E for Effort
Encyclopedia
"E for Effort" is a science-fiction
novelette
by T. L. Sherred
, first published in 1947, about the consequences of a time viewer
, a machine that projects images of the past. It has been reprinted many times, including in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
According to Algis Budrys
, it was contrary to the spirit of Astounding Science Fiction, where it appeared, and it "dismissed" the "bourgeois aspirations" of ASFs editor, John W. Campbell, Jr. It is said that the story was accepted in Campbell's absence and that it was "shoehorned" into the magazine by L. Jerome Stanton, who for a short time acted "heretically" as Campbell's assistant.
except for a brief scene in which the main characters are hiding in Mexico
. It occurs some years after the publication date, a few years after the beginning of large-scale production of nuclear bombs and missiles.
The manuscript is a long letter to "Joe", apparently a bartender, by Ed Lefko. He describes seeing a silent but color movie aimed at Mexican-Americans in a run-down theater in Detroit. The movie recounts Cortés's conquest of Mexico with remarkably realistic sets and acting and a huge cast. The projectionist, a World War II
veteran named Miguel "Mike" Laviada, tells Ed that he made the movie using a time viewer he invented, which he demonstrates. However, Mike has not been able to raise the capital needed to shoot the picture on high-quality film, add sound and other improvements, and get it distributed and advertised. He and Ed become partners, and at Ed's suggestion, they raise money by using the machine to blackmail wealthy people.
They spend a year making most of a new film out of time-viewed footage of Alexander the Great. They take it to Hollywood, where the high quality of the film easily convinces a producer and his associates to finish and it, including using actors for scenes that appear in Alexander's biographies but did not really happen, and market it. The film is a great success with critics and viewers.
Mike and Ed produce more films, first one on the Roman Empire
, then one on the French Revolution
. Both are successful, but the second arouses some controversy because of differences from widely believed myths. Through Mike's influence, Ed becomes less greedy and joins Mike in his plan to use the films against war. The next film, on the American Revolution
, and the next, on the American Civil War
, are banned in many places but still earn huge amounts of money.
The next film is about the First
and Second World Wars. Ed and Mike admit the machine's existence to their associates and persuade them to join in their plan to expose the corruption of many famous people involved in the wars. The film causes riots in many countries and greatly increases international hostility.
Ed, Mike, and their associates are arrested for incitement to riot and other crimes. In their trial, they demonstrate the machine. They are acquitted, but the Army
secretly takes them into "protective custody" and confiscates the machine. Mike's and Ed's plan was to make war impossible by disseminating plans for the machine so every government and military could be watched. However, as the U.S. Army has the only machine, Ed expects other powers will attack pre-emptively before America can use its decisive advantage. He pleads with Joe to retrieve letters containing plans for the machine from their safe-deposit box
—he has left Joe a key—and send them to their addressees around the world.
The story ends with military dispatches showing that Ed and Mike are dead, the bank and its contents have been destroyed by a direct hit with a nuclear weapon, and Washington has been attacked with nuclear weapons.
Miguel Jose Zapata Laviada, known as Mike. The son of Mexican immigrants. An Army radar technician during the World War II, he invented the time viewer and wants to use it to end war. He and Ed share a fondness for beer.
Ruth: An attractive, fun-loving young blonde, she becomes the secretary of Ed and Mike's company (with little to do for a long time), and their companion for drinking and dancing. They talk her into going to Los Angeles with them; there she becomes an actress in B movie
s.
Edward Lee Johnson, known as Lee Johnson: The Hollywood figure in charge of the production company that finishes Ed's and Mike's films. A shrewd businessman, resourceful problem solver, and decisive executive.
Robert Chester Marrs: Johnson's young assistant, who complains about doing the difficult tasks but accomplishes them. He is a skilled writer of film dialogue and advertising.
Benjamin Lyle "Bernie" Bernstein: In charge of sound for the films.
Carl Wilhelm Kessler: In charge of other technical aspects of the films.
Samuels (no first name given): A lawyer who represents the production company, including defending the men listed above at their criminal trial.
Mercedes Maria Gomez: A teacher of deaf children who reads lips in Spanish to provide dialogue for the film on the world wars, and testifies at the trial as part of the defense's case that the film is factual.
Fletcher Pratt
cited it as an example of "a brilliantly original concept" with "no story at all... the science is dandy, but there is no fiction," so a reader would not reread it and would give it no more than a qualified recommendation.
Algis Budrys
called it "a coherent, logical, entertaining, believable" story. He said it was the first to disturb "the National Guard armory that science fiction had become", as it involved a struggle "between Man and the Establishment
", showed a man of Mexican ancestry as a brilliant and idealistic engineer rather than an exotic villain, and saw something better for engineers than a safe, lucrative career.
Jerry Pournelle
said in 1985 that it was the only important story in modern science fiction, outside the work of Jack Williamson
, that had "an easy, sophisticated view of international and corporate realpolitik" reminiscent of Eric Ambler
and Grahame Greene.
Brian Stableford
called it "perhaps the most perfect ironic fantasy" on the theme that the privileged will not permit new technology to undermine their privilege.
James Gunn
noted that Isaac Asimov
's story "The Dead Past
" is in dialogue with "E for Effort".
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novelette
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
by T. L. Sherred
T. L. Sherred
Thomas L. Sherred was an American science fiction writer.Sherred was the author of a slim body of science fiction, consisting of a collection of stories, a novel, and the beginning of a novel that was completed by another author after Sherred's death in 1985...
, first published in 1947, about the consequences of a time viewer
Time viewer
The Time viewer is a fictional device occasionally used in science fiction. It is usually a device which functions along the same lines as a television, except that the picture depicts events in another time, either the past or the future...
, a machine that projects images of the past. It has been reprinted many times, including in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
Publication
The story was Sherred's first science-fiction publication.According to Algis Budrys
Algis Budrys
Algis Budrys was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names "Frank Mason", "Alger Rome", "John A. Sentry", "William Scarff", and "Paul Janvier."-Biography:...
, it was contrary to the spirit of Astounding Science Fiction, where it appeared, and it "dismissed" the "bourgeois aspirations" of ASFs editor, John W. Campbell, Jr. It is said that the story was accepted in Campbell's absence and that it was "shoehorned" into the magazine by L. Jerome Stanton, who for a short time acted "heretically" as Campbell's assistant.
Setting
"E for Effort" takes place in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
except for a brief scene in which the main characters are hiding in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It occurs some years after the publication date, a few years after the beginning of large-scale production of nuclear bombs and missiles.
Synopsis
The story is briefly framed as a manuscript delivered to a civilian by the military under circumstances of great tension.The manuscript is a long letter to "Joe", apparently a bartender, by Ed Lefko. He describes seeing a silent but color movie aimed at Mexican-Americans in a run-down theater in Detroit. The movie recounts Cortés's conquest of Mexico with remarkably realistic sets and acting and a huge cast. The projectionist, a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran named Miguel "Mike" Laviada, tells Ed that he made the movie using a time viewer he invented, which he demonstrates. However, Mike has not been able to raise the capital needed to shoot the picture on high-quality film, add sound and other improvements, and get it distributed and advertised. He and Ed become partners, and at Ed's suggestion, they raise money by using the machine to blackmail wealthy people.
They spend a year making most of a new film out of time-viewed footage of Alexander the Great. They take it to Hollywood, where the high quality of the film easily convinces a producer and his associates to finish and it, including using actors for scenes that appear in Alexander's biographies but did not really happen, and market it. The film is a great success with critics and viewers.
Mike and Ed produce more films, first one on the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, then one on the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. Both are successful, but the second arouses some controversy because of differences from widely believed myths. Through Mike's influence, Ed becomes less greedy and joins Mike in his plan to use the films against war. The next film, on the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and the next, on the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, are banned in many places but still earn huge amounts of money.
The next film is about the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second World Wars. Ed and Mike admit the machine's existence to their associates and persuade them to join in their plan to expose the corruption of many famous people involved in the wars. The film causes riots in many countries and greatly increases international hostility.
Ed, Mike, and their associates are arrested for incitement to riot and other crimes. In their trial, they demonstrate the machine. They are acquitted, but the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
secretly takes them into "protective custody" and confiscates the machine. Mike's and Ed's plan was to make war impossible by disseminating plans for the machine so every government and military could be watched. However, as the U.S. Army has the only machine, Ed expects other powers will attack pre-emptively before America can use its decisive advantage. He pleads with Joe to retrieve letters containing plans for the machine from their safe-deposit box
Safe deposit box
A safe deposit box or wrongly referred to as a safety deposit box is an individually-secured container, usually held within a larger safe or bank vault. Safe deposit boxes are generally located in banks, post offices or other institutions...
—he has left Joe a key—and send them to their addressees around the world.
The story ends with military dispatches showing that Ed and Mike are dead, the bank and its contents have been destroyed by a direct hit with a nuclear weapon, and Washington has been attacked with nuclear weapons.
Characters
Edward Joseph Lefkowicz, known as Ed Lefko. A worldly-wise opportunist with a love for gadgets. Initially unscrupulous, he becomes more idealistic as a result of his contact with Mike.Miguel Jose Zapata Laviada, known as Mike. The son of Mexican immigrants. An Army radar technician during the World War II, he invented the time viewer and wants to use it to end war. He and Ed share a fondness for beer.
Ruth: An attractive, fun-loving young blonde, she becomes the secretary of Ed and Mike's company (with little to do for a long time), and their companion for drinking and dancing. They talk her into going to Los Angeles with them; there she becomes an actress in B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s.
Edward Lee Johnson, known as Lee Johnson: The Hollywood figure in charge of the production company that finishes Ed's and Mike's films. A shrewd businessman, resourceful problem solver, and decisive executive.
Robert Chester Marrs: Johnson's young assistant, who complains about doing the difficult tasks but accomplishes them. He is a skilled writer of film dialogue and advertising.
Benjamin Lyle "Bernie" Bernstein: In charge of sound for the films.
Carl Wilhelm Kessler: In charge of other technical aspects of the films.
Samuels (no first name given): A lawyer who represents the production company, including defending the men listed above at their criminal trial.
Mercedes Maria Gomez: A teacher of deaf children who reads lips in Spanish to provide dialogue for the film on the world wars, and testifies at the trial as part of the defense's case that the film is factual.
Criticism
Too many people to list here have called "E for Effort" classic, though some have limited the description to "a minor classic".Fletcher Pratt
Fletcher Pratt
Murray Fletcher Pratt was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and history, particularly noted for his works on naval history and on the American Civil War.- Life and work :...
cited it as an example of "a brilliantly original concept" with "no story at all... the science is dandy, but there is no fiction," so a reader would not reread it and would give it no more than a qualified recommendation.
Algis Budrys
Algis Budrys
Algis Budrys was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names "Frank Mason", "Alger Rome", "John A. Sentry", "William Scarff", and "Paul Janvier."-Biography:...
called it "a coherent, logical, entertaining, believable" story. He said it was the first to disturb "the National Guard armory that science fiction had become", as it involved a struggle "between Man and the Establishment
The Establishment
The Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
", showed a man of Mexican ancestry as a brilliant and idealistic engineer rather than an exotic villain, and saw something better for engineers than a safe, lucrative career.
Jerry Pournelle
Jerry Pournelle
Jerry Eugene Pournelle is an American science fiction writer, essayist and journalist who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte and has since 1998 been maintaining his own website/blog....
said in 1985 that it was the only important story in modern science fiction, outside the work of Jack Williamson
Jack Williamson
John Stewart Williamson , who wrote as Jack Williamson was a U.S. writer often referred to as the "Dean of Science Fiction" following the death in 1988 of Robert A...
, that had "an easy, sophisticated view of international and corporate realpolitik" reminiscent of Eric Ambler
Eric Ambler
Eric Clifford Ambler OBE was an influential British author of spy novels who introduced a new realism to the genre. Ambler also used the pseudonym Eliot Reed for books co-written with Charles Rodda.-Life:...
and Grahame Greene.
Brian Stableford
Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford is a British science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published as by Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped the middle initial and appeared under the name Brian Stableford...
called it "perhaps the most perfect ironic fantasy" on the theme that the privileged will not permit new technology to undermine their privilege.
James Gunn
James Gunn
James Gunn may refer to:*Sir James Gunn of Scotland, explorer, member of Henry Sinclair's survey expedition in the 14th century*James Gunn , US Senator from Georgia...
noted that Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's story "The Dead Past
The Dead Past
"The Dead Past" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, first published in the April 1956 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It was later collected in Earth Is Room Enough and The Best of Isaac Asimov , and adapted into an episode of the science-fiction television series Out of the...
" is in dialogue with "E for Effort".