What Mad Universe: Reality as a Multiple Choice Question
What Mad Universe: Reality as a Multiple Choice Question
Okay Space Explorers, today I want you to put on your special quartz reflecting ray goggles and join me for a journey into infinity!
What Mad Universe (1948) is a delightful science fantasy story written by Fredric Brown. Keith Winton gets caught in a blast created by an experimental moon rocket crashing back to Earth. The electrical nature of the explosion shoves Winton through the walls of our universe and into another reality—where pulp science fiction stories are real!
In the alternate universe, Keith discovers all the tropes he experienced as editor for Surprising Stories magazine (an obvious reference to Startling Stories magazine—where the story was initially released.) In fact, in this alternate universe space opera stories are considered “fiction.” “Science fiction” as we know it doesn’t exist. Here we see skimpily-clad “space girls,” space travel accomplished with the touch of a button (no actual science required), brawny and brilliant larger-than-life space heroes, even omniscient robot side-kicks. And all of them interacting as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. Earth is at war with an extra-terrestrial alien menace that is real and horrible. Real, bug-eyed monsters! Worst of all, Keith’s lady-love, Betty, is the fiancé of the grandest space hero of them all—Dopelle.
While this is all delightful to explore through the hero’s eyes, the real fun comes in when considering how he got there and what it all means. The blast that tossed Keith into an alternate reality was caused by an experimental device called the “Burton potentiometer.” The planned purpose of this apparatus was to create an explosion on the Moon so large that it would be visible on Earth. Unfortunately, the rocket fails and crashes back to our planet, striking a few feet away from where Keith is standing. (I know, how did he survive it at all…? But just go with me here.)
Directly before the blast Keith is thinking about one of his magazine’s subscribers, an insufferable letter writer. He wonders idly what this fan’s fantasy “pulp” world would be like. The next thing he knows there’s a brilliant flash of light and he’s knocked silly. When he wakes, he’s in the other reality.
Keith makes a few mistakes based on lack of knowledge and finds himself on the wrong side of the law. He takes it on the lam and tries to find someone to help him figure out how to get home. Eventually, he realizes that he must locate the legendary space hero, Dopelle, who is this reality’s incarnation of the obnoxious letter-writer, Joe Doppelberg.
Finding Dopelle proves difficult but Keith does run into the hero’s sidekick, an omniscient spherical robot called, “Mekky.” Mekky is immediately interested in Keith, realizing that he is from a different reality. Telepathically, the robot assures Keith that he did not make up this universe, it already existed. Keith’s consciousness was drawn here as a frequency-match to his thoughts before the blast. The electrical explosion provided the necessary energetic “kick” that propelled him here.
Keith discovers that Earth’s war with the Arcturians is going badly. The enemy has a new weapon of war, an immense star ship coated with an impervious substance. Soon this huge Arcturian battle cruiser is likely to defeat the Earthlings once and for all. Except that Keith brings with him some unique technology—knowledge of the Burton potentiometer. He complains that he doesn’t know how to build it but Mekky and Dopelle tell him that since he once saw the plans, it’s still in his subconscious. Mekky reads his mind and ferrets it out. This new technology, coupled with one of their atomic warheads, might be just enough to destroy the Arc dreadnaught. Moreover, the resulting blast might get Keith home—if he can survive it! Keith agrees to pilot the flying bomb and stuffs himself inside the tiny, overly-weaponized space craft. He engages in some interesting internal monologue while flying towards his salvation, or his doom.
“Right now, however briefly, he [Keith Winton] was the hero of this universe. For this brief moment, he was greater even than Dopelle. He was about to do what Dopelle had never quite been able to do—destroy the might and menace of Arcturus.
Nothing, he thought sardonically (and a bit plagaristically), that he had done in this universe had become him as would the manner of his leaving it….he wondered if statues would be erected to him, if all went well….this universe was real now. For a while, at least. …Quickly, desperately, he remembered to concentrate on Earth, his Earth…on everything he’d known and loved back home.
A whole series of pictures was flashing through his mind, as is supposed to happen to a drowning man…He thought, “But good God, why didn’t I think of it sooner? it doesn’t have to be the world I left. it can be better! I’m missing from an infinity of universes; I can pick one that will give me at least a few improvements. I can pick a universe almost exactly like mine. except that—my job—Betty—”
This is all thought in a blinding flash of realization before the small rocket collides with the Arc warship. There’s another blinding flash and…”
Keith’s thoughts are now vibrating at different energetic frequency, that of a more personally advantageous universe. During the blast his thoughts draw him unerringly to the exact reality he wishes. When he wakes his discovers that he’s now a wealthy publisher with one of the biggest chains of publications in the country. He also finds out that he has the adoration of the woman he loves. That’s a happy ending!
True, the story is a wish fulfillment fantasy. But I think there’s more to it. Fredric Brown knew, as I do, that the frequency of our thoughts drives our experiences. Things we want are magnetized by our wishes, good and bad. Concentrate hard enough and reality seems to reshape to accommodate us. Sometimes it’s subtle and sometimes it’s a great big event. I’ve seen both in my own life, what about you?
Here’s hoping that you can find your own best energetic match.
This is the Rocketeer signing off for today.