest of Earth: The Complete Northwest Smith (2008)
  • Northwest of Earth (2011)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Women of Space Westerns. Retrieved February 17, 2010 .