“The roar of the motor rang loud in the frosty air above a desert of ice. The sky above us was a deep purple-blue; the red sun hung like a crimson eye low in the north.” - The Lake of Light

For almost twenty years, Jack Williamson was the Dean of Science Fiction, and it’s a shame he isn’t more read in our day. I suppose the knock on him, despite late 1940s seminal Science Fiction masterworks like And Searching Mind, and With Folded Hands, which were eventually combined and retitled The Humanoids, is that Williamson never really lost that sense of fun and wonder so endemic to the pulps, nor did he ever discard movement within a narrative, making his stories practically read themselves. I personally find that a plus. Man, could Williamson write! His career spanned several decades, from his first published story in the late 1920s to his final novel in 2005. Through it all, Williamson never forgot that a story was supposed to entertain the reader, and he never failed to do so, even in deeper works such as the aforementioned Humanoids.

First published in 1931, in the same Astounding issue which began Ray Cummings' 4-part novel, The Exile of Time, The Lake of Light is one of Jack Williamson's many pulp stories. Reading it now, with a little perspective, it is great fun for fans of early Science Fiction pulp. While flying above Antarctica in the Enderby quadrant with his friend Ray, the narrator describes a bright white fire emanating from a cone-shaped rise similar to a volcano. It is unlike anything either man has ever seen on Earth, but their propeller shatters and they go down before they can get closer. Stranded and with no hope of rescue, and little provisions, they head out on foot toward the only thing in sight — the shiny mountain of light. The narrator is more sensitive to the freezing conditions, but his friend Ray refuses to leave him behind, using morphine to counter the pain of frostbite.

Their first warning of danger comes when they discover an old Haley biplane which has been shot down. But shot down by what? What the two men discover when they enter the caverns beneath the light seeking warmth is a fantastical world man did not know existed. But can they escape, and will they be able to bring the beautiful Mildred Meriden, who has been trapped there for ages, with them? Williamson’s descriptive prose is wonderful, bringing everything to life for the reader as we suspend belief, and get lost in a short story that is more fun than most, and just as rewarding as more literary endeavors.

I absolutely loved this. What seems most remarkable, is how well written this is for a pulp story — something you’ll get used to with early greats like Williamson, Cummings, and Leinster, among others — and how well the writing holds up after all these decades. Yes, it’s pulp, early pulp at that, but you’d almost think it had been written as a homage to the Science Fiction pulps by an excellent wordsmith last week, rather than eighty-six years ago. If you just want to entertain yourself with a short pulp story of fantastic adventure, I highly recommend this. It’s great fun! ( )