And Having Writ... is a 1978 science fiction/alternate history novel by American writer Donald R. Bensen. Nominated for the 1979 John W. Campbell Award, it tells the story of aliens who crash-land on Earth in 1908 and then journey around the planet, trying to jump-start World War I. Even though they fail to do this, they succeed in creating the circumstances for their ultimate departure from Earth after a period of suspended animation.

Plot summary

According to the novel, the Siberian explosion was originally caused by the crash landing of the spacecraft named The Wanderer. In this alternate reality, however, the alien astronauts are able to commandeer their failing vessel so that it lands in the Pacific Ocean, just outside San Francisco. Shortly after landing, the quartet of spacemen are rescued from the sea by an American ship and taken to California. The Wanderer sinks into the ocean, and the team reasons that they must find a way to accelerate Earth's technological advances so that they can get back home. The eventual conclusion at which they arrive is that they must provoke the planet into what Ari claims is an inevitable global conflict, one that will (through weaponry innovations) result in a boom of new science and industry.

Characters

The astronauts and their roles

The four astronauts never identify their home world, merely saying that they are a team of Explorers sent to gather information about foreign planets.

Historical characters

The astronauts interact with a number of important global personages during their stay on Earth. “If I hadn’t promised not to run again...by George, I’d cut my hand off to here!” Roosevelt helps the aliens to escape house arrest in New York in 1909. In 1925, while he is attending a demonstration of an experimental Moon rocket, Roosevelt is killed when the device's engines explode and destroy the platform he was on. In 1909, Edison has the aliens placed under house arrest in New York so that he can pry technological secrets from them. They escape (thanks to former president Roosevelt), however, and head to Europe, and Edison is obliged to dispatch Marines to go after them. When he finally has them in his clutches again, President Edison realizes that the amount of technology the aliens possess would, if widely distributed, cause widespread upheaval. "Nearly free power for everyone, available tomorrow, ain’t that grand? No need to buy coal, gasoline, oil, wood, anything like that. And no need to pay the coal miners, oil people, filling stations, anybody like that. I calculate it’d take about six weeks for the country to turn into a howling wilderness of starving mobs...We’re an industrious and inventive people, and I don’t see any easy gifts you could let us have be worth losing that." In 1912, Edison decides not to run for reelection, and rather goes back to inventing. Raf, in wondering why the King of England should be in France, notes, "The King, it appeared, made a habit of leaving his country for substantial periods of time, especially during the uncertain weather of late winter and early spring, which he spent in France, but also in summer and autumn. His subjects, far from resenting this, were gratified, as most of them would themselves have preferred to be elsewhere much of the time, and so took a prideful vicarious pleasure in their monarch’s travels." In meeting with Edward, the Explorers demonstrate their stunning lack of tact, having not yet become accustomed to human social norms. When he hears of the widespread destruction and misery that World War I will bring, Edward is upset. "'If it must be, so it must. God grant I do not live to see it.' "'That’s about an even chance,' Ari said, looking at him appraisingly. 'If you were to get at it pretty quickly...you’d probably see it pretty well launched. If you and your fellow kings just let things drag on another couple of years or so, why, I’d have to agree you’d probably be pretty well out of it.'" Edward nearly dies right in front of the Explorers, and they are obliged to revive him using their highly advanced medical technology, thus restoring him to full health as he has not enjoyed since young manhood. Out of gratitude, Edward shields them from the U.S. Marines seeking to arrest them and sees to it that they make it safely to Berlin. The Kaiser's left arm had been pulled from its socket at birth as a result of his Breech birth that caused Erb's palsy, the topic was an extremely sensitive one for him. As a child, he was forced by cruel tutors to learn to ride horseback without any assistance whatsoever. They would watch callously as the young crown prince fell from his steed, never once making a move to come to his aid. Wilhelm consequently developed an extremely bellicose personality, one that, in the real world, contributed to the outbreak of World War I. When the Kaiser hears Dark's remark regarding his arm, he is so furious that he attempts to attack the alien with his ceremonial sword. This merely results in Wilhelm falling to the ground and being unable to get up. Dark, completely oblivious to the fact that he is responsible for the episode, extends his arm towards the emperor, saying compassionately, "'Here, let me give you a hand, as you've only got one that's of any use to you.'" The Kaiser forgives Dark's insolence, however, when the spaceman repairs his shriveled limb so that it is in good working order. When the Explorers leave Berlin, their human companions are shocked to see Kaiser Wilhelm waving at them with two healthy arms. The Kaiser gets the troupe on a train to St. Petersburg first thing, so that they might conference with his cousin, Czar Nicholas II. When the Czar's son, five-year-old Czarevitch Alexei, walks right into the room, Nicholas softly objects, "Alexei, you know you're not supposed to come in here while Papa is doing business." Nicholas is just about to dismiss his visitors when Alexei falls and strikes his head on the desk. Nicholas immediately leaps up, cradling his son and screaming frantically for "Grigori!" The Czar tearfully lays his son on the couch until the filthy monk Grigori Rasputin enters the room, chants over the suffering child, and leaves. Alexei is calm after this, and is taken back to the children's quarters. The Czar is deeply shaken by the incident, and begins to discuss the czarevitch's illness with the Explorers. Valmis, usually withdrawn and ethereal, says that the only thing afflicting the boy is a bad set of Patterns. Valmis analyses some of Alexei's blood and finds that a certain protein is missing. He then views the Czar's blood, finds the necessary protein, and is able to reproduce it using machinery of Dark's. A sample of this new blood is injected into the czarevitch, who is completely cured within three days. There is nationwide rejoicing at this news in Russia, and, the very day of Alexei's recovery, Rasputin is dragged from the Palace by Imperial soldiers. Czar Nicholas is so boundlessly thankful that he arranges safe passage to Spain for the Explorers, who are still being pursued by Marines. In addition, the Czar promises to seriously consider everything that Ari has told him about the possibility of a World War. Nicholas II would remain the Russian Czar until his death between 1918 and 1933 and would be succeeded by his son Alexi.

Literary significance and criticism

"a smoothly humorous sf novel set in an alternate world engendered by the survival of the aliens whose crash-landing caused the Siberian Tunguska explosion of 1908. Thomas Alva Edison and H.G. Wells make appearances (John Clute/Encyclopedia of SF).

Background

The actual Tunguska Event was a massive explosion in Siberia, in June 1908. The explosion, unexplained even today, felled sixty million trees and produced shockwaves that could be felt four hundred miles away. A popular explanation is that a small comet disintegrated just before impact; conspiracy theorists have more fanciful explanations.

Release details

Footnotes