Echo Round His Bones
Encyclopedia
Echo Round His Bones is a science fiction
novel
written by Thomas M. Disch
. It was originally serialized in New Worlds
magazine in December 1966 and January 1967. It was subsequently published in book form in 1967.
in the near future. In this future a machine has been developed to transmit matter instantly. The United States
has created a Mars
base, Camp Jackson Mars, to which supplies and personnel are transmitted regularly. Captain Hansard, stationed at Camp Jackson Earth, is going to be stationed there and thus is transmitted.
At that moment Hansard discovers an unknown side effect of the process. He finds himself not on Mars but remaining on Earth, except in a phantom state, unable to be perceived by anyone in the original world and able to walk through buildings and swim through solid ground with minimal effort. The only items he can fully interact with are other copies of people or items sent through the matter transmitter. Air and water are available, in the vicinity of another transmitter that sends these to Mars, but he has no food and finds himself pursued by a group of soldiers in the same situation who have turned to cannibalism
, waiting near the transmitter to kill other newly-created duplicates.
Hansard is saved when he finds a friendly group comprising two duplicates of the transmitter's elderly and wheelchair-using inventor, Panofsky, and three of Panofsky's wife Bridgetta (who has adopted various distinguishing roles as Jet, Bridget and Bridie). They explain that each time anyone is transmitted, a copy (or "echo") of that person is made. The group is being provisioned by the original Panofsky, who believes on theoretical grounds that this copying process is taking place and is sending the group food and drink by repeatedly transmitting it on the pretext of testing the effect of transmission on foodstuffs.
Together they are able to avoid the soldiers looking for them. Eventually, however, they are found and a showdown takes place where Hansard kills the leader of this group, at the expense of the death of one Panofsky duplicate and of one of the Bridgettas, whom Hansard was about to marry (it having been explained to him that the original Panofsky/Bridgetta marriage is purely one of convenience).
Meanwhile the original world is faced with nuclear disaster. A order has been sent to Mars with the original Hansard (Hansard 1) to launch nuclear weapons on to Earth at certain date. Hansard's copy (Hansard 2) and Panofsky 2 decide that this must be stopped at all costs, but they need to be able to communicate with someone in the original world. They determine that this might be done by a copy occuping the same space as the original and subtly affecting the original's mind during sleep. Hansard 2 transmits to Mars (creating a Hansard 3 echo who dies) and links up with Hansard 1 to communicate a plan to avoid the destruction of the Earth.
Hansard 1 is able to build some transmitters himself and place them in specific spots on the Earth, transmits it to the other side of the sun to avoid the nuclear weapons. To atone for his guilt about killing a child during the Vietnam War, Hansard 1 chooses not to be transmitted and dies, left behind in space. The Earth's echo, Earth 2, becomes solid for Hansard 2.
The novel ends with Earth 1 and Earth 2 safe, with Panofsky 2 making plans to retrieve the Moon, left behind when Earth 1 was transmitted and which is no longer orbiting the insubstantial Earth 2. Multiple weddings take place between the three Hansard and Bridgetta duplicates on Earth 2. They are transmitted to different destinations for their respective honeymoons, creating further, tertiary, duplicates. Panofsky wishes the latter, via a note, "Happy Honyemoon".
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Thomas M. Disch
Thomas M. Disch
Thomas Michael Disch was an American science fiction author and poet. He won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book – previously called "Best Non-Fiction Book" – in 1999, and he had two other Hugo nominations and nine Nebula Award nominations to his credit, plus one win of the John W...
. It was originally serialized in New Worlds
New Worlds (magazine)
New Worlds was a British science fiction magazine which was first published professionally in 1946. For 25 years it was widely considered the leading science fiction magazine in Britain, publishing 201 issues up to 1971...
magazine in December 1966 and January 1967. It was subsequently published in book form in 1967.
Synopsis
The story revolves around Captain Nathan Hansard, an officer of the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in the near future. In this future a machine has been developed to transmit matter instantly. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has created a Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
base, Camp Jackson Mars, to which supplies and personnel are transmitted regularly. Captain Hansard, stationed at Camp Jackson Earth, is going to be stationed there and thus is transmitted.
At that moment Hansard discovers an unknown side effect of the process. He finds himself not on Mars but remaining on Earth, except in a phantom state, unable to be perceived by anyone in the original world and able to walk through buildings and swim through solid ground with minimal effort. The only items he can fully interact with are other copies of people or items sent through the matter transmitter. Air and water are available, in the vicinity of another transmitter that sends these to Mars, but he has no food and finds himself pursued by a group of soldiers in the same situation who have turned to cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
, waiting near the transmitter to kill other newly-created duplicates.
Hansard is saved when he finds a friendly group comprising two duplicates of the transmitter's elderly and wheelchair-using inventor, Panofsky, and three of Panofsky's wife Bridgetta (who has adopted various distinguishing roles as Jet, Bridget and Bridie). They explain that each time anyone is transmitted, a copy (or "echo") of that person is made. The group is being provisioned by the original Panofsky, who believes on theoretical grounds that this copying process is taking place and is sending the group food and drink by repeatedly transmitting it on the pretext of testing the effect of transmission on foodstuffs.
Together they are able to avoid the soldiers looking for them. Eventually, however, they are found and a showdown takes place where Hansard kills the leader of this group, at the expense of the death of one Panofsky duplicate and of one of the Bridgettas, whom Hansard was about to marry (it having been explained to him that the original Panofsky/Bridgetta marriage is purely one of convenience).
Meanwhile the original world is faced with nuclear disaster. A order has been sent to Mars with the original Hansard (Hansard 1) to launch nuclear weapons on to Earth at certain date. Hansard's copy (Hansard 2) and Panofsky 2 decide that this must be stopped at all costs, but they need to be able to communicate with someone in the original world. They determine that this might be done by a copy occuping the same space as the original and subtly affecting the original's mind during sleep. Hansard 2 transmits to Mars (creating a Hansard 3 echo who dies) and links up with Hansard 1 to communicate a plan to avoid the destruction of the Earth.
Hansard 1 is able to build some transmitters himself and place them in specific spots on the Earth, transmits it to the other side of the sun to avoid the nuclear weapons. To atone for his guilt about killing a child during the Vietnam War, Hansard 1 chooses not to be transmitted and dies, left behind in space. The Earth's echo, Earth 2, becomes solid for Hansard 2.
The novel ends with Earth 1 and Earth 2 safe, with Panofsky 2 making plans to retrieve the Moon, left behind when Earth 1 was transmitted and which is no longer orbiting the insubstantial Earth 2. Multiple weddings take place between the three Hansard and Bridgetta duplicates on Earth 2. They are transmitted to different destinations for their respective honeymoons, creating further, tertiary, duplicates. Panofsky wishes the latter, via a note, "Happy Honyemoon".