The Metal Monster Merritt A 9781494294717 Books
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The Metal Monster Merritt A 9781494294717 Books
Abraham Merritt's _The Metal Monster_ (_Argosy_, 1920; 1946) is a sequel of sorts to _The Moon Pool_ (1919). The narrator of the earlier novel returns, and damned if he doesn't end up in another lost world, this time in the Trans- Himalayan mountains. _Monster_ doesn't have quite the color or dazzle of _Pool_, but I believe that it deserves a bit of attention because it is the most _science fictional_ of Merritt's lost world novels. Most of Merritt's novels-- _The Moon Pool_(1919), _The Face in the Abyss_ (1931), _Dwellers in the Mirage_ (1932), _The Ship of Ishtar_ (1949)-- are unabashed fantasies. But the creature in _The Metal Monster_ could be explained in scientific rather than mythical terms.The monster in question is a kind of hive-mind: cubes, spheres, pyramids, and tetrahedrons of metal "given volition, movement, cognition-- thinking" (37). These molecules of metal can assemble into bridges, fighting machines, flying cars, X-ray machines, robots, and a mechanical serpent. The human scientists captured by the creature certainly attempt to explain it in scientific terms:
"If Jaques Loeb is right, that action of iron molecules is every bit as conscious a movement as the least and the greatest of our own... the iron does meet Haeckel's three three tests-- it can receive a stimulus, it does react to a stimulus and it retains memory of it" (108).
Our heroes admit that the creature's intelligence is a bit harder to explain, but that it nevertheless exists. And it has other characteristics of living organisms: "[The crystals of metal] bud-- give birth, in fact-- to smaller ones, which increase until they reach the size of the preceeding generation" (110-111). There is even a suggestion that the metal monster reached our planet by traveling through space like a cluster of spores. Certainly it has long range plans to wipe out the competitive race of man. The monster of _The Moon Pool_ was defeated largely by old magic. The monster of _The Metal Monster_ has an Achilles heel, but the arrow that slays it is more scientific than magical in nature.
But the novel is not purely science fictional. There are, almost in tension, barbarion warriors, traitorous eunuchs, and Norhala. Norhala is technically a priestess for the iron Emperor. But in practice, she is a goddess. She is beautiful, with fiery red hair. And I think that it is fair to say that she is neither deceptive nor evil. But she is imperious, powerful, and demanding. She has no real understanding of human feelings or foibles, she expects total obedience, and she is capable of ruthless vengeance. This leads to some bloody fights and spectacular battles.
Hugo Gernsback reprinted _The Metal Monster_ in 1927 in _Science and Invention_ under the title _The Metal Emperor_. Gernsback being Gernsback, he probably told himself that the value of the story was the "science" in it that would educate American youth, turning them into little technocrats. Most of Gernsback's readers knew better.
Perhaps a few words should be said about Merritt's attitude toward _The Metal Monster_: He was not happy with it (Moskowitz, 1963). But that dissatisfaction caused him to do several rewrites, and so in some ways it is a little better crafted than several of his other novels.
Reference: Moskowitz, Sam (1963). "The Marvelous A. Merritt". In _Explorers of the Infinite: Shapers of Science Fiction_. Westport, Conn: Hyperion P, 1963.
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The Metal Monster Merritt A 9781494294717 Books Reviews
A. (Abraham) Merritt (1884-1943) is known to experienced readers of fantasy and science fiction for his eight novels of which the "Metal Monster" was his second.
First published as a serial in a pulp fiction magazine in 1920 author Merritt refused to have it published in book form until 1941. In the introduction to my Hippocampus Press edition the reader is informed that "Merritt was dissatisfied with it's writing and revised and reshaped the story and cut 10,000 words from the text". Undaunted I have read the "restored edition" and I can well appreciate the author's dilemma. After all I was warned, even the author was dissatisfied with the story.
Dr. Walter T. Goodwin, fresh from his adventures in the South Pacific- see Merritt's "The Moon Pool", travels to the Trans-Himalayan region where he discovers "awesome beings of living metal". The author spends over 200 pages attempting to describe these metal beings that suck energy from the sun. The prose is just mind numbing, for example
"Out from the star shapes was hurled the bolts of emerald and of purple! Out from the crosses whirled and linked saffron and scarlet flame! Forth from the disks flew the blasting globes! The crater was threaded with their lightings- the lightings of the Metal Peoples was broidered with them, was a pit woven with vast and changing patters of electric flames!"
The plot can be summarized in one sentence Dr. Goodwin and his companions are captured by the Metal People, observe and comments upon inexplicable events and escape to tell their story to the world.
One very curious aspect of this story takes place at the very beginning. A. Merritt imports himself into the story as a minor character. He is introduced to Dr. Goodwin as a writer who will chronicle the events of the mysterious journey to the Trans-Himalayan region.
I cannot recommend this book to any but diehard Merritt fans. I found the story uninteresting, difficult to understand and over stuffed with esoteric phrases and description. New readers should instead seek out Merritt's "Dwellers in the Mirage", "The Moon Pool", "Ship of Ishtar" or "Face In the Abyss".
Abraham Merritt's _The Metal Monster_ (_Argosy_, 1920; 1946) is a sequel of sorts to _The Moon Pool_ (1919). The narrator of the earlier novel returns, and damned if he doesn't end up in another lost world, this time in the Trans- Himalayan mountains. _Monster_ doesn't have quite the color or dazzle of _Pool_, but I believe that it deserves a bit of attention because it is the most _science fictional_ of Merritt's lost world novels. Most of Merritt's novels-- _The Moon Pool_(1919), _The Face in the Abyss_ (1931), _Dwellers in the Mirage_ (1932), _The Ship of Ishtar_ (1949)-- are unabashed fantasies. But the creature in _The Metal Monster_ could be explained in scientific rather than mythical terms.
The monster in question is a kind of hive-mind cubes, spheres, pyramids, and tetrahedrons of metal "given volition, movement, cognition-- thinking" (37). These molecules of metal can assemble into bridges, fighting machines, flying cars, X-ray machines, robots, and a mechanical serpent. The human scientists captured by the creature certainly attempt to explain it in scientific terms
"If Jaques Loeb is right, that action of iron molecules is every bit as conscious a movement as the least and the greatest of our own... the iron does meet Haeckel's three three tests-- it can receive a stimulus, it does react to a stimulus and it retains memory of it" (108).
Our heroes admit that the creature's intelligence is a bit harder to explain, but that it nevertheless exists. And it has other characteristics of living organisms "[The crystals of metal] bud-- give birth, in fact-- to smaller ones, which increase until they reach the size of the preceeding generation" (110-111). There is even a suggestion that the metal monster reached our planet by traveling through space like a cluster of spores. Certainly it has long range plans to wipe out the competitive race of man. The monster of _The Moon Pool_ was defeated largely by old magic. The monster of _The Metal Monster_ has an Achilles heel, but the arrow that slays it is more scientific than magical in nature.
But the novel is not purely science fictional. There are, almost in tension, barbarion warriors, traitorous eunuchs, and Norhala. Norhala is technically a priestess for the iron Emperor. But in practice, she is a goddess. She is beautiful, with fiery red hair. And I think that it is fair to say that she is neither deceptive nor evil. But she is imperious, powerful, and demanding. She has no real understanding of human feelings or foibles, she expects total obedience, and she is capable of ruthless vengeance. This leads to some bloody fights and spectacular battles.
Hugo Gernsback reprinted _The Metal Monster_ in 1927 in _Science and Invention_ under the title _The Metal Emperor_. Gernsback being Gernsback, he probably told himself that the value of the story was the "science" in it that would educate American youth, turning them into little technocrats. Most of Gernsback's readers knew better.
Perhaps a few words should be said about Merritt's attitude toward _The Metal Monster_ He was not happy with it (Moskowitz, 1963). But that dissatisfaction caused him to do several rewrites, and so in some ways it is a little better crafted than several of his other novels.
Reference Moskowitz, Sam (1963). "The Marvelous A. Merritt". In _Explorers of the Infinite Shapers of Science Fiction_. Westport, Conn Hyperion P, 1963.
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