| The Gnarly Man | |
|---|---|
| by L. Sprague de Camp | |
 Edd Cartier's illustration of the story in Unknown, June, 1939 | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Published in | Unknown |
| Publisher | Street & Smith |
| Media type | Print (Magazine) |
| Publication date | June, 1939 |
"The Gnarly Man" is a science fiction story by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, about an apparently immortal Neanderthal Man surviving into the present day.
The story was first published in the magazine Unknown for June, 1939 and first appeared in book form in de Camp's collection The Wheels of If and Other Science Fiction (Shasta, 1948). [1] [2] It later appeared in the subsequent de Camp collections The Best of L. Sprague de Camp (Doubleday, 1978), Aristotle and the Gun and Other Stories (Five Star, 2002), and Years in the Making: the Time-Travel Stories of L. Sprague de Camp (NESFA Press, 2005). [1] [2]
The story has also appeared in the magazines Fantastic Story Magazine for July, 1953 and Jim Baen's Universe for April, 2007, and the anthologies Human? (Lion Books, 1954), The Unknown (Pyramid Books, 1963), The Freak Show (Rapp & Whiting, 1970), The Great Science Fiction Stories Volume 1, 1939 (DAW Books, 1979), Dawn of Time (Elsevier/Nelson Books, 1979), Isaac Asimov Presents The Golden Years of Science Fiction (Bonanza Books, 1983), Neanderthals (Signet/NEL, 1987), Unknown Worlds: Tales from Beyond (Galahad Books, 1988), Modern Classics of Fantasy (St. Martin's Press, 1997), and My Favorite Fantasy Story (DAW Books, 2000). [1] [2] The story has been translated into Dutch, [1] French, [1] [2] German [1] and Italian. [2]
Visiting a freak show, scientist Dr. Matilda Sandler takes an interest in the ape-man "Ungo-Bungo", who appears to exhibit genuine atavistic features. After the show she goes backstage and meets the man behind the role to ask if he will agree to be examined for scientific purposes. Ungo-Bungo, who calls himself Clarence Aloysius Gaffney, proves affable but reticent about his past and reluctant to submit to examination. In time, however, he warily consents in return for surgery to correct some old injuries.
Eventually it comes out that Gaffney is actually Shining Hawk, a Neanderthal Man over 50,000 years old, whose aging process was frozen early in life when he was struck by lightning. He had survived by his wits on the periphery of human society since the extinction of his own kind, using a succession of false identities and getting by as a blacksmith or in menial professions like his present one. He has been a witness to much of history from the margins, making little personal impact on it—though it is suggested that he may have been the original basis for the tales of the divine lame blacksmith Vulcan (his leg injury is very old).
As it happens, however, Gaffney's caution proves well-founded; not only does Sandler develop an unwelcome crush on him, but the revelation of his secret brings out the worst in some of the scientists to whom it is confided. Discovering that the surgeon who is to perform his operation secretly intends to dissect him, Gaffney skips out. Later, from an undisclosed location, he sends his apologies and regrets to those who have befriended and aided him.
According to Sam Moskowitz, the story "broke ground for an entirely new approach on the treatment of such material," [3] [4] which was "most notably emulated by Philip José Farmer in 'The Alley Man'." [4]
Don D'Ammassa wrote "[t]he forthrightly sentimental "The Gnarly Man" is one of the most moving portraits ever to appear in the [science fiction] field." [5]
More recently, Robert Wilfred Franson called the work "a good specimen of the distinct category of stories about Neanderthal Man in science fiction (or fantasy if you prefer)." He notes it "is a humorous story, but it may make you think even while you're enjoying it," and observes that "[d]e Camp obviously has fun here thinking through the likely practical concerns of someone living so long." He rates "[t]he character of Clarence [as] very well sketched in the space of a novelet," going on to say "[h]e brings to my mind a comparison with the title character, a speaking gorilla, in Daniel Quinn's novel Ishmael . The advantage is all Clarence's, as he is a man; whereas poor Ishmael is an ideological mouthpiece." [6]
De Camp wrote that he got the subject for the story from his friend P. Schuyler Miller, who was also writing a story about a Neanderthal man in modern times. The Miller piece, "Old Man Mulligan," appeared in the December, 1940 issue of Astounding Science-Fiction . De Camp noted that the two stories were completely different and used the incident to illustrate the principle that two science fiction writers, using the same idea, will write different stories, so there is nothing wrong with copying someone else's idea. [7] [8]
De Camp also featured Neanderthals in his later fantasy novel The Pixilated Peeress (1991). In the parallel world of that novel the species forms a relict population pushed by humanity into the higher elevations of the Alps. The fugitive hero Thorolf Zigramson takes refuge among a tribe of these "trolls," as they are known, and is adopted into their society and aided by them.
"The Gnarly Man" is one of de Camp's most notable works. [9] The story's popularity has been demonstrated by frequent reprinting and anthologization.
Peter Schuyler Miller was an American science fiction writer and critic.
The Undesired Princess is a 51,000 word fantasy novella by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. It was first published in the fantasy magazine Unknown Worlds for February 1942. It was published in book form by Fantasy Publishing Company, Inc. in 1951. The book version also includes the 10,000 word fantasy short story "Mr. Arson", first published in Unknown for December 1941. The book was bound together with Stanley G. Weinbaum's The Dark Other in the omnibus collection Fantasy Twin by the same publisher in 1953. The title story was also published in paperback by Baen Books in 1990 together with David Drake's story The Enchanted Bunny, under the combined title The Undesired Princess & the Enchanted Bunny.
The Best of L. Sprague de Camp is a collection of writings by American science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardback by Nelson Doubleday in February 1978 and in paperback by Ballantine Books in May of the same year as a volume in its Classic Library of Science Fiction. The book was reprinted by Ballantine in May 1986. It was reissued in trade paperback and ebook editions by Phoenix Pick in December 2014. It has also been translated into German.
The Wheels of If and Other Science Fiction is a 1948 collection of science fiction stories by L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardback by Shasta and in paperback by Berkley Books in 1970. It has also been translated into German. All the stories were originally published in the magazines Astounding Science Fiction and Unknown.
Aristotle and the Gun and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by American science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp. It was published in hardcover in August 2002 by the Gale Group as part of its Five Star Speculative Fiction Series.
Years in the Making: the Time-Travel Stories of L. Sprague de Camp is a collection of science fiction stories by American author L. Sprague de Camp, edited by Mark L. Olson and illustrated by Bob Eggleton. It was first published in hardcover by NESFA Press in February 2005, with a NESFA/Science Fiction Book Club edition following in September of the same year.
The Purple Pterodactyls is a collection of fantasy short stories by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. The collection was first published in hardcover by Phantasia Press in January, 1980, and in paperback by Ace Books in April of the same year. It has also been translated into German. An e-book edition was published by Gollancz's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form. The pieces were originally published between 1975 and 1979 in the magazines The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Fantastic, Escape!, and Fantasy Crossroads.
Divide and Rule is a 1948 collection of two science fiction novellas by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardcover by Fantasy Press, and later reissued in paperback by Lancer Books in 1964. The collected pieces were previously published in 1939 and 1941 in the magazines Unknown and Astounding. The first stand-alone edition of the title story was published as a large-print hardcover by Thorndike Press in September 2003. An E-book edition of the title story was issued by Gollancz's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form.
Conan of Aquilonia is a collection of four linked fantasy short stories by American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. The stories were originally published in Fantastic in August 1972, July 1973, July 1974, and February 1975. The collected stories were intended for book publication by Lancer Books, but this edition never appeared due to Lancer's bankruptcy, and the first book edition was issued in paperback by Ace Books in paperback in May 1977. It was reprinted by Ace in July 1981, April 1982, November 1982, August 1983, July 1984, 1986, June 1991, and April 1994. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books in October 1978, and reprinted in July 1988. The book has also been translated into French.
Conan the Swordsman is a collection of seven fantasy short stories and associated pieces written by L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and Björn Nyberg featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in August 1978, and reprinted in 1981. Later paperback editions were issued by Ace Books. The first hardcover edition was published by Tor Books in December 2002. The first British edition was issued by Sphere Books in 1978. The book has also been translated into Italian and French. It was later gathered together with Conan the Liberator and Conan and the Spider God into the omnibus collection Sagas of Conan.
The Fallible Fiend is a fantasy novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, the third book of his Novarian series. It was first published as a two-part serial in the magazine Fantastic for December 1972 and February 1973, and subsequently expanded and revised for book publication. The novel was first published in book form as a paperback by Signet Books in 1973; it was later reprinted by Remploy (1974), Sphere (1978), Del Rey/Ballantine (1981), Baen (1992) and the Thorndike Press (2002). The Remploy edition was both the first British and first hardcover edition. An e-book edition was published by Gollancz's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form. It has also been translated into German and Italian.
"A Gun for Dinosaur" is a time travel science fiction story by American writer L. Sprague de Camp as part of his Rivers of Time series. It tells the story of four men who travel into the past to hunt dinosaurs.
"The Alley Man" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip José Farmer. The story tells of the life of Old Man Paley, who may — or may not — be the last Neanderthal, still alive in the 20th century.
Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 1 (1939) is an American collection of short stories, edited by Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg, originally published by DAW books in March 1979. It contains science fiction stories selected by the editors that were published in the year 1939. The book is part of a 25 volume series. Each successive volume in the series contains stories from the next year, continuing through 1963. The series starts with 1939 because Asimov had previously published a three volume anthology series titled, "Before the Golden Age", covering years 1931 - 1938, which he considered to be definitive for those years. According to DAW, The Great SF Stories 1 (1939) "is the first in what Isaac Asimov plans to be a definitive series of sf anthologies, covering year by year the truly memorable stories that have progressively brought science fiction to its present prominence". The second volume of the series is Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 2 (1940).
"Aristotle and the Gun" is a time travel and alternate history science fiction story by American writer L. Sprague de Camp.
"Divide and Rule" is a science fiction novella by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. It was first published as a serial in the magazine Unknown from April to May, 1939 and first appeared in book form in de Camp's collection Divide and Rule. The story was revised for book publication. The first stand-alone book edition of the story was published as a large-print hardcover by Thorndike Press in September 2003. An E-book edition of the story was issued by Gollancz's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form.
"The Stolen Dormouse" is a science fiction novella by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. It was first published as a serial in the magazine Astounding Science-Fiction for April and May, 1941 and first appeared in book form in de Camp's collection Divide and Rule. The story has also appeared in the anthologies Astounding Stories: The 60th Anniversary Collection, and The Best of Astounding: Classic Short Novels from the Golden Age of Science Fiction.
"The Merman" is a science fiction story by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, based on the concept of human biological engineering. It was first published in the magazine Astounding Science-Fiction for December, 1938. It first appeared in book form in the collection The Wheels of If and Other Science Fiction ; it later appeared in the anthology Science Fiction of the Thirties and the collection The Best of L. Sprague de Camp. The story has been translated into German
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