By the Seawall
- Form
- Short story
- Year
- 1967
Publication history
- 1967: Worlds of If January 1967, Magazine
- 1969: Dimension Thirteen, Ballantine Mass market paperback, 215 pp.
- 1979: The Songs of Summer, Gollancz Hard cover book, 173 pp.
- 1981: The Songs of Summer, Pan Mass market paperback
- 1982: Les Chants de l'été, J'ai lu Mass market paperback, 245 pp., in French as La digue
Blurb
(None on file)
Comments
There are two points of speculation in this story: the creation of a race of synthetic humans (not unlike those in Tower of Glass) to perform drudge work, and the construction of a gigantic wall to protect land-dwelling people from the dangerous monsters inhabiting the oceans. The origin of these monsters is not dealt with in the story, which follows the experiences of a synthetic whose job is to guard a section of the wall. Micah-IV watches the sea for encroaching creatures, inspects the wall for flaws, and guides tourists who visit. Nothing prepared him for the possibility that a visitor might intentionally jump off the wall.
Other resources
(None on file)