October 1, 1941: John W. Campbell, Jr. to Robert A. Heinlein
Re “By His Bootstraps.” It’s taking first place away from “Common Sense”…”Bootstraps” is not hack; it’s the first all-out, frank attack on the circle-of-time story. It’s a magnificent idea, and it’s been worked out beautifully. You’ve taken a minute, but highly intriguing point in the whole theory of time-travel, and built it up to the proportions it deserved. Reasons it’s good, among others: you follow the thoughts of each of the several returns of Wilson, showing why he did, each time, say what he said, though he might well have tried to change from his remembered speech. You have a story in which, each time, the man from the future who knows more, says, “It’s too long a story to explain,” and brushing off the explanation, both intrigues and annoys the reader — and makes him like it.
October 4, 1941: Robert A. Heinlein to John W. Campbell, Jr.
I have been beset by insomnia while trying to get the serial started, and was forced last night to the expedient of twin beds and barbiturate. Under the influence of drugs I was awake only three times in the night, but got over eight hours sleep, by damn, and feel fine today. But serial still looks hopeless. The idea is grand, wonderful, and I see more interesting angles to it every day. But each day it looks a little more impossible to work out than the day before-for pulp. The events would take place with such geologic leisureliness. And there are other difficulties, which will be obvious to you. I don’t know-I don’t know.
…”By His Bootstraps” is still hack-a neat trick, sure, but no more than a neat trick. Cotton candy.
CHAPTER II
*
BEGINNINGS
October 16, 1941: Robert A. Heinlein to John W. Campbell, Jr.
I can write my own story with great speed when I start, but I am not yet satisfied as to the central conflict. I have several different central problems in my mind, any of which would make a story, but as yet do not have one which fully satisfies me. I want this story to be high tragedy rather than horse opera-full of gore and action as a Greek tragedy, but tragedy in the Greek sense. (Necessarily a tragedy, because wisdom required to control genetics wisely is superhuman, and I’m no superman.)
EDITOR’S NOTE: As the use of working titles was frequent, titles of stories are not always given. Now and then a final title to a story was affixed by the author, but, more often, the editor changed the title before the story saw print. It would only cause confusion here to show all the title changes some stories went through.
November 9, 1941: Robert A. Heinlein to John W. Campbell, Jr.
Here are the first ten thousand words of the current struggle [“Beyond This Horizon”]. Confidentially, it stinks. But I am and have been doing my goddamndest to turn out printable copy for you. My worst trouble is to get enough illustrative action into the story and to keep it from bogging down into endless talky-talk. I have stacks of notes on this story, more than twice as much as on any story I’ve ever done; the ideas it suggests really interest me-but I am finding it hard as hell to beat a story out of it.
But I am turning out copy and will continue to do so, at about two thousand words a day or more. Those spots on the right margin are my blood, a drop per line.
November 15, 1941: Robert A. Heinlein to John W. Campbell, Jr.
Here is another hunk of hack [“Beyond This Horizon”]. I think it well to let you see it in weekly chunks, as I am by no means confident of its quality and would like for you to look it over and comment on it as I turn it out. Then, if you get any brainstorms, I can incorporate them without delay. You appear to think better of this yarn than I do. I think it is going to require a deus ex machina to give the ending any real oomph-in my present sterile state of mind you may be elected deus.