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The Man Who Evolved
As man evolves what changes will he undergo in a thousand years? A million or more?
Excerpt
There were three of us in Pollard's house on that night that I try vainly to forget. Dr. John Pollard himself, Hugh Dutton and I, Arthur Wright--we were the three. Pollard met that night a fate whose horror none could dream; Dutton has since that night inhabited a state institution reserved for the insane, and I alone am left to tell what happened.
It was on Pollard's invitation that Dutton and I went up to his isolated cottage. We three had been friends and room-mates at the New York Technical University. Our friendship was perhaps a little unusual, for Pollard was a number of years older than Dutton and myself and was different in temperament, being rather quieter by nature. He had followed an intensive course of biological studies, too, instead of the ordinary engineering courses Dutton and I had taken.
As Dutton and I drove northward along the Hudson on that afternoon, we found ourselves reviewing what we knew of Pollard's career. We had known of his taking his master's and doctor's degrees, and had heard of his work under Braun, the Vienna biologist whose theories had stirred up such turmoil. We had heard casually, too, that afterwards he had come back to plunge himself in private research at the country-house beside the Hudson he had inherited. But since then we had had no word from him and had been somewhat surprised to receive his telegrams inviting us to spend the weekend with him.
It was drawing into early-summer twilight when Dutton and I reached a small riverside village and were directed to Pollard's place, a mile or so beyond. We found it easily enough, a splendid old pegged-frame house that for a hundred-odd years had squatted on a low hill above the river. Its outbuildings were clustered around the big house like the chicks about some protecting hen.
Excerpt
There were three of us in Pollard's house on that night that I try vainly to forget. Dr. John Pollard himself, Hugh Dutton and I, Arthur Wright--we were the three. Pollard met that night a fate whose horror none could dream; Dutton has since that night inhabited a state institution reserved for the insane, and I alone am left to tell what happened.
It was on Pollard's invitation that Dutton and I went up to his isolated cottage. We three had been friends and room-mates at the New York Technical University. Our friendship was perhaps a little unusual, for Pollard was a number of years older than Dutton and myself and was different in temperament, being rather quieter by nature. He had followed an intensive course of biological studies, too, instead of the ordinary engineering courses Dutton and I had taken.
As Dutton and I drove northward along the Hudson on that afternoon, we found ourselves reviewing what we knew of Pollard's career. We had known of his taking his master's and doctor's degrees, and had heard of his work under Braun, the Vienna biologist whose theories had stirred up such turmoil. We had heard casually, too, that afterwards he had come back to plunge himself in private research at the country-house beside the Hudson he had inherited. But since then we had had no word from him and had been somewhat surprised to receive his telegrams inviting us to spend the weekend with him.
It was drawing into early-summer twilight when Dutton and I reached a small riverside village and were directed to Pollard's place, a mile or so beyond. We found it easily enough, a splendid old pegged-frame house that for a hundred-odd years had squatted on a low hill above the river. Its outbuildings were clustered around the big house like the chicks about some protecting hen.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2009
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Edmond Hamilton
1,027 books137 followersEdmond Moore Hamilton was a popular author of science fiction stories and novels throughout the mid-twentieth century. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. Something of a child prodigy, he graduated high school and started college (Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania) at the age of 14--but washed out at 17. He was the Golden Age writer who worked on Batman, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and many sci-fi books.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 9, 2016
Many people have said that the strong side of SF literature are the short tales ,and is certainly sure that there are more masterworks short tales than full novels in this genre.
Edmond Hamilton (1904-1977) can be considered as one of the fathers of modern SF.This tale was pubished in "Wonder Stories" in april of 1931.
The fudamental scientific principles of the tale are wholly wrong,but in 1931,when almost nothing was known about ADN and the molecular basis of evolution,Hamilton strikingly was right in one thing,the cosmic rays are a cause of random mutations in the ADN filtered by Darvininian selection.
The evolution told in this tale is the human brain evolution,as one can hope.
In the tale ,the man goes trought several states of brain evolution,the firsts as a proud of his inteligence ,full of arrogance and contemt by the less inteligent beings till in the end become almost a God in a nirvana state of wise and serenity.
The tale touchs some ethics subjects,as the relation of the more inteligent with the less,applicable to our relation with the animals.
Yet today can be see as a naive tale,this first tales of SF have a charming naivety and ingenuity.
Edmond Hamilton (1904-1977) can be considered as one of the fathers of modern SF.This tale was pubished in "Wonder Stories" in april of 1931.
The fudamental scientific principles of the tale are wholly wrong,but in 1931,when almost nothing was known about ADN and the molecular basis of evolution,Hamilton strikingly was right in one thing,the cosmic rays are a cause of random mutations in the ADN filtered by Darvininian selection.
The evolution told in this tale is the human brain evolution,as one can hope.
In the tale ,the man goes trought several states of brain evolution,the firsts as a proud of his inteligence ,full of arrogance and contemt by the less inteligent beings till in the end become almost a God in a nirvana state of wise and serenity.
The tale touchs some ethics subjects,as the relation of the more inteligent with the less,applicable to our relation with the animals.
Yet today can be see as a naive tale,this first tales of SF have a charming naivety and ingenuity.
October 24, 2023
It was a fun pulp story, very of the time with all of its outdated pop science stuff.
The text raises a few thought provoking questions like what the future of humanity will be like, why humans treat those they lower as lesser. Though I feel like these questions have no substance in the story and are expressed in what felt like throw away dialogue.
I enjoyed the idea of evolution going in a circle, though not accurate was, I felt very indicative to how many of us see the world. A cycle of change that ultimately ends in the same results.
This story wears is messages very openly and tells you the intent behind every plot point plainly in the text. I found that to be a little surprising and funny.
Ultimately this is a silly, fun, short sci fi horror piece that is a good way to kill 20mins:
The text raises a few thought provoking questions like what the future of humanity will be like, why humans treat those they lower as lesser. Though I feel like these questions have no substance in the story and are expressed in what felt like throw away dialogue.
I enjoyed the idea of evolution going in a circle, though not accurate was, I felt very indicative to how many of us see the world. A cycle of change that ultimately ends in the same results.
This story wears is messages very openly and tells you the intent behind every plot point plainly in the text. I found that to be a little surprising and funny.
Ultimately this is a silly, fun, short sci fi horror piece that is a good way to kill 20mins:
November 13, 2024
This was an enjoyable read. Yes, the science is pure wacko and the prose is the good old imatellyoueverythingwithoutnuance kind. But it was charming (maybe its my glasses) and surprisingly thrilling. Also, I can't help but wonder how many influence this has had on other works. Is it the origin of the concept of "giant evolved brain with power of telepathy etc." or was itself influenced by something else? If the former is true then its quite the achievement.
Like I said the scientific concept is dumb even if consider this was published 1931. That's around 60 years after The Origin of Species. Even for that time this reads like a pseudo-science. But we don't read SF stories to get get educated about evolution we read to get that sense of wonder and that's what this story accomplishes.
Like I said the scientific concept is dumb even if consider this was published 1931. That's around 60 years after The Origin of Species. Even for that time this reads like a pseudo-science. But we don't read SF stories to get get educated about evolution we read to get that sense of wonder and that's what this story accomplishes.
January 6, 2023
An exciting early Sci-Fi short story about, you guessed it, a man who evolves.
July 17, 2018
10/10
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November 30, 2022read for my pulp fiction class
July 14, 2018
This is an early pulp science fiction tale (1931) by the 27-year old Hamilton who was to become an interesting authorial bridge between the interwar pulps and DC comics. He wrote extensively for a whole range of DC titles from 1944 to 1966. He is notable for his association with Leigh Brackett.
However, this story, which Asimov admired, has not dated well. It contains many of the science fiction horror cliches of the pulp world within a core idea that is interesting enough but told in a rather hysterical manner that is eventually alienating to anyone intelligent.
It is interesting culturally because it became part of a 1936 Hamilton hardback collection, one of the first ever such collections in the science fiction genre in the US, and might be said to be an extreme expression of a type of evolutionary speculation dominated by HG Wells and Olaf Stapledon.
In the context of those two writers, the story is weak, almost a pastiche summary of their lengthy explorations of humanity's fate, although it would have brought a simplified version of evolutionary themes to many relatively young readers only six years after the Scopes Trial.
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March 2, 2024What is cool about reading science fiction from 1931, is thinking about what the science knowledge was like at that time, which further assumptions had to be made for the story to work and then think about all the additional knowledge we have now and how they interact with those assumptions. And this story is an excellent one to think about evolution and the chronology of our understanding.
September 4, 2023
Evolution in its original meaning simply meant a circular movement with no implication of progression. But now it implies the silliness of this story. So silly, in fact, that it underscores the lack of any “evolution” in man whatsoever.
April 14, 2025
Exactly what it says it is. There is a man, he evolves. it was a nice, quick read that gave me a hit of classic sci-fi weirdness.
September 10, 2017
Read this for class. Pretty interesting, but would never have picked up otherwise.
May 17, 2023
Nice entertaining Pulp-Sci-fi short story about evolution of the humankind.
September 16, 2025
this was actually crazy
March 11, 2024
As a Christian I don't believe in Evolution, but this was an interesting little story. I read it as a kid and recently found it again and it's a good story, but not an acurate story.
March 2, 2014
this is probably the first sci fi book i like. its pretty good and interesting and very real. lets hope i can write a good paper on it!
January 25, 2015
A interesting short story detailing one man's journey through the "higher" stages of existence. If you like the original Star Trek Series then you will probably like this.
July 30, 2016
Interesting.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews