Darker Than You Think is one of the best stories I’ve ever read, if not the best. Although Jack Williamson wrote it in the 1930s, it’s fast-moving, incredibly well-written, and retains its supernatural horror charm. The first time I read it, I was a teenager. Since then, I enjoyed many other books and movies on werewolves, but Darker Than You Think is unique. I found this novel so inspiring that I wrote my own werewolf novel (more on this later.)
The novel’s introduction by Dennis Wheatley in the Gollancz (SF-Gateway) e-book version is worth quoting entirely:
This story by Jack Williamson has a truly original plot.
It is based on the theory that all of us have a small (or occasionally quite large) percentage of evil in us, owing to blood we have inherited from that far distant past when it is said that ‘the Sons of God (Dark Angels in this case) went into the Daughters of Men’.
It starts with Will Barbee, a journalist in the American town of Clarendon, at the local airport. He is on an assignment to report the homecoming of a famous American archaeologist, Dr. Lamarck Mondrick, who is returning from two years’ work in a desolate part of Mongolia.
A few years earlier Barbee had been one of Dr. Mondrick’s most promising students; but when the doctor made up his team to accompany him to Mongolia, without explanation he excluded Barbee and took three of his contemporaries. Later the reason why the doctor would not take Barbee emerges. He sensed that the young man, although ignorant of it himself, had inherited from both his parents blood that contained a dangerously high proportion of this prehistoric evil.
While waiting on the airfield an exceptionally lovely girl, April Bell, introduces herself to Will Barbee as a cub reporter on her first assignment for a rival paper. He is so strongly attracted to her that, against his better judgement, he gives her useful material for writing her article. She is carrying a large open snakeskin bag in which there is a small black kitten and a beautifully carved white jade wolf on a gold pin. The aircraft arrives but there is considerable delay in its passengers disembarking, because Dr. Mondrick wishes to make an announcement of worldwide importance. While the press and television men are assembling, the doctor’s companions bring out from the plane a large box which they will allow no one to approach. He then begins his announcement, but is obviously extremely ill and, before revealing his great secret, falls dead. Later Barbee discovers April’s black kitten dead in an ash can with her wolf-headed pin through its heart.
Fig.2: April Bell. I generated this image with Midjourney AI, starting from Jack Williamson’s description.
Much puzzled, he takes her out to dinner and she tells him of her past. She was illegitimate and her stepfather used to beat her unmercifully. Then she gradually discovered that she had occult powers, and used them as a witch to revenge herself on Barbee is so fascinated by her big green eyes, wonderful head of flaming red hair and alluring body that he cannot believe evil of her, and they continue to meet.
A night comes when in his sleep he hears April calling him; he suffers a few minutes’ physical anguish then tumbles out of bed to find that he has become a big grey wolf. At once he sets off to join her and sees that she is now in the form of a beautiful white wolf. He feels a new freedom through his physical change and derives great pleasure from racing through the deserted streets beside her. The author’s description of Barbee’s reactions as an animal to smells that a human would hardly notice is most skillfully conveyed, and April succeeds in temporarily convincing him that he is one of her own kind – a race of super-humans with powers that will enable them to dominate the world. But they have enemies who must be destroyed: the three young men who accompanied Dr. Mondrick to Mongolia, who are in a desperate state of nerves guarding the mysterious box they brought back; and Dr. Mondrick’s blind widow.
Fig.3: Dr. Lamarck Mondrick’s study, crammed with ancient and mysterious artifacts. I generated this image with Midjourney AI, starting from Jack Williamson’s description.
All four of them know too much; yet they are Barbee’s dearest friends. He is terribly reluctant to harm them. Even so, he becomes more and more enslaved by the lovely witch and delights in those nights when, free from all care, he can rove the countryside with her. Terrible deeds ensue.
Years ago, after I gave up on trying to become a professional astronomer, I decided to follow an old dream of mine, that is, write down the fantasy and Sci-Fi stories I used to tell myself since I was a kid (usually before sleeping, or when I was bored at school, or even when I shouldn’t have, for example when I had to work or study.) The stories were many, with details taken from hundreds of TV shows I’d watched and comics and books I’d read during my early life. Ultimately, they merged into a single plot of three different storylines, converging to an unexpected finale.
The writing technique of taking inspiration from multiple sources was known to the ancient Roman scriptwriters. It was called ‘contamination’ and consisted of taking elements of two or more Greek tragedies to create a new and original Latin script. Far from being plagiarism, many famous authors, screenwriters, and directors are known to have reworked elements from other artists’ productions into their successful creations. For example, when George Lucas wrote and directed the original Star Wars movie, he was influenced by several Sci-Fi and fantasy stories, both in visual and written form. The characters of Princess Leia, the captive of the evil galactic empire, and her rescuers Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are derived from the protagonists of Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress (1958) (two Japanese peasants agree to accompany a general and a princess to safety in return for gold). Also, Star Wars’ final scene, where Princess Leia awards her rescuers a gold medal, is almost a carbon copy of the finale of George Sidney’s The Three Musketeers (1948), where the queen of France rewards D’Artagnan & Co.
But I digress. Although my novel The Empire Can Wait is original, it is influenced by Darker Than You Think. Set in a distant future, when humanity has spread all over the Milky Way Galaxy, and interaction with alien races is an everyday matter, it’s the story of a flawed young man on a quest to retrieve the only weapon against a conspiracy led by an evil Prime Minister and his clique of superhumans.
I’ve been self-editing this novel for years, following every writing advice I could find. Now, I’ve reached a point where more editing can only be harmful. So, I plan to share the prologue and the first few chapters of The Empire Can Wait on this website.
It had been nearly seven decades since Zelvyn T’hrialis first set foot on Earth as an undercover cat, black with piercing yellow eyes. Zelvyn came from the Omega Centauri star cluster. He was a member of a highly advanced humanoid race known for their incredible intellect and advanced technologies that far surpassed anything humans had developed. The High Command for Intergalactic Operations (HCIO) tasked him to study human behavior, delving deep into their social structures, emotional complexities, and daily routines. This was in preparation for the imminent invasion of Earth.
Zelvyn roamed the planet as a cat, observing humans and their interactions from a unique and often amusing perspective. He watched families during holidays, saw daily life’s mundane yet intimate rituals, and even experienced the fleeting joys and sorrows that filled human hearts. Over the years, he infiltrated countless households, always charming his way into the hearts of his unsuspecting owners with his intelligence and grace. But it was with Eliza, a kind-hearted middle-aged teacher who inspired young minds, that Zelvyn formed a more potent bond than before. Their bond transcended the boundaries between species and transformed their lives.
Eliza had rescued Zelvyn from a shelter sixteen years ago, unaware of his true identity. She had showered him with love and care, treating him like family and integrating him into her daily life with unwavering affection. Zelvyn, in turn, had grown to love Eliza in a way he never thought possible, feeling an emotional depth alien to his kind. But now, the time had come for him to move on to his next assignment, a mission that weighed heavily on his heart. Zelvyn found himself torn, caught in the crossfire of duty and love. He had to choose between his loyalty to his race and his attachment to his owner, a decision that would alter the course of their destinies forever.
On top of that, Zelvyn had recently befriended Luna, a lively Siamese cat that Eliza had adopted, injecting new energy into the household. Luna was a playful and affectionate feline, always eager to chase after stray shadows and pounce on unsuspecting toys. Still, Zelvyn couldn’t help but feel superior to her in every way. He constantly compared Luna to himself with a smugness he couldn’t shake, finding her antics amusing yet somewhat juvenile.
As the day of his departure drew near, marked on his mental calendar with a mixture of dread and anticipation, Zelvyn struggled with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he knew that his mission was crucial for the future of his race, a task that held the weight of intergalactic responsibility. But he faced a dilemma that gnawed at his conscience. He couldn’t bear leaving behind the home that had welcomed him so warmly. He also couldn’t bear leaving the people who had shown him so much kindness, understanding, and unconditional love, knowing that their lives would carry on without him as a comforting presence. Each pawstep felt heavier as he pondered the choices ahead, the invisible thread tying him to Eliza and the life they had built together, making his heart ache with the thought of separation.
Finally, on the eve of his departure, Zelvyn made a decision. He sent a message to the HCIO, informing them that he had chosen to stay on Earth. In his message, he painted a bleak picture of the planet and its inhabitants, describing humans as violent and ignorant creatures unworthy of conquest.
With that, Zelvyn destroyed his communication device and settled back into his life with Eliza and Luna. He knew that his decision would have consequences, but for the first time in his long existence, Zelvyn felt at peace. He had found a sense of belonging on Earth and was willing to risk everything to protect it.
As he curled up next to Eliza and Luna, Zelvyn felt the warmth of their presence. He knew he had made the right choice. Days turned into weeks, and Zelvyn embraced his new life as a simple Earth cat.
The Demon Princes is a galactic saga that Jack Vance wrote in five installments: The Star King (1960), The Killing Machine (1964), The Palace of Love (1965), The Face (1978), and The Book of Dreams (1979). It draws upon elaborate worldbuilding, which the author introduces in the form of “sources,” e.g., imaginary magazines, scientific papers, and textbooks describing exotic planets, alien peoples, strange rules, and customs. Quoted at the beginning of a chapter, these fictional sources minimize the need for long descriptive paragraphs.
Here are a few examples taken from the first novel, The Star King:
Chapter 1:
From an interview with Mr. Smade of Smade’s planet, a feature article in Cosmopolis, October 1523:
A short Q&A introduces the reader to the concept of Beyond, short for “Beyond the Pale” or border, which separates the group of solar systems explored and settled by humans from the largely unknown Galaxy.
Most of the action revolves around the adventures of Kirth Gersen, an enigmatic character seeking revenge for the kidnapping and enslavement of his people. To this end, Gersen must confront five cruel overlords, the Demon Princes. The confrontations usually happen in the Beyond, a place, according to Mr. Smade, “frequented by the most notorious pirates and freebooters.”
Chapter 2:
From an article in Cosmopolis, May 1404:
Here Vance introduces Brinktown: “Once the jumping-off place, the last outpost, the portal into infinity – now just another settlement of the North East Middle Beyond.” As is often the case in SF novels, Brinktown seems to be both the name of the planet and the city, the latter being portrayed colorfully: “an explosion of architectural conceits, what turrets and spires, belfries and cupolas… the magistrates are assassins; the civil guards are arsonists, extortioners, and rapists.” We cannot help thinking of Star Wars Mos Eisley: “Not a more wretched collection of villainy and disreputable types exists anywhere on Tatooine.”
Chapter 4:
From New Discoveries in Space, by Ralph Quarry:
“The Rigel Concourse… twenty-six magnificent planets, most of them not only habitable but salubrious, though only two display even quasi-intelligent autochthones.”
When Kirth Gersen isn’t hunting for one of the Demon Princes beyond the Pale, he usually hangs around the Rigel Concourse, the planetary system of the blue supergiant star Rigel. According to Jack Vance, Rigel has twenty-six planets, of which Alphanor – the setting of most of the first novel – is the eighth. Jack Vance based the worldbuilding of The Star King on the early sixties astronomy. However, SF authors should be careful not to be too specific when including real planets or stars in their stories. What was then state-of-the-art knowledge soon became obsolete. It has been known for decades that extremely short lifetimes prevent blue supergiant stars like Rigel from developing habitable planets (before they turn into neutron stars or black holes).
Another good example can be found in the second novel, The Killing Machine:
Chapter 3:
From Chapter 1, The Astrophysical Background, in Peoples of the Concourse, by Streck and Chernitz:
The quotation at the beginning of the chapter partially answers the objections we raised above:
“But the very circumstances which make the Concourse what it is, provide one of the galaxy’s most tantalizing mysteries. Rigel is deemed by most authorities a young star, ranging in age from a few million to a billion years. How then to explain the Concourse, [with its] twenty-six mature biological complexes? [Some] have wondered if the planets of the Concourse were not conveyed hither and established in these optimum orbits by a now-dead race of vast scientific achievement.”
In other words, plot holes in SF stories stretching over several novels can be retroactively fixed with accurate worldbuilding in the next installments. To quote a famous example, this is what happened with some inconsistencies in the Star Wars Original Trilogy (1977-83), e.g., Leia kissing Luke, who turns out to be her brother, and Leia remembering her biological mother, who died in childbirth. All apparent errors were later explained in the “prequels” (1999-2005) and recent spin-offs like Kenobi (2022).
Frank Herbert’s Dune is another famous novel where some backstory is relayed at each chapter’s heading.
The novel’s first installment is much more extended than the Foundation trilogy, so Herbert had more “narrative space” than Asimov to introduce subtle details.
Each chapter begins with a fictional quote, e.g.:
“[…] And take the most special care that you locate Muad’Dib in his place: the planet Arrakis. […] Arrakis, the planet known as Dune, is forever his place.”
(Chapter 1 Heading, from Princess Irulan’s The Manual of Muad’Dib)
The story’s primary location is the arid planet Arrakis, a.k.a. Dune. To paraphrase the ancient Romans: “nomen omen,” the destiny is in the name. In other words, one can already guess that the planet’s environment will be as crucial to the plot as the human characters.
“YUEH […], Wellington […], Stdrd 10,082 — 10,191; medical doctor of the Suk School […]”.
(Chapter 5 Heading, from Princess Irulan’s Dictionary of Muad’Dib)
Writing about Galactic empires, one must pay attention to the word ‘years.’ The length of the year on Earth (365 days) is not the same as, for example, on Mars (1.88 Earth-years) or Venus (224.7 Earth-days). Dune’s universe extends over numerous worlds, each with its revolution period around the parent star. Thus, to credibly define Dr. Yueh’s age, Herbert had to use an Stdrd (i.e., standard).
“[…] With the Lady Jessica and Arrakis, the Bene Gesserit system of sowing implant-legends through the Missionaria Protectiva came to its full fruition. The wisdom of seeding the known universe with a prophecy pattern for the protection of the B.G. personnel has long been appreciated, but never have we seen a condition-ut-extremis with more ideal mating of person and preparation. […]. ”
(Chapter 7 Heading, from Princess Irulan’s Analysis: The Arrakeen Crisis)
The Bene Gesserit order is probably what inspired George Lucas when he invented the Jedi order of Star Wars. Like the Jedi Masters, the Bene Gesserit use powerful mental techniques, developed through years of hard training, to engineer Galactic politics according to their plan. For example, one of their purposes is to select the mythical figure known as Kwisatz Haderach genetically. A similar plot device occurs in The Phantom Menace, the first episode of the Star Wars saga. The main storyline has the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi Wan-Kenobi chance upon a boy who might be the “Chosen One.” This is another name for a Galactic Messiah.
“[…] On the first day when Muad’Dib rode through the streets of Arrakeen with his family, some of the people along the way recalled the legends and the prophecy and they ventured to shout: ‘Mahdi!’. But their shout was more a question than a statement, for as yet they could only hope he was the one foretold as the Lisan al-Gaib, the Voice from the Outer World. […]”
(Chapter 13 Heading, from Princess Irulan’s The Manual of Muad’Dib)
The author’s intent is once again to convey the significance of Muad’Dib’s character. The people of Arrakis call him ‘Mahdi,’ a strongly messianic title. Indeed, ‘Mahdi’ isn’t a fantasy name but belongs to a religious figure of Islam. According to some Muslim traditions, the Mahdi will show up to deliver the world from evil and injustice in the Last Days. Throughout history, various individuals have claimed to be or were proclaimed to be the Mahdi. Among them, Muhammad Ahmad, the religious leader who established the Mahdist State in Sudan in the late 19th century and obtained a famous victory over the British in the siege of Khartoum.
A compelling SF worldbuilding cannot be done without delivering some backstory at the novel’s beginning. This must be done as early as possible without giving away too much and trying not to bore the readers.
“[In] Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone […] J.K. Rowling introduces every major concept and virtually every major character in the story with well-hidden expository writing.”
With all due respect for J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series, I don’t agree that ‘expository writing’ must necessarily be hidden.
I can quote a few great SF classics where a nice chunk of information is in plain view right in the first page’s heading. It may take the form of a journal excerpt, a quotation from an encyclopedia, or even an interview with one of the secondary characters.
“HARI SELDON— … born in the 11,988th year of the Galactic Era; died 12,069. […] Born to middle-class parents on Helicon, Arcturus sector […].” From the ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA.
And a few lines below, just after the incipit:
“[…] There were nearly twenty-five million inhabited planets on the Galaxy then, and not one but owed allegiance to the Empire whose seat was on Trantor.”
From these few words, the reader can already learn a lot about the tone and setting of the story:
— It’ll be about a Galactic Empire. The plot will unfold in a nation-state encompassing most of the Galaxy’s habitable planets.
In technical jargon, a Galactic Empire is what astronomers call a Kardashev Type III civilization, which is “a civilization in possession of energy on the scale of its galaxy” (M.M. Cirkovic, 2015);
— It’ll be about a long-lasting human civilization. Isaac Asimov’s future human society survived the so-called Great Filter. As explained in the book Exoplanets by Michael Summers and James Trefil:
“[…] there really doesn’t seem to be anything at all special about the way that life developed on Earth, and given the abundance of planets out there, there is no reason that complex life shouldn’t be quite common. On the other hand, from what we know about the process of evolution, we can expect the winners of the evolutionary game on other planets to be no more benevolent than Homo Sapiens. In this case, the [coming] Great Filter is easy to see. Once an aggressive, warlike species discovers science, they are likely to turn their discoveries against one another and, in essence, wipe themselves out. […]”
— It’ll involve interstellar and faster-than-light (FTL) travel. Isaac Asimov’s Foundation is loosely based on Gibbon‘s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. In his monumental work, the XVII century English historian stressed Roman roads’ importance in ensuring efficient communications between the central authority and the dozens of provinces of an enormous Empire. The Galactic analog of Roman roads is, of course, hyperspace. Asimov was one of the first SF authors to use this plot device to sidestep the long time required for interstellar journeys.
Find out more about relaying the backstory in a novel in this post and this post.
