__NOTOC__ ''The Einstein Intersection'' is a 1967

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

novel by

Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ; born April 1, 1942) is an American writer and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexual orientation, sexuality, and ...

. The title is a reference to Einstein's

Theory of Relativity The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively. Special relativity applies to all physical ph ...

connecting to

Kurt Gödel Kurt Friedrich Gödel ( ; ; April 28, 1906 – January 14, 1978) was a logician, mathematician, and philosopher. Considered along with Aristotle and Gottlob Frege to be one of the most significant logicians in history, Gödel profoundly ...

Constructible universe In mathematics, in set theory, the constructible universe (or Gödel's constructible universe), denoted by L, is a particular Class (set theory), class of Set (mathematics), sets that can be described entirely in terms of simpler sets. L is the un ...

, which is an analogy to science meeting philosophy. The original publisher,

Ace Books Ace Books is a publisher of science fiction (SF) and fantasy books founded in New York City in 1952 by A. A. Wyn, Aaron A. Wyn. It began as a genre publisher of mystery fiction, mysteries and western (genre), westerns, and soon branched out int ...

, changed Delany's originally intended title from ''A Fabulous, Formless Darkness'' for commercial reasons. The protagonist, Lo Lobey, is loosely based on the character of

Orpheus In Greek mythology, Orpheus (; , classical pronunciation: ) was a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to legend, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in se ...

Synopsis

In a post-transcendent Earth, intelligent anthropoids deal with genetic mutation from ancient radiation. The beings emulate early human civilization and retell stories from "our ghosts called Man". Lobey, a herder from a small village, sets out on a quest to avenge the death of Friza.

Reception

''The Einstein Intersection'' won the

Nebula Award for Best Novel The Nebula Award for Best Novel is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novels. A work of fiction is considered a novel by the organization if it is 40,000 words or longer; ...

in 1967, and was a finalist for the 1968

Hugo Award for Best Novel The Hugo Award for Best Novel is one of the Hugo Awards given each year by the World Science Fiction Society for science fiction or fantasy stories published in, or translated to, English during the previous calendar year. The novel award is ava ...

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, copy editing, editor and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome in collaboration with Jerome ...

, after noting that Delany "has about as little discipline as any writer who has tried his hand" at science fiction and that ''The Einstein Intersection'' was a book "whose structure and purpose on its own terms are not realized", declared that the author "simply operates on a plane which Robert Heinlein never dreamed of, nor

John W. Campbell John Wood Campbell Jr. (June 8, 1910 – July 11, 1971) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of ''Astounding Science Fiction'' (later called ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'') from late 1937 until his death and wa ...

, nor – take a deep breath – Ted Sturgeon,

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

, nor anyone else we could have put forward as being a poet" before 1960 and "urgently recommended" the novel". In February 1968 he named the book the best novel of 1967.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography *

External links

*
The Einstein Intersection
' at Worlds Without End * Nebula Award for Best Novel–winning works 1967 American novels 1967 science fiction novels American science fiction novels Novels by Samuel Delany Metafictional novels Works about Orpheus {{1960s-sf-novel-stub