Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-14

fiction, sometimes OF Sat1reS Of
at other times of reality as clio
Bertrand Russell, the veneer
able British philosopher. who
has turned to fiction in the
last few years, after winning
the Nobel Prize for his essays,
has a new book of stories,
Nightmares of Eminent Per-
sons and Other Stories" ISL
mon and Schuster; $3). The
stories are much concerned
with the future.
Georgetown Professor
Riley Hughes of Washing
ton. associate professor of
English in the School of For
eign Service at Georgetown
University and a widely known
critic, publishes a novel of q
devastated, post-atomic world,
The Hills Were Liars" Bruce;
S3.25)
The most interesting stories
in Lord RusSell's book and Mr..
Hughes novel are concerned,
in entirely divergent ways,
with the religion of the future.
Lord Russell's most striking
story. called "Zahatopolk."
jumps ahead some 5000 years
and assumes that Peruvian
Indians have conquered the
world. through the application
Of q secret germ to which they
are immune. This is not science
fiction, but a deadpan satire on
mores and creeds. In q fore
word, the author warns that
this story els designed to be
completely serious" Maybe so.
Masters Of the World
Zahatapolk was a descendant
Of Incas. He made his Indians
masters and the rest Of the
world slaves far back in the
era which men still called A. D.
The latter-day Incas live in
splendor. worship zahatapolk
Cor his memory as a god and
have some barbaric practices.
They control population by
eating all infants above the
number of two to each family.
Every year a maiden is chosen
as bride of the current Inca
god. After one night with him
she is put to death. Finally a
revolt is plotted by the son Of
a famous professor in the uni
versity.
In another novelette, in the
Russell book, Faith and
Mountains" two religions are
rivals for the control Of Europe
and America, one based on the
absorption Of molybdenum into
the system as a cure-all and
perfecter of life, the other sys-
tenn a belief in the magic prop
critics of the Magnetic Pole.
The latter creed involves Sleep
ing with the head toward the
Magnetic Pole and other meas
ures. Typical leaders Of strange
creeds, both women. head these
sects.
Christianity Forgotten
Lord Russell has little time.
In these stories, for Christian
ity. It is mentioned a few times
in the past tense-something
forgotten.
The Nightmares OF eminent
persons are attributed to the
Queen of Sheba, a psychoana-
lyst, a metaphysician, a math-
ematician. Stain. Dean Ache
son, the former Secretary Of
State, and others. They are
mildly amusing, and sometimes
strained.
Lord Russell has a limpid
prose style with which, quite
astonishingly for a philosopher,
he has been able to express
the most abstract ideas clearly.
His stories and fantasies are
always beautifully put to-
gether. But these, like those in
a previous book, Satan in the
Suburbs" are not persuasive,
nor are their characters more
than pasted-up figures.
Post Atomic Era
On the other hand, Mr..
Hughes in THE Hills Were
Liars" has written close to
life. 1t is a desolate sort Of
life which atomic devastation
has left, with only a few sur
vivors roaming about the ruins
Of cities and the jungle-like
countryside in primitive CROP
ing after a lost civilization.
But, unlike Lord Russell, Mr..
Hughes is deeply concerned
with Christianity. and he re-
fuses to see 1t perishing so long
as even a few people with
memories and records are left.
His story is concerned with
a small group of Catholics who
have kept their faith alive de-
spite the destruction Of all
churches and the persecution
by their captors. who forbid all
religion. A few men meet to
reorganize the church, electing
titular bishops Of various lost
diocesese and finally a Pope.
They have remembered the
ritual Of their church and its
creed from childhood memo
ries and a few hidden books.
The novel is we'll written, but
perhaps limited in interest by
its detailed focus on doctrine
and organization.