Twilight (Campbell short story)
"Twilight" is a post-apocalyptic science fiction short story by American author John W. Campbell. It was originally published in 1934 in Astounding Stories and apparently inspired by H. G. Wells' article The Man of the Year Million.[1] In 1970, it was selected as one of the best science fiction short stories published before the creation of the Nebula Awards by the Science Fiction Writers of America. As such, it was published in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964.
""Twilight""
United States
English
Print (magazine), book
1934
Set in 1932 in an unknown city in the United States, the narrator introduces Jim Bendell who recounts his experience with a strange and mysterious hitch-hiker claiming to be a time traveler from the year of 3059 who has traveled far into the future. In seven million years time, machines do everything for human beings, and people eventually lose touch with their human experience and regress both socially and intellectually as a species.[2] They become apathetic, and the population dwindles toward extinction.
Critical reception[edit]
In Alec Nevela-Lee's group biography, Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction, he praises the work of John W. Campbell for transforming science fiction from adolescent fantasy into enthralling and thought provoking academic literature.[5]
Science fiction author Algis Budrys said that Twilight "attracted a decade-long series of engineers/mystics as the archetypal writers of the 'Golden Age' and brought about the late Victorian Edwardian flavor of "Modern' science fiction".[6]
Everett F. Bleiler concluded: "Twilight conveys a mood. It is probably Campbell's best story, with many implications beyond the story level".[7]