Perpetual Motion (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Perpetual Motion" is a science fiction
short story
written by L. Sprague de Camp
, a story in his Viagens Interplanetarias
series. It was first published under the title "Wide-Open Planet" in the magazine Future in the issue for September-October, 1950. It first appeared in book form under the present title in the collection The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens
, published in hardcover by Twayne Publishers in 1953, and in paperback by Signet Books in 1971. It was also included in the paperback edition of The Queen of Zamba
published by Dale Books in 1977. This edition was reprinted by Ace Books
in 1982 as part of the standard edition of the Krishna novels. The story has been translated into Portuguese
, Dutch
, and Italian
.
machine that he pretends will enable the Krishnans to catch up to the technologically superior Terrans by supplying them with limitless power.
All is going as planned until the knight Shurgez, former paramour of Zerdai, a female member of the order Borel has taken up with, returns from a quest and challenges him to a duel over her. Borel pretends to agree, but knowing himself no match for a trained warrior prepares for a quick getaway, which he effects on the very occasion of the duel itself. Fleeing through the Koloft Swamp on a swift aya with a much of his ill-gotten gains as he could stow, he is attacked by the tailed aborigines dwelling there and forced to abandon his treasure to save his life.
To add insult to injury, back at the Terran spaceport of Novorecife Borel is arrested on the charge of divulging Terran technology to the Krishnans. He gets off by pointing out that his device was plainly fraudulent, perpetual motion being a physical impossibility. As Novorecife has no extradition treaty with Mikardand, the authorities are forced to let him go, and soon Borel is working a new con on a visiting Viagens Interplanetarias bigwig, who is interested in touring the native kingdoms and is looking for a guide... As Judge Keshavachandra ruefully noted after the conclusion of Borel's trial: "Talk of perpetual motion, he's it!"
The fates of Borel's new scheme and of Borel himself are revealed in the later Krishna novel The Hostage of Zir
. That novel also shows the beginning of the organized tourism on Krishna Borel envisioned, though without his involvement.
genre, representing both a tribute to the Barsoom
novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs
and an attempt to "get it right", reconstructing the concept logically and thoughtfully, without what he regarded as Burroughs' biological and technological absurdities.
As dated in The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens
, the 1959 version of de Camp's essay "The Krishna Stories," and James Cambias's GURPS Planet Krishna (a 1997 gaming guide to the Viagens series authorized by de Camp), the action of "Perpetual Motion" takes place in the year 2137 AD., falling between "Finished
" and The Queen of Zamba
, and making it the second story set on Krishna in terms of chronology.
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...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
, a story in his Viagens Interplanetarias
Viagens Interplanetarias
The Viagens Interplanetarias series is a sequence of science fiction stories by L. Sprague de Camp, begun in the late 1940s and written under the influence of contemporary space opera and sword and planet stories, particularly Edgar Rice Burroughs's Martian novels...
series. It was first published under the title "Wide-Open Planet" in the magazine Future in the issue for September-October, 1950. It first appeared in book form under the present title in the collection The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens
The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens
The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens is a 1953 collection of stories by science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp, the fifth book in his Viagens Interplanetarias series. It was first published in hardcover by Twayne Publishers, and in paperback by Signet Books in 1971...
, published in hardcover by Twayne Publishers in 1953, and in paperback by Signet Books in 1971. It was also included in the paperback edition of The Queen of Zamba
The Queen of Zamba
The Queen of Zamba is a science fiction novel written by L. Sprague de Camp, the first book of his Viagens Interplanetarias series and its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Krishna. It was written between November 1948 and January 1949 and first published in the magazine Astounding...
published by Dale Books in 1977. This edition was reprinted by Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
in 1982 as part of the standard edition of the Krishna novels. The story has been translated into Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.
Plot summary
When French con-man Felix Borel lands on the planet Krishna, he expects to take the native rubes for everything they've got. Targeting the Republic of Mikardand he establishes himself in the capital, Mishe. There he quickly ingratiates himself with the ruling class, the knightly Order of Qarar, and enmeshes the knights in a scheme to establish a lottery and peddle a perpetual motionPerpetual motion
Perpetual motion describes hypothetical machines that operate or produce useful work indefinitely and, more generally, hypothetical machines that produce more work or energy than they consume, whether they might operate indefinitely or not....
machine that he pretends will enable the Krishnans to catch up to the technologically superior Terrans by supplying them with limitless power.
All is going as planned until the knight Shurgez, former paramour of Zerdai, a female member of the order Borel has taken up with, returns from a quest and challenges him to a duel over her. Borel pretends to agree, but knowing himself no match for a trained warrior prepares for a quick getaway, which he effects on the very occasion of the duel itself. Fleeing through the Koloft Swamp on a swift aya with a much of his ill-gotten gains as he could stow, he is attacked by the tailed aborigines dwelling there and forced to abandon his treasure to save his life.
To add insult to injury, back at the Terran spaceport of Novorecife Borel is arrested on the charge of divulging Terran technology to the Krishnans. He gets off by pointing out that his device was plainly fraudulent, perpetual motion being a physical impossibility. As Novorecife has no extradition treaty with Mikardand, the authorities are forced to let him go, and soon Borel is working a new con on a visiting Viagens Interplanetarias bigwig, who is interested in touring the native kingdoms and is looking for a guide... As Judge Keshavachandra ruefully noted after the conclusion of Borel's trial: "Talk of perpetual motion, he's it!"
The fates of Borel's new scheme and of Borel himself are revealed in the later Krishna novel The Hostage of Zir
The Hostage of Zir
The Hostage of Zir is a science fiction novel written by L. Sprague de Camp, the seventh book of his Viagens Interplanetarias series and the fifth of its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Krishna. Chronologically it is the third Krishna novel. It was first published in hardcover by...
. That novel also shows the beginning of the organized tourism on Krishna Borel envisioned, though without his involvement.
Setting
The planet Krishna is de Camp's premier creation in the Sword and PlanetSword and planet
Sword and Planet is a subgenre of science fantasy that features rousing adventure stories set on other planets, and usually featuring Earthmen as protagonists. The name derives from the heroes of the genre engaging their adversaries in hand to hand combat primarily with simple melee weapons such as...
genre, representing both a tribute to the Barsoom
Barsoom
Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs, who wrote close to 100 action adventure stories in various genres in the first half of the 20th century, and is now best known as the creator of the character Tarzan...
novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
and an attempt to "get it right", reconstructing the concept logically and thoughtfully, without what he regarded as Burroughs' biological and technological absurdities.
As dated in The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens
The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens
The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens is a 1953 collection of stories by science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp, the fifth book in his Viagens Interplanetarias series. It was first published in hardcover by Twayne Publishers, and in paperback by Signet Books in 1971...
, the 1959 version of de Camp's essay "The Krishna Stories," and James Cambias's GURPS Planet Krishna (a 1997 gaming guide to the Viagens series authorized by de Camp), the action of "Perpetual Motion" takes place in the year 2137 AD., falling between "Finished
Finished (story)
"Finished" is a science fiction short story written by L. Sprague de Camp, a story in his Viagens Interplanetarias series. It was first published in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction in the issue for November, 1949...
" and The Queen of Zamba
The Queen of Zamba
The Queen of Zamba is a science fiction novel written by L. Sprague de Camp, the first book of his Viagens Interplanetarias series and its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Krishna. It was written between November 1948 and January 1949 and first published in the magazine Astounding...
, and making it the second story set on Krishna in terms of chronology.