[fantasyfan]

When I first read City many decades ago, the story that impressed me most was “Desertion” and the one I liked least was “Huddling Place”. I now feel that, while “Desertion” is a good tale and introduces the Jupiter transcendence theme, there are many others that are more sensitive and better written. “Huddling Place” is more sophisticated and also introduces the Juwain Philosophy—and Juwain himself—perhaps the most significant unifying element in the series of stories. Perhaps its weakness lies in the importance of Jenkins who really causes the disaster, rather than Webster who seems on the verge of overcoming his weakness. Jenkins later becomes a figure with an ethical nature and is thus rather similar to Asimov’s R. Daneel Olivaw who also guides his chosen race.

It does strike me that the root of this story is that the human race is doomed to go nowhere—at least as human beings. Most become Lopers on Jupiter; the mutants retire to strange towers opening on the extra-dimensioal, and even the humans in “Aesop” go into some strange vague future. Thus, the enormous emphasis that the Websters put on racial survival becomes ironic. By sealing the remainder of humanity within Geneva, Jon Webster leaves the world—he thinks—to the dogs. In fact the intelligent ants created by the mutant Joe inherit the Earth.

When I nominated this book, I stated that I was nominating the original volume that won the prize. The final story “Epilog” was written much later as a tribute to John W. Cambell.

There is no doubt but that Simak had doubts about the wisdom of writing another story as the original was complete in itself. He is quite aware that in 1971 he “was a different writer than the younger man who had fashioned the tales” and his feelings were mixed. He writes:

“ ‘Epilog,’ I think, turned out all right. However, I can’t decide wheter or not I’m happy to see it included with the others, if for no other reason than completeness. I can understand an editor’s wish to add it to this new edition. For myself, there is a certain note of finality and sadness in the story that I would have been willing not to touch upon.”

I think that Simak’s instincts were right. I would rather not have that story. City is not a fairy-tale. The demise of the ants and the happy ending for Jenkins is an anticlimax.