by Earl
Gordon A. Giles
Dean D. O'Brien
Ian Francis Turek
Ione Frances Turek
Meet the Authors
EANDO BINDER Author of
“I, ROBOT”
WHEN Amazing Stories first appeared in 1926, Eando Binder did not exist as a single individual, but as Otto and Earl Binder. We were avid science fiction tans from the first, and never missed an issue. Until 19.12 we were content to read the magazine, and enjoy it. But then we began to get a bug in our ear and the resultant buzzing in our respective heads caused the formation of the writer whose name was to become fairly well known in Amazing Stories and other science fiction magazines.
He was Eando Binder, a combination of our first name initials with the word “and” between.
The result was the writing of such stories as “85 & 87,” “The First Martian,” “The Chessboard of Mars,” “The Blue Beam of Pestilence,” “The Chemical Murder” and others. We even crashed through with a long novel called “Darkness and Dawn” in which we ambitiously tried to show the history of man from prehistory to the end of the world. Many readers claimed this our best work. Thus, it was that Otto and Earl lost their identities and became merged into a single man.
However, this combination no longer exists. Eando Binder is not two men, but a pen-name for one man. and that man is myself. Brother Earl still acts as agent, and manages to sell quite a bit of fiction to our favorite magazines. Science fiction always has, and always will be my favorite field of expression.
I now live in New York, am still unmarried, and devote full time to my writing. I am addicted to bridge, and a long feud has flamed between myself, Mori Weisinger, his brother Edward, and Julius Schwartz, all as crazy about science fiction as myself. Many bridge meetings have resulted in science fiction plots, so it’s a matter of grinding two axes with one stone, or something to that effect. I was once an amateur chemist with a home laboratory, and managed to create several very distinctive and effective odors, or should I say, mal-odors. I hope to live long enough to see some form of atomic power and perhaps a try at space travel, because I believe in both.
Brother Earl still lives in Chicago, where he leads a comfortable married life, employed as a parts inspector for a large industrial concern. Since the parting of the Eando team, I’ve been forced to struggle along without Earl’s wide range of experience in the school of life. I am somewhere between 25 and 30 years old, with a lot of ability to learn more about life, and the art of instilling it into my stories.
It is my belief that science fiction is going through the same evolution the old westerns and detectives did. They will become very popular.
and I predict that many new titles will greet the reader from the newsstands, and when they do, the name Eando Binder is going to be right there to aid in the greeting. Even though he doesn’t exist any more, he still retains enough of his identity to completely blank mine, and personally. I’m glad he has. It would seem to indicate that Otto Binder hasn’t exactly been a failure. At any rate, I’ll be in there punching for him for a long time, I hope.
A ROBOT speaking in the first person sums up the basic idea of this story. The idea struck me like a bolt ^ of lightning. Who could tell what happened to a robot better than the robot himself, assuming him to be of near human intelligence? Such a robot, in a sense, is actually a ‘‘form of life,” rather than just a mechanical man. He would have his own personal opinions, prejudices and outlook.
The Frankenstein theme rears its head almost automatically with the mention of a robot. I thought it a good spot to reverse that formula and actually use it as a foil for a different sort of robot evolution. I wanted a robot who could see the human point of view, even if he couldn’t quite understand. And one that proved that it was his environment that molded him as much and as thoroughly as it does a human being.
As for the robot being made humanly intelligent, that may not be so fantastic as it seems to present-day science. In the final analysis, it may be only a matter of sensitivity of apparatus and the application of around-the-corner discoveries of the exact mechanism of human thought. Although I personally rather shudder myself at the possibility. I can do without thinking robots!—Eando Binder, New York, N.Y.
Originally appeared in Amazing Stories, January 1939
Meet the Authors
EANDO BINDER Author of
TRAPPED BY TELEVISION
THIS story was built from the roof down. It happened to strike me one day that it would be a fine thing if criminals’ thoughts could be exposed in the courtroom. It would mean conviction where it so often now means acquittal. In fact, it would mean a general cleaning up of legal machinery, and the death-knell of organized crime.
At this point I had to stem the onrush of my wishful-thinking—this must be a science-fiction story, not a detective thriller. I had a premise—that a new lie-detector which exposed thoughts had been invented. Who had invented it and how? That would lead me to the science of the story. Dale Randall knocked on the door of my mind and walked in—a young biologist with a new idea about our mental processes. In brief, that a certain amino-acid supplied supersensitive ions responsive to the delicate waves involved in thinking.
All well and good, but I found the irrepressible Danny Hogan, already introduced as a character, crowding forward constantly, hogging the limelight. I couldn’t keep him out of it. Before I knew it, he had enraged the scientist, fallen in love with the girl, and was about to tell me how to finish the story. But at this point, I became firm, and decided to make him work for his part, and put him up against a situation he’d have trouble solving. Then, maliciously, I let the girl—cherchez la femme!—beat him to it. As a final blow—but read the story.
To some degree, the story molded itself in the above manner, with the author in doubt to the very end how it would end. The characters really ran away with me and made things come out as they wanted. Insubordination, I call it!—Eando Binder, New York, N.Y.
Originally appeared in Amazing Stories, March 1939
MEET E(AND)O BINDER!
O ABOUT E: Earl Andrias Binder, born in Austria in 1904, was six when the family migrated to America. He passed his boyhood in northern Michigan, a devotee of outdoor pursuits. At 17 he adventured alone to the big city (Chicago), and eventually became chief clerk of the well-known Chicago Club.
This left him little time to follow his natural urge—writing—but it finally cropped out in the form of science fiction. Earl had always had a knack for telling stories verbally (tall ones, tool). Both of us were science fiction fans. We began writing stories as a hobby. Sales rewarded our collaboration.
To tell something of my brothers persona, be is medium height, sturdily built, has curly black hair, and a jolly soul. Married; two daughters. Pet hobby next to science fiction—fishing. Employed at present as structural inspector for Crane Company, Chicago. Of our own tales, he picks “Dawn to Dusk” as the best.
To give an interesting anecdote of Earl’s life, he nearly joined the Navy in his teens. But the next day, before he was duly signed, he was offered a job in a printing plant and turned his back on seafaring. He calls that the moment when fate held him dangling precariously between the (printer’s) devil and the deep!
* * *
E ABOUT O: Otto Binder, born in the Michigan peninsula in 1911, had his eye on a chemist’s career till he graduated from high school in 1929. At this point the economic structure of America went haywire and banks collapsed like the Hindenburg Line, including the one in which Otto had his college savings. He had to resort to nightschooling to continue his education, but the chemistry career became a chimera.
So, as fate would have it, Otto concentrated on writing as more than the initial hobby it was. Our collaboration launched him to that career.
My brother, to give a word picture, is fairly tall and slim, has wavy hair, ambition, likes bridge, tennis and olives. He is single and lives with brother Jack’s (artist) family in Manhattan. Throu
gh no doing of his own, he is an uncle ten times. Our family includes two other brothers and two sisters, all married. Otto’s favorite story, from our collection, is “Chessboard of Mars.”
In his amateur chemist days, Otto provided the family with thrills and excitement. Once, on a Thanksgiving morning, he blew up half his apparatus (but luckily neither himself nor the turkey) producing hydrogen. On another occasion he started a phosphorus fire which to our relief was mostly smoke, but gave himself a burn that took a month healing. Since then he has gone the limit, destroying whole worlds—in fiction!
* * *
Eando about Eando: “The First Martian” was my initial published story and it appeared in print in 1932. Since then some sixty other tales have followed, tor a total of around 700,000 words. Hope to reach a million soon. Shortest story, “Static,” 2000 words. Longest, “Enslaved Brains,” 60,000. Most fan mail received on “Dawn to Dusk.”
I am glad to see science fiction slowly but certainly gaining ground as a form of literary expression. It is the healthiest form of extrapolation in the his story of mankind, in that it teaches the principle of looking ahead, rather than back.
I am happy to be represented in STARTLING STORIES. I feel that my novel “The Impossible World,” is my best effort in the longer lengths.
Originally appeared in Startling Stories, March 1939
Introducing the AUTHOR
EANDO BINDER
Author of
THE INVISIBLE ROBINHOOD
THE man who discovered a method of true invisibility— granting that premise—could do all the things I mentioned in this story, and then some! Unseen, he could stalk about like an invisible crusader, righting the wrongs that most of us see, but none of us can do anything about. Provided, of course, that he has the necessary courage and intellect to see his way through.
I didn’t think it important in the story to explain just how he carried out the inescapable duties of eating, sleeping, etc. without detection. But it’s simple enough. With his invisibility suit off and stored in a suitcase, he rents quarters to live in. When he goes out for one of his exploits, he wears the suit, leaving his quarters as an invisible man. This might at times involve opening doors when people are looking, but before they would have the wits to investigate, he’d be gone. After his exploit, back to his rooms to take the suit off. Then out to eat, as one of millions of others.
At times, on the streets or elsewhere, he’d be unavoidably bumped by people. They’d be mystified, or perhaps frightened, but even if they had the nerve to try to grab him, or any reasonable reason for trying it, he’d have the jump on them. By dint of agility and timing, he’d be able to ride subways, streetcars, etc., picking uncrowded hours. Of course, it’s simpler than that, with Ted Marne as his confederate. Ted Marne drives him anywhere in his car.
Those details by the board, he could carry out his exploits as described. Given publicity, he could quickly become an A-l bogey-man to criminal interests. Not to mention the shivers and chills he’d cause in sensitive minds of all walks of life. If, after reading the story, you flick your eyes about the room surreptitiously, thinking of the invisible man who might be at your elbow!!!—Eando Binder, New York, N.Y.
Originally appeared in Fantastic Adventures, May 1939
MEET THE AUTHOR
Happy New Century!
By EANDO BINDER
Author of “Fire Steps to Tomorrow” and
Many Other Scientifiction Tales
YOU’VE met this author before (in biographical sketches in both STARTLING STORIES and T.W.S.), and there isn’t anything left to say about myself. In fact, there wasn’t enough before.
Writers, as a class, lead unglamorous, ordinary lives and have all their adventures in stories.
It’s much easier to sit at a typewriter and do heroic things than to actually get on the move. And more economical.
Leading an adventurous life via stories is a soft touch. You get all the thrills without any of the inconveniences. Richard Hale, in this story, suffered and went through the mill. While he froze, I sat warm and cozy. While he lost sleep, I slept comfortably. While he ate stale prison food, I ate heartily. But when his triumphant moments came, I shared them. You can’t lose by that system.
Take a little thing like the New Year’s celebration at the start of the story. I’ll never see the year 2000 (unless I reach 89, which wouldn’t help anyway), but vicariously I did welcome in the New Century, along with Richard Hale. That’s a little high-spot in my typewriter-life that can never go in a factual biography.
To say something about the story, its premise is that there will always be would-be Napoleons, trying to gain control of things. Today they try to control nations and even continents. Tomorrow they will try to control the world. By Tomorrow I mean the future in general.
Let’s go behind the scenes for a moment. I’ve used the theme of one type of detective story—get your hero in a frightful mess. And then get him out. Make him suffer like the damned, and then make it all worthwhile. This intense sort of human drama is placed against a background of science and futurism, for contrast. In a way, it’s an experimental medium, at least for me, and I hope it has turned out all right.
As for the science, I don’t think it’s daring or wild. No more daring than predicting radio, X-rays, radium, movies and the airplane in the last century. By extension, radium becomes controlled radioactivity, movies become movideo. X-rays become the spy-ray, etc.
I might warn you that it’s a grim, grim story. I shuddered at times, writing it. It you shudder reading it, that’s the whole idea. Because when you’re through, you’ll feel glad you weren’t in the protagonist’s boots. I hope you like the story, anyway.
Originally appeared in Startling Stories, July 1940
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Novels
Lords of Creation (1949)
Adam Link—Robot (1965)
Enslaved Brains (1965)
Five Steps to Tomorrow (1970)
Get Off My World (1971)
Puzzle of the Space Pyramids (1971)
Secret of the Red Spot (1971)
The Double Man (1971)
Terror in the Bay (1971)
The Forgotten Colony (1972)
The Mind from Outer Space (1972)
The Frontier’s Secret (1973)
The Great Illusion (1973)
The Hospital Horror (1973)
Magazine-published Novels
Eye of the Past, Astounding Stories, March 1938
The Impossible World, Startling Stories, March 1939
Prison of Time, Dynamic Science Stories, April/May, April 1939
Where Eternity Ends, Science Fiction, June 1939
The Three Eternals, Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1939
Five Steps to Tomorrow, Startling Stories, July 1940
The Secret of Anton York, Thrilling Wonder Stories, August 1940
One Thousand Miles Below, Planet Stories, Winter, November 1940
Adam Link Fights a War, Amazing Stories, December 1940
The Life Beyond, Science Fiction, March 1941
Land of the Shadow Dragons, Fantastic Adventures, May 1941
Wanderer of Little Land, Fantastic Adventures, June 1941
Vassals of the Master World, Planet Stories, Fall, August 1941
Via Jupiter, Thrilling Wonder Stories, February 1942
After an Age, Amazing Stories, November 1942
Serials
Enslaved Brains, Wonder Stories, July-September 1934
Dawn to Dusk, Wonder Stories, November 1934-January 1935
Spawn of Eternal Thought, Astounding Stories, April-May 1936
Lords of Creation, Argosy, September 23-October 28, 1939
Chapbooks
The Cancer Machine (1940)
Martian Martyrs (1941)
The New Life (1942)
The Cancer Machine (1940)
The Three Eternals (1949)
Adam Link in the Past (1950)
> Where Eternity Ends (1950)
Dracula (1966)
The Mysterious Island (1974)
The Great Illusion (1976)
Shipwreck in the Sky (2009)
Collections
Anton York, Immortal (1965)
The First Space Patrol Megapack (2014)
The Second Space Patrol Megapack (2015)
Omnibus
Enslaved Brains/Conception: Zero with Gerald Vance (2015)
Dawn to Dusk/The Beast-Men of Ceres with Aladra Septama (2017)
Nonfiction
Planets: Other Worlds of Our Solar System (1961)
Riddles of Astronomy (1964)
What We Really Know About Flying Saucers (1967)
SHORT FICTION BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHRONOLOGICAL
1932
The First Martian, Amazing Stories, October 1932
1933
The Moon Mines, Wonder Stories, April 1933
Murder on the Asteroid, Wonder Stories, June 1933
1934
The Spore Doom, Wonder Stories, February 1934
The Ancient Voice, The Fantasy Fan, April 1934
The Green Cloud of Space, Wonder Stories, May 1934
Enslaved Brains (Part One), Wonder Stories, July 1934
Enslaved Brains (Part Two), Wonder Stories, August 1934
Cigarette Characterization #2, Fantasy Magazine, September 1934
Enslaved Brains (Conclusion), Wonder Stories, September 1934
Cosmos - Chapter 16: Lost in Alien Dimensions, Fantasy Magazine, October/November, October 1934
Eighty-five and Eighty-seven, Amazing Stories, October 1934
The Thieves from Isot, Wonder Stories, October 1934
Dawn to Dusk (Installment One), Wonder Stories, November 1934
Dawn to Dusk (Installment Two), Wonder Stories, December 1934
1935
Dawn to Dusk (Conclusion), Wonder Stories, January 1935