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The Ballad of Lost C'mell
Die seltsamste Diplomatin in der Geschichte der Menschheit
K’mell ist ein Katzenmädchen – daher das „K“ vor ihrem Namen. Deswegen steht sie in der Hierarchie deswegen unter den sogenannten Wahren Menschen. Wie alle Tiermenschen ist sie dafür gezüchtet worden, niedere Arbeiten zu verrichten. Lord Jestocost, ein Wahrer Mensch, der versucht, die Unterschiede zwischen Menschen und Tiermenschen abzuschaffen, ohne die ganze Gesellschaft aus dem Gleichgewicht zu bringen, nimmt telepathisch Kontakt mit K’mell auf. Sie soll ihm bei seinem Vorhaben helfen. Doch nicht einmal Jestocost konnte vorher ahnen, welch unerhörte Ereignisse er damit ins Rollen brachte … Die Erzählung „Die Ballade von der verlorenen K‘mell“ erscheint als exklusives eBook Only bei Heyne und ist zusammen mit weiteren Stories von Cordwainer Smith auch in dem Sammelband „Was aus den Menschen wurde“ enthalten. Sie umfasst ca. 30 Buchseiten.
K’mell ist ein Katzenmädchen – daher das „K“ vor ihrem Namen. Deswegen steht sie in der Hierarchie deswegen unter den sogenannten Wahren Menschen. Wie alle Tiermenschen ist sie dafür gezüchtet worden, niedere Arbeiten zu verrichten. Lord Jestocost, ein Wahrer Mensch, der versucht, die Unterschiede zwischen Menschen und Tiermenschen abzuschaffen, ohne die ganze Gesellschaft aus dem Gleichgewicht zu bringen, nimmt telepathisch Kontakt mit K’mell auf. Sie soll ihm bei seinem Vorhaben helfen. Doch nicht einmal Jestocost konnte vorher ahnen, welch unerhörte Ereignisse er damit ins Rollen brachte … Die Erzählung „Die Ballade von der verlorenen K‘mell“ erscheint als exklusives eBook Only bei Heyne und ist zusammen mit weiteren Stories von Cordwainer Smith auch in dem Sammelband „Was aus den Menschen wurde“ enthalten. Sie umfasst ca. 30 Buchseiten.
20 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1962
About the author
Cordwainer Smith
236 books325 followersPseudonym of:
Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger
Linebarger also employed the literary pseudonyms "Carmichael Smith" (for his political thriller Atomsk), "Anthony Bearden" (for his poetry) and "Felix C. Forrest" (for the novels Ria and Carola).
Linebarger was also a noted East Asia scholar and expert in psychological warfare.
Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger
Linebarger also employed the literary pseudonyms "Carmichael Smith" (for his political thriller Atomsk), "Anthony Bearden" (for his poetry) and "Felix C. Forrest" (for the novels Ria and Carola).
Linebarger was also a noted East Asia scholar and expert in psychological warfare.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 17, 2021
Strange. I remember this story with great fondness and I used to love the work of Cordwainer Smith. However, this reread did not do very much for me - it was merely OK. It is no longer so obvious why it was such a special story. Time is a strange thing...
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October 2, 2019One of my all time favorite stories. Read it about 50 years ago. I attended a SYFY convention as her.... No one got it... Too obscure I guess!
May 27, 2014
What a strange love story, where eggs take the place of romance, but it's still considered one of the great romances of humanity. Still, at least there was some social justice for the underpeople! :) For the love of eggs.
October 14, 2022
A sappy love story with a half interesting plot of improving the rights for a sub-human species of cat people. It’s not just that the main character of the story C’mell is 2 dimensional and a trite, lusty object of male affection, but the plot isn’t very interesting and the love story painfully banal. I’m very confused why others liked this story so much. Nostalgia?
Note - this was read as part of Science Fiction Hall of Fame 2A
Note - this was read as part of Science Fiction Hall of Fame 2A
January 28, 2018
This is one of the key stories for Cordwainer Smith's most famous characters, C'Mell, who would go on to star in his one novel, Norstrilia. She ought to be one of the most famous characters in science fiction, not one of the most forgotten as she seems to be.
July 10, 2018
This is one of the most over-praised stories I’ve ever encountered. It’s basically an extended Dad Joke, except not funny.
July 9, 2021
Dissapointed
July 25, 2022
The Ballad of Lost C’Mell by Cordwainer Smith
This novella by Cordwainer Smith (real name Paul Linebarger) was first published in Galaxy Magazine in October 1962.
The story is set well beyond our time, and is a small part of Smith's enormous future history. The protagonists are Jestocost, a lord of the Instrumentality of Mankind (the rulership during a certain period in this fictional universe when humanity has already expanded into space), and C'mell, a beautiful "underperson" (a descendent of animals genetically engineered to possess human form and intellect, but enjoying no social rights and assigned primarily to performing manual labor). C'mell’s ancestry is derived from cats, so she retains certain abilities and traits peculiar to felines. The name "C'mell" is reportedly derived from that of the author's pet cat, Melanie.
C'mell works as a "girlygirl" (something like an escort) at the main spaceport.
The story centers around the secret ambition of Lord Jestocost to assist the oppressed underpeople in acquiring rights without starting a full-blown revolution or overturning the existing social order.
Through C'mell, Jestocost hopes to contact the presumed leader of the underpeople (a being with incredibly strong telepathic powers), and concoct a scheme by which they can steal information which will allow the underpeople to conceal themselves from The Instrumentality while they work to secure the social rights they desire.
Since the plan requires that Jestocost and C'mell cooperate closely, the story also becomes one of unrequited love which passes into folklore and is passed down to future generations in poetry and songs, hence the cryptic verse which begins the story:
She got the which of the what-she-did,
Hid the bell with a blot, she did,
But she fell in love with a hominid.
Where is the which of the what-she-did?
from THE BALLAD OF LOST C'MELL
The writing is like nothing I have ever encountered before. The deceptively simple prose possesses a lyric and almost hypnotic quality which leaves incisive imagery and an impression of strong emotion in the mind of the reader. Easily understandable words describe people and situations which are utterly alien in their essence. There is an unforgettable poignancy to the end of the story.
I read "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A, which is part of a collection of the greatest science fiction novellas published before the introduction of the Nebula Awards in 1965, as selected by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
In order to understand The Ballad of Lost C'mell more fully, I think I will have to read the novel Norstrilia, which has been described as a sequel to this story, since it apparently includes all of the main characters and is related to the same issues.
This novella by Cordwainer Smith (real name Paul Linebarger) was first published in Galaxy Magazine in October 1962.
The story is set well beyond our time, and is a small part of Smith's enormous future history. The protagonists are Jestocost, a lord of the Instrumentality of Mankind (the rulership during a certain period in this fictional universe when humanity has already expanded into space), and C'mell, a beautiful "underperson" (a descendent of animals genetically engineered to possess human form and intellect, but enjoying no social rights and assigned primarily to performing manual labor). C'mell’s ancestry is derived from cats, so she retains certain abilities and traits peculiar to felines. The name "C'mell" is reportedly derived from that of the author's pet cat, Melanie.
C'mell works as a "girlygirl" (something like an escort) at the main spaceport.
The story centers around the secret ambition of Lord Jestocost to assist the oppressed underpeople in acquiring rights without starting a full-blown revolution or overturning the existing social order.
Through C'mell, Jestocost hopes to contact the presumed leader of the underpeople (a being with incredibly strong telepathic powers), and concoct a scheme by which they can steal information which will allow the underpeople to conceal themselves from The Instrumentality while they work to secure the social rights they desire.
Since the plan requires that Jestocost and C'mell cooperate closely, the story also becomes one of unrequited love which passes into folklore and is passed down to future generations in poetry and songs, hence the cryptic verse which begins the story:
She got the which of the what-she-did,
Hid the bell with a blot, she did,
But she fell in love with a hominid.
Where is the which of the what-she-did?
from THE BALLAD OF LOST C'MELL
The writing is like nothing I have ever encountered before. The deceptively simple prose possesses a lyric and almost hypnotic quality which leaves incisive imagery and an impression of strong emotion in the mind of the reader. Easily understandable words describe people and situations which are utterly alien in their essence. There is an unforgettable poignancy to the end of the story.
I read "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A, which is part of a collection of the greatest science fiction novellas published before the introduction of the Nebula Awards in 1965, as selected by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
In order to understand The Ballad of Lost C'mell more fully, I think I will have to read the novel Norstrilia, which has been described as a sequel to this story, since it apparently includes all of the main characters and is related to the same issues.
October 6, 2025
Stands out from the other Hall of Fame novellas in that Smith's imagination is off the wall. He peppers the prose with offhand references to exotic sf ideas that add a lot of atmosphere to the story. It's eccentric and atmospheric at the same time, and I was really interested to see where this roller coaster of weirdness would go.
Sadly, it goes nowhere. Some important stuff happens off-stage and then the ending comes at you sideways out of nowhere. It's a shame the story is so underbaked, because the world is really fun.
2.5/5
Sadly, it goes nowhere. Some important stuff happens off-stage and then the ending comes at you sideways out of nowhere. It's a shame the story is so underbaked, because the world is really fun.
2.5/5
March 31, 2024
This is my first Cordwainer Smith story and it was a very odd read. I think this story might be part of a series because Smith kept referencing The Lords of Instrumentality? The story itself is mainly about a woman who is part cat. She is a “girly girl” and assists our protagonist in a mission. Their efforts are successful and years later people have a song about her love for her human partner in crime. Bizzare
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2021
I've a theory that while Smith makes you believe he's a wizard, his stuff is magical. When you realize what his fairly simple tricks are, much of it becomes mere prestidigitation--and this one is in the latter category. But if you're not already wise to him, this is a great one to be intoxicated by.
Glorious cover art, by the way.
Glorious cover art, by the way.
October 16, 2024
The Ballad of Lost C'mell
Cordwainer Smith
Read in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two
Oct 2024
A fine story. Somehow a little too short. It is over very fast. Such a universe takes some time getting into. “smile number three”
Can be read online here:
https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/smithcord...
Cordwainer Smith
Read in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two
Oct 2024
A fine story. Somehow a little too short. It is over very fast. Such a universe takes some time getting into. “smile number three”
Can be read online here:
https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/smithcord...
October 8, 2018
A strange love story that was included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two, a collection of the 22 greatest science fiction novellas published before the introduction of the Nebula Awards in 1965, as selected by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
August 16, 2022
Come for the commentary on race and class and humanity on a future earth. Stay for the psychic cat-girl gf.
February 3, 2024
A story of class struggle in the future - part of Smith's Instrumentality of Mankind story cycle.
June 15, 2024
C’mell = Katlyn 💔
September 8, 2016
I read this years ago. I just reread it today. Such a lovely story and it's so very different from the usual run of science fiction stories, particularly of the period it was written in. A love story. Who knew? :)
May 29, 2013
An old favorite from my formative years of reading science fiction.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews