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Slan

Slan is a science fiction novel by Canadian-American author A. E. van Vogt, first serialized in four installments in Astounding Science Fiction from September to December 1940 and issued in book form in 1946.^[1]^[2]^[3] The story is set in a dystopian future Earth ravaged by war between humans and slans, a race of telepathic mutants engineered for superiority, featuring enhanced intelligence, strength, and golden tendrils that enable emotion-sensing.^[2]^[4] It centers on protagonist Jommy Cross, a young slan orphan who survives his parents' execution by human forces and seeks to uncover secrets about his kind while evading relentless pursuit by the authoritarian regime led by Kier Gray.^[2]^[5] The novel examines themes of prejudice, persecution of the superior minority, and the potential for human evolution through genetic advancement, portraying slans as both victims of human fear and internal factions divided by tendencies toward violence.^[4]^[5] Van Vogt's narrative employs rapid shifts in perspective and action-packed sequences, characteristic of his style that prioritizes idea-driven pulp adventure over psychological depth.^[5] Slan exerted significant influence on mid-20th-century science fiction, popularizing motifs of mutant outcasts and societal conflict over innate hierarchies that echoed in later works exploring eugenics and otherness.^[4]^[6] In 2016, it retrospectively won the Hugo Award for Best Novel of 1941, affirming its enduring status as a foundational text in the genre despite critiques of its simplistic resolutions and dated racial analogies.^[4]^[7]

Publication History

Serialization and Initial Release

Slan was initially serialized in four installments in Astounding Science Fiction magazine, beginning with the September 1940 issue and concluding in December 1940.^[8]^[3] The story marked A. E. van Vogt's debut novel-length work, appearing under editor John W. Campbell Jr., who had purchased the manuscript earlier that year.^[2] Serialization in Astounding, a leading pulp science fiction periodical, exposed the narrative of a telepathic mutant boy evading human persecution to a wide readership of genre enthusiasts during World War II's early months.^[5] The complete novel received its first hardcover book publication in August 1946 from Arkham House Publishers in Sauk City, Wisconsin, with a print run of 3,000 copies.^[9] This edition, featuring black cloth boards and no dust jacket in its standard form, represented one of the earliest instances of a pulp serial being issued as a standalone science fiction novel by a specialty press focused on fantasy and horror.^[10] Arkham House, founded by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei, selected Slan to capitalize on van Vogt's growing reputation from shorter works in Astounding, amid a postwar surge in demand for science fiction books.^[11] The 1946 release predated mass-market paperback editions and established Slan as a foundational text in the genre, though its limited initial distribution reflected the niche market for hardcover science fiction at the time.^[7]

Editions and Revisions

The first book edition of Slan was published in hardcover by Arkham House in 1946, incorporating minor revisions to the 1940 serial text, such as stylistic polishing to reduce roughness and slang, along with added references to the atomic bomb for contemporary relevance.^[8]^[12] This edition had a print run of approximately 4,000 copies and marked van Vogt's debut novel in bound form. A revised edition followed in 1951 from Simon & Schuster, representing the first major overhaul of the text with substantial changes including a rewritten Chapter 18, smoother prose, and additional descriptive details to enhance clarity and flow.^[8]^[12]^[13] These alterations, while addressing perceived weaknesses in pacing and character development, preserved the novel's fundamental plot and themes. Later paperback editions, such as the 1968 Berkley Medallion printing, applied further minor revisions to the 1951 version, primarily expanding the roles of supporting characters Davy Dinsmore and Jem Lorry, and inserting a brief note on the terraforming of Mars.^[8] All documented revisions across editions remain categorized as minor in scope, with the story's core structure and events unchanged, allowing any version to convey the essential narrative.^[8] Subsequent reprints by publishers like Tor (1998) have typically reproduced the 1951 revised text without further authorial modifications.^[12]

Background and Context

Authorial Influences

A. E. van Vogt drew structural inspiration for Slan from Ernest Thompson Seton's 1900 novel The Biography of a Grizzly, adapting its narrative arc of a young protagonist orphaned early, enduring hardships, developing strength, and ultimately achieving dominance.^[14] Van Vogt explicitly referenced this pattern in a 1980 interview, applying it to the protagonist Jommy Cross, a slan child who loses his mother to human violence and navigates a hostile world toward maturity and power.^[14] The novel's core theme of a genetically superior minority persecuted by a fearful majority has been interpreted by analysts as reflecting the eugenics discourse and authoritarian regimes prevalent in the late 1930s and early 1940s.^[15] Slans, engineered for enhanced intelligence, telepathy, and physical prowess, embody ideals of human advancement through selective breeding, a concept echoed in contemporaneous eugenics advocacy that influenced broader speculative fiction.^[16] Van Vogt composed Slan from late 1939 to mid-1940 while employed by Canada's Department of National Defense in Ottawa, a period coinciding with escalating global tensions, including Nazi Germany's expansion and the initial construction of concentration camps like Auschwitz in 1940.^[14]^[17] Literary precedents in science fiction, such as H. G. Wells's explorations of evolved superiors in works like The Time Machine (1895), likely informed van Vogt's depiction of slans as an evolutionary apex predestined to supplant baseline humanity, though he framed the story as a "disguised monster tale" emphasizing the protagonist's otherness.^[14] His entry into professional writing via John W. Campbell's Astounding Science Fiction—following the success of "Black Destroyer" in 1939—exposed him to the Golden Age emphasis on scientific rigor and heroic individualism, shaping Slan's blend of action, pseudoscience, and messianic undertones.^[12] Post-publication, the novel resonated with science fiction fandom, who adopted the slogan "fans are slans" to signify their perceived intellectual superiority over non-fans, though this cultural echo emerged as reader interpretation rather than direct authorial intent.^[18]

Historical Setting

Slan was composed amid the early mobilization for World War II, with A. E. van Vogt drafting the manuscript in Ottawa, Canada, from May to November 1940 while employed by the Department of National Defense, where wartime demands extended his work hours and constrained his writing schedule.^[14] Canada had entered the conflict on September 10, 1939, shortly after Germany's invasion of Poland prompted declarations of war by Britain and France, thrusting North America into a supportive role through industrial production, troop deployments, and economic shifts from the lingering Great Depression. Van Vogt's personal circumstances reflected this era's austerity, including a modest government salary of $81 per month against $75 rent, underscoring the transition from Depression-era hardships to war economy priorities.^[14] The novel's serialization in Astounding Science Fiction from September to December 1940 occurred as Europe endured escalating Nazi conquests, including the fall of France in June and the Battle of Britain, while the United States maintained neutrality under the Neutrality Acts despite increasing Lend-Lease aid to Allies.^[19] This timing aligned with the pulp science fiction field's "Golden Age," dominated by editor John W. Campbell's Astounding, which favored narratives exploring human potential, psi powers, and evolutionary superiority amid real-world anxieties over totalitarianism and technological warfare.^[20] Van Vogt drew structural inspiration from Ernest Thompson Seton's 1900 naturalist tale The Biography of a Grizzly, framing protagonist Jommy Cross's arc as that of an orphaned "monster" achieving dominance, rather than explicit political allegory.^[14] Interpretations linking Slan's depiction of a genetically advanced minority persecuted by a human dictatorship to contemporaneous events, such as Nazi racial policies and eugenics movements, have persisted, though van Vogt emphasized the story's roots in speculative biology and individual triumph over societal rejection.^[21] The narrative's resolution, with slans poised to supplant humanity, contrasted sharply with passive victimhood tropes, reflecting van Vogt's emerging interest in Nietzschean self-reliance and general semantics, concepts he later explored explicitly.^[14] Published in book form in 1946 by Arkham House, post-war revisions minimally altered the text, preserving its wartime genesis as a product of isolationist North American pulp escapism amid global upheaval.^[22]

Plot Summary

Slan is set in a dystopian future on Earth and Mars between 3529 and 3544 A.D., where humans rule under the dictatorship of Kier Gray in Centropolis, persecuting the Slans—a mutant human subspecies possessing telepathy via golden tendrils on their heads, superior strength, intelligence, and longevity.^[23]^[2] The story centers on nine-year-old Jommy Cross, a true Slan (with tendrils), whose mother Patricia is killed by secret police led by John Petty during an extermination raid, forcing Jommy to flee and hide with an elderly human woman known as Granny.^[23]^[2] Over the next several years, Jommy matures while evading capture, driven by his father's dying directive to assassinate Kier Gray, the human leader blamed for Slan oppression.^[23] He retrieves advanced atomic technology from his father's hidden spaceship in the catacombs, including a disintegration ray and materials to construct an invisible spacecraft powered by similar principles.^[2] Jommy discovers the existence of tendrilless Slans—another mutant group lacking telepathic tendrils but with comparable abilities—who operate covertly from Air Centre and possess interstellar capabilities.^[23] Parallel to Jommy's quest for survival and vengeance, the narrative follows Kathleen Layton, a young true Slan girl protected in Gray's palace as part of an experiment to prove Slans' benevolence toward humans, though she faces assassination attempts from anti-Slan factions.^[23]^[2] Jommy infiltrates tendrilless Slan operations, travels to Mars impersonating a human, and uncovers Gray's true nature as a tendrilless Slan strategically maintaining human rule to avert greater conflicts.^[23] The plot culminates in Jommy allying with Gray and elements of both Slan groups against internal threats from tendrilless radicals like Joanna Hillory, leading to revelations about Slan origins and a tentative path toward interspecies coexistence amid looming interplanetary tensions.^[23]^[2] This summary reflects the 1968 revised edition, which includes expansions not in the original 1940 serialization.^[23]

Characters

Jommy Cross is the novel's protagonist, a young telepathic slan orphaned after his parents' execution by human authorities, who subsequently evades capture while honing his superior physical and mental abilities to uncover his people's hidden legacies.^[5] As the son of an inventor, Cross accesses advanced technologies like atomic energy devices and constructs an invisible spaceship to pursue greater threats.^[2] Kathleen Layton serves as a key supporting figure, a telepathic slan girl raised in captivity within the ruling palace, where she faces intrigue and hostility from human elites.^[5] Unaware of her true parentage, Layton's experiences highlight the tensions between slans and human society, influencing the protagonist's motivations.^[24] Kier Gray functions as the authoritarian leader of Earth's government, enforcing strict control over a post-war society while maintaining a telepathically shielded mind that defies slan detection.^[5] His regime suppresses slans amid broader human prejudices, yet Gray's strategic acumen allows him to navigate internal power struggles and policy experiments.^[2] John Petty acts as the chief of secret police, a ruthless enforcer driven by anti-slan zeal who orchestrates hunts and plots to eliminate perceived threats like captive slans.^[5] Petty's manipulative tactics exploit societal fears, positioning him as a persistent adversary to both slans and elements within the dictatorship.^[25] Supporting roles include Granny, an elderly human who shelters the young Cross but exploits his powers for criminal ends until he asserts control over her mind.^[5] The narrative also features tendrilless slans, a variant lacking telepathic tendrils, who form secretive organizations and complicate the human-slan divide.^[2]

Themes and Motifs

Superiority and Human Hierarchy

In Slan, the slans represent a genetically engineered mutant strain of humanity, endowed with objectively superior physical, intellectual, and perceptual faculties that establish them at the apex of a biological hierarchy over baseline humans. These attributes include telepathic communication via specialized sensory tendrils in their hair, which enable mind-reading and non-verbal coordination unattainable by humans; enhanced strength and agility sufficient to overpower multiple human opponents; and accelerated cognitive development coupled with extended lifespans—slans mature mentally far beyond human norms and can live for centuries without senescence.^[2]^[1]^[26] This superiority is not mere narrative assertion but portrayed as empirically verifiable through slan achievements, such as their initial construction of advanced cities like Centropolis centuries before the story's events, demonstrating technological and organizational prowess derived from innate capacities.^[2] The novel's human society, dominated by an authoritarian regime under Kier Gray, enforces a de facto hierarchy inverting this natural order, with humans as rulers persecuting slans through genocidal policies rooted in collective fear of displacement. Humans view slans not as evolved kin but as existential threats, propagating myths of slan aggression to justify extermination campaigns that have reduced true slans to near-extinction; this reversal sustains human power via numerical advantage and institutional control rather than merit.^[15]^[27] The protagonist, Jommy Cross, exemplifies slan superiority in action, leveraging his abilities to evade capture, innovate weapons from scavenged materials, and unravel conspiracies that expose human leaders' reliance on deception over competence.^[28] Complicating the human-slan binary is an internal slan hierarchy distinguishing "true" slans—fully telepathic and peaceful—from "false" slans, a divergent mutant subgroup lacking telepathic rapport with true slans but possessing mind-reading abilities directed against humans. False slans, more numerous and militaristic, collaborate with human authorities against true slans, positioning themselves as intermediaries in the hierarchy: superior to humans in cunning and partial telepathy yet inferior to true slans in ethical restraint and comprehensive abilities.^[26] This stratification underscores the novel's causal logic: genetic variance yields hierarchical outcomes, with true slans' restraint toward inferiors enabling their vulnerability, while false slans' aggression mirrors human baseness. The resolution advocates slan-led enlightenment for humanity, implying that acknowledging superiority fosters progress, whereas denial perpetuates conflict— a motif reflecting 1940s science fiction's engagement with evolutionary hierarchies without endorsing egalitarian denial of differentials.^[15]^[27]

Persecution and Survival

The Slans, depicted as a mutant branch of humanity possessing telepathic tendrils, enhanced physical strength, and superior intelligence, endure genocidal persecution from ordinary humans who view them as existential threats. Following a historical war in which Slans attempted global domination but were repelled, human society—under authoritarian rule—launched a campaign of extermination, driven by propaganda portraying Slans as monstrous invaders responsible for past atrocities. This fear manifests in mob violence, state-sanctioned hunts, and the operations of a fanatical secret police force led by figures like John Petty, who prioritize Slans' eradication above all else. The novel opens with the brutal murder of protagonist Jommy Cross's mother by such authorities, underscoring the precarious existence of Slans, who are slaughtered upon discovery without trial or mercy.^[5]^[2]^[15] Compounding external human aggression is internal division among Slans themselves, particularly between "true" tendriled Slans and the secretive "tendrilless" Slans, who harbor resentment toward their kin and actively collaborate in their persecution, further isolating survivors like Jommy. Tendrilless Slans, lacking visible telepathic organs, infiltrate human society more easily but perpetuate hatred, ambushing true Slans and sabotaging their efforts, as seen in Jommy's encounters at hidden outposts. This schism highlights a theme of self-inflicted vulnerability, where evolutionary superiority does not preclude factional betrayal, mirroring real-world minority divisions under oppression.^[5]^[29]^[2] Survival for Slans hinges on concealment, leveraging innate abilities, and technological ingenuity amid near-extinction. Individuals like Jommy, orphaned at age nine, evade detection by hiding tendrils, using telepathy to anticipate human thoughts and avoid patrols, and relocating to remote areas such as forests or abandoned structures. Jommy sustains himself through theft and foraging while systematically reclaiming his father's hidden arsenal, including a powerful disintegrator weapon, which enables defensive countermeasures against pursuers. By adolescence, he constructs a stealth-equipped spaceship from scavenged materials, incorporating invisibility fields derived from advanced physics to navigate threats from both humans and rival Slans. These tactics emphasize themes of resilience through intellect and adaptation, portraying Slans not as passive victims but as proactive agents employing superior cognition to outmaneuver numerically dominant foes.^[5]^[2]^[29] Thematically, persecution and survival in Slan explore causal dynamics of prejudice: human inferiority breeds envy and aggression toward Slans' capabilities, leading to a cycle where suppression stifles mutual progress, while Slans' isolation fosters secrecy over open coexistence. Van Vogt illustrates survival not merely as evasion but as a Darwinian imperative, where telepathic and intellectual edges enable persistence despite overwhelming odds, though internal conflicts risk self-destruction. This portrayal critiques mass fear as a barrier to evolutionary harmony, with Slans' endurance hinging on individual cunning rather than collective strength.^[2]^[29]^[5]

Technology and Society

In the society depicted in Slan, advanced technologies such as porgrave anti-gravity screens enable weightless propulsion in ships, including battle cruisers and gunboats used for interstellar patrol and warfare.^[30] These devices, invented by tendrilless slans—a subgroup of the slan race lacking telepathic tendrils—facilitate rapid travel to planets like Mars and Venus, powering rockets and defensive screens that render vessels impervious to conventional attacks.^[30] Energy-based weapons, including electric guns and disintegrators grounded in the First Law of Atomic Energy, allow for precise destruction by incinerating matter or photons, often incorporated into personal arms like atomic revolvers that self-destruct if mishandled.^[30] Slans, possessing superhuman intelligence, drive much of this technological progress covertly, as evidenced by innovations like ten-point steel—an ultra-durable alloy resistant to nuclear forces—and atomic drives enhancing vehicles for drilling through matter or evading detection.^[30] Their contributions, however, remain hidden due to human persecution, with slans operating from concealed refuges equipped with thought broadcasters for secure telepathic communication and hypnotic crystals for mind control.^[30] The novel posits that slan suppression following devastating wars has caused technological and cultural stagnation, mirroring 1940s Earth norms despite centuries of elapsed time, as human fear prioritizes containment over advancement.^[31] Under dictator Kier Gray's regime, technology sustains a totalitarian order focused on slan extermination, with police deploying paralyzing rays, space mines, and surveillance to enforce human dominance and prevent inter-human conflicts.^[25] This apparatus maintains superficial stability for humans but fosters a paranoid society where innovations serve oppression rather than collective benefit, exemplified by automated robot ships and magnetors for immobilizing threats.^[30] Gray's control, reliant on such tools, underscores a causal link between rejecting superior intellects and halted progress, as slan integration could unlock further breakthroughs like brain reconstruction via tissue rays.^[2] Yet, the regime's efficiency in quelling wars highlights technology's role in enforcing peace amid prejudice, though at the cost of innovation driven by fear of the "other."^[15]

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Slan garnered strong praise from Astounding Science Fiction editor John W. Campbell Jr. upon its serialization from September to December 1940, with Campbell actively promoting A. E. van Vogt as a key new talent and encouraging the novel's focus on a superman protagonist.^[32] Reader letters in the magazine's "Brass Tacks" section reflected early enthusiasm, including comments anticipating further installments, such as one titled "Bet He Starts 'Slan' Without Waiting!" indicating fans' eagerness for the story's continuation.^[33] The novel's depiction of telepathic mutants persecuted by ordinary humans struck a chord with science fiction enthusiasts, who began identifying themselves with the superior "slans," fostering the enduring fan slogan "fans are slans" throughout the 1940s.^[34] This fan identification contributed to Slan's status as a cornerstone of the genre during the decade, often cited as the preeminent science fiction novel that readers deemed essential.^[35] The work's serialization aligned with the Golden Age of science fiction under Campbell's editorship, where themes of human evolution and superiority aligned with prevailing interests in psi powers and societal hierarchies, amplifying its immediate impact within niche readership circles.^[5] By the time of its 1946 book publication, the novel had already solidified its reputation through pulp magazine acclaim, though specific mainstream press reviews from the era remain sparse due to the genre's limited outlets.^[36]

Modern Critiques

Modern critiques of Slan often highlight its narrative shortcomings relative to contemporary standards, including abrupt plotting, underdeveloped characters, and inconsistent pacing. A 2023 analysis on Reactor described the prose as low quality and the scientific elements as unsubstantiated, though it praised the novel's ambitious flow and unexpected twists despite an ending that resolves too hastily without resolution of broader implications.^[5] Similarly, a 2018 review characterized the work as a psychological thriller undermined by flimsy character motivations and improbable resolutions, such as the protagonist's rapid mastery of complex technologies without sufficient buildup.^[15] Thematic examinations frequently interrogate the novel's depiction of slans as genetically superior beings, interpreting it as an endorsement of eugenic principles that prioritize innate hierarchy over egalitarian ideals. Published in 1940 amid rising concerns over pseudoscientific racial theories, Slan portrays mutants with telepathic and intellectual advantages as persecuted yet ultimately rightful stewards of humanity, a motif echoed in analyses linking it to early science fiction's fascination with evolutionary selectionism.^[37] A 2013 scholarly discussion in Configurations noted allusions to historical libels against minorities but critiqued the lack of deeper engagement with posthuman ethics, viewing the slans' supremacy as peripheral to eugenic undertones rather than a rigorous exploration of causal human advancement.^[38] Such interpretations, drawn from academic contexts often skeptical of pre-war biological optimism, contrast with the novel's first-principles premise of differential abilities driving societal outcomes, though modern consensus in bioethics deems eugenics empirically flawed due to oversimplifications of genetic-environmental interactions.^[39] Critics also address the work's cultural resonance with science fiction fandom, where slans symbolize intellectually marginalized outsiders, but argue this fosters an insular supremacist narrative unpalatable today. A 2019 forum analysis observed that while the book appealed to fans as a metaphor for bright individuals amid conformity, its binary human-slan divide reinforces unsubstantiated claims of elite exceptionalism without empirical validation from population genetics data showing trait distributions as continua rather than discrete castes.^[40] These views, prevalent in post-2000 retrospectives, reflect a shift from pulp-era acceptance of hierarchical evolutionism to critiques emphasizing social constructivism, though they occasionally overlook van Vogt's influences like general semantics in favoring adaptive reasoning over dogmatic purity.^[2]

Cultural Impact

Influence on Science Fiction Fandom

Slan's serialization in Astounding Science-Fiction from September to December 1940 marked a pivotal moment in the novel's reception within nascent science fiction fandom, where it rapidly achieved status as a foundational text symbolizing fans' self-perception as an intellectual vanguard amid societal indifference or hostility.^[41]^[20] Fans in the early 1940s embraced the narrative of genetically superior Slans persecuted by ordinary humans, interpreting it as a metaphor for their own marginalization as avid readers of pulp magazines in an era when science fiction was often dismissed as juvenile escapism.^[20] This resonance elevated Slan to "must-read" prominence, with enthusiasts citing it as the genre's preeminent novel through the 1940s and into the 1950s, influencing discussions in fanzines and conventions about fandom's role as harbingers of future intellectual evolution.^[4] The novel's themes spurred practical innovations in fan communal life, notably the "Slan Shack" phenomenon, where groups of enthusiasts pooled resources for shared housing modeled on the Slans' secretive, resilient societies. In 1943, fans including William and Audree Ashley established an eight-room residence in Berkeley, California, explicitly named the Slan Shack, which served as a hub for meetings, publications, and social gatherings; the term soon generalized across North American fandom to denote any multi-occupant fan domicile fostering collaboration on amateur presses and events.^[20]^[42] Such arrangements reinforced fandom's insular networks, enabling the production of fanzines and organization of regional meets that sustained the subculture through World War II-era constraints like paper rationing and military drafts.^[43] By the mid-1940s, Slan's cultural cachet extended to fan awards and retrospectives, with van Vogt's work peaking in prominence as fans voted it among the era's top influences, crediting it with galvanizing a sense of collective destiny against perceived cultural Philistines.^[41] This enduring fandom-centric legacy persisted into the 1960s, as North American conventions invoked Slan's motifs to frame science fiction enthusiasts as an enlightened minority advancing speculative thought, though retrospective critiques have noted the novel's reinforcement of elitist self-conceptions over broader societal engagement.^[43]^[44]

"Fans are Slans" Phenomenon

The "Fans are Slans" phenomenon arose in science fiction fandom following the serialization of A.E. van Vogt's novel Slan in Astounding Science-Fiction from September to December 1940, where fans began identifying with the novel's protagonists—telepathic mutants possessing superior intelligence and physical abilities who faced systematic persecution by baseline humans.^[45] This self-identification framed fans as an intellectual elite marginalized by "mundanes" (non-fans), mirroring the Slans' narrative of hidden superiority and survival amid prejudice.^[20] The catchphrase "Fans are Slans!" quickly became a staple slogan in 1940s fandom, often invoked humorously in fanzines and conventions to assert fans' presumed creativity, foresight, and resilience against societal disdain for speculative fiction.^[45] It fostered a sense of camaraderie and exclusivity, leading to practical manifestations such as "Slan shacks"—communal living spaces for fans modeled after the novel's themes of mutant enclaves.^[42] By the mid-1940s, the phrase permeated fan discourse, reinforcing a subcultural identity that positioned science fiction enthusiasts as evolutionary precursors to a more advanced society, though some contemporaries critiqued it for promoting elitism.^[20] Over time, the phenomenon waned but left a lasting imprint on fandom's self-perception, evolving into dated slang by the late 20th century while highlighting early fans' response to isolation in pre-mass-media eras.^[18] Critics have noted its reflection of a "not-great attitude" toward outsiders, yet it undeniably galvanized community formation amid limited mainstream acceptance of the genre.^[28]

Adaptations and Inspirations

Toward the Terra

Toward the Terra (Japanese: Terra e..., 地球へ...), a manga series written and illustrated by Keiko Takemiya, was serialized from January 1977 to May 1980 in Gekkan Manga Shōnen, a publication by Asahi Sonorama.^[46] The story is set in a far-future space opera where humanity, governed by the authoritarian Superior Domination system, has evacuated Earth due to environmental collapse and now persecutes the Mu—a race of telepathic, empathic mutants with superior abilities—as threats to social order. The protagonist, Jomy Marcus Shin, initially raised among humans, awakens to his Mu heritage amid a rebellion against human supremacy, leading his people in a quest to reclaim Terra (Earth) as a sanctuary.^[47] This narrative echoes core elements of Slan, including a young hero (Jommy/Jomy) discovering membership in a hidden, telepathic superhuman race persecuted by baseline humans, themes of mutant superiority, and a struggle for survival and vindication.^[48]^[47] Takemiya, familiar with American science fiction, incorporated these parallels from A.E. van Vogt's 1940 novel, adapting the mutant-human conflict into a broader interstellar framework with ecological and messianic undertones unique to Japanese manga aesthetics of the era.^[47] The Mu's telepathic bonds and ethical dilemmas mirror the Slans' golden tendrils and internal hierarchies, though Toward the Terra expands on generational trauma and psychic evolution, culminating in Jomy's leadership of a diaspora seeking planetary rebirth. Critics and fans have noted these structural and thematic borrowings, positioning the work as a homage that blends van Vogt's pulp influences with shōjo manga's emotional depth.^[48]^[47] The manga received acclaim, winning the 1978 Seiun Award for Best Comic, and spawned adaptations including a 1980 animated film directed by Hiroyoshi Mitsunobu and a 2007 television anime series by Isamu Imakake, which condensed the plot while retaining the inspirational ties to Slan.^[46] These versions amplified the visual spectacle of space battles and psychic phenomena, further disseminating van Vogt's motifs to global audiences through licensed releases.^[49]

Other Influences

The themes of Slan, particularly the persecution of a telepathic, genetically superior mutant race by fearful humans, prefigured the mutant-human conflict central to Marvel Comics' X-Men series, which debuted in The X-Men #1 on September 10, 1963, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.^[50]^[51] In both narratives, young protagonists—Jommy Cross in Slan and characters like the adolescent mutants under Professor Xavier—navigate hiding their abilities while seeking acceptance or dominance in a hostile society dominated by baseline humans.^[2] This parallel extends to societal analogies, with slans representing an oppressed intellectual elite akin to the X-Men's metaphors for civil rights struggles, though Slan's resolution emphasizes slan supremacy rather than coexistence.^[52] While no direct adaptation credits van Vogt, literary analyses position Slan as a foundational influence on the superhero genre's mutant archetype, alongside earlier pulp stories like Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore's "Mutant" (1953), by establishing telepathic mutants as inherently superior yet vulnerable to mob violence and governmental hunts.^[51] The novel's serialized origins in Astounding Science Fiction (September-December 1940) disseminated these ideas widely among genre writers and fans who later shaped comics.^[20]

Sequel

Slan Hunter

Slan Hunter is a science fiction novel published on July 10, 2007, by Tor Books, functioning as the official sequel to A.E. van Vogt's 1940 novel Slan. Credited to both van Vogt and Kevin J. Anderson, the book incorporates fragments from an unfinished draft by van Vogt, who suffered from advanced Alzheimer's disease in his final years and died in 2000 without completing it.^[53]^[2] Anderson, with approval from van Vogt's widow Lydia, expanded the material into a full narrative, aiming to extend the original story's themes of mutant-human conflict into a broader interstellar war.^[54] An omnibus edition combining Slan and Slan Hunter was released by the Science Fiction Book Club in June 2007.^[55] The plot picks up after the events of Slan, centering on protagonist Jommy Cross, a telepathic slan mutant, as he navigates escalating tensions among human factions, slans, and newly introduced humanoid races like the technologically advanced "Rull" and other variants of enhanced humans.^[56] The narrative explores themes of genetic superiority, persecution, and survival, with Cross working to avert genocide and forge alliances amid a "towering conflict" that threatens all branches of humanity across planets and space.^[56] While adhering to van Vogt's core concepts of slan tendrils for mind-reading and societal prejudice against mutants, the story introduces faster-paced action sequences and resolutions that diverge from the original's introspective style.^[57] Reception to Slan Hunter has been mixed, with critics noting its entertainment value as a light adventure but faulting inconsistencies and logical leaps compared to van Vogt's original. Reviewers have described it as an "exciting adventure that moves quickly" yet criticized the ending for being "unbelievable" and events unfolding "out of nowhere for no reason."^[58]^[59] One assessment called it "one of the worst SF books I've ever read" due to stark contrasts with van Vogt's narrative voice, while others recommended approaching it with an "open mind" rather than expecting seamless continuity.^[57]^[44] On Goodreads, it holds an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from over 300 user reviews, reflecting polarized opinions on its fidelity to the source material versus its standalone appeal.^[53] Lydia van Vogt's foreword highlights the emotional context of van Vogt's declining health, framing the completion as a tribute rather than a pure extension of his work.^[58]

References

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Slan by A. E. Van Vogt | Research Starters - EBSCO
First published: 1946 (serial form, Astounding Science-Fiction, October-December, 1940) ; Type of work: Novel ; Type of plot: Science fiction—extrasensory powers.
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Slan, by A.E. van Vogt | Skulls in the Stars
Nov 16, 2021 · van Vogt, Slan, first published in serial form in 1940 and then made into a book in 1946. (Image from the contemporary edition that I read.)
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"Slan" (1940) - A. E. van Vogt's first and most famous novel
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Review: Slan – A. E. van Vogt - Jayde Holmes
Dec 8, 2020 · Title: Slan. by A.E. van Vogt. Published 1940. Score: 8/10. This is another classic science fiction book that has been sitting on my TBR ...
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More Than Human: Slan by A.E. van Vogt - Reactor
Oct 31, 2023 · It is the surreal story of a race of supermen who appear to have lost a struggle with normal humans, a story that reads as much like a comic book as a novel.Missing: summary | Show results with:summary
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A. E. Van Vogt | Research Starters - EBSCO
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In 2016 Slan was awarded the Retro-Hugo Award for Best Novel of 1941. Interestingly, it deals with themes such as racism, prejudice, war, eugenics, and the ...
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Slanology — 5. Different Versions - Icshi.net
A reader's guide to A.E. van Vogt's novel Slan, including a plot summary, a discussion of the different versions of the novel, and studies on different ...
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[11]
Slan - Macmillan Publishers
Throughout the forties and into the fifties, Slan was considered the single most important SF novel, the one great book that everyone had to read.
[12]
SFE: van Vogt, A E - SF Encyclopedia
Van Vogt's first novel, and perhaps still his best known, is Slan (September-December 1940 Astounding; 1946; rev 1951). Its Hero, the young Jommy Cross, is a ...
[13]
SLAN | Van Vogt | First printing of the revised edition
In stockNew York: Simon and Schuster, 1951. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First printing of the revised edition. The author's first, and perhaps best, book.
[14]
A.E. van Vogt Interviewed by Robert Weinberg (1980) | Sevagram
How did Slan come about? And, were you worried at all at being labeled a "monster" story writer? Van Vogt: As you may recall, ...
[15]
SLAN by A.E. van Vogt | Kara.Reviews
Rating 2.0 · Review by Kara BabcockFeb 9, 2018 · Slan is set in our future. The world is ruled by an authoritarian but not particularly oppressive (if you're human) regime headed up by Kier Gray.
[16]
SFE: Genetic Engineering - SF Encyclopedia
A E van Vogt invoked "gene transformation" in Slan (September-December 1940 Astounding; ... Eugenics. Genetic-engineering techniques are fundamental to the ...
[17]
Fix-up Artist: The Chaotic SF of A.E. van Vogt
Apr 30, 2012 · The displacer beast in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons was inspired by van Vogt's coeurl, also from The Voyage of the Space Beagle. ...
[18]
fans are slans - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology. From slan and the novel Slan (1940) by A. E. Van Vogt. By analogy to the superior but persecuted mutants of Van Vogt's novel. Phrase. fans are slans.
[19]
From the Golden Age of Sci-Fi: A.E. Van Vogt's “Slan”
Jan 24, 2018 · This book was the inspiration of “persecuted mutant” stories such as Marvel's X-Men. I've also seen echoes of this theme in anime such as ...
[20]
The Self-Styled Sci-Fi Supermen of the 1940s - JSTOR Daily
Oct 19, 2020 · Most notable among these was Slan, a novel by A.E. van Vogt. Amazing Stories serialized Slan in 1940—two years after Superman himself had ...Missing: written | Show results with:written
[21]
“THE FUTURE RULERS OF THE WORLD”: AE VAN VOGT'S 'SLAN'
Jun 24, 2023 · It was a hit from the off, serialised in 'Astounding' in 1940, in 1946 becoming one of the first pulp novels to actually be published as a novel ...
[22]
http://skullsinthestars.com/2021/11/16/slan-by-a-e-van-vogt/
[23]
Slanology — 4. Plot Summary - Icshi.net
A reader's guide to A.E. van Vogt's novel Slan, including a plot summary, a discussion of the different versions of the novel, and studies on different ...
[24]
Slanology — 11. Characters & Organizations - Icshi.net
A reader's guide to A.E. van Vogt's novel Slan, including a plot summary, a discussion of the different versions of the novel, and studies on different ...Missing: analysis | Show results with:analysis
[25]
Slan by A. E. van Vogt - by Ted Gioia - The Honest Broker
But this automobile carries John Petty, sinister chief of police for the dictatorship. Passersby spot the youngster precariously balanced on the rear bumper ...
[26]
A. E. van Vogt's Slan: Intimations of Superior Theory of Mind
This chapter draws attention to the way that in his novel Slan A. E. van Vogt develops the human/non-human opposition by creating two kinds of alien: first ...
[27]
Slan - Reviews - The StoryGraph
Jommy Cross, our protagonist, is pretty typical—overpowered, tragic backstory, hero's arc, etc. However, I was impressed that Vogt devoted some ...Missing: analysis | Show results with:analysis<|separator|>
[28]
A tale of superior beings: A.E. Van Vogt's "Slan". : r/books - Reddit
Jun 28, 2025 · And with their help he will solve the mystery of the strange existence of the slans and their superiority. This is really one of Van Vogt,s ...Missing: hierarchy analysis
[29]
Slan Analysis - eNotes.com
This relentless persecution forces slans like Jommy to live in the shadows, concealing their distinctive tendrils to survive. Van Vogt portrayed these slans as ...Missing: survival | Show results with:survival
[30]
Slanology — 10. Gadgetry - Icshi.net
A reader's guide to A.E. van Vogt's novel Slan ... This functions like a regular electric-energy gun until its atomic function is engaged. ... Porgrave ...
[31]
Slan, and Slan Hunter, by A.E. van Vogt & Kevin J Anderson
Apr 25, 2010 · It is a very long time since I read Slan, one of the classic novels of the "golden age" of the 1940s which had a huge impact at the time, ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[32]
Slan — The Greatest Literature of All Time - Editor Eric's
Renowned editor John W. Campbell is said to have encouraged him to write the serial from the point of view of a superman character. This focus on transcending ...
[33]
Astounding Science-Fiction, October 1940 - Publication
155 • Letter (Astounding, October 1940): Bet He Starts "Slan" Without Waiting! • essay by Lew Martin; 156 • Letter (Astounding, October 1940): "Gray Lensman ...
[34]
Alec Nevala-Lee Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov ...
Jan 2, 2022 · van Vogt's novel Slan (1946) which had been serialized in Astounding in 1940, this slogan promoted the idea that science-fiction fans are a ...
[35]
"Slan," A Short Review
Throughout the forties and into the fifties, Slan was considered the single most important SF novel, the one great book that everyone had to read. Today it ...Missing: contemporary | Show results with:contemporary
[36]
https://www.concatenation.org/frev/van-vogt-slan-review.html
[37]
Science Fiction and Human Evolution - Auxiliary Memory
Jul 15, 2018 · Eugenics. Is it possible to intentionally breed humans like farm animals to improve the species? It's a vile idea that's been thoroughly ...
[38]
The Ridicule of Time: Science Fiction, Bioethics, and the Posthuman
Mar 12, 2013 · Nazi eugenics campaigns drew increasing notice. After WWII, when ... Similarly, van Vogt's Slan alludes to the infa- mous blood libel ...
[39]
notes.pdf - Cambridge University Press
Van Vogt, Slan (1946), 187. 5. Stock, Redesigning Humans: Our Inevitable ... explore evolutionary themes or the posthuman, eugenics plays a peripheral.
[40]
A Sci Fi Reading Odyssey - 50 Novels | Page 6 - SFFWorld
Jun 21, 2019 · This book (Slan) resonated a lot with fans in its time ("fans are slans!") because of how it depicted a bright but marginalized group of people ...
[41]
A Vote for van Vogt in '46 | First Fandom Experience
Aug 19, 2022 · van Vogt is recognized as a Grand Master, having received the fourteenth instance of the Damon Knight Memorial award in 1996. He's also regarded ...
[42]
Slan Shack · 50. Lichtman Sci-Fi Fanzine Collection
The term “Slan,” meaning a member of the science fiction fan community, dates from a novel of that title by A. E. van Vogt. Originally published serially in ...
[43]
Review of Slan by A. E. van Vogt
Apr 14, 2025 · Slan itself had an impact on N. American book SF fandom of the 1940's to '60s as fans (considering themselves more intelligent than average and ...
[44]
Slan / Slan Hunter - The SF Site Featured Review
A.E. Van Vogt wrote one of the quintessential Golden Age novels in Slan, originally published in 1940. Jommy Cross is the son of the legendary Slan, Peter Cross ...<|separator|>
[45]
Fans are Slans! - fancyclopedia.org
Jun 25, 2021 · A (usually) humorous catchphrase meaning that fans are both bright and discriminated against. The central character in the 1940 AE van Vogt novel Slan was a ...
[46]
SFE: Takemiya Keiko - SF Encyclopedia
Jun 2, 2025 · Terra e (January 1977-May 1980 Manga Shōnen; trans Dawn Laabs as To Terra graph 2007) is a Space Opera set in a Far Future in which Earth ...<|separator|>
[47]
Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - To Terra...
Sep 12, 2013 · Takemiya was familiar with American science fiction, and many fans have noted similarities between To Terra … and A.E. Van Vogt's 1946 novel ...
[48]
The Past Presents the Future: <i>Toward the Terra</i> - Project MUSE
Oct 23, 2011 · The original manga of Toward the Terra has specific similarities with A. E. van Vogt's novel Slan, perhaps the most well known of the Campbell- ...
[49]
https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2016/7/3/feature-cruising-the-crunchy-catalog-toward-the-terra
[50]
Science Fiction & The X-Men, Part 2: The Golden Age Context for ...
Apr 23, 2022 · This twofold analogy between Slan and Marvel's X-Men is the clearest relationship between the two fictions. Beyond that, their similarities start to break down.
[51]
X-Men ex nihilo? The Secret Origins of Marvel's Mutant Superheroes
Sep 11, 2015 · van Vogt's Slan was first published in book form in 1946. Slan is set in the future, when a new species of humans, known as Slans, are hated ...
[52]
Science Fiction & The X-Men, Part 1: The Golden Age Origins of ...
Mar 5, 2022 · Certainly, Nietzsche never dreamt of his racist sister's ersatz adaptation of his notions of the “will to power” and the “overman” to Nazi ...
[53]
Slan Hunter (Slan, #2) by A.E. van Vogt | Goodreads
Rating 3.5 (304) ... Slan . . . GenresScience FictionFictionClassics. 272 pages, Hardcover. First published July 10, 2007. Book details & editions. 2 people are currently ...
[54]
Slan Hunter - Macmillan Publishers
Slan Hunter ; About This Book. The sequel to A. E. van Vogt's Slan, one of the most famous SF novels of the twentieth century! This startling SF adventure novel ...
[55]
Slan & Slan Hunter - Books - Amazon.com
30-day returnsOmnibus - contains the original novel (from 1940) by SF Grand Master van Vogt, and a modern-day sequel by Kevin J. Anderson.
[56]
Book Summary and Reviews of Slan Hunter by Kevin J. Anderson
Slan Hunter tells of this towering conflict in the far future, when a new war among the races of mankind bursts out, and humanity - all types of humanity - ...
[57]
Slan Hunter by Kevin J. Anderson & A.E. van Vogt - Icshi.net
It was used in reference to John Petty himself and was certainly never intended as anything more than a general description. It was taken for granted that all ...
[58]
Slan Hunter: The sequel to a Retro-Hugo winner - Fantasy Literature
Slan Hunter includes an introduction by Lydia van Vogt that really pulled at my heartstrings as she described van Vogt's advancing Alzheimer's Disease. It's ...
[59]
Slan Hunter - Reviews - The StoryGraph
Slan Hunter by A.E. van Vogt, Kevin J. Anderson. 4 reviews for: Slan Hunter ... BUT it is written in a style thst reflect it as a sequel to the 1940 Slan novel.