''The Duplicated Man'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novel which was It was co-written by

James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his '' Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel '' A Case of Conscie ...

and Robert Lowndes. ''The Duplicated Man'' was first published in the August 1953 edition of ''

Dynamic Science Fiction ''Dynamic Science Fiction'' was an American pulp magazine which published six issues from December 1952 to January 1954. It was a companion to ''Future Science Fiction'', and like that magazine was edited by Robert W. Lowndes and published by C ...

'' and in book form, in 1959 by

Avalon Books Avalon Books (originally Bouregy & Curl) was a small New York-based book publishing imprint active from 1950 through 2012, established by Thomas Bouregy. Avalon was an important science fiction imprint in the 1950s and 60s; later its specialty ...

.ISFDB Bibliography: The Duplicated Man
Retrieved 2015-11-17.

Plot summary

At war with Venus for decades, the Earth's military authority stood its ground. Missiles kept raining down on Earth with unpredictable regularity. Nobody knew where the next missile would hit. But conventional wisdom dictated that every attack be met with a counter-attack. However, a pacifist peace party sought to have a truce declared with Venus. Paul Danton, a member of a subversive political party, who believed in peace so be his answer to make peace was considered. It was a peculiar stroke of luck that he found a human duplication machine. It was an old machine, and it didn't work reliably after the first five copies were made. But if he could just duplicate the right world leaders, essentially make extra copies of them, maybe he would have a chance bringing peace to Earth and Venus.

Reception

Floyd C. Gale ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Edit ...

of ''

Galaxy Science Fiction ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Editi ...

'' rated ''The Duplicated Man'' three and a half stars out of five: "Deviousness of plotting and many thumbnail character sketches enliven the book".

References

1953 American novels 1953 science fiction novels American science fiction novels Novels by James Blish Novels set on Venus Novels about cloning Avalon Books books {{1950s-sf-novel-stub

Plot summary

Reception

See also

References