Synopsis
A man flies into a lost valley in search of radium. He finds a pool of green gas and some creatures that float in the air. They force him down into the green pool where he becomes infected by something that starts turning him to metal.
History
First publication: Amazing Stories, December 1928
Review
This story reminds me very much of some of H. G. Wells’ short stories, like The Plattner Story. Told in the form of a found letter, the story is rich with imagination and is well described. Enough is told to whet your appetite but it is left a mystery, heightening the sense of wonder. This is the best sort of early science fiction and a masterful first story.
Videos
We have the story in these editions:
The Metal Man and Others, hardcover, Haffner Press, 1999-05-00
The Early Williamson, hardcover, Doubleday, 1975-08-00
The Best of Jack Williamson, paperback, Del Rey, 1978-06-00
Amazing Stories, December 1928, edited by Hugo Gernsback, magazine, Experimenter Publishing Co., 1928-12-00
