The Changeling by A.E. Van Vogt

My A.E. Van Vogt reading spree continues. This time I picked up Changeling, a slender volume from 1967 which is really a fixup of some stories that were originally published in Astounding in the late 40s and early 50s. The book is considered a novel, but it's short enough that it probably should be considered a novella.

The story embodies one of Van Vogt's familiar themes of a person who looks normal on the outside, but has some special power or knowledge inside.

The story is set in Earth during contemporary times and opens with a man who has been working dutifully at the same company for 20 years, but someone tells him he's only been there for four. This casual comment triggers a period of self examination which sets the story into motion.

Is our hero who he really thinks he is or is he someone else. No doubt, stories like these were avidly read by Philip K. Dick who is a master of the what-is-reality genre.

The story moves along quickly, mercifully, because it really is all over the map. I won't bore you with the details, but it bares no resemblance to the cool cover art you see here, although he is pursued by a group of Amazon body guards that serve to protect the President of the United States.

It all climaxes in the last few pages in an entirely unlikely and sudden manner which leaves the reader unsatisfied. It's almost as if he was working toward a word count, reached his target and wrapped up the story.

If you're keeping score of my recent Van Vogt reading, I've liked one of three books, which isn't a great batting average. My CBIP for my Van Vogt project is an anthology of shorts stories from the Golden Age. So far, so good.

C.X.