"Black Destroyer" (1939) - the original text of A. E. van Vogt’s first published s-f story

The July 1939 issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine, featuring A. E. van Vogt’s first published s-f story Black Destroyer [1] on its iconic cover by Graves Gladney, is generally considered to have initiated the golden age of science-fiction, extending throughout the forties and into the early fifties.

It later became the initial six chapters of van Vogt’s great 1950 novel of interstellar exploration, The Voyage of the Space Beagle.
 
However there are very many textual variations between the original story presented here and the later novel – in particular the complete absence of any reference to the "Nexialist" or multi-disciplinarian approach to resolving conflicts so central to the Space Beagle story line. Here, the key role played by Nexialist scientist Elliott Grosvenor in the novel is assumed by the ship’s captain Mr. Morton.
 
And the July 1939 Astounding publication of this landmark story featured a number of elaborate illustrations by Kramer that are all included here.
 
A pure gem that everyone interested in science fiction – and all the others who should or would like to be – will want to enjoy.

(12,000 words)
 
An e-book is available for downloading below.

Black Destroyer (e-book)