Waldo and Magic, Inc. by Robert A. Heinlein
"Waldo and Magic, Inc." is a narrative that intertwines themes of technology and magic through its two interconnected stories. The first part follows young genius Waldo F. Jones, who suffers from myasthenia gravis, leading him to devise a space habitat he calls "Freehold." As humanity grapples with failing energy sources and physical decay, Waldo's journey reflects a deep exploration of the relationship between mind and body. He develops "waldoes," prosthetic devices that allow him to interact with the physical world, ultimately seeking to unify the fragmented aspects of existence. His quest leads him to discover a coexistent alternate dimension from which energy can be harnessed, suggesting that the boundaries between science and magic are more porous than they appear.
The second part, "Magic, Inc.," presents a more straightforward tale where magic is woven into everyday life. It follows Archie Frazer, a contractor who navigates the complexities of a society where monopolistic forces threaten the practice of magic. Faced with the shadowy organization known as Magic, Inc., which seeks to regulate magicians through licensing, Archie and his friend Joe Jedson enlist the help of various magical figures to combat this oppressive force. Together, they embark on a journey that culminates in a confrontation with the embodiment of evil, ultimately aiming to restore balance and freedom to their world. The stories collectively raise questions about the integration of technology and the mystical, urging a reconsideration of how these realms might coexist.
Waldo and Magic, Inc.
First published: 1950 (“Magic, Inc.” as “The Devil Makes the Law,” Unknown Worlds, September, 1940; “Waldo” as by Anson MacDonald, Astounding Science-Fiction, August, 1942)
Type of work: Novellas
Type of plot: Science fiction—magical world
Time of work: The near future and an alternate present
Locale: The United States
The Plot
In “Waldo,” young genius Waldo F. Jones suffers from myasthenia gravis, a disease characterized by increasing weakness and exhaustibility of muscles. He builds a space habitat that he calls “Freehold” and his enemies call “Wheelchair.” Earth needs Waldo. On one hand, its “radiant power reactors” are failing; on the other, humanity is becoming physically weaker, possibly as a reaction to the radiation these reactors give off.
To solve his personal gravity disorder, Waldo becomes essentially a floating brain that must reach back to the physical world via prostheses, his famous “waldoes” that have become part of the jargon of science fiction. It is only when he sees that his problem can be solved not by separating mind and body but by uniting them that Waldo makes the parallel between his condition and that of humanity in general. He proceeds to rectify both.
Energy must be leaking into another world, but what is this place? In his inquiry, Waldo has two possible paths: reason and magic. Rambeau, a rationalist, goes mad when he cannot solve the problem, literally passing to the “other side,” where he reactivates the DeKalb generators. Gramps Schneider, a hex doctor, also engages the other world, but he joins the worlds instead of separating them. When Waldo goes to Earth to meet Gramps, the latter “lays hands” on both man and machine. Waldo feels his “fingers” reaching out to draw power from this other world, which Waldo sees not as a fantasy but as a physical location.
Able to aid magic with science, he posits a “coextensive alternate continuum,” an adjacent high-energy world to be tapped. The way to proceed is to create a continuous system, in this case of neurons. Tired brains lose energy, tired humans in turn cause machines to lose energy, and both succumb to gravity. Waldo proposes to repair this neuronal gap through microsurgery and successfully uses tiny waldoes to pass from a cat’s brain to the other world. He cannot, however, reverse his own energy loss this way. He has a dream in which he defeats Rambeau, and he awakes to find signs of the struggle. As energy flows from dream into life, dualism is bested, and Waldo the brain reintegrates his body, becoming a functioning man.
“Magic, Inc.” is less complex. Robert Heinlein again reintegrates magic and physical law, making magic part of mundane existence in a middle American city in which monopolistic practices are literally the devil’s work.
Archie Frazer, Heinlein’s typical Everyman-narrator, is a contractor who routinely uses white magic. One day, Archie is threatened, then offered “protection,” by a shadowy group called Magic, Inc. Archie learns that Magic, Inc. is lobbying the state legislature for a bill to require all magicians to be licensed. Archie’s friend Joe Jedson has powerful contacts at the capitol and tries unsuccessfully to fight within the legal establishment. Archie and Joe then seek more efficient help outside the system from Amanda Jennings, a witch; Royce Worth-ington, an old-fashioned Congo witch doctor; and Jack Bodie, a freelance magician. They descend into Hell, find the mastermind behind Magic, Inc., and defeat the devil to end the interference in earthly affairs.
Bibliography
Aldiss, Brian. Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction. New York: Atheneum, 1986.
Franklin, H. Bruce. Robert A. Heinlein: America as Science Fiction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980.
Gifford, J. Daniel. Robert A. Heinlein: A Reader’s Companion. Sacramento, Calif.: Nitrosyncretic Press, 2000.
McGiveron, Rafeeq O. “Heinlein’s Inhabited Solar System, 1940-1952.” Science-Fiction Studies 23 (July, 1996): 245-252.
Nicholls, Peter. “Robert A. Heinlein.” In Science Fiction Writers: Critical Studies of the Major Authors from the Early Nineteenth Century to the Present Day, edited by E. F. Bleiler. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1982.
Olander, Joseph D., and Martin Harry Greenberg, eds. Robert A. Heinlein. New York: Taplinger, 1978.
Panshin, Alexei. Heinlein in Dimension. 1968. Reprint. Chicago: Advent, 1974.
Patterson, William H., Jr., and Andrew Thronton. The Martian Named Smith: Critical Perspectives on Robert A. Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land.” Citrus Heights, Calif.: Nitrosyncretic Press, 2001.
Stephens, Christopher P., comp. A Checklist of Robert A. Heinlein. Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.: Ultramarine, 1994.
Stover, Leon. Robert Heinlein. Boston: Twayne, 1987.