old mercury:  anthology wanted

Here's what we'd surely like to see on the book-stands:

blurb

Old Mercury!

Reality has fallen down on the job so it's time to go back and celebrate the illusions of yore!

Fortunately, by the time scientists in 1965 proved the non-existence of Old Mercury with its eternal Dayside, Darkside and Twilight Belt, some writers had already furnished us with such unforgettable tales set on that romantic scene, that the idea refuses to lie down. 

It has even been resurrected in a recent novel that finds an excuse to insist on the reality of the Twilight Belt.

Within these pages you can rove the realms of Clark Ashton Smith's sinister Immortals, Leigh Brackett's silicon giant, Alan E Nourse's challenge-obsessed Brightside explorers... and several others.

Here then is a tribute to the innermost planet as it ought to have been.

contents

Introduction - by some important person

The challenge of temperature:

Brightside Crossing, by Alan E Nourse

Hot Planet, by Hal Clement

Sunfire! by Edmond Hamilton

The Coldest Place, by Larry Niven

The super-powers of Old Mercury:

The Immortals of Mercury, by Clark Ashton Smith

Shannach - The Last, by Leigh Brackett

Life-Forms of Old Mercury:

Extract from The Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut

Extract from Battle on Mercury by Lester del Rey

Something from Mercury, by John Russell Fearn

The future of Old Mercury:

Extract from Valeddom, by Robert Gibson

Comment from Zendexor:

I have not yet done the links, except the internal ones.  I don't want the external links to interfere with the internal ones so I suppose I shall need a separate section for them.  Sizzling Saturn!  This looks like work!  It might be a while before it gets done.

Similarly I have not yet done individual blurbs for each story but this would be a good thing to do, in line with Dylan's original suggestion.

Anyhow, the arrangement and the list above will, I hope, form a basis for comment by the readers.  All suggestions, as ever, are welcome. 

› Old Mercury

Solar System Heritage