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Vanguard Variorum, May 1946

4     VANGUARD VARIORUM

the problem of the Imperial power to fight, but also he must protect himself and the duplicate bodies which he has created. He does this in two main ways. He makes one of the bodies into the mental and physical monstrosity called "X", and he sends out Gosseyn I. At no time does "X" know that he is an agent, and that his thoughts, his knowledge of the inner ring of the gang, are being registered on the brain of Gosseyn III. The Gosseyn is also working in the dark. He is not aware of the identity of the agents of the imperial power until a very late date (This explains Crang's diatribe against the machine. At that time he had still no desire to be known as an Imperial agent). Gosseyn I is sent out knowing literally nothing in order to call the attention of the ordinary agents of the Imperial power to the fact that there is opposition. The purpose is to turn the direction of their efforts. So long as they say they are Imperial generals they represent military power almost beyond imagination. By swerving them so that they would seek purely personal gains, their subsequent actions and purposes would be profoundly altered.

In this he was successful. Thorson and Crang and Prescott lost interest in the battle against the Venerian A's, set themselves in the pursuit of immortality. Under normal circumstances, they would never have attacked the agents of the galactic league, but now they no longer cared, and so, in seeking a purely personal reward, Thorson actually found the Gosseyn, and was killed. The Gosseyn, in concealing himself among the league agents because that seemed the safest place, likewise overplayed his hand, and so he too was destroyed.

Mr. Knight assumes that the Gosseyns are responsible for the presence of human beings on every habitable planet. He is in error. The Gosseyns have not the faintest idea who is against them. For better or worse, I decided not to reveal the identity of the somebody who is responsible until the sequel. I admit that this weakened the last installment of A as I had to be so careful in handling that character, but it's done and it can't be helped now.

It would have required about two dozen paragraphs to explain the foregoing as well as other points brought up by Mr. Knight. The story already seemed long enough to me, and besides I have frequently left things unexplained in my stories, and discovered that the readers rather liked the idea of suggestions which each reader interpreted according to his own fancy. In this case, my fear of too much explanation collided head-on with those readers who demand not only the substance but must possess the very shadow of the soul. These readers want from science fiction what they can only obtain from life itself, and then only if they understand their nervous systems. Only a full utilization of the A training will ever bring satisfaction of this illimitable hunger.

And now, finally, I have a real complaint to make against Mr. Knight. About two years ago a friend of mine showed me a letter or an article by Knight (I cannot remember which) in which he discussed my work in the following manner. He said that he could not see how anyone had ever seen anything in any story that I had ever written.

Let me hasten to add that I am not objecting to Mr. Knight having such an opinion of my work, and he is certainly entitled to publish it to his heart's content. But it seems to me that, in view of his previous statement, he is in his present article sailing under false colors. He says in this latest criticism that he has been progressively annoyed by my work ever since SLAN. But he did not except SLAN from that statement two years before. Then he could not see how anybody had ever liked anything I had ever written.

What am I getting at? It seems clear to me that Mr. Knight now renders implied praise of SLAN in order to establish himself as objective critic of my

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4 VANGUARD VARIORUM the problem of the Imperial power to fight, but also he must protect himself and the duplicate bodies which he has created. He does this in two main ways. He makes one of the bodies into the mental and physical monstrosity called "X", and he sends out Gosseyn I. At no time does "X" know that he is an agent, and that his thoughts, his knowledge of the inner ring of the gang, are being registered on the brain of Gosseyn III. The Gosseyn is also working in the dark. He is not aware of the identity of the agents of the imperial power until a very late date (This explains Crang's diatribe against the machine. At that time he had still no desire to be known as an Imperial agent). Gosseyn I is sent out knowing literally nothing in order to call the attention of the ordinary agents of the Imperial power to the fact that there is opposition. The purpose is to turn the direction of their efforts. So long as they say they are Imperial generals they represent military power almost beyond imagination. By swerving them so that they would seek purely personal gains, their subsequent actions and purposes would be profoundly altered. In this he was successful. Thorson and Crang and Prescott lost interest in the battle against the Venerian A's, set themselves in the pursuit of immortality. Under normal circumstances, they would never have attacked the agents of the galactic league, but now they no longer cared, and so, in seeking a purely personal reward, Thorson actually found the Gosseyn, and was killed. The Gosseyn, in concealing himself among the league agents because that seemed the safest place, likewise overplayed his hand, and so he too was destroyed. Mr. Knight assumes that the Gosseyns are responsible for the presence of human beings on every habitable planet. He is in error. The Gosseyns have not the faintest idea who is against them. For better or worse, I decided not to reveal the identity of the somebody who is responsible until the sequel. I admit that this weakened the last installment of A as I had to be so careful in handling that character, but it's done and it can't be helped now. It would have required about two dozen paragraphs to explain the foregoing as well as other points brought up by Mr. Knight. The story already seemed long enough to me, and besides I have frequently left things unexplained in my stories, and discovered that the readers rather liked the idea of suggestions which each reader interpreted according to his own fancy. In this case, my fear of too much explanation collided head-on with those readers who demand not only the substance but must possess the very shadow of the soul. These readers want from science fiction what they can only obtain from life itself, and then only if they understand their nervous systems. Only a full utilization of the A training will ever bring satisfaction of this illimitable hunger. And now, finally, I have a real complaint to make against Mr. Knight. About two years ago a friend of mine showed me a letter or an article by Knight (I cannot remember which) in which he discussed my work in the following manner. He said that he could not see how anyone had ever seen anything in any story that I had ever written. Let me hasten to add that I am not objecting to Mr. Knight having such an opinion of my work, and he is certainly entitled to publish it to his heart's content. But it seems to me that, in view of his previous statement, he is in his present article sailing under false colors. He says in this latest criticism that he has been progressively annoyed by my work ever since SLAN. But he did not except SLAN from that statement two years before. Then he could not see how anybody had ever liked anything I had ever written. What am I getting at? It seems clear to me that Mr. Knight now renders implied praise of SLAN in order to establish himself as objective critic of my