The Man Who Traveled in Elephants
Encyclopedia
"The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" is a short story written in 1948 by Robert A. Heinlein
. It was first published as "The Elephant Circuit" in the October 1957 issue of Saturn Magazine
. It later appeared in two Heinlein anthologies, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
(also titled 6xH) (1959) and The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein
(1999).
Though this story was not typical of the subject matter of most of Heinlein's writing, it was Heinlein's favorite. It has had a mixed reception compared to his other works. Spider Robinson
selected it as one of his life-time favorite stories, and included it in his anthology Best of All Possible Worlds on that basis. Alexei Panshin
said that the story "...is a mistake, a sloppy, sentimental fantasy that I suspect was written at the very beginning of Heinlein's career and then went without a buyer until 1957".
The story can be viewed as an early manifestation of Heinlein's World as Myth
, which featured prominently in his last novels.
The protagonist is a widower who once was a traveling salesman working with his wife. The two of them continued to travel after retirement
, scouting territory in order to sell elephant
s. It becomes clear that these travels were not seriously intended to sell elephants, but were rather a way to continue the life the two had previously enjoyed. On their travels the two of them were accompanied by a collection of imaginary animals. After his wife's death, the protagonist tries to continue this life, but with fading energy and interest. We join him on a bus ride to "The Fair" which he slowly realizes is the afterlife.
The story is usually described as a fantasy. The only fantastic element, however, is the narrator's entry into the afterlife, where he meets with his dead wife and dog, and with the imaginary animals he and his wife invented as traveling companions, as well as a host of other friends. The tone is realistic, as are the descriptions of the narrator's life before he boards the Bus to the Fair. After consideration, it could be considered magic realism
.
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
. It was first published as "The Elephant Circuit" in the October 1957 issue of Saturn Magazine
Saturn (magazine)
Saturn was a short-lived bi-monthly, digest sized science fiction magazine published by Candar Publishing out of New York. It produced only five issues from 1957 to 1958 as a science fiction magazine before changing to a detective magazine and then to a horror magazine specializing in weird...
. It later appeared in two Heinlein anthologies, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (collection)
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag is a collection of fantasy short stories by Robert A. Heinlein. Published by The Gnome Press in , the collection was also published in paperback under the title 6 X H.-Contents:...
(also titled 6xH) (1959) and The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein is a collection of short stories by Robert A. Heinlein, an author of science fiction.The contents of the book are exactly two previous collections of Heinlein's short stories: Waldo & Magic, Inc. and The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag , here arranged...
(1999).
Though this story was not typical of the subject matter of most of Heinlein's writing, it was Heinlein's favorite. It has had a mixed reception compared to his other works. Spider Robinson
Spider Robinson
Spider Robinson is an American-born Canadian Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction author.- Biography :Born in the Bronx, New York City, Robinson attended Catholic high school, spending his junior year in a seminary, followed by two years in a Catholic college, and five years at the State...
selected it as one of his life-time favorite stories, and included it in his anthology Best of All Possible Worlds on that basis. Alexei Panshin
Alexei Panshin
Alexis Adams Panshin is an American author and science fiction critic. He has written several critical works and several novels, including the 1968 Nebula Award-winning novel Rite of Passage and the 1990 Hugo Award winning study of science fiction The World Beyond the Hill .-Other works:Panshin...
said that the story "...is a mistake, a sloppy, sentimental fantasy that I suspect was written at the very beginning of Heinlein's career and then went without a buyer until 1957".
The story can be viewed as an early manifestation of Heinlein's World as Myth
World as Myth
The idea of World as Myth was created by science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein in his book The Number of the Beast. According to this idea, myths and fictional worlds exist as an almost infinite number of universes which are parallel to our own...
, which featured prominently in his last novels.
The protagonist is a widower who once was a traveling salesman working with his wife. The two of them continued to travel after retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
, scouting territory in order to sell elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s. It becomes clear that these travels were not seriously intended to sell elephants, but were rather a way to continue the life the two had previously enjoyed. On their travels the two of them were accompanied by a collection of imaginary animals. After his wife's death, the protagonist tries to continue this life, but with fading energy and interest. We join him on a bus ride to "The Fair" which he slowly realizes is the afterlife.
The story is usually described as a fantasy. The only fantastic element, however, is the narrator's entry into the afterlife, where he meets with his dead wife and dog, and with the imaginary animals he and his wife invented as traveling companions, as well as a host of other friends. The tone is realistic, as are the descriptions of the narrator's life before he boards the Bus to the Fair. After consideration, it could be considered magic realism
Magic realism
Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of...
.