‘The Book of Ptath’ by A. Van Vogt

Alfred Van Vogt — the master of the Golden Age of Science Fiction, one of the patriarchs of sci-fi, and at the same time — one of the most unconventional and inventive writers. Original ideas, imagination, not held back by any framework, a characteristic neat telegraph style — all of this sharply distinguishes the work of Van Vogt from other masters of science fiction.

Van Vogt wrote 'The Book of Ptath' early in his literary career. It is, in fact, his second novel after the successful debut, 'Slan'. And all the features of Van Vogt’s prose have already blossomed in 'The Book of Ptath'.

Van Vogt is craftily mixing fantasy and science fiction features from the first pages. The novel’s hero, an American tanker who died during World War II, suddenly finds himself in the body of a man living two hundred million years later. But, as if this incredible time transference was not enough, it turns out that the tank man is not really a tank man, but an avatar of the living god Ptath, cast back in time by treacherous enemies and now returned to his native time and place.

Interesting fact: the novel was written in 1943, with the novel’s hero dying in battle in 1944 in Europe. Did Van Vogt know something about the D-Day?

The Earth has changed beyond recognition. The oceans have disappeared, the continents have changed shape, and immense feudal states’ populations are numbered in the tens and hundreds of billions. Technology has been lost, iron has become more expensive than gold, and giant animals and birds are used as vehicles. Why would technology be needed in a world ruled by true GODs? If only they were not desperately feuding and fighting with each other…

Van Vogt immerses us in a world where we can guess the origins of many future masterpieces of world fiction. For example, we can see Jack Vance’s 'Tales of the Dying Earth' (an ultra-distant future of the Earth based on magic and feudalism). Robert Silverberg’s Majipoor (a giant planet, the return to power of a world lord who has lost his memory). Frank Herbert’s 'The Godmakers' (the concept of creating a god out of man through the faith of ordinary people) and even Roger Zelazny’s 'Lord of Light' (the war of the “just” god-man against usurpers who care only about personal privilege). And that are just a few first things that popped into my head.

Of course, these sketches of the distant future in Van Vogt’s novel are very contoured and schematic, like a quick minute sketch in charcoal. It was written at the happy times of the Golden Age when writers didn’t put all and any ideas in stock for future use, generously scattering them over their works as entourage or side plot lines…

The plot of the novel is uneven and jagged. It seems to sag in some places, but think about it: this is precisely how one should feel when suddenly finding oneself in a completely new and incomprehensible universe. In addition, with each new piece of information, the Ptath also gets to know himself and finds another fragment of his incredible essence — the essence of a deity, unjustly deprived of his legal and fair right to the throne of the World. This is why I am still inclined to classify 'The Book of Ptath' as a science fiction novel, despite all the superficial fantasy entourage.

But it is better not to puzzle over unimportant details such as the exact genre definition of the novel, but simply to read an authentic classic of fantasy literature.