The Ray Cummings Megapack Read online

  Contents

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  THE MEGAPACK SERIES

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  THE GIRL IN THE GOLDEN ATOM (1919-1920)

  THE SILVER VEIL (1921)

  THE FIRE PEOPLE (1922)

  TWO PROPOSALS (1923)

  JETTA OF THE LOWLANDS (1930)

  THE WHITE INVADERS (1931)

  REQUIEM FOR A SMALL PLANET (1958)

  BRIGANDS OF THE MOON (1931)

  WANDL THE INVADER (1932)

  TARRANO THE CONQUEROR (1930)

  PHANTOMS OF REALITY (1930)

  DR. FEATHER IN “A SHOT IN THE DARK” (1936)

  DR. FEATHER IN “MURDER IN THE FOG” (1937)

  DR. FEATHER IN “THE DEAD MAN LAUGHS” (1938)

  DR. FEATHER IN “CLUE IN CRIMSON” (1943)

  THE WORLD BEYOND (1938)

  GADGET GIRL (1944)

  PRECIPICE (1945)

  PHOTOGRAPH OF DEATH (1945)

  STAMP OF DOOM (1946)

  THE SCALPEL OF DOOM (1947)

  ATOM BOY (1947)

  THE LIFTED VEIL (1947)

  BEYOND THE VANISHING POINT (1958)

  THE GIRL FROM INFINITE SMALLNESS (1940)

  PLANET STORIES’ FEATURE FLASH: MEET RAY CUMMINGS

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  The Ray Cummings Megapack is copyright © 2013 by Wildside Press LLC. Original publication dates and sources are listed immediately following the title of each story. Cover art © Patrick Hermans / Heywoody / Fotolia. All rights reserved.

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  To anyone interested in the roots of modern science fiction, the name of Ray Cummings (1887–1957) should already be well known. He wrote science fiction and fantasy stories before the name “science fiction” had been coined, publishing his fantastic yarns in Argosy, Munsey’s Magazine, and other mainstream fiction magazines. Of course, as soon as the science fiction pulp magazines debuted, he moved to them, where his work received a hearty welcome from fans. He continued publishing through the 1950s, producing more than 750 novels and short stories over his long career. He also produced work in many other genres, including the mystery field (see “Atom Boy” in this Megapack for one prime example).

  We are pleased to showcase 25 of his tales, ranging from science fiction to fantasy to mystery. Some straddle the lines between genres. The observant will note two stories are presented out of order (by publication date)—not a mistake, but a deliberate arrangement. Brigands of the Moon is presented next to its sequel, Wandl the Invader. And we are running the 1940 story, “The Girl from Infinite Smallness,” at the end so we can conclude with the bio piece from Planet Stories which originally accompanied it. That seems a fitting way to conclude The Ray Cummings Megapack.

  Enjoy!

  —John Betancourt

  Publisher, Wildside Press LLC

  www.wildsidepress.com

  * * * *

  Over the last year, our “Megapack” series of ebook anthologies has proved to be one of our most popular endeavors. (Maybe it helps that we sometimes offer them as premiums to our mailing list!) One question we keep getting asked is, “Who’s the editor?”

  The Megapacks (except where specifically credited) are a group effort. Everyone at Wildside works on them. This includes John Betancourt, Carla Coupe, Steve Coupe, Bonner Menking, Colin Azariah-Kribbs, A.E. Warren, and many of Wildside’s authors…who often suggest stories to include (and not just their own!).

  A NOTE FOR KINDLE READERS

  The Kindle versions of our Megapacks employ active tables of contents for easy navigation…please look for one before writing reviews on Amazon that complain about the lack! (They are sometimes at the ends of ebooks, depending on your reader.)

  RECOMMEND A FAVORITE STORY?

  Do you know a great classic science fiction story, or have a favorite author whom you believe is perfect for the Megapack series? We’d love your suggestions! You can post them on our message board at http://movies.ning.com/forum (there is an area for Wildside Press comments).

  Note: we only consider stories that have already been professionally published. This is not a market for new works.

  TYPOS

  Unfortunately, as hard as we try, a few typos do slip through. We update our ebooks periodically, so make sure you have the current version (or download a fresh copy if it’s been sitting in your ebook reader for months.) It may have already been updated.

  If you spot a new typo, please let us know. We’ll fix it for everyone. You can email the publisher at [email protected] or use the message boards above.

  THE MEGAPACK SERIES

  MYSTERY

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The Anna Katharine Green Megapack

  The Charlie Chan Megapack

  The Craig Kennedy Scientific Detective Megapack

  The Dashiell Hammett Megapack

  The Detective Megapack

  The Father Brown Megapack

  The Jacques Futrelle Megapack

  The Mystery Megapack

  The Penny Parker Megapack

  The Pulp Fiction Megapack

  The Raffles Megapack

  The Victorian Mystery Megapack

  The Wilkie Collins Megapack

  GENERAL INTEREST

  The Adventure Megapack

  The Baseball Megapack

  The Cat Megapack

  The Second Cat Megapack

  The Christmas Megapack

  The Second Christmas Megapack

  The Classic American Short Stories Megapack

  The Classic Humor Megapack

  The Dog Megapack

  The Horse Story Megapack

  The Military Megapack

  SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

  The Edward Bellamy Megapack

  The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack

  The Ray Cummings Megapack

  The Philip K. Dick Megapack

  The Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Second Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Macabre Megapack

  The Second Macabre Megapack

  The Martian Megapack

  The Andre Norton Megapack

  The Pinocchio Megapack

  The H. Beam Piper Megapack

  The Pulp Fiction Megapack

  The Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Second Randall Garrett Megapack

  The First Science Fiction Megapack

  The Second Science Fiction Megapack

  The Third Science Fiction Megapack

  The Fourth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Fifth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Sixth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Robert Sheckley Megapack

  The Steampunk Megapack

  The Time Travel Megapack

  The Wizard of Oz Megapack

  HORROR

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Second E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Cthulhu Mythos Megapack

  The Ghost Story Megapack

  The Second Ghost Story Megapack

  The Third Ghost Story Megapack

  The Horror Megapack

  The M.R. James Megapack

  The Mummy Megapack

  The Pulp Fiction Megapack

  The Vampire Megapack

  The Werewolf Megapack

  WESTERNS

  The B.M. Bower Megapack

  The Max Brand Megapack

  The Buffalo Bill Megapack

  The Cowboy Megapack

  The Zane Grey Megapack

  The Western Megapack

  The Second Western Megapack

  The Wizard of Oz Megapack

>   YOUNG ADULT

  The Boys’ Adventure Megapack

  The Dan Carter, Cub Scout Megapack

  The G.A. Henty Megapack

  The Rover Boys Megapack

  The Tom Corbett, Space Cadet Megapack

  The Tom Swift Megapack

  AUTHOR MEGAPACKS

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The Edward Bellamy Megapack

  The B.M. Bower Megapack

  The E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Second E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Max Brand Megapack

  The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack

  The Wilkie Collins Megapack

  The Ray Cummings Megapack

  The Guy de Maupassant Megapack

  The Philip K. Dick Megapack

  The Jacques Futrelle Megapack

  The Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Anna Katharine Green Megapack

  The Zane Grey Megapack

  The Second Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Dashiell Hammett Megapack

  The M.R. James Megapack

  The Selma Lagerlof Megapack

  The Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Second Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Andre Norton Megapack

  The H. Beam Piper Megapack

  The Mack Reynolds Megapack

  The Rafael Sabatini Megapack

  The Saki Megapack

  The Robert Sheckley Megapack

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Raymond King Cummings (1887–1957) was an American author of science fiction, rated one of the “founding fathers of the science fiction pulp genre” in E.F. Bleiler’s Science Fiction: The Early Years.

  Cummings was born in New York. He worked with Thomas Edison as a personal assistant and technical writer from 1914 to 1919. His most highly regarded work is the novel The Girl in the Golden Atom (published in 1922 and included in this volume), which was a consolidation of a short story by the same name published in 1919 and a sequel, The People of the Golden Atom, published in 1920. Ovr his career, he produced some 750 novels and short stories (sometimes using the pen names Ray King, Gabrielle Cummings, and Gabriel Wilson).

  During the 1940s, with his fiction career in decline, Cummings anonymously scripted comic book stories for Timely Comics, the predecessor to Marvel Comics. He recycled the plot of The Girl in the Golden Atom, for a two-part Captain America tale, “Princess of the Atom.” (Captain America #25 & 26) He also contributed to stories for the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner, for which his daughter Betty Cummings also wrote.

  Ray Cummings wrote in 1922, “Time…is what keeps everything from happening at once,” a sentence repeated by scientists such as C.J. Overbeck and John Archibald Wheeler.

  THE GIRL IN THE GOLDEN ATOM (1919-1920)

  This text is taken from the book version of The Girl in the Golden Atom, which combines “The Girl in the Golden Atom” (All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1919) and “The People of the Golden Atom” (All-Story Weekly, Jan 24, 1920 through February 28, 1920).

  DEDICATION

  TO

  MY FRIEND AND MENTOR

  ROBERT H. DAVIS

  WITH GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF

  HIS ENCOURAGEMENT AND PRACTICAL

  ASSISTANCE TO WHICH I OWE MY

  INITIAL SUCCESS

  CHAPTER 1

  A UNIVERSE IN AN ATOM

  “Then you mean to say there is no such thing as the smallest particle of matter?” asked the Doctor.

  “You can put it that way if you like,” the Chemist replied. “In other words, what I believe is that things can be infinitely small just as well as they can be infinitely large. Astronomers tell us of the immensity of space. I have tried to imagine space as finite. It is impossible. How can you conceive the edge of space? Something must be beyond—something or nothing, and even that would be more space, wouldn’t it?”

  “Gosh,” said the Very Young Man, and lighted another cigarette.

  The Chemist resumed, smiling a little. “Now, if it seems probable that there is no limit to the immensity of space, why should we make its smallness finite? How can you say that the atom cannot be divided? As a matter of fact, it already has been. The most powerful microscope will show you realms of smallness to which you can penetrate no other way. Multiply that power a thousand times, or ten thousand times, and who shall say what you will see?”

  The Chemist paused, and looked at the intent little group around him.

  He was a youngish man, with large features and horn-rimmed glasses, his rough English-cut clothes hanging loosely over his broad, spare frame. The Banker drained his glass and rang for the waiter.

  “Very interesting,” he remarked.

  “Don’t be an ass, George,” said the Big Business Man. “Just because you don’t understand, doesn’t mean there is no sense to it.”

  “What I don’t get clearly”—began the Doctor.

  “None of it’s clear to me,” said the Very Young Man.

  The Doctor crossed under the light and took an easier chair. “You intimated you had discovered something unusual in these realms of the infinitely small,” he suggested, sinking back luxuriously. “Will you tell us about it?”

  “Yes, if you like,” said the Chemist, turning from one to the other. A nod of assent followed his glance, as each settled himself more comfortably.

  “Well, gentlemen, when you say I have discovered something unusual in another world—in the world of the infinitely small—you are right in a way. I have seen something and lost it. You won’t believe me probably,” he glanced at the Banker an instant, “but that is not important. I am going to tell you the facts, just as they happened.”

  The Big Business Man filled up the glasses all around, and the Chemist resumed:

  “It was in 1910, this problem first came to interest me. I had never gone in for microscopic work very much, but now I let it absorb all my attention. I secured larger, more powerful instruments—I spent most of my money,” he smiled ruefully, “but never could I come to the end of the space into which I was looking. Something was always hidden beyond—something I could almost, but not quite, distinguish.

  “Then I realized that I was on the wrong track. My instrument was not merely of insufficient power, it was not one-thousandth the power I needed.

  “So I began to study the laws of optics and lenses. In 1913 I went abroad, and with one of the most famous lens-makers of Europe I produced a lens of an entirely different quality, a lens that I hoped would give me what I wanted. So I returned here and fitted up my microscope that I knew would prove vastly more powerful than any yet constructed.

  “It was finally completed and set up in my laboratory, and one night I went in alone to look through it for the first time. It was in the fall of 1914, I remember, just after the first declaration of war.

  “I can recall now my feelings at that moment. I was about to see into another world, to behold what no man had ever looked on before. What would I see? What new realms was I, first of all our human race, to enter? With furiously beating heart, I sat down before the huge instrument and adjusted the eyepiece.

  “Then I glanced around for some object to examine. On my finger I had a ring, my mother’s wedding-ring, and I decided to use that. I have it here.” He took a plain gold band from his little finger and laid it on the table.

  “You will see a slight mark on the outside. That is the place into which I looked.”

  His friends crowded around the table and examined a scratch on one side of the band.

  “What did you see?” asked the Very Young Man eagerly.

  “Gentlemen,” resumed the Chemist, “what I saw staggered even my own imagination. With trembling hands I put the ring in place, looking directly down into that scratch. For a moment I saw nothing. I was like a person coming suddenly out of the sunlight into a darkened room. I knew there was something visible in my view, but my eyes did not seem able to receive the impressions. I realize now they were not yet adjusted to the new for
m of light. Gradually, as I looked, objects of definite shape began to emerge from the blackness.

  “Gentlemen, I want to make clear to you now—as clear as I can—the peculiar aspect of everything that I saw under this microscope. I seemed to be inside an immense cave. One side, near at hand, I could now make out quite clearly. The walls were extraordinarily rough and indented, with a peculiar phosphorescent light on the projections and blackness in the hollows. I say phosphorescent light, for that is the nearest word I can find to describe it—a curious radiation, quite different from the reflected light to which we are accustomed.

  “I said that the hollows inside of the cave were blackness. But not blackness—the absence of light—as we know it. It was a blackness that seemed also to radiate light, if you can imagine such a condition; a blackness that seemed not empty, but merely withholding its contents just beyond my vision.

  “Except for a dim suggestion of roof over the cave, and its floor, I could distinguish nothing. After a moment this floor became clearer. It seemed to be—well, perhaps I might call it black marble—smooth, glossy, yet somewhat translucent. In the foreground the floor was apparently liquid. In no way did it differ in appearance from the solid part, except that its surface seemed to be in motion.

  “Another curious thing was the outlines of all the shapes in view. I noticed that no outline held steady when I looked at it directly; it seemed to quiver. You see something like it when looking at an object through water—only, of course, there was no distortion. It was also like looking at something with the radiation of heat between.

  “Of the back and other side of the cave, I could see nothing, except in one place, where a narrow effulgence of light drifted out into the immensity of the distance behind.

  “I do not know how long I sat looking at this scene; it may have been several hours. Although I was obviously in a cave, I never felt shut in—never got the impression of being in a narrow, confined space.

  “On the contrary, after a time I seemed to feel the vast immensity of the blackness before me. I think perhaps it may have been that path of light stretching out into the distance. As I looked it seemed like the reversed tail of a comet, or the dim glow of the Milky Way, and penetrating to equally remote realms of space.

  “Perhaps I fell asleep, or at least there was an interval of time during which I was so absorbed in my own thoughts I was hardly conscious of the scene before me.