ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries M arch 1987 / 115 T h e N u c le a r W ar F ic tio n C o llectio n at W a sh in g to n S tate U n iv ersity By P a u l B rians Associate Professor, D e p a r tm e n t o f E nglish W a sh in g to n S ta te U niversity A unique popular culture collection that circulates. R o b e r t P. Sewell recen tly p resen ted a ra tio n a le fo r th e co llec tio n of p o p u la r fictio n w h ic h dis­ cussed th e im p o rta n c e of so–called ep h e m eral lite r­ a tu re to th e re se a rc h e r.1 His thesis is w ell illu stra te d by m y o w n experience in w o rk in g w ith th e subject of n u clear w a r in fiction. F o r alm ost six years I h av e been w o rk in g on a c o m p re h e n siv e s tu d y a n d b ib lio g ra p h y e n title d N u c le a r H o lo c a u s ts: A t o m i c W a r in F ic tio n , 1895-1984, to be p u b lish ed this sp rin g by K ent S tate U niversity Press. In th e course of w o rk in g on th e book I en c o u n tered m a n y difficulties. I fo u n d I could n o t rely on th e s ta n d a rd reference w orks to tell m e w h e th e r or n o t a p a rtic u la r piece of fiction in fa c t d e p ic te d a n u c le a r w a r. R eview ers a n d scholars often avoid specifying w h e th e r a p lo t cul­ m in ates in a n u clear exchange because th ey do not w a n t to give a w a y su rp rise en d in g s. T h e te rm s “ h o lo c a u st” a n d “p o sth o lo c a u s t” a re used v ery loosely, a n d m ay or m a y n o t designate a n u clear w a r. I fo u n d th a t th e re w as no su b stitu te for exam ­ in in g th e texts them selves, a n d so h av e h a d to o b ­ ta in a n d re a d v irtu a lly every title listed in m y b ib li­ og rap h y . F in d in g th e titles n o t alre a d y held by W a sh in g ­ to n S ta te U n iv e rsity ’s H o lla n d L ib r a r y w as n o t easy. T h e m o re com m on science fiction stories a n d 1R o b e rt G. Sewell, “ T ra sh o r T reasure: Pop F ic ­ tio n in A cadem ic a n d R esearch L ib ra rie s ,” College & Research Libraries 45 (1984):450-61. novels w e re re a d ily o b ta in a b le th ro u g h in te r li­ b ra ry lo an , a lth o u g h less o ften from acad em ic li­ b raries th a n from p u b lic ones. T h e difficu lty of o b ­ t a i n i n g p o p u l a r m ass m a r k e t f ic tio n t h r o u g h lib raries is w ell illu stra te d by th e story of m y search for a sleazy p a p e rb a c k by G eorge H . Sm ith en title d T h e C o m in g o f th e R ats. Extensive search in g by IL L failed to tu r n u p a copy in an y lib ra ry in N o rth A m erica o r R ritain . T h e book w as decreed u n o b ­ ta in a b le . By o rd in a ry sta n d a rd s, th a t w o u ld m ake it a v a lu a b le ra rity . In fact, h o w ev er, I fo u n d a copy for 95 cents in a local used bookstore. D espite th e extensive, som e­ tim es heroic, often expensive, efforts of IL L , m a n y tim es I fo u n d science fiction collectors a superior resource for id e n tify in g a n d p ro v id in g titles u n o b ­ ta in a b le th ro u g h re g u la r lib ra ry channels. E ven w h en IL L could lo cate copies of various obscure p ap e rb a ck s in o th e r lib rarie s, such as th e w ell-k n o w n E a to n science fiction collection in th e lib ra ry of th e U niversity of C a lifo rn ia a t R iverside, th ey o ften w e re n o t av a ila b le for e ith e r circ u latio n or p h o tocopying. A lthough I h a d th re e sm all g rants w h ich m a d e possible m y extensive use of IL L (at W SU th e m in im u m ch a rg e p e r book is $1.00), p a y ­ ing h u n d re d s of dollars for tra v e l expenses to re a d a 25-cent p a p e rb a c k w h e n th e re w ere h u n d re d s to re a d w as b eyond m y m eans. I resolved th a t if a col­ lection of n u c le a r w a r fiction w ere to b e established a t W SU , it m u st c irc u la te th ro u g h IL L to scholars a t o th e r in stitu tio n s. W ith th e su p p o rt of th e De- 116 / C & R L N ew s L e ft: L e ig h B ra ckett, T h e L o n g T o m o rro w (D oubleday, 1955). R ig h t: P elham G room , T h e P u rp le T w ilig h t (T . W ern er L aurie, 1948). p a r tm e n t o f E nglish L ib ra ry C o m m itte e , th e h ea d of h u m a n itie s collection d e v e lo p m e n t a t H o lla n d L ib ra ry , A n n W ie ru m , to o k o n th e ta sk of c re a tin g th e collection. T h e N u c le a r W a r F ic tio n C o lle c tio n aim s a t b e ­ ing a co m p reh en siv e collection o f novels, sh o rt sto­ ries, a n d plays d e p ictin g n u c le a r w a r o r its after- m a th , p lu s selected w orks d e p ic tin g n u c le a r crises t h a t n a r r o w l y a v o id w a r . M a n y o f th e m a re s tra ig h tfo rw a rd tales of p r o b a b le n u c le a r w ars, such as O n th e Beach; b u t th e m a jo rity a re science fictio n , set in m o re or less d is ta n t, m o re o r less fa n ­ ta stic po sth o lo cau st fu tu re s. A sig n ific a n t category is novels a b o u t th e b o m b in g s of H iro sh im a a n d N a ­ gasak i, by b o th J a p a n e s e a n d W e s te rn au th o rs. O n ly w orks e ith e r o rig in a lly p u b lis h e d in English or tra n s la te d in to E n g lish a re in c lu d e d , b u t since this rep resen ts th e o v e rw h e lm in g m a jo rity of such w o rk s, th e s tip u la tio n is less re s tric tiv e th a n it sounds. I t is in te n d e d as a w o rk in g collection ra th e r th a n a n archive: w h e n firs t ed itio n s a re available th ey a re a c q u ire d , b u t re p rin ts a re o ften p u rch ased instead. A la rg e n u m b e r of s h o rt stories a re re p re ­ sented by th e ir in clu sio n in science fictio n m a g a ­ zines such as A s to u n d in g , m o st o f w hose ru n is held on m icro film (th e re m a in d e r is in o rd in a ry p a p e r fo rm ). M a n y o f th e se a re d u p lic a te d in v arious sh o rt sto ry an th o lo g ies also h e ld b y th e lib ra ry . T h e p e rio d c o v e re d is d e fin e d b y th e su b ject m a tte r, b u t n o t as n a rro w ly as o n e m ig h t expect. T h e re a r e m a n y ite m s b e fo re 1945, w h e n th e atom ic b o m b w as p e rfe c te d , because as ea rly as 1895 th e co n c ep t of using ato m ic energy in w e a p ­ ons w as fe a tu re d in fiction, as in R o b e rt C ro m ie ’s The C rack o f D o o m . T h e earliest p re -H iro sh im a novel collected so fa r is G eorge G riffith ’s T h e L o r d o f L a b o u r fro m 1911. H a ro ld N ich o lso n ’s 1932 atom ic w a r novel, P ublic Faces, w as a lre a d y in th e H o lla n d L ib ra ry in a n o th e r special collection: th e V ir g in ia W o o lf C o lle c tio n . W h a t w e h a v e is W o o lf s o w n copy of th e book. P erh ap s a th ir d of th e titles in th e collection so fa r w e re a lre a d y h eld by th e lib ra ry before th e p ro je c t b eg an . As of th e end of 1986 th e re w ere a lre a d y over 750 item s in th e co llectio n , w ith m ore a rriv in g co n stan tly . A n­ o th e r 390 titles h av e been req u ested a n d m o re a re ad d e d to o u r w a n t list as th ey are pub lish ed : b e ­ tw ee n te n a n d tw en ty -fiv e a year. O n e of th e first decisions to be m a d e w as w h e re to lo c ate th e books. T h e bu lk of th e item s a lre a d y held w e re in th e special science fiction collection, classified in th e PZs. R eclassification w as o u t of th e question; besides, m a n y of th e item s w e w o u ld be b u y in g w o u ld b e in great d e m a n d by science fictio n fans as w ell as n u c le a r w a r researchers. T h e re fo re m ost of th e titles co n tin u e to b e classed in PZ a n d shelved w ith th e science fiction. T his has occasion­ ally le d to o d d m istakes, as w h e n a copy of M asuji Ib u se’s m o v in g ac co u n t of th e H iro sh im a b o m b in g , B lack R a in , w as te m p o ra rily p la ced w ith th e SF. M arch 1987 / 117 L e ft: L e o n a rd E n g e l & E m m a n u e l Piller, W o rld A flam e (D ial, 1947). R ig h t: W illia m D exter, C h ild re n of th e V oid (Peter O w e n , 1955), fe a tu r in g fire -e x tin g u ish e r b a ttles w i th g ia n t, land-going, te le p a th ic jellyfish. H o w ev er, th e science fictio n collection is one of th e m ost h ea v ily used area s of th e lib ra ry , a n d is su b ject to a h ea v y r a te of p ilferag e . I t seem ed w ise to p u t th e r a r e r a n d m o re v a lu a b le volum es in to a less accessible a re a . M a n u s c rip ts , A rchives a n d Special C ollections w as ru le d o u t for several r e a ­ sons. MASC d id n ’t w a n t a n y m o re h ig h -ac id p a ­ p erb ac k s c ro w d in g th e ir a lre a d y c ra m p e d space (I h a d previously in flic te d u p o n th e m th e beginnings of a n u n d e rg ro u n d com ics collection th a t h a d b e ­ com e o n e of th e la rg e st in th e c o u n try ). MASC w as o u t of th e q u estio n so f a r as I w as c o n c ern ed b e ­ cause of th e ir policy of n o t allo w in g m a te ria ls to c irc u la te . T h e s o lu tio n w a s a r a th e r u n c o n v e n ­ tio n a l one: th e v a lu a b le item s w e re p la c e d in c o m ­ p a c t sto ra g e . T h e closed sta c k c o m p a c t sto ra g e a re a , from w h ic h books c a n b e o b ta in e d only w ith th e w ritte n p erm ission of a lib ra ria n , is m u c h m o re secure t h a n H o lla n d L ib r a r y ’s re g u la r o p e n stacks. Since th e collection w as s c a tte re d th ro u g h o u t th e lib ra ry , it w as necessary to id e n tify volum es b e ­ lo n g in g to it. O n e co n c ern of m in e w as th a t som e fu tu re lib ra ria n , u n a w a re of th e p u rp o se b e h in d th e acq u isitio n of such item s as T h e S urvivalist, n o .6: T h e Savage H o rd e, m ig h t d isc ard th e m or fail to re p la c e ta tte r e d or m issing books. T h e solu­ tio n w as s tra ig h tfo rw a rd : a sim ple b o o k p la te id e n ­ tify in g ea ch v o lu m e as p a r t of th e N u c le a r W a r F ic ­ t i o n C o l l e c t i o n . N o s e p a r a t e c a t a l o g o f t h e collection is m a in ta in e d b y th e lib ra ry , a lth o u g h I m a in ta in a n d sh a re w ith th e sta ff m y o w n check­ list. M y book, w h e n p u b lish e d , w ill serve as a fairly co m p re h en siv e g uide to th e item s p u b lish e d b efore 1985. A lth o u g h m a n y of th e m a in stre a m w orks such as T im O ’B rien ’s T h e N u clea r A g e com e to th e lib ra ry th ro u g h its re g u la r a p p ro v a l p ro g ra m , m ost of th e rest m u st b e id e n tifie d by m yself a n d specially o r­ d ered . I use as m y m a in source fo r n e w titles F a n ­ tasy R e v ie w , w h ic h covers n ew a n d fo rth c o m in g SF a n d fa n ta sy com prehensively. L o ca l book d e a l­ ers a n d fans fre q u e n tly tip m e off to others. F o r o u t-o f-p rin t books w e rely on Bob B ro w n , a S eattle co llecto r a n d p a r t- tim e used book d e a le r w h o specializes in ap o c a ly p tic fictio n a n d w h o has p ro v id e d us w ith an a m a z in g n u m b e r of obscure a n d r a r e titles. H e h as invested la rg e am o u n ts in books— som e of th e m on a re c e n t tr ip to E n g la n d — w ith o u t g u a ra n te e s t h a t w e w o u ld b e ab le to p u r ­ chase th e m im m e d ia te ly . A gain a n d a g a in w h e n th e b u d g e t p in c h e d , w e h av e h a d to freeze th e o r­ d e rin g process. T h e sto p –a n d –go a p p ro a c h to col­ le c tin g im posed u p o n us b y b u d g e ta ry co n stra in ts m u st b e fru s tra tin g to a sm all d e a le r, b u t B ro w n has c o n tin u e d to p ro v id e o u ts ta n d in g service. U n fo rtu n a te ly th e re is a co n sid erab le b ack lo g of 118 / C &R L News new item s to be o rd ered as w ell, p a rtly because of lack of funds, p a rtly because th e n u m b e r of item s needed has tu rn e d o u t to be considerably la rg e r th a n originally envisioned. In some cases this has m e a n t th a t a fugitive p a p e rb a c k goes o u t of p rin t a n d becom es u n a v a ila b le before it can be o rd ered , or a h a rd c o v e r ed itio n vanishes a n d w e m u st be co n te n t w ith a softcover re p rin t. T h e collection serves several purposes. I t is an a r ­ chive of a n a rro w ly defined b o d y of fiction not read ily accessible elsew here (even th e Im a g in a ry W a r F ictio n C ollection a t C o lo rad o S tate U niver­ sity lacks a la rg e n u m b e r of these title s). A lthough th e lib r a r y w as u n a b le to o b ta in books ra p id ly enough for th e m to be av ailab le for m y ow n re ­ se a rc h , it is a reso u rce fo r m y o w n c o n tin u in g scholarship a n d th a t of th e increasing n u m b e r of researchers investigating n u clear w a r in fiction. I t is also a tool for th e students w h o ta k e m y course in th e E nglish D e p a rtm e n t on “N u cle ar W a r in F ic ­ tio n .” E a c h of th e m has to do extensive outside read in g for class assignm ents. This p ast sem ester th e co llectio n w as h ea v ily used a n d re su lte d in some excellent research papers. S u p p o rt for th e collection has been strong, b o th inside th e lib ra ry a n d in th e E nglish D e p a rtm e n t. O n ly o n e p e r s o n — a n o n - f a c u lty l i b r a r y s ta ff m e m b e r— has raised an y objection to th e collec­ tion, on th e grounds th a t th e lib ra ry should n o t be buy in g ep h e m eral p o p u la r m a te ria l. Most lib ra ri­ ans a t W SU seem to recognize th a t p o p u la r fiction can be basic research m a te ria l. T h e classics sim ply do n o t tell us all w e need to know a b o u t o u r c u ltu re an d its hopes, fears, a n d dream s. In this specific case, w ell-e stab lish ed m a in s tre a m a u th o rs h av e rarely to u c h ed on th e im p o rta n t subject of n u clear w a r; if w e w a n t to stu d y its im p a c t on th e p u b lic consciousness w e have to tu r n to p o p u la r fiction. I n F e b r u a r y 1985 l i b r a r i a n P a u l a E l l i o t m o u n te d an extensive exhibit of item s from th e col­ lection, b o th in H o lla n d L ib ra ry a n d in th e F in e Arts B uilding, co o rd in a tin g it w ith a tra v e lin g ex­ h ib it of p a in tin g a n d sculptures re la tin g to n u clear w a r en title d , “D isarm in g Im a g e s.” Notices in v a ri­ ous articles an d reference w orks are slowly b rin g ­ ing th e collection to th e a tte n tio n of researchers. In this age of tig h t budgets I am deeply ap p re c ia ­ tive of th e fact th a t th e lib ra ry a t W a sh in g to n S tate U niversity has been w illin g to invest in a special collection th a t ac tu ally circulates, unlike o th e r spe­ cial collections th a t seem designed m ore for th e ir p restig e th a n th e ir usefulness, fo rc in g th e ra re scholars w ho can afford to use th e m to trav e l th o u ­ sands of miles to do so. T h e experience of h elp in g to b u ild this collection has convinced m e th a t id e al­ ism is still h e a lth y in lib raries, as show n by th e W ash in g to n State U niversity L ib ra ry staff. ■ ■