''After 12,000 Years'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

magazine serial and novel by American writer Stanton A. Coblentz. Considered one of the author's most bizarre and most interesting futuristic fantasies, the story originally appeared as a novella in the Spring 1929 issue of the magazine '' Amazing Stories Quarterly''. It was later expanded and serialized for the pulp magazine ''Uncanny Tales'' in 1942, before being published in book form in 1950 by Fantasy Publishing Company, Inc. (FPCI).

Lloyd Arthur Eshbach Lloyd Arthur Eshbach (June 20, 1910 – October 29, 2003) was an American science fiction science fiction fandom, fan, publisher and writer, secular and religious publisher, and minister. Biography Born in Palm, Pennsylvania, Palm, Pennsyl ...

regarded this as one of the stronger titles published by FPCI. The story was abridged for the FPCI publication, in an edition of 1,000 copies, of which 750 were

hardback A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as casebound (At p. 247.)) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy ...

E. F. Bleiler Everett Franklin Bleiler (April 30, 1920 – June 13, 2010) was an American editor, bibliographer, and scholar of science fiction, detective fiction, and fantasy literature. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he co-edited the first "year's best" s ...

considered the unabridged version to be superior.

Plot

The novel concerns Henry Merwin, who after taking part in an experiment finds himself 12,000 years in the future. Taken captive by a giant race, he is forced to care for their insect pets. He falls in love with a fellow prisoner, Luellan, but his captors will not allow them to marry. Instead he is forced to go to war with his insect charges. The insects eventually grow to such a size that they take over much of the earth. Merwin returns to rescue Luellen, escaping to her home in Borneo.

Critical reception

Groff Conklin Edward Groff Conklin (September 6, 1904 – July 19, 1968) was an American science fiction anthologist. He edited 40 anthologies of science fiction, one of mystery stories (co-edited with physician Noah Fabricant), wrote books on home improvement ...

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 Edi ...

'' said in 1951 that ''After 12,000 Years'' was "one of the most interesting and believable anti-Utopias of recent years". Despite sounding "much older" than its 1928 copyright "the ideas in the book are valid—more so today, I believe, than when the book was written", he said, comparing the future society's methods to that of ''

Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also published as ''1984'') is a dystopian novel and cautionary tale by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final completed book. Thematically ...

'' and Adolf Hitler's

Big lie A big lie () is a gross distortion or misrepresentation of the truth primarily used as a political propaganda technique. The German expression was first used by Adolf Hitler in his book ''Mein Kampf'' (1925) to describe how people could be in ...

. Conklin concluded, "Make no mistake—this is not one of science fiction's works of genius. But it is fresh and full of uncomfortable ideas about the future". R. D. Mullen noted in 1975 that although the novel "anticipates ''

Brave New World ''Brave New World'' is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hier ...

'' in some respects, and ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' in others," its stylistic weakness makes it unsuccessful social satire, and that the novel therefore "fails to provoke either laughter or horror—or at least would fail to do so for any sophisticated reader.""Reviews: November 1975"
''

Science Fiction Studies ''Science Fiction Studies'' (''SFS'') is an academic journal founded in 1973 by R. D. Mullen. The journal is published three times per year at DePauw University. As Science fiction studies, the name implies, the journal publishes articles and ...

'', November 1975 Bleiler described it as "essentially an attack on Western culture, militarism, and war hysteria," noting that "the description of the anthill society and many little touches describing sadistic exploitation are stronger than the plotline."

References

Sources

* * * * * *

Bibliography

External links

Full text of ''After 12,000 Years''
(1929 edition) at Internet Archive * {{Authority control 1929 American novels 1929 science fiction novels 1929 fantasy novels American science fiction novels American fantasy novels Science fantasy novels Dystopian novels Works originally published in Amazing Stories Novels about time travel Novels set in the future Works by Stanton A. Coblentz Works about the future Fantasy Publishing Company, Inc. books