OK…it’s not often you run into stuff like this. In 1933, Edmond Hamilton wrote a pulp story, “Kaldar, World of Antares” (Magic Carpet, Apr ‘33). The story, beyond it’s interesting features, is just a good pulp SF yarn from a veteran writer. What are those features? First, an almost exact description of the transporter ala Star Trek. Then, an almost exact description of light sabres ala Star Wars. In the same story! From 1933! In one of the few reprints of the story, from Donald Wolheim’s “Swordsmen in the Sky” anthology (ACE, 1964), we can see that the illustration looks like it’s straight out of Star Wars, with clashing light sabres meeting with explosive results. Also included in the anthology is a story by Leigh Brackett, Hamilton’s wife. Brackett wrote the original draft of “The Empire Strikes Back” script. Did this 1964 anthology inspire Roddenberry or Lucas? Can these all be just coincidences?This book comes out of Rusty Hevelin’s collection and had the Rod Serling ad tucked inside. Rusty and Serling attended Antioch College together. More coincidence?
Fascinating!!
-Colleen
Mooncustafer 