7 Classic science fiction short stories by master storyteller, John Hayden Howard were compiled for Volume 1. In the 1960s he went by the pen name Hayden Howard, writing prolifically for science fiction magazines, and he’s listed in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
If the cover looks like another recent book, Reawakened Worlds Vol 1, YES: it’s the same book, new title! The series is still called Reawakened Worlds. Volume 2 will be released soon as well with a new title. Here’s the redesigned cover:
A new title was necessary because when the publisher put up Vol 2 for pre-release, web pages on bookstore sites confused the two volumes. None of the links went where they were supposed to go. It was a colossal mess!
The problem became insurmountable, so Reawakened Worlds Vol 1 was pulled, and both books re-titled, but with the same cool covers as before.
Gremmie’s Reef released today, so if you didn’t already grab it with its former title, this is a good time! Special Amazon Kindle price of $2.99 for the launch! (Paperback, $15.49, Hardcover, $21.99)
I’m holding a letter typed 56 years ago, signed by Damon Knight (1922-2002.) It was sent from The Anchorage, in Milford PA, to author John Hayden Howard.
Image of Damon Knight’s home called The Anchorage. It burned down in 1979, according to the Times Herald-Record.
He and his sci-fi writing wife Kate Wilhelm co-founded the Milford Science Fiction Writer’s Conference, and hosted workshops in their big aging Victorian home, The Anchorage.
One of his Knight’s stories, written in 1950, became an episode of The Twilight Zone. In “To Serve Man,” men find an alien cookbook with a recipe titled by the same name. They think it’s about how to feed humans. Spoiler Alert: it becomes apparent that they are the meal. I’ve seen that episode, which makes it even more fun having his signature in front of me.
Knight also wrote for the Captain Video television show. (Incidentally, Hayden Howard was later asked by his agent Scott Meredith to audition to write for Captain Video. However, that would have involved a move to New York, so he didn’t go for that. He loved living in Santa Barbara!)
Back to Damon Knight’s letter:
At first glance, Knight’s letter to Hayden Howard looks like a simple a rejection letter. Those always sting for writers. Wrote Knight:
I return this one with regrets. I grok some of it, but am not sure what the story as a whole is intended to mean.”
Grok? I see now that means grasped. Yay, a new fun word to use. You grok that?
But then Knight followed that comment up with thoughtful questions about Howard’s plot and characters in the story he was rejecting, The Brave Candidates.
I have an original copy of that. It’s interesting, yet agree that it’s not one of his best (unlike the other 17 stories I chose for the Reawakened Worlds anthologies). The Brave Candidates is a political story set on a planet where aliens (Earthmen) intrude.
Howard had better success throughout his writing career with publishing other politically themed stories, so remember authors: no writers bat a thousand! In 1971, Hayden Howard’s political story To Grab Power was published by Isaac Asimov in one of his anthologies. It’s now being included in Reawakened Worlds Book 2, coming soon. So that one hit it out of the ballpark.
On serialized stories vs. stand-alones:
Knight mentioned that the story felt incomplete, “. . . as if it were one of those segments of novels Fred Pohl keeps printing.”
Ironically, before Knight wrote this letter in August of ’68, Hayden Howard’s works had actually been serialized by Pohl, in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine. One novelette in that series was nominated for Hugo and Nebula awards. The resulting novel, The Eskimo Invasion (1967, Ballantine) was also nominated, for best novel.
Back to Fred Pohl: Frederick Pohl–in the same writing groups as Knight–was the 12th recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award, awarded by SFWA. Pohl also was later inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. So I suspect what Knight was saying (referring to Pohl’s segments of novels) was that he (Knight) was seeking standalone stories instead.
A redeeming final comment from Knight:
In Damon Knight’s letter to John, he revealed openness to more of Howard’s work:
If I have missed the point, please forgive–and send me some more.”
That makes this letter– in my opinion, one Holy Grail of a rejection! Any writer should feel fortunate to get such an intriguing and affirming rejection–as well as honest advice–from a future Hall-of-Famer.
Fast-forwarding to the future, you can now download some stories by both Knight and Howard for free here, to read online or via Kindle, at Project Gutenberg.
In his fun short stories including Ten Rounds for the All-Time Champ, John Hayden Howard used creative wordplay and unique characterization in 1940s to 1960s historical settings.
The Oxford Language Dictionary defines wordplay as “the witty exploitation of the meanings and ambiguities of words.” My own definition might be “describing settings and characters in an unusually creative way that make me laugh, or say a-hah!”
When I see words like speed graphics and box brownies, I get the gist of them while knowing I’ve a bit to learn about old-timey camera equipment. Since Hayden wrote this story between 1951-’52 (based on the address on his original manuscript, written in St. Augustine FL) and set the story in the 1940s, there was no need for him to explain what kind of equipment this was to his readers back then.
But for the curious 2020s crowd, this is what those historic cameras looked like:
Graflex Speed Graphic camera (Creative Commons)Kodak Brownie camera
Also note the way Hayden describes the appearance of the reporters: “Country, with bowl-head haircuts, pants don’t break on their shoe-tops, one still with a price tag on his coat.” So much imagery there! Those words also reveal the opinions and personality of the main character, The Champ, telling his story in first person.
Also in this same story, Hayden drops breadcrumbs about time travelers. Pay close attention to those breadcrumbs, as they greatly impact what happens at the end of the story. Who, exactly, is the champ fighting?
Some strong yet subtle clues come in near the end of the story, for example: “You were my hero when I was a kid.” Don’t miss those clues! The last few lines of the story are especially subtle reveals. If you aren’t already familiar with Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, and Jack Johnson, see their biographies.
Here are hints though: these were the time periods in which these 3 boxers were champions—Joe Lewis (1934-1951), Jack Dempsey (1919-1926), and Jack Johnson (1908-1915). Galento fought Joe Lewis in 1931. There’s a fun Wikipedia article on Galento, who was said to have boxed a kangaroo and then a bear, as publicity stunts. And as you keep all these dates in mind, remember that the boxing match in Ten Rounds for the All-Time Champ was set in the late 1940s. I wish I’d known all this before I read this story, as it makes it twice the fun.
I must be honest though that Hayden fooled me. When I realized all the previously mentioned boxers were real, I assumed Redhead must be too. I spent an hour searching the internet for a famous boxer named Taylor in 1951. I felt like a dummy later, realizing it was impossible, because Hayden wrote this story when he was only 26 years old. Meaning–all boxers he knew of had to be alive then or before that. Any future boxers would still be babies or not born yet. If this still puzzles you, or if you get it, tweet me @LaurieSargent. I’m just hoping not to introduce a story spoiler here if you intend to readReawakened Worlds.
The story is especially fun to read in the print editions, as the ten rounds are laid out neatly, and the collectable hardcover is a delight to hold. Can you tell that I’m one of Hayden Howard’s greatest fans? Volume Two will be out in 2024 and hopefully a boxed set. Also, the audiobook makes the The Champ’s boxing match exciting.
I admit that I’m biased, but I never would have compiled and edited his works had I not loved his stories and creative characters. I must add too that I’m not the kind of person who likes to watch boxing, so this story drew me in specifically by the characters, historical references, and surprise ending.
Laurie
See my posts on other sci-fi short stories in Reawakened Worlds, Vol 1:
We Specialists (a dystopian reality check about following assigned roles)
Gremmie’s Reef (a CA teen surfer makes an unusual underwater discovery)
Out July 25, 2023, for vintage science fiction fans: Reawakened Worlds: Vintage Dystopian and Sci-Fi Stories, VOL 1, by John Hayden Howard.
Reawakened Worlds: Vintage Dystopian and Sci-Fi from a Master Storyteller, by John Hayden Howard
At last! After a year of my sneezing through oodles of John Hayden Howard’s original 1950s-1960s dusty musty manuscripts, choosing the best, digitizing, and editing, the first book in this vintage science fiction collection is now available. Hurray! WildBlue Press has done a fabulous job making Vol. One shine, with Vol. Two scheduled for 2024.
I enjoyed writing the Foreword, describing how I knew Hayden (my stepfather) and ended up with his manuscripts. I also wrote the Afterword, telling of his life after the 1960s.
Those who already know me as an author of inspirational and historical books and articles may be saying, “Whaaaat? Science fiction?” It’s certainly a departure from my usual fare. I’ll soon be back working in my other genres. Then again, this editing project has been great fun–so who knows?
Straightforward, fast-paced, and fun.” —ROBERT SCHERRER, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University and Sci-fi Writer, published in ANALOG Science Fiction and Fact
Vol. One of Reawakened Worlds: Vintage Dystopian and Sci-Fi includes these stories:
Part One: WHAT IF
The Tragedy of Henry Diddoh
In a university town in a secret laboratory, a Frankenstein-esque experiment enables a professor to be in two places at the same time. Disastrous consequences ensue. Written in St. Augustine, Florida in 1951.
Ten Rounds for the All-Time Champ A 1950s boxer goes ten rounds against a stranger with an even stranger audience, in hopes of remaining the champ. (Written in St. Augustine, Florida in 1951-52.)
We Specialists: In a large city in the future, everyone takes comfort in their designated roles. That doesn’t end well when the victim can’t find the right person to call for help. (Written in Santa Barbara, CA in 1967.)
Part Two: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS ON EARTH
Gremmie’s Reef A young teen surfing off the coast of Santa Barbara, California makes an unusual discovery. (Written in 1964. Previously published in IF, Worlds of Science Fiction, October 1964.)
The Butcher Students working an archaeological dig in the Southwest discover something unearthly. (Written in St. Augustine, Florida in 1951.)
Arctic Invasion In the Canadian Arctic, a group of indigenous people suspiciously appear to have been taken over by an alien presence. Dr. West, who has been researching them, tries to escape while snow-blinded. Bear attack included. (Written in 1966 in Santa Barbara, California. Previously in Galaxy Science Fiction (under another title) June 1966; Galaxy Magazine (UK) Jan/Feb 1967; Italian translation in 1967. Nominated for a Hugo.
Part 3: INTERPLANETARY TALES
Haranu On Mars, an Earth-man’s innocent dog nearly gets his master killed. The man finds a more peaceful solution with the help of a Martian, but the dog now must choose between two masters. (Written in Miami, Florida in 1950.)
Mutiny in the Orbit of Uranus A spaceship crew attempts a takeover, culminating in a massive anti-gravity battle. (Written in Santa Barbara, California, in the mid-1950’s-60s.)
Note: the only other collections from Hayden Howard currently in print include stories within Public Domain. None of the stories in Reawakened Worlds have been seen for over half a century, so his old fans are in for a brand new treat.
