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121 |
<Apr 24, 1980 |
1985 |
Alt. Title: "Frozen Journey" |
FIRST PUBLICATIONs
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As "Frozen Journey" in Playboy, Dec 1980 {ill. by Pater Sato} |
HISTORY:
Although Sutin has the short story "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" being written by June 1979, the manuscript for "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" reached the SMLA on April 24, 1980. It was sold to Playboy Magazine and was first published in the Dec 1980 issue under the title "Frozen Journey."
The story lent its title to Mark Hurst and Paul Williams’ collection I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON (1985) and also to editions of this collection in the United Kingdom (Gollancz 1986, Grafton 1988). A paperback edition is also available in the USA from St. Martin’s Press (1987). In 1999 Harper Collins Publishers printed the story in THE PLAYBOY BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION.
In his introduction to the 1985 Doubleday collection I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON Paul Williams comments on the story:
When Mark Hurst and I put together this collection, I told Doubleday I would supply story notes and asked them to give me a deadline. I never heard from them and, I'm sorry to say, I didn't nudge them until it was too late. By way of apology, then, here's a little bit of background: {…}"Exit Door" earned Phil a large fee, but "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" was really his first sale to a recognized major short story market (Playboy), closely followed by "Rautavaara's Case" (Omni). "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" was Phil's original title; the story appeared in Playboy as "Frozen Journey". It later won the Playboy Award for best short story of the year by a new contributor, and appeared in Terry Carr's "Best Of The Year" collection. Ray Torrence is a real person, a PKDS member."
In an October 1981 letter PKD mentions his Playboy sale:
All in all, except for burning myself out writing a goddamn literary novel things are just great for me… Did you see my story in the December Playboy? I won an award for it, a trophy and a thousand dollars….
Here’s what the Playboy editors wrote about the story in the Dec 1980 issue:
Speaking of captives, imagine yourself locked in a two-by-six-foot box, half awake and bound for a journey through space that will take ten years. That’s precisely the horror Philip K. Dick’s tragic hero faces in Frozen journey, illustrated by Pater Sato. This is the first Playboy appearance for Dick, the renowned science-fiction author of more than 30 novels (his best known is THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE).
That was in the ‘Playbill’ near the Table of Contents page. And on the contents page itself:
It’s rough being neurotic, even with plenty of earthly distractions and a good shrink. But when you’re going crazy on a spaceship with only a computer to help you, snapping is, well, a snap.
"Frozen Journey" reappeared in 1998 in HarperPrism publishers anthology: 45 Years Of Tomorrows: The Playboy Book of Science Fiction.
In the story Victor Kemmings is in cryonic suspension while on a ten year trip to a colony planet and a new life. But, there’s a malfunction in the machinery and Victor is conscious. Realizing that after ten years of consciousness with no activity Victor will go insane the spaceship’s computer feeds Victor’s childhood memories back to him in an attempt to maintain his sanity.
But Victor’s early memories are bad and once brought to the surface contaminate all the computer’s efforts to lull him happily along until the ship lands. To the computer Victor says he only wishes they’d get to the end of the journey. So the computer grants his wish with more false perceptions. But once brought to his mind Victor’s bad early memories continue to suborn the computer’s now desperate efforts to keep him sane. In the end when the spaceship does land and his old girlfriend is waiting for him on the colony world, Victor still doesn’t believe its real. He’s been through it too many times before already.
A somewhat wry story akin to A MAZE OF DEATH, "Frozen Journey" rates ô ô ô ô
Other Magazine and Anthology appearances. Click here for
Cover Pix: 
| 1981 |  |
THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF THE YEAR #10, Timescape, pb, ?, 1981, ?, ?, (?) { As "Frozen Journey"} | |
| 1984 |  |
ROBOTS, ANDROIDS AND MECHANICAL ODDITIES, SIUP, hb, ?, 1984, ?,? (?) {Ed. Warrick} | |
| 1985 |  |
I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON, Doubleday, hb, 19567-2, July 1985 {Ed. Mark Hurst and Paul Williams} | |
| 1986 |  |
I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON, Gollancz, hb, ?,?,? (?) {Ed. Hurst, Williams} | |
| 1987 | THE COLLECTED STORIES OF PHILIP K. DICK | ||
| 1987 |  |
I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON, St. Martin's, pb, 90828-5, Sep 1987, 201pp, $3.50 (?) 0-312-90838-5 | |
| 1988 |  |
I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON, Grafton, pb, 07415-5, Feb 1988, 220pp, L2.95 (Foss) 0-586-07415-5 | |
| 1993 | SIMULATIONS: 15 Tales Of Virtual Reality, Citadel Twilight, tp, ?, Apr 1993, 275pp, $9.95 (?) {Ed. Kari Jacobson} 0-8065-1406-X | ||
| 1993 | THE NORTON BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION, Norton, hb, ?, Sep 1993, ?,? (Kevin Kelly) {Ed LeGuin, Attebury} As "Frozen Journey." 0-393-03546-8 | ||
| 1999 |  |
THE PLAYBOY BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION, HarperPrism, hb, 18288, 1998, 469pp, ? (Carl D. Galian) {Ed. Alice Turner} As "Frozen Journey." 0-06-105288-4 | |
NOTES:
CONTENTS:
Introduction: 'How To Build A Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later. by PKD. The Short Happy Life Of The Brown Oxford, Explorers We, Holy Quarrel, What'll We Do With Ragland Park?, Strange Memories Of Death, The Alien Mind , The Exit Door leads In, Chains Of Air; Web Of Aethyr, Rautavaara's Case, I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon
Doubleday's new collection of PKD stories, I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON, was published in late June{...}
When Mark Hurst and I put together this collection, I told Doubleday I would supply story notes and asked them to give me a deadline. I never heard from them and, I'm sorry to say, I didn't nudge them until it was too late.
By way of apology, then, here's a little bit of background: the introduction "How To Build A Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Three Days Later", was clearly written as a speech, in early 1978. I'm fairly certain it was never delivered, and it seems likely it was written for an appearance scheduled at the University of Missouri in Rolls, May 5, 1978, that Phil cancelled at the last minute.
{…}
"Exit Door" earned Phil a large fee, but "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" was really his first sale to a recognized major short story market (Playboy), closely followed by "Rautavaara's Case" (Omni). "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" was Phil's original title; the story appeared in Playboy as "Frozen Journey". It later won the Playboy Award for best short story of the year by a new contributor, and appeared in Terry Carr's "Best Of The Year" collection. Ray Torrence is a real person, a PKDS member.
{The ‘Best of the Year’ anthology Williams refers to is: THE BEST SF OF THE YEAR #10, ed. Terry Carr, Timescape, pb, 42262-6, Jul 1981, 434pp, $3.50 (?) ISBN: 0-671-42262-6. PKD’s story "Frozen Journey" starts on p97. -- Lord RC}
Philip K. Dick: Confessions Of A SF Artist
Valis is planned for release in February, 1981, and marks the beginning of Dick's first series, possibly a trilogy. The author's next work to hit the newsstands will be a short story in the December Playboy, entitled "Frozen Journey," which Dick says he likes more than the last few stories he's had published. Two recent works can be found in last month's Omni and in the Stellar #5 anthology.
{Denver Clarion, October 23, 1980. Interview by George Cain and Dana Longo}Playboy Dec 1980: "Playbill" p.5
Speaking of captives, imagine yourself locked in a two-by-six-foot box, half awake and bound for a journey through space that will take ten years. That’s precisely the horror Philip K. Dick’s tragic hero faces in Frozen journey, illustrated by Pater Sato. This is the first Playboy appearance for Dick, the renowned science-fiction author of more than 30 novels (his best known is THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE).
Playboy Dec 1980: "Playbill" p5, "Contents" p.8
It’s rough being neurotic, even with plenty of earthly distractions and a good shrink. But when you’re going crazy on a spaceship with only a computer to help you, snapping is, well, a snap.
RFPKD #7 p20
PKD’s short story "Frozen Journey" is included in the new hardcover anthology, 45 Years Of Science Fiction in Playboy (the magazine) from HarperPrism…
All in all, except for burning myself out writing a goddamn literary novel things are just great for me… Did you see my story in the December Playboy? I won an award for it, a trophy and a thousand dollars…. {--PKD to Cathy , Oct 1, 1981}
See also:
Collector’s Notes
Phildickian: "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" in I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON {Ed. Mark Hurst and Paul Williams}, Doubleday, hb, 1985 (1st). FINE/FINE. As new in dj. $90
Abebooks: "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" in I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON {Ed. Mark Hurst and Paul Williams}, Doubleday, hb, 1985 (1st). FINE/FINE. $35
Vagabond Books: "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" in I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON {Ed. Mark Hurst and Paul Williams}, Doubleday, hb, 1985 (1st). AS NEW. No remainder marks. $65
Phildickian: "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" in I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON {Ed. Mark Hurst and Paul Williams}, Doubleday, hb, 1985 (1st). VG/G+. The book is tight with moderate edgewear and bumping at the spine ends. The dust jacket while still relatively attractive does have a sizeable chip to the top spine end that goes around to the first part of the rear panel. There is some rubbing and creasing, covered in a brodart. $20
Phildickian: "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" in I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON {Ed. Mark Hurst and Paul Williams}, Gollancz, hb, 1986 (1st UK). NF/NF. $75
Rudy’s Books: "I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon" in I HOPE I SHALL ARRIVE SOON {Ed. Mark Hurst and Paul Williams}, Gollancz, hb, 1986 (1st UK). NF/NF. $85
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