Though the contrast is striking and the juxtaposition of black, violet, and shades of red vivid, Graves Gladney’s cover for the July, 1939 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, inspired by and presenting A.E. van Vogt’s story “Black Destroyer” doesn’t – in and of itself – attain anywhere near the same level of crisply conjectured dramatic realism as those of other Astounding cover artists of the late 30s and early 40s … such as Hubert Rogers and Charles Schneeman. Let alone, other covers by Gladney himself, like his fine work for Astounding’s March, 1939, issue, depicting “Cloark of Aesir”! Similarly, Gladney’s conception of the story’s non-human protagonist, the feline-like (but not really feline!) Coeurl is inconsistent with the the creature as actually described by van Vogt (where did Coeurl’s tentacles go?), while the diminutive winged-egg spaceship doesn’t quite convey the mystique of the mighty “Space Beagle”.
That being said, allowances can be made. In this case, vastly more important than the cover art itself is what this art signifies: This is the issue of Astounding that symbolizes the commencement of the “Golden Age of Science Fiction”, by virtue of “Black Destroyer” being A.E. van Vogt’s first published tale of science fiction, as well as the first story by Isaac Asimov (“Trends“) to be published in the magazine. Though not often mentioned in the context of this issue’s significance, the July ’39 issue also features C.L. Moore’s wonderful (and wonderfully told) story “Greater Than Gods“. Though this wasn’t her first effort at science fiction (or, science fiction / fantasy, if you prefer) that having been “Shambleau” in Weird Tales in 1933, “Greater Than Gods”, a story with overlapping themes of free will, destiny, parallel universes, and at a minor level romance, is solidly representative of her ability to create vivid worlds and settings, maintain a fast and gripping pace, portray the mental states of her characters, and particularly – in an almost Lovecraftian way – generate a mood that is almost physical in feeling. (Albeit “cosmicism” is certainly not at all central to her work.) I’d certainly include Moore, along with, for example, Cordwainer Smith, as having been among the “top ten”; “top five” science fiction writers of the Golden Age, and not just the Golden Age, though her oeuvre in the field ended by the late 1950s. As for Isaac Asimov? Well, despite the size and scope of his body of work, with the exception of “Pebble in the Sky” I have never been partial to his writing.
So. Having commenced this blog in 2016, I’ve at long last acquired a copy of the July ’39 issue of Astounding. (The impetus for this post!) Below, you’ll find all manner of links pertaining to the literary and cultural intersection between “Black Destroyer” and the Golden Age, specifically about “Black Destroyer”, and about A.E. van Vogt himself. It seems that he is still well remembered, and that is a very good thing.
For your enchantment, enlightenment, and entertainment…
Thoughts about “Black Destroyer”, at…
… Internet Speculative Fiction Database
… Prospero’s Isle (full text!!)
… SciFiWright (John C. Wright: “The Big Three are Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and – wait for it – A.E. van Vogt.” – Feb. 2, 2013)
… Los Angeles Review of Books (Ted Gioia: “Fix-up Artist: The Chaotic SF of A.E. van Vogt” – April 30, 2012)
… The New York Times (Alec Nevala-Lee: “How Astounding Saw the Future” – Jan. 20, 2019)
… The Pulp.Net Presents Yellowed Perils (“A Discussion of Black Destroyer” – Nov. 21, 2019)
… Battered, Tattered, Yellowed, & Creased ~ Adventures in Fiction (“The Voyage of the Space Beagle – A.E. van Vogt”, August 8, 2011)
… The Finch and Pea (Mike White: “The Infuriating and Essential Science Fiction of A.E. Van Vogt” – January 14, 2013)
… Black Gate – Adventures in Fantasy Literature (Steven H. Silver: “The Golden Age of Science Fiction: A.E. van Vogt”, April 28, 2019)
Via “Battered, Tattered, Yellowed, & Creased ~ Adventures in Fiction”, here’s an image from Dungeons & Dragons of a “Displacer Beast”, obviously inspired by Coeurl. (Artist unknown.)
“Black Destroyer”: Two Readings of the Tale…
“Black Destroyer by A. E. Van Vogt, Read by A. P. Lattanzi”, June 19, 2021
“Pulp Crazy – Black Destroyer by A.E. Van Vogt”, November 4, 2013
“Black Destroyer”: Discussions and Speculations…
“The Astounding Story of “Black Destroyer” by A E van Vogt”, August 17, 2022
“Slan Man – A. E. van Vogt – A Fractious Overview of a Golden Age Science Fiction Writer,” June 17, 2022
“A. E. Van Vogt 1: Black Destroyer”, July 12, 2022
“A. E. van Vogt – “Black Destroyer” (1939) | Episode 40.1″, January 8, 2024
0021: Black Destroyer by A. E. van Vogt, by Patrick Baird, January 4, 2023
This is Bob Eggleton’s depiction of Coeurl, which appears on the cover of Transfinite: The Essential A.E. van Vogt.
“Black Destroyer” and the Golden Age of Science Fiction…
… The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (“Golden Age of SF”, June 23, 2021)
… Wikipedia (“History of Science Fiction”)
Gustavus Adolphus College
A Guide to Speculative Fiction at Gustavus Library: 1926-1950:
“The Pulp Era and the Golden Age”
(Abe Nemon, August 24, 2023)
… The Guardian (Damien Walter: “Science-fiction’s Golden Age writers left a fantastic legacy”, September 13, 2013)
… Harlan Ellison’s Words of Appreciation for A.E. van Vogt …
“Harlan Ellison’s Watching 36″, October 30, 2013
… SFRevu Tribute to A.E. van Vogt …
A. E. van Vogt, 1912-2000
“SF Authors Remember A.E. van Vogt”
Harlan Ellison
Poul Anderson
Ray Bradbury
Sir Arthur C. Clarke, CBE
Jack L. Chalker
James E. Gunn
David Langford
Paul Levinson
Richard Matheson
Jerry Pournelle
Mike Resnick
Robert J. Sawyer
Michael Swanwick
Jack Williamson
A.E. van Vogt Interview…
“An A. E. van Vogt interview” (by Richard Wolinsky?), of February 23, 1980 on KPFA radio program “Probabilities”, at Charles Smyth’s YouTube channel.
Cover Artist Graves Gladney (James F.G. Gladney), at…
… Internet Speculative Fiction Database
… PulpFest