by Lacey Kat
This work is copyrighted by the author (c)2003
The problem with being a science fiction fan is that most people do not know what science fiction is. They think of “Buck Rogers,” ray guns, and rocket ships with fins. They do not think of “literature” and would never think of putting science fiction on the same shelf with “Romance,” “Western,” or “Mystery.” “Those,” most people would say, “are legitimate writings. Not science fiction.”
Yet what is the difference between a science fiction story and any other “adventure” tail? Is there not adventure in traveling to the moon or Mars? And what of romance? “John Carter” fights whole armies for the love of his princess. Why is he different from any other “Harlequin” hero?
And what about mystery? For the longest period of time it was thought that you could never have a science fiction mystery. The “logic” was that in science fiction the author could invent any device he needed to solve the crime instantly. It was an unfair advantage in this day and age when both sleuth and readers were supposed to have the same chance of solving the mystery. (I say in this day because there was a time when mysteries were simply presented to the reader. The author made no pretense in the reader’s ability to solve the puzzle. That changed in the last century) Isaac Asimov never bought that argument. He felt that as long as you were fair, and let the reader in on the clues, you could have a science fiction mystery as legitimate as anything Ellery Queen ever wrote.
In 1953 Asimov put his typewriter where his mouth was and wrote a science fiction mystery novel called “The Caves of Steel.” It met with critical approval as a good science fiction and mystery novel. The curse was broken and science fiction authors could start producing space-age Sam Spades.
“Asimov’s Mysteries” is a collection of thirteen short science fiction mysteries that Asimov wrote between 1954 and 1967. They vary in length and mystery quality but are a good read for any fan of Isaac Asimov, science fiction, or mysteries. Fortunately for the reader, they were put together at a time when Asimov started to add information to his collections. Each story has a forward, or afterward, that explains why the story was written, or some other little quirk that the reader might like to know. I have often found these to be the most entertaining part of any Asimov book.
The first story is entitled “The Singing Bell,” and introduces us to Asimov’s prime science fiction investigator, Wendell Urth. Professor Urth is the foremost authority on extraterrestrial worlds, even though he has never been more than a few dozen miles from his current office in his life. This may have reflected on Asimov’s fear of flying and his desire to remain in his rooms and write.
The story centers on a cash of “Singing Bells,” which are highly prized lunar artifacts that are to die for. Or to kill for as is the case of the story. The problem is that the primary suspect has a solid alibi that the police cannot crack. It is not going to be my policy to spoil the mysteries in this review, but the solution is a little weak and even Asimov feels the need to defend it in an “afterword.” Still, it is a good mystery and a good introduction for Wendell Urth.
The story was rejected by “Ellery Queen” magazine, its intended audience. It was also rejected by “Astounding,” and “Argosy,” but was finally accepted, with some revisions, by “Fantasy and Science Fiction (F & SF).”
The second story in the collection is also a Wendell Urth mystery. It is called “The talking Stone,” and is set in a time when the asteroids are heavily mined, and little creatures called “silicony” are telepathic pets. The crew of a space miner is killed and it is up to Dr. Urth to solve the cryptic riddle of the lost cargo. It is a clever story and shows that Asimov had a talent for alien creatures. A talent that he seemed to abandon in his later writings.
“What is in a name?” is not a science fiction story in the strict sense. It is a “straight” mystery though its characters are chemists, it is set in the chemistry department of a university, and the solution depends on a chemical gimmick.
It was published in 1956 in “Saint Detective Magazine.” To fit in more with the “detective motif,” they changed the title to “Death of a Honey-Blonde.” Asimov did not like when editors changed anything about his stories, and he changed it back the first chance he got.
“The Dying Night,” is another Wendell Urth mystery. It involves the reunion of college friends all of whom have had “stellar” careers in outer space. One of the group has not been so lucky but is about announce that he has solved the problem of mass transfer. That is until he ends up dead. (Of course) No one can solve the crime so Dr. Urth is called in to help.
First published in 1956, it has become dated by discoveries made in the 1960's. This does not detract from the story, and as Asimov says, “I wish astronomers would get things right to begin with.”
“Pate De Foie Gras,” is not a mystery at all, but is a very clever article in the vein of Asimov’s infamous “thiotimoline” articles. It is a mock-serious study of a goose that laid golden eggs. Along with being a fun read, it is also educational as Asimov must make sure the reader has some knowledge of basic biology.
“Dust of Death,” was to be another Dr. Urth mystery, but F & SF rejected it and a new magazine “Venture Science Fiction,” was about to publish, and needed filler. They were going to specialize in “sexier” SF, so Asimov removed the Urth motif and Bob Mills, editor, bought it.
Heavy in planetary chemistry, but not so that it bores the non-chemist, it revolves around the “accidental” death of an industrialist who has made his fortune on the work of his employees. Did one decide that it was time to get more credit, or was it just a chemical slip up?
“A Loint of Paw,” is one of the turns of phrase stories that Asimov does so well. It is a short play on works that Asimov always considered the noblest form of wit.
The next story that Asimov included in this collection is interesting because it shows the “problem” some authors have in writing sexy scenes. Asimov was not noted for being a literary Casanova and when he introduced “I’m in Marsport without Hilda,” he called it a “James Bond type of story.” However, in his biography, he called it a “science-fiction sex story.”
The story is about a super secret agent who finds himself on Mars without his significant other. He calls a hot old girlfriend but before he can see her his boss has an assignment for him. He has only three hours to “save the universe.” Will he save the universe? Will he get the girl? And what about the girl back home? This is not erotic fiction at its best, but it is a good story and more true to life than most “James Bond” stories.
The next story (or stories as they are connected), is a treat for Asimov fans. “Marooned off Vesta” was the first story that Asimov ever had published, in “Amazing Stories, ” back in 1939. On its twentieth anniversary Asimov suggested that “Amazing” might like to publish an update of the story. Asimov looked at the original and found a “throw away” line that he turned into a “mystery.”
Following the original “Marooned of Vista,” a story I have always liked and Asimov always seemed to apologize for, comes “Anniversary.” It is twenty years later and the three characters of the first story come back for a twenty-year reunion. Life has been good to them, but fame is fleeting and they are now only the “forgotten heroes” of a space disaster long ago. Only for some reason the site of their adventure is off limits and everyone is looking for something one of the men has. But what?
“Obituary,” is the next story in the collection and it is unique for several reasons. First, it is written in the first person. Something Asimov rarely did. Second, it has a woman as narrator. In 1968, when Asimov put together “Mysteries,” he was polite about how this “good” story has been received in the publishing community. By the time he wrote “In Joy Still Felt,” 1979, he was a little more reflective. He felt that it was “unjust” that “Obituary” had been passed over in anthologies.
The story was inspired by the obituary of “Cyril Kornbluth,” a noted SF author. His death affected Asimov in a queer way and he wondered if, when his time came, his obituary would be on the front page of the New York Times. Realizing this was a silly feeling, Asimov exorcised his demon by writing “Obituary.”
The story is a thriller about a scientist who uses a time machine to see his own obituary and gain fame by “rising from the dead.” It would do Hitchcock proud but appeared in F &SF. It is a different sort of story for Asimov and showed a side seldom seen. Asimov could have had a career as a horror author. This was my favorite story in the collection, and without spoiling anything, made me want to defrost a leg of lamb.
“Star Light” is one of the very short stories that Asimov did so very well. It involves a thief who steals a kilogram of Krillium, enough to set him up for life, if he can get away with it. But crime does not pay, and the thief is caught, and imprisoned, in a poetic way. What are the odds?
“The Key” is the second to the last story in this collection, and the fourth Wendell Urth story Asimov wrote. It was ten years after the last Urth story was written, and it appeared in a special edition of the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. An edition devoted to Isaac Asimov.
This story deals with the discovery of an alien artifact on the moon. One man wants to use it for profit, but another wants it used for the benefit of mankind. Death ensues and the artifact is hidden before the authorities can be called. However a clue is left and it is up to Wendell Urth to decipher “The Key,” to this mystery.
At one time Asimov wanted to write a series of Urth-based mysteries and then collect them in one volume. He never got around to that, but he did realize that he wrote other mysteries, and that is how this volume came to be.
The final work in this collection is called “The Billiard Ball.” It is the only mystery Asimov knew of to combine the mystery form with Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. It was published in “If” magazine in 1967 and the year before both Asimov and “If” had won Hugos. Fred Pohl had the idea of putting out a “Hugo Winners” edition and tagged Isaac to with a story for the issue. Asimov agreed and “Billiard Ball” was the result. The theme of the story was one that Asimov visited often, including twice in this volume alone. The hard-working scientist comes up with discoveries, but it is someone else who makes the money off of them. I do not know if there was a personal reason for these story lines, he never mentioned any, but they appear from time to time. The beauty of this story is that you never really know if a murder has been committed or not. A cocky promoter uses a scientist’s discovery to make an “anti-gravity” device. During the first public demonstration, a horrible accident happens with only one fatality. Murder or accident? In the afterword, Asimov tells the story of how a friend suggested the title be changed to “dirty pool.” Asimov refused because it sounded too flippant. And he was upset that he did not think of it first.
The book was first published in 1968, but is still available at Amazon.com. Interestingly, when Dell published it, the misspelled Urth on the back cover. They refer to him as Wendell "Orth." I do not know if they corrected this in the 1972 reprint, but it may make the 1968 edition a collector’s item.
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