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The Diamond Lens and Other Stories

Fitz-James O'Brien

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Jan 03, 2021 Werner rated it liked it · review of another edition

Irish-born Fitz-James O'Brien (1826-1862) --who emigrated to the U.S. in 1852 and died of tetanus from a wound he received as a Union soldier in the Civil War-- is often regarded as America's leading master of the short story in the years between the death of Poe in 1849 and the emergence of Bret Harte after the Civil War. (He also wrote poetry and plays.) Since several of his fictions have science-fictional premises, he merited a chapter in Sam Moskowitz's Explorers of the Infinite: Shapers of Irish-born Fitz-James O'Brien (1826-1862) --who emigrated to the U.S. in 1852 and died of tetanus from a wound he received as a Union soldier in the Civil War-- is often regarded as America's leading master of the short story in the years between the death of Poe in 1849 and the emergence of Bret Harte after the Civil War. (He also wrote poetry and plays.) Since several of his fictions have science-fictional premises, he merited a chapter in Sam Moskowitz's Explorers of the Infinite: Shapers of Science Fiction, which was what originally brought him to my attention. Written in the Romantic style, his work is characterized by exuberant (even far-out) imagination and a preference for extreme and melodramatic situations.

This collection brings together seven of his better-known stories, bracketed by two of his poems. I'd previously read one of the latter, "The Demon of the Gibbet," in Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural (and commented on it in my review of that anthology), as well as three of these stories. "The Child Who Loved a Grave" and "What Was It? A Mystery" are included, respectively, in Great Irish Tales of Horror: A Treasury of Fear and Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (and I commented briefly on the former in my review of that collection). Also, I'd read "The Diamond Lens" (though I never read the whole anthology where it was included), and used it as a required reading for American Literature class when I was home schooling my daughters. The two latter stories are the author's most often anthologized works, and the solidest examples of science fiction I've read in his corpus (though "The Diamond Lens" also incorporates the Victorian craze for spiritualist seances). In both these cases, the SF is of the "soft" variety (and largely pseudo-science); Linley, the protagonist of the second story, very much illustrates the Romantic trope of scientist as seeker of destructive and forbidden knowledge.

Both poems here are short, and of the story-telling type; the last one, "The Legend of Easter Eggs," has a father concocting a fantastic story, for his credulous child, of how Easter eggs supposedly came to be laid by a bird (rather than decorated by adults for kids!). It expresses some beautiful and moving verbal imagery and reflection on the story of Christ's resurrection (though, given the premise of the poem, it's uncertain how seriously we can take these). Of the four stories that were new to me, both "The Golden Ingot" (which includes several references to real-life historical alchemists and alchemical research) and "How I Overcame My Gravity" are, IMO, well-written tales of their type, even though Moskowitz deprecated the latter. "The Wondersmith," though, is very considerably marred by the fact that it's a viciously racist attack on the Rom people (or Gypsies), about whom, moreover, the author obviously knew practically nothing except for popular stereotypes, and should also come with serious warnings for depictions of cruelty to animals. (Again disagreeing with Moskowitz, I don't consider the latter story an example of SF --the tiny mannikins there are animated by supernatural means, not by anything remotely scientific.) "My Wife's Tempter" is also premised in an invidious attack on the (view spoiler) faith (and the protagonist/narrator there expresses highly bigoted comments about Catholics as well). That's a side of O'Brien I hadn't previously encountered, and didn't appreciate.

Given my comments about the two latter stories, it could fairly be questioned whether a three-star rating for the book could be justified. However, I settled on it as an overall rating; the other seven selections don't have the same problem(s), and so arguably shouldn't be dragged down further by these two. Also, "The Wondersmith" is (partially) redeemed in my eyes by the fact that it has a hero who's hunch-backed, but presented as an admirable person regardless of his physical deformity, and a competent heroine who doesn't sit around waiting to be rescued by a male. (In an 1850s context, I wasn't at all bothered by the idea that a 16-year-old girl could feel, and be the object of, serious romantic attraction.) ...more

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