What Mad Universe
Encyclopedia
What Mad Universe is a science-fiction novel, written in 1949 by the American
author, Fredric Brown
.
. Keith is alone in his friends' garden, deep in thought, when, suddenly, the engine of the rocket (whose launch has been a failure) crashes and explodes on his friends' residence, taking him to a strange but deceptively similar parallel universe
. Wild-eyed, Keith is astonished to see how credits have replaced dollar
s; is amazed when he encounters some scantily-clad pin-up girl
s who are, at the same time, astronauts; is driven to stupor when he encounters his first Arcturian. But it is when he tries to get back to his usual world when he finally understands his problem, if not the solution.
that the protagonist feels, and the strange things that are in the universe, like knitting machine
s that open the way for a voyage in space. A half-serious, half-humorous take on modern society and the reality of our world, its light-hearted style would be built on by subsequent books, most notably his 1955 work, Martians, Go Home
.
Boucher
and McComas
named What Mad Universe the best SF novel of 1949, citing its "blend of humor, logic, terror and satire." P. Schuyler Miller
praised the novel as a "gleeful mulligan stew of well tried ingredients dished up with that all-important difference in flavor."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Cincinnati.He had two sons: James Ross Brown and Linn Lewis Brown ....
.
Synopsis
Keith Winton is a journalist for a science-fiction review. With his glamorous co-worker girlfriend, Betty, he visits his friends one day in their elegant estate in the Catskills, unfortunately on the same day as an experimental rocket is to be launched. Betty has to go back to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Keith is alone in his friends' garden, deep in thought, when, suddenly, the engine of the rocket (whose launch has been a failure) crashes and explodes on his friends' residence, taking him to a strange but deceptively similar parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. Wild-eyed, Keith is astonished to see how credits have replaced dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
s; is amazed when he encounters some scantily-clad pin-up girl
Pin-up girl
A pin-up girl, also known as a pin-up model, is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, e.g. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall...
s who are, at the same time, astronauts; is driven to stupor when he encounters his first Arcturian. But it is when he tries to get back to his usual world when he finally understands his problem, if not the solution.
Style
What Mad Universe is full of humour, mostly stemming from the description of the culture shockCulture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
that the protagonist feels, and the strange things that are in the universe, like knitting machine
Knitting machine
A knitting machine is a device used to create knitted fabrics in a semi- or fully automated fashion.There are numerous types of knitting machines, ranging from the simple, non-mechanical, to the highly complex and electronic. All, however, produce various types of knitted fabrics, usually either...
s that open the way for a voyage in space. A half-serious, half-humorous take on modern society and the reality of our world, its light-hearted style would be built on by subsequent books, most notably his 1955 work, Martians, Go Home
Martians, Go Home
Martians, Go Home is a science fiction novel, written in 1955 by the American author, Fredric Brown. Written in a light-hearted style, it is a parody of the science-fiction genre.-Synopsis:...
.
Reception
The novel has been named amongst the capstones of science fiction literature by several sci-fi critics, including- Annick Beguin, Les 100 principaux titres de la science-fiction, Cosmos 2000, 1981 ;
- Jacques Sadoul, Anthologie de la littérature de science-fiction, Ramsay, 1981 ;
- Jacques GoimardJacques GoimardJacques Goimard is a French writer of science fiction and fantasy anthologies. He is also an essayist.He was born in 1934 in Vendée, France....
and Claude Aziza, Encyclopédie de poche de la science-fiction. Guide de lecture, Presses Pocket, coll. « Science-fiction », n°5237, 1986 ; - Denis Guiot, La Science-fiction, Massin, coll. « Le monde de... », 1987 ;
- Enquête du Fanzine Carnage mondain auprès de ses lecteurs, 1989 ;
- Lorris Murail, Les Maîtres de la science-fiction, Bordas, coll. « Compacts », 1993 ;
- Stan Barets, Le science-fictionnaire, Denoël, coll. « Présence du futur », 1994.
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
and McComas
J. Francis McComas
Jesse Francis McComas was an American science fiction editor. McComas wrote several stories on his own in the 1950s using both his own name and the pseudonym Webb Marlowe....
named What Mad Universe the best SF novel of 1949, citing its "blend of humor, logic, terror and satire." P. Schuyler Miller
P. Schuyler Miller
Peter Schuyler Miller was an American science fiction writer and critic.-Life:Miller was raised in New York's Mohawk Valley, which led to a life-long interest in the Iroquois Indians. He pursued this as an amateur archaeologist and a member of the New York State Archaeological Association.He...
praised the novel as a "gleeful mulligan stew of well tried ingredients dished up with that all-important difference in flavor."