The Blue Tower

by Evelyn E. Smith

As the vastly advanced guardians of mankind, the Belphins knew how to make a lesson stick-but whom?- opening to story:-Ludovick Eversole sat in the golden sunshine outside his house, writing a poem as he watched the street flow gently past him. There were very few people on it, for he lived in a slow part of town, and those who went in for travel generally preferred streets where the pace was quicker.Moreover, on a sultry spring afternoon like this one, there would be few people wandering abroad. Most would be lying on sun-kissed white beaches or in sun-drenched parks, or, for those who did not fancy being either kissed or drenched by the sun, basking in the comfort of their own air-conditioned villas.Some would, like Ludovick, be writing poems; others composing symphonies; still others painting pictures. Those who were without creative talent or the inclination to indulge it would be relaxing their well-kept golden bodies in whatever surroundings they had chosen to spend this particular one of the perfect days that stretched in an unbroken line before every member of the human race from the cradle to the crematorium.

Only the Belphins were much in evidence. Only the Belphins had duties to perform. Only the Belphins worked.

Ludovick stretched his own well-kept golden body and rejoiced in the knowing that he was a man and not a Belphin. Immediately afterward, he was sorry for the heartless thought. Didn't the Belphins work only to serve humanity? How ungrateful, then, it was to gloat over them! Besides, he comforted himself, probably, if the truth were known, the Belphins liked to work. He hailed a passing Belphin for assurance on this point.

Courteous, like all members of his species, the creature leaped from the street and listened attentively to the young man's question. "We Belphins have but one like and one dislike," he replied. "We like what is right and we dislike what is wrong."

"But how can you tell what is right and what is wrong?" Ludovick persisted.

"We know," the Belphin said, gazing reverently across the city to the blue spire of the tower where The Belphin of Belphins dwelt, in constant communication with every member of his race at all times, or so they said. "That is why we were placed in charge of humanity. Someday you, too, may advance to the point where you know, and we shall return whence we came."

"But who placed you in charge," Ludovick asked, "and whence did you come?" Fearing he might seem motivated by vulgar curiosity, he explained, "I am doing research for an epic poem."

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Ebooks, Classics

Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1958

About the author

Evelyn E. Smith was an American author of Science Fiction. During the 1950s, her works appeared regularly in magazines such as Galaxy and Fantastic Universe. In the 1980s, she wrote a number of novels featuring the character Miss Melville, a middle-aged assassin.

She also wrote as Delphine C. Lyons and Christopher Grimm.

Reviews

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining futuristic listening 🎶

Aliens 👽have come to earth 🌎 and are doing everything for earthlings, food, keeping house, working jobs, and everything. I would recommend this novella and author to readers looking for something a little different. 2023 😀👒☺😮

[Chris Aldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of LibriVox Short Science Fiction Collection 002. I quite enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot in this one.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes man makes decisions that don't always turn out the way they wished them to...
So now humankind is ruled by Belphins and our protagonists wonders why, the Belphin responds, "That is why we were placed in charge of humanity. Someday you, too, may advance to the point where you know, and we shall return whence we came." But man doesn't wait for that time, and the Blue Tower tells us what happens...

[Nicholas Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ludovick lives a very relaxed life and that’s because the Belphins are the alien caretaker of the human race. They were supposedly assigned to take care of us from another unknown power. But taking care of us means we have no more wars, poverty or famine. Life is good. Or so it seems.

Ludovick heads to his neighbor’s house where his girlfriend lives and they sit while enjoying some wine. Also, the beautiful sunshine. While they relax, his girlfriend’s grandfather strikes up a conversation about how life sucks with the Belphins running things for a few generations. While Ludovick is in line with the status quo, it seems that his girlfriend’s family isn’t.

From there things start to take off in this story. We learn a little more about what’s going on and then Ludovick becomes a reluctant hero of sorts.

I enjoyed this story. It is definitely from the early days of sci-fi. It is my first introduction to the author’s work. Her name was Evelyn E. Smith and this made me want to read more from her.

The characters are pretty much what you would expect from this type of story, but they seemed quite adequate for the proceedings. Also the story moved at a good pace.

While I look back at the ending and understand more about what the author was trying to say, it did at first seem a little out there. However, it starts to grow on you a bit.

If you haven’t read this yet then go right ahead. I recommend it.

[Phil Giunta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Under the beneficent leadership of an alien race known as the Belphins, mankind wants for nothing. Through the power of love, the aliens provide everything necessary to allow all humans to lead happy lives. Yet not everyone appreciates this way of life. Law-abiding citizen Ludovick Eversole suspects his malcontent neighbors, the Flockharts, to be conspiring against the lead Belphin, who resides in the Blue Tower.

Can Ludovick warn the lead Belphin of the conspiracy even though no human has ever returned from the Blue Tower?

[Lee Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story - the idea of occupying aliens using a technology detecting harmful intent to protect themselves from the remaining 'free willed' humans in an otherwise docile population was interesting - the ending was rather obvious.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author is new to me, and I really enjoyed her writing in this short story, although I found the ending rather unsatisfying, even if it was largely inevitable.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny as usual and a great double twist ending that I didn't see coming.

[Leah Coffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another forgotten sci-fi gem, and one with quite a pointed moral.

[Forked Radish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very perceptive, particularly when the human race is described as a "bad job".

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scifi short story,full cast very well done , written by a master.

[Zeta T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly found this author last night and loaded a bunch of stories, since I liked the X-Minus One radio program, I like the Galaxy magazine stories because they tended to have some lighthearted dialogue on a regular basis. This story was a bit more serious and the author can pull some high verbal curve-balls, good if you have an automatic dictionary. There were some key elements and cheap short cuts to get to the heart of the story that might give some a guffaw but you do get that sense of "Oh..." when the pinacle comes.

A nice world is made of Earth which means there is always someone to come along and be insulted by it...

There is a nice one sentence summary fit for the end of an X-Minus One episode.

[Perry Whitford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read a few of Evelyn E. Smith's Golden Age sci-fi stories on the Gutenberg site, I've come to enjoy her humourously satirical take on things. This wasn't one of her better efforts though.

The human race enjoys a blissfully idle existence under the benign rule of an alien race called the Belphins. Ludovick Eversole is perfectly happy with the arrangement, but not everybody is, such as his neighbours the Flockharts.

Smith puts her usual ironical twist on the outcome, but she could have written this on the back of a napkin in a spare fifteen minutes.

[Richie Kercenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story that unites Mankind and Alien beings, placing the former race under the protection and rule of the latter. The oblivious and somewhat naïve protagonist of the tale eventually brings about the collapse of the alien invaders only to realize that they had never been a threat, and that the real danger lies, in fact, within the strata of his own social order.
The story can also function as an allegory to the quest for political power, and its use of dogmatic demonization of all that is different in order to justify its agenda.

[Scott Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story presents a rather dry and ironic take on humanity, who is genuinely unable to live under the guidance of a benevolent dictatorship - who longs for freedom rather than peace and prosperity. It is however sufficiently well written so as to neither idolize the concept of freedom (so common in North American writing) nor to downplay the compromises of the lack thereof. A good read for a short story.

[Diana Woolley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like this book at all.