A Comparison of the two books and movie
Authors
Phillip Wyllie- Graduate of Princeton University. He mainly wrote philosophical critical views on man and society.
Edwin Balmer- He was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune in 1903. He wrote a comic strip and many novels, including some for Amazing Stories in 1927) one of the original science fiction pulps.
Synopsis
A famous scientist, Cole Hendron, consults with scientists worldwide about Dr. Bronson’s discovery of two rogue planets. They determine and verify that the two planets will enter the solar system in eight months. The rogue planets will pass by Earth. Bronson Alpha, the larger of the two, will collide with the moon, and that destruction will cause havoc on Earth. The Bronson planets will continue around the sun and return sixteen months later. Bronson Alpha will collide with the Earth. However, Bronson Beta will be close enough for humans to reach by spaceship. Bronson Alpha will go on its merry way out of the solar system, and Bronson Beta will take Earth’s place. Dr. Hendron starts preparing for the first collision and tells the press what will happen on this first pass. He urges the Earth to evacuate from the coastline and generally prepare. Dr. Hendron plans to build a spaceship and fly to Bronson Beta. Scientists study Bronson Beta and think they can cross over to it from Earth. There is evidence of life on Bronson Beta. There is evidence that life exists there, as well as evidence of oceans. Dr. Hendron invites a group to help prepare for the coming terrors and the trip to Bronson Beta. Most importantly, they will build the spaceship. A lottery will choose one hundred ‘suitable’ people from that group to go on the ark.
At what seems to be the last minute, Randal, a pilot, finds a metal in a new volcano’s ejection. This metal allows the use of the atomic engine for the spaceship. Many in the Hendron’s camp thought finding the metal a gift. A divine intervention from God that humanity will not cease to exist. This powerful engine was too hot to safely transport people to Bronson Beta; the heat would destroy the engine’s casing. The new metal from the Earth’s bowels can withstand the engine’s heat and solve that last problem. Also, because of this discovery of atomic heat-resistant metal, Hendron can and will build two arks. There will be no more need for a lottery; all will come. Yeah!
Things get bad outside the compound where Hendron’s people are feverishly working. A large group storms the camp, and Hendron has to fire up the engines with the colonists inside, burning the invaders to a crisp. In sorrow at such a loss of life, they finish the prep and take off. The journey and landing are rough. The air tests breathable, and the colonists enter the new world. The group discovered moss here, which must have survived in their spores. They also find a road. Before Bronson Beta and Bronson Bronson Alpha broke away from their solar system, a civilization lived, thrived, and then frozen in space for the journey through the galaxy.
Interesting Facts
1st novel to talk about exoplanets, rouge planets, and two planets colliding. An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. A rogue (alternately interstellar, nomad, orphan, starless, unbound, or wandering) planet, also termed a free-floating planet (FFP) or an isolated planetary-mass object(iPMO), is an interstellar object of planetary mass that is not gravitationally bound to any star or brown dwarf2.
Good Points
This book was exceptionally well written, especially the science that is the basis of the story.
Exoplanets were 1st discovered in 1995. The 1st rouge planet discovered in 2013.
It is very upbeat, and the people involved in the heroic efforts are all noble and kind. The pacing and story arc fit with the theme and are enjoyable. This book takes place in the USA, which was a surprise. It has a very old-fashioned British feel.
Bad Points
This book is very old-fashioned. That is not necessarily bad, but three things stand out in this case:
Women’s usefulness is in their childbearing ability. The number in the initial crew was even for men and women. However, the story misses the contributions of the women in terms of experience and ability. It also misses much of the men’s, but the prizes in recruiting are male. The lead woman, Eve (daughter of Dr. Hendron), is a very skilled scientist in her own right, though there is not much discussion about her value, even though I am sure she is a degreed scientist. She comes along because she is Dr. Hendron’s daughter.
The other male lead is Tony, the man in love with Eve who is really in love with her. So strongly in love, it borders on lust, and it was uncomfortable to read. It might be a man’s way to write passion and how hard it is to let go of marriage for one woman and one man. The book discusses this point to repopulate the human species.
There are no plans to bring children. Older, revered scientists are part of the crew, and in the book, many give up their lives to protect the younger adults. This policy needs to be changed.
Both points reflect the publishing date of the novel. The authors wanted to show passion, but when the rival and roguish lothario David Randel (the pilot that flies in the info to Hendron), the passion gets pretty intense to the point that it is scary. However, the actual actions of the men are very civil, in contrast with Tony’s inner thoughts. In the movie, Eve chooses David, and her father ensures he gets on the ark, but in the book, she chooses Tony.
After Worlds Collide
Info
Science Fiction Novel
written by Phillip Wylie and Edwin Balmer
1934
Synopsis
The original ark lands on Bronson Beta check the air and agrees to wait until morning to explore the new home. Tony, Hendron, and two others sneak out at night to take that initial breath, but they live. Slowly, the group sets up a colony. The other ark makes it, and they finally connect using the roads after the initial reconnaissance flight to see if others made the trip and survived.
The city they discover is powered, but they must learn how it works. Then, the group finds out about some other ships that landed. Germans, Russians, and Japanese (the enemies of the time) are holding one city with enslaved British people. Our intrepid group gets into a struggle with the ‘baddies.’ The bad guys want this new world to run in their ideal way- they are the boss, and the women are for breeding, and they kill the men who are threats. They cut off the power to the Americans. The Americans then figured out how to control the power and take over the rival city. The heroes freed the prisoners and set up a democratic system for all. The group finds that Bronson Beta will stay in orbit around the sun but will have a wide elliptical route and spend much time in frigid temperatures. However, now they can survive with the power on in the city and even thrive.
Interesting Facts
1st novel to show landing on an alien planet and making it home (for humans).
Best Points
It is another excellent novel in the same pattern as the original When Worlds Collide. The science is quite good, the planets’ mystery in the unthawing, and the previous civilization’s leftovers are fascinating.
A stowaway woman knew she was not a good candidate to come. The story tells us how she turns out to be a very fortunate crew member, using her quirky ways to help solve the ‘baddies’ threat. It is an excellent glimpse into the variety of humans and their unexpected value in uncertain times.
Negative Points
Weird change with the film. In both books, Eve, Hendron’s daughter, chooses Tony from the beginning and is kind to David Randal but never considers him. In the movie, Tony is a doctor (helpful, no?) and David a pilot (again helpful, too, no?). In the book, Tony is a stockbroker, and even though he proves to be very useful in recruiting and organizing, he agonizes over not being enough to be taken in the ark, or at least so he thinks. David, the pilot, never agonizes over his worthiness in the book. However, he becomes a hero in the movie when he finds the “METAL” that saves the day.
The movie has no second Ark, and the horrid lottery takes place.
Children are not among the recruits in either book, but two come with a pregnant dog in the movie and two in the book. Eve immediately becomes a ‘mother’ to the kids. The Oops crew members (children and stowaway) are the best characters.
Conclusions
What we know now that was not known in 1933 and 1934 ;
There can be very detailed descriptions of the composition of a planet and its atmosphere from Earth’s telescopes. In the movie, someone sniffs the air and says it smells acceptable. That was ridiculous. In the book, they had some idea about the planet’s composition; it had an atmosphere, oceans, and maybe life. When they got there, they could analyze a sample of the atmosphere to see if they could breathe it. In the movie, it was all new to them. Part of that is that they want to make it mysterious and exciting.
This book is a good read. I read the original When Worlds Collide because I loved the sequel, After Worlds Collide. I wish I had read the first book before I saw the movie because the book is so rich in detail and emotion, but that is why books can be so much better.
It is an excellent sequel with sound science and a good story arc. Again, the pacing is excellent, and the conclusion is reasonable. However, I would enjoy more stories about surviving the long “winter” in the second book, which could be fascinating. They have a powered city with underground connections that could produce new life with the buildings and tunnels.
©March 25, 2024 jmstrasser.com All rights reserved
Footnotes
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exoplanet
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_planet
Illustrations
1. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=When+Worlds+Collide&atb=v386-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F0AQ6-ThiTCg%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg
2. https://cloud.filmfed.com/movies/images/l_5902a3b0-f3a0-4e97-88e2-ea53fcb1cacf.jpg