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"SF is a controlled way to think and dream about the future."
- Gregory Benford
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| Artificial Hand | ||
| An entirely artificial human hand. |
In the story, an English nobleman Lord Celian Ewald comes to Thomas Edison with a problem. His fiance, Alicia Clary is everything he wants in a woman physically, but her mind, talk and taste are not.
Edison has been working on Hadaly, an imitation human being.
| It was a human arm and hand lying on a violet silk cushion. The blood appeared to be congealed around the humeral section. Some crimson splashes on a piece of white linen, which had been thrown down beside it, attested to a recent operation.
It was the arm and hand of a young woman. A bracelet of chased gold, in the form of a serpent, was clasped around the delicate wrist. On the ring finger of this left hand a sapphire ring flashed brilliantly. And the exquisitely slim fingers still retained their hold on a pearl-grey glove which, evidently, had been worn several times. The flesh was so lifelike in tint, so soft and satiny, that the sight of it was poignantly cruel. What could have necessitated this drastic, desperate operation? What unknown, terrible harm could have brought about this frightful amputation? And, above all, what had caused this arm to retain its healthy vitality? The blood still seemed to flow in this sweet and gracious member...
The young man leaned over. He lifted up the hand, then he drew back abruptly and demanded |
| Technovelgy from L’Ève future (Tomorrow’s Eve),
by Jean-Marie Villiers de l’Isle-Adam. Published by La Vie moderne in 1885 Additional resources -
|
The rings on the Andraiad's fingers are significant - and she comes with an instruction manual:
See the entry for the Andréide (Andraiad) from the same work for more details.
‘The future Alicia’s most natural attitude will be seated with her cheek on one hand and her elbow resting on something, or else reposing on a sofa, in the attitude of any graceful woman. She will maintain these attitudes without any other movement than her breathing.
‘To awaken her from her phlegmatic existence, you will only have to take her hand. That will agitate the fluid in one of her rings.’
‘One of her rings?’ asked Lord Ewald, in surprise.
‘Yes. The one on her forefinger. It is her wedding ring.’
Lord Ewald stared at the scientist in amazement.
‘Do you know why that hand there responded to your pressure just now?’ asked the professor, pointing to the object on the ebony table.
‘No.’
‘It was because, when you tightened your clasp, you pressed the ring. I don’t know whether you have noticed it or not, but Hadaly has rings on all her fingers, and the various precious stones are sensitive.
‘You need not bother her when she is in one of these extra-terrestrial attitudes; but if you wish to ask her anything you will be quite at liberty to do so.
‘All you will have to do at a time like this, whether she is lying down on a couch or sitting up, is to take her hand and stroke the sympathetic amethyst in the ring on her forefinger, and she will get up gently, if you say to her: “Come, Hadaly.” She will obey you better than the real woman.
‘The touch of the ring should be slight and natural, as when you touch the hand of your living model. You may even do it with a slight fervour, in the interest of the illusion.‘
Hadaly will walk straight before her and alone, at the request of the ruby which she wears on the middle finger of her right hand; or she will hold your arm and lean languishingly towards you; or she will follow wherever you wish to lead her, not merely as any woman would, but exactly as Miss Cleary would.
‘You must not permit the fact that her human walk is controlled by means of these rings to shock you. Think how much more humiliating are the prayers and entreaties to which men have to resort, in order to bring the feminine graces to a semblance of obedience!‘
In response to a persuasive touch on the turquoise on the ring finger, she will sit down, and in addition to these rings, she wears a three row necklace, each pearl of which has a corresponding action that will respond to its pressure.‘
Here you have a fairly explicit manuscript – quite a conjuror’s book – the most extraordinary ever seen, for it gives you a key to her habits and character. With a little practice – one must study women, you know – everything will become quite natural.’
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'Our study of your race has convinced us that you are not fitted to leave your planet in the present state of your civilization.'
'...the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and Then one toppled and fell. Then another.'
'Within seconds the material was spread out over fifty yards, in a matter of hours it might occupy several cubic miles of space...'
'The men are dead, but their acquired wisdom lives on and I am the beneficiary.'
'Young people found the driverless car admirable for petting.'
'After twenty generations of shillyshallying...'
