The novel “Frozen Hell” by John W. Campbell Jr. was published for the first time in 2019.
An anomalous magnetic source is detected during a scientific mission in Antarctica. Some of the scientists go in search of the source and discover an object that is clearly of artificial origin. Its position within the ice indicates that it has been there for an extremely long time and the creature discovered next to what looks like an alien spaceship must have died. Or so they think when they bring the Thing to the scientific base to study it.
In 1938, John W. Campbell Jr. published his novella “Who Goes There?” in the magazine “Astounding Science-Fiction” under the pseudonym Don A. Stuart. The story was very successful, to the point that in 1973 it was voted among the most influential, important, and memorable science fiction that has ever been written. Its fame even increased thanks to the famous adaptations in the movies “The Thing from Another World” (1951) and “The Thing” by John Carpenter (1982). However, this classic offered a new surprise that arrived a few years ago.
The published version of the novella was the result of a major revision of the much longer novel John W. Campbell Jr. originally wrote. The author donated the original version and other manuscripts to Harvard’s Houghton Library, where it remained, forgotten, for decades until it was discovered while searching for material for an essay about the magazine “Astounding Science-Fiction”.
The novel “Frozen Hell” is considerably longer than the version that was published. In particular, there’s an initial part in which the author tells the discovery of the alien spaceship and the creature close to it and the transport of what they think is a corpse to the scientific base to subject it to some examination. This part was cut out completely and Campbell added some short flashbacks in the new version to explain those events. The author also cut various bits here and there cutting some parts that slowed the pace and leaving only a few vague hints about the description of the Thing.
The comparison between “Frozen Hell” and “Who Goes There?” shows how the revision work improved the story. The opening part might be fine for a longer novel, which follows standards typical of a later era. In this version, telling the story from its beginning, with the discovery of the magnetic traces, leads to more complex developments. Cutting out that part means starting the story at a later moment when the Thing is already in the scientific base.
“Who Goes There?” has a structure that is focused on the events following the Thing’s awakening, which are told at a fast pace. It’s a choice that allows making the most of the paranoia that explodes among the staff of a totally isolated base due to the alien’s characteristics. The reader is thrown into the midst of events that have a strong horror flavor and a remarkable intensity. Also contributing to this atmosphere is the sense of mystery given by the limited descriptions of the Thing and the circumstances of its discovery that remain compared to the original version.
Honestly, “Frozen Hell” adds something to the novella published in 1938 only as a historical document on John W. Campbell Jr.’s revision work in creating one of the most iconic stories in science fiction history. The story of the discovery of this version can be interesting as well. If all this interests you, this novel and the explanations that accompany it are worth reading.
