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Matter, Space, and Time
The White Invaders
Out of their unknown fourth dimensional realm materializes a horde of White Invaders with power invincible.
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1980
33 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Ray Cummings
336 books22 followersRaymond King Cummings. His career resulted in some 750 novels and short stories, using also the pen names Ray King, Gabrielle Cummings, and Gabriel Wilson.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 6, 2014
It was very popular in 1930s SF literature to have as one’s heroes two men (one often a scientist and the other a more active type) and one or two women (one sometimes the relative of one of the men and in a potentially romantic entanglement with the other).
Here we have this arrangement, with an All-American trio, but with the unusual setting of Bermuda.
Ghosts have been seen, white figures floating about the countryside and now women have been going missing. White women only. The native women have been left unmolested.
The trio soon discover that a man called Tako has arrived from the fourth dimension, originally to capture women as slaves and mistresses, since the population of his world has been decimated following a terrible war.
Tako then sets his sights on a full-scale invasion, beginning with New York.
Cummings seems to relish destroying New York, all of its enormous buildings collapsing on themselves as transdimensional bombs are placed in their foundations. The only building left standing is the Empire State Building which is housing the deadly weapon of destruction.
It is interesting to compare this with Sewell Peaslee Wright’s ‘The Infra-Medians’ as they both feature a trio of protagonists as described earlier and creatures from another dimension, although it is a much shorter piece.
One is intrigued by the suggestion that aliens are only interested in white women which says a lot more about the demographic of the readership than it does about the writer.
There is, one imagines, a long history of the foreign invader coming to one’s land and bearing off one’s women. Was Cummings writing for a primarily white young male audience, playing on deep-seated fears or exploiting fairly recent mythology which had already been enhanced by similar tales of female kidnap. Burroughs used it as a plot device several times, but then, if you have a kidnapped princess, it at least gives the hero something to do. The nature of the kidnapper, however, can often throw up some interesting cultural questions.
Here we have this arrangement, with an All-American trio, but with the unusual setting of Bermuda.
Ghosts have been seen, white figures floating about the countryside and now women have been going missing. White women only. The native women have been left unmolested.
The trio soon discover that a man called Tako has arrived from the fourth dimension, originally to capture women as slaves and mistresses, since the population of his world has been decimated following a terrible war.
Tako then sets his sights on a full-scale invasion, beginning with New York.
Cummings seems to relish destroying New York, all of its enormous buildings collapsing on themselves as transdimensional bombs are placed in their foundations. The only building left standing is the Empire State Building which is housing the deadly weapon of destruction.
It is interesting to compare this with Sewell Peaslee Wright’s ‘The Infra-Medians’ as they both feature a trio of protagonists as described earlier and creatures from another dimension, although it is a much shorter piece.
One is intrigued by the suggestion that aliens are only interested in white women which says a lot more about the demographic of the readership than it does about the writer.
There is, one imagines, a long history of the foreign invader coming to one’s land and bearing off one’s women. Was Cummings writing for a primarily white young male audience, playing on deep-seated fears or exploiting fairly recent mythology which had already been enhanced by similar tales of female kidnap. Burroughs used it as a plot device several times, but then, if you have a kidnapped princess, it at least gives the hero something to do. The nature of the kidnapper, however, can often throw up some interesting cultural questions.
December 24, 2018
This was the book that got me hooked on the so-called Radium Age of science fiction over a decade ago. Of course, sci-fi literature in this early part of the 20th century was as varied as it is today, so this novella is not representative of an entire era. But it does have all the elements, both positive and negative, that one can come to expect from sci-fi in the oughts through the early 30s, as well as the sense of paranoia and righteous condemnation of anything "other" that permeated the later Golden Era by the 40s and 50s. Because this is an American novella, not a European one, it is laced with the optimism and heroism of a nation that did not fight the "Great War" on its own soil, but which provided ample escapism and entertainment for a generation living through the "Great Depression."
If you are in the mood for a good old-fashioned alien invasion story, look no further.
If you are in the mood for a good old-fashioned alien invasion story, look no further.
May 6, 2022
Entertaining fantasy listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi futuristic world 🌎 short story by Ray Cummings about the attack at Bermuda by white man 🚹 that are almost ghost 👻. But then the attack moves to New York City where it is brought to a halt with a somewhat happy ending. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy Sci-Fi adventures. Enjoy the adventure of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚. 👒🗽☺ 2022
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi futuristic world 🌎 short story by Ray Cummings about the attack at Bermuda by white man 🚹 that are almost ghost 👻. But then the attack moves to New York City where it is brought to a halt with a somewhat happy ending. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy Sci-Fi adventures. Enjoy the adventure of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚. 👒🗽☺ 2022
February 13, 2023
Almost steampunk.
Was a free thinking book in it's time. Uses the word negro and is not too old fashioned. The story is similar to the movie, mars needs women. Kind of funny idea and might make a funny rpg?
Was a free thinking book in it's time. Uses the word negro and is not too old fashioned. The story is similar to the movie, mars needs women. Kind of funny idea and might make a funny rpg?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews