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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 7, Summer 1945
Page 139
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 139 of the world's history, sleeps again to awaken ages hence. And of course no article of this sort would be complete if its writer did not salute H. G. Wells' magnificent novel When the Sleeper Wakes (1899), whose hero wakes up in a glass case to find that over two hundred years have flown by, and that he is owner of over half the world's wealth; people without heirs have time and again left their estates to "The Sleeper"---who has all this time been but a curious museum piece. This book is especially interesting, too, in that it predicts radio and foretells developments in aircraft. It is well illustrated with some very unusual pictures. Wells has gone on record as saying that this book was written somewhat hurriedly, and that the hoped-for opportunity of revising it before publication did not materialize. Twelve years later, however, he remodelled the work slightly; feeling that it was too late for him to undertake any drastic reconstruction he adopted merely "the part of an editorial elder brother," cutting out a number of "tiresome passages." Shortened thus by some six thousand words, and having but one illustration (where the original version had boasted fifteen), the novel was re-issued in its new form as The Sleeper Awakes in 1911. Over two thousand years ago barbarian hordes sweep over Egypt. In an ancient city in their path the high priest of Ra leads a royal prince into a hidden sepulchre, points to jars of jewels, and tells the prince that he must journey into the far future in order to find and bring back some potent weapon that will save his nation. Since his beloved has been stolen from him by these barbarian marauders, the prince accepts the proffered magic draught---and sleeps. He awakens to the year 1914, and to a weird, strange world! Because of the jewels entombed with him he does not lack wealth, and eventually learning the new tongues he travels widely in various lands. Great indeed is his amazement at such modern marvels as subways and electric lights, and equally intense is the feeling of vivid horror he experiences on seeing, in a Cairo museum, the mummy of the ancient priest who sent him on his journey for which there was no return. He finds, too, a girl who is identical in form and features to the sweetheart who was stolen away from so many centuries ago in his mother-land. He feels that she is actually a reincarnation of his beloved, but realizes that since he could never reconcile her to such a theory he must set himself to win her love once more---which he does with eventual success... All these thrilling adventures are to be found in William Henry Warner's Bridge of Time (1919); this magnificent tale is an unequivocal must on every fantasy reader's list. Somewhat similar is the novel She Who Sleeps (1929) by Sax Rohmer. An Egyptologist and his son translate a papyrus which relates how a pharaoh, in order that his glory may be told to future generations, has caused a young princess of his court to be placed in an age-long sleep. Although the Egyptologist does not expect even the dusty remains of the girl he opens her tomb in order to secure any archeological remains that might be preserved there. But lo! There lies the princess, sleeping still! Carefully they follow the ancient directions for restoring her to life, and she finally awakes, to open on our present-day world those eyes that last saw ancient Egypt in all its glory. A few others demanding briefer mention are Arthur Stringer's novel The Woman Who Couldn't Die (1929). Here, explorers find a Norsewoman encased in a block of ice; she is thawed out, and comes to life---with disastrous results. A similar tale is The Frozen Pirate (1837) of W. Clark Russell, as is the title story of Miriam Michaelson's Awakening of Zojas (1910). Maurice le Blanc's Hidden Tomb (1923) deserves mention solely to warn fantasy readers that its excellent beginning degenerates to a mundane hoax in the final chapters. One of the most fascinating volumes I have ever chanced upon is Hannibal's Man and Other Stories (1878), whose author is Leonard Kip. Two of the fan- (continued on page 159)
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 139 of the world's history, sleeps again to awaken ages hence. And of course no article of this sort would be complete if its writer did not salute H. G. Wells' magnificent novel When the Sleeper Wakes (1899), whose hero wakes up in a glass case to find that over two hundred years have flown by, and that he is owner of over half the world's wealth; people without heirs have time and again left their estates to "The Sleeper"---who has all this time been but a curious museum piece. This book is especially interesting, too, in that it predicts radio and foretells developments in aircraft. It is well illustrated with some very unusual pictures. Wells has gone on record as saying that this book was written somewhat hurriedly, and that the hoped-for opportunity of revising it before publication did not materialize. Twelve years later, however, he remodelled the work slightly; feeling that it was too late for him to undertake any drastic reconstruction he adopted merely "the part of an editorial elder brother," cutting out a number of "tiresome passages." Shortened thus by some six thousand words, and having but one illustration (where the original version had boasted fifteen), the novel was re-issued in its new form as The Sleeper Awakes in 1911. Over two thousand years ago barbarian hordes sweep over Egypt. In an ancient city in their path the high priest of Ra leads a royal prince into a hidden sepulchre, points to jars of jewels, and tells the prince that he must journey into the far future in order to find and bring back some potent weapon that will save his nation. Since his beloved has been stolen from him by these barbarian marauders, the prince accepts the proffered magic draught---and sleeps. He awakens to the year 1914, and to a weird, strange world! Because of the jewels entombed with him he does not lack wealth, and eventually learning the new tongues he travels widely in various lands. Great indeed is his amazement at such modern marvels as subways and electric lights, and equally intense is the feeling of vivid horror he experiences on seeing, in a Cairo museum, the mummy of the ancient priest who sent him on his journey for which there was no return. He finds, too, a girl who is identical in form and features to the sweetheart who was stolen away from so many centuries ago in his mother-land. He feels that she is actually a reincarnation of his beloved, but realizes that since he could never reconcile her to such a theory he must set himself to win her love once more---which he does with eventual success... All these thrilling adventures are to be found in William Henry Warner's Bridge of Time (1919); this magnificent tale is an unequivocal must on every fantasy reader's list. Somewhat similar is the novel She Who Sleeps (1929) by Sax Rohmer. An Egyptologist and his son translate a papyrus which relates how a pharaoh, in order that his glory may be told to future generations, has caused a young princess of his court to be placed in an age-long sleep. Although the Egyptologist does not expect even the dusty remains of the girl he opens her tomb in order to secure any archeological remains that might be preserved there. But lo! There lies the princess, sleeping still! Carefully they follow the ancient directions for restoring her to life, and she finally awakes, to open on our present-day world those eyes that last saw ancient Egypt in all its glory. A few others demanding briefer mention are Arthur Stringer's novel The Woman Who Couldn't Die (1929). Here, explorers find a Norsewoman encased in a block of ice; she is thawed out, and comes to life---with disastrous results. A similar tale is The Frozen Pirate (1837) of W. Clark Russell, as is the title story of Miriam Michaelson's Awakening of Zojas (1910). Maurice le Blanc's Hidden Tomb (1923) deserves mention solely to warn fantasy readers that its excellent beginning degenerates to a mundane hoax in the final chapters. One of the most fascinating volumes I have ever chanced upon is Hannibal's Man and Other Stories (1878), whose author is Leonard Kip. Two of the fan- (continued on page 159)
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