Universe in stone in a ring
Dates: 6/26/03,3:07 PM through 6/27/03,10:47 AM (3 postings)
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Universe in stone in a ring
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FROM: "Judy Mullen" <[removed]@co.manatee.fl.us>
REC'D: 6/26/03, 3:07 PM
FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 6/26/03, 3:41 PM
There've been a *lot* of sf stories postulating that each atom of our
universe contains a universe (or at least a solar system) of its own,
and almost as many postulating that our own universe is but an atom in
a larger-order megauniverse (and so on, ad infinitum).
Ray Cummings (1887-1957) was particularly fond of this plot device
(which of course relies on a pretty simplistic view of atomic structure
mp longer supportable); his first and best-known use of the theme was
in "The Girl in the Golden Atom," first published in 1919 and reprinted
several times subsequently, and combined with a sequel into a book of
the same name. In this case, the protagonist shrinks into a world
contained within an atom comprising part of a golden ring (where he
has adventures, finds true love, etc.).
I don't think I've ever actually *read* the story, but I'm pretty sure
it involves only the man from our world descending *into* the atomic
world of the ring, and not anyone from our world ascending into a
higher order universe and finding we're part of some megaring. But it
may very well be that this possibility is at least discussed in the
story...
Besides the book version, the original ALL-STORY magazine version, and
a reprint or two in the 1940s magazine FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES, the
story was anthologized twice by 1970:
CUMMINGS, RAY(mond King) (1887-1957) (chron.)
* The Girl in the Golden Atom [Scientific Club], (na) All-Story Weekly
Mar 15 1919
Giant Anthology of Science Fiction, ed. Leo Margulies &
Oscar J. Friend, Merlin Press 1954
Under the Moons of Mars, ed. Sam Moskowitz, Holt, Rinehart &
Winston 1970
Cummings reused atomic world micro/macro plots a lot, including some
stories in which explorers from "our" world expand in the macroworld;
as far as I can see from available plot summaries, none of these involve
a ring however. Aside from Cummings, the most notable early stories on
the theme include "Colossus" by Donald Wandrei (explorer from our world
expands into the macroworld again) and "He Who Shrank" by Henry Hasse
(explorer shrinks endlessly, from one world to its microworld to that
world's microworld, and so on; after many levels of this he passes
through our world, whose inhabitants of course refuse to believe that
they are an atom within an atom within....).
If you happen to have access to Bleiler's SCIENCE FICTION: THE
GERNSBACK YEARS, there about fifty early stories subject indexed
under "Macroworld," but book is arranged such that each would need
to be looked up separately for a plot synopsis (which may or may
not mention a hypothetical ring, of course).
Of course, if it's just a passing comment within a mundane story,
and not a device within an sf story, the possibilities are endless.
Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu
FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 6/27/03, 10:47 AM
********************
"Now imagination suggested and logic immutably demonstrates that
the atoms themselves are composed of other atoms, and that these
atoms in turn are composed of still others, ad infinitum. They are
merely invisible, and imagination--I am not now stating a belief,
but citing an example of what imagination can do--can make us see
the possibility of each of those atoms, down to infinity, being
inhabited, being in itself a world relatively as distant from its
fellows as we are from the moon. We can even imagine what those
inhabitants would look like. . . ."
"But the boundary lies the other way--through the telescope,"
continued the scientist. "The most powerful glass ever devised
has brought no suggestion of the end of the universe. It only
brings more millions of worlds, invisible to the naked eye, into
sight. The stronger the glass the more hopeless the task of even
conjecturing the end, and here too, the imagination can apply the
atomic theory and logic will support it. In other words, atoms
make matter, matter makes the world which is an inconceivably
tiny speck in our solar system, an atom; therefor, all the
millions and millions of worlds are mere atoms, infinitesimal
parts of some far greater scheme. What greater scheme? There is
the end of imagination! There the mind stops."
***************
"The Haunted Bell" was written at some point between 1905 (when
Futrelle created the character) and 1912 (when Futrelle died).
These are detective stories, not sf (although "The Haunted Bell"
uniquely does contain a possible supernatural element); it's
interesting that the microverse/macroverse concepts were "in the
air" enough this early to justify a long (and irrelevant to
the plot) digression in such a story.
Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu
>Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 15:36:32 -0500
>To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>From: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
>Subject: Re: Universe in stone in a ring
>In-Reply-To: <[removed]@mcemail.nov>
>
>At 04:02 PM 6/26/03 -0400, you wrote:
>>
>>Does anyone remember the title of a short story (possibly science
fiction) where a character suggests that earth could be as insignificant as
a stone in the ring worn by someone in another universe? My patron read it
in the 1960's. This one has stumped us. Thanks.
>>Judy Mullen
>>Reference Librarian
>>Manatee County Public Library
>
>
>There've been a *lot* of sf stories postulating that each atom of our
>universe contains a universe (or at least a solar system) of its own,
>and almost as many postulating that our own universe is but an atom in
>a larger-order megauniverse (and so on, ad infinitum).
<snip>
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