Hal Clement: Exchange Rate

Hal Clement (the pen name of Harry Clement Stubbs [1922- ]) is one of the writers whose works P. Schuyler Miller coined the term hard SF to describe. Miller said in 1957, "The ultimate in present-day science fiction is being written by Hal Clement." Clement's early novels -- Needle (1950), Iceworld (1953), Mission of Gravity (1954), Close to Critical (1964) -- nearly all appeared previously as serials in John W. Campbell's Astounding. His short fiction is collected in Natives of Space (1965), Small Changes (1969), Best of Hal Clement (1979), and Intuit (1987). In recent years, NESFA Press of the New England Science Fiction Association has begun releasing omnibus volumes of his novels and stories under the series title of The Essential Hal Clement. Clement recently resumed writing novels, publishing Half Life, concerning a trip to the moons of Saturn to investigate the biochemistry pre-life conditions for the purpose of saving Earth, in 1999. He has a new novel forthcoming.

Science Fiction Writers (1996) says, "Clement and his classic fiction are mentioned whenever the discussion of science in the genre comes up . . . their distinguishing characteristic is that a problematic condition in physical reality, or simply a condition of difference such as an increase or decrease in heat of gravity, must be elaborated upon, explained, and taken through certain plot changes so that the reader can simply understand the problem or the difference. This is a literature of total mimesis, in which the facts of the universe are mimed." It is commonly referred to as hard SF (think of hard rock or the hard sciences -- physics, chemistry, and astronomy).

Clement's mastery of the astronomy, physics and chemistry in stories set in space and on other worlds became famous with the publication of the Astounding serial of Mission of Gravity (1954), but especially with the immediately subsequent publication of a nonfiction article in the same magazine, detailing the process by which he had figured out the physics, astronomy, and biochemistry of the world of Mesklin. With the publication of Mission of Gravity, Clement in effect redefined the game of hard SF as an exercise in interrelating the sciences to achieve a created world that would plausibly withstand rigorous examination from many angles. Of such conceptual breakthroughs are scientific revolutions accomplished, and this was a revolution in science fiction, a slow and subtle one that took more than a decade to take hold. Gradually Clement gained a worldwide reputation as a quintessential hard SF writer whose works in later years more or less defined the term. Clement's work is presently the most influential model for hard science fiction writers.

We said in The Ascent of Wonder that the world of the hard SF story is deterministic, ruled by scientific law: It is inimical to anyone who does not know said law or how to figure it out -- scientific method, facts. "Somebody had asked me," said Clement, "why I didn't have bad entities -- villains -- in my stories, generally speaking, and my point was that the universe was a perfectly adequate villain!" The universe is enough of an antagonist in much hard SF.

This story is characteristic Clement. The title points to the scientific principles featured in the tale.