| "A Descent into the Maelström" | |
|---|---|
| Short story byEdgar Allan Poe | |
 ArtistHarry Clarke's 1919 illustration for "A Descent into the Maelström" | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
"A Descent into the Maelström" is an 1841short story by American writerEdgar Allan Poe. In the tale, a man recounts how he survived a shipwreck and awhirlpool. It has been grouped with Poe's tales ofratiocination and also labeled an early form ofscience fiction.
Inspired by theMoskstraumen, it is couched as astory within a story, a tale told at the summit of amountain climb inLofoten,Norway. The story is told by an old man who reveals that he only appears old—"You suppose me avery old man," he says, "but I am not. It took less than a single day to change these hairs from a jetty black to white, to weaken my limbs, and to unstring my nerves." The narrator, convinced by the power of thewhirlpools he sees in the ocean beyond, is then told of the "old" man's fishing trip with his two brothers a few years ago.
Driven by "the most terrible hurricane that ever came out of the heavens", their ship was caught in thevortex. One brother was pulled into the waves; the other was driven mad by the horror of the spectacle, and drowned as the ship was pulled under. At first the narrator only saw hideous terror in the spectacle. In a moment of revelation, he saw that the Maelström is a beautiful and awesome creation. Observing how objects around him were attracted and pulled into it, he deduced that "the larger the bodies, the more rapid their descent" and that spherical-shaped objects were pulled in the fastest. Unlike his brother, he abandoned ship and held on to a cylindrical barrel until he was saved several hours later when the whirlpool temporarily subsided, and he was rescued by some fishermen. The "old" man tells the story to the narrator without any hope that the narrator will believe it.
The story first appeared in the May 1841 edition ofGraham's Magazine, published in April.[1] Poe rushed to complete the story in time and later admitted that the conclusion was imperfect.[2] Shortly after Poe's story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" was translated into French without acknowledgment, French readers sought out other works by Poe, of which "A Descent into the Maelström" was amongst the earliest translated.[3]
Like his other sea adventure worksThe Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket andThe Journal of Julius Rodman, "A Descent into the Maelström" was believed by readers to be true. One passage was reprinted in the ninth edition of theEncyclopædia Britannica—but it was based on a passage that Poe had lifted from an earlier edition of that same encyclopedia.[2] In June 1845, "A Descent into the Maelström" was collected for the first time in Poe'sTales, published byG. P. Putnam's Sons Wiley & Putnam.[4]
The story's opening bears a similarity toSamuel Taylor Coleridge'sThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798): in both, an excited old man tells his story of shipwreck and survival.[5] The tale is one of sensation, emphasizing the narrator's thoughts and feelings, especially his terror of being killed in the whirlpool.[6] The narrator uses his reasoning skills to survive and the story is considered one of Poe's early examples ofscience fiction.[7]
The story mentionsJonas Danilssønn Ramus, a man from Norway who wrote about a famous maelström atSaltstraumen. The opening epigraph is quoted from an essay byJoseph Glanvill called "Against Confidence in Philosophy and Matters of Speculation" (1676), though Poe altered the wording significantly.[8]
Shortly after its publication, the April 28 issue of theDaily Chronicle included the notice "The 'Descent into the Maelstroom' [sic] by Edgar A. Poe, Esq., is unworthy of the pen of one whose talents allow him a wider and more ample range."[9] Mordecai M. Noah inEvening Star, however, said the tale "appears to be equal in interest with the powerful article from his pen in the last number, 'The Murder in the Rue Morgue'".[9] In 1911, Richmond professor Robert Armistead Stewart said the story was "the most enthralling of that trio of tales of pseudo-science that demonstrate Poe's wizard power" along with "MS. Found in a Bottle" and "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall".[10]
In 1953, pianistLennie Tristano recorded "Descent into the Maelstrom", inspired by the short story. It was an improvised solo piano piece that usedmultitracking and had no preconceivedharmonic structure, being based instead on the development ofmotifs.[11]
In 1968, Editora Taika (Brazil) published a comic adaptation by Francisco De Assis, with art by Edegar and Ignacio Justo, entitled "Descida No Maelstrom!" inAlbum Classicos De Terror #7. It was reprinted inZarapelho #3 in 1976.
In 1974, Skywald published a comic adaptation by Al Hewetson inPsycho #18 with art by Cesar Lopez Vera. It was reprinted by Ibero Mundial De Ediciones (Spain) inDossier Negro #66 (1974) and by Eternity Comics inEdgar Allan Poe: The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Stories #1 in 1988.
In 1975, Warren Publishing released a comic adaptation by Richard Margopoulos, with art by Adolpho Usero Abellan, inCreepy #70. This version has been reprinted multiple times.
In 1979,Crack released their first and only album,Si Todo Hiciera Crack, which included "Descenso en el Maelström," an instrumental track based on the short story.
In 1986, American composerPhilip Glass was commissioned by theAustralian Dance Theatre to write a piece inspired by the story.
In 1993, Novedades Editores (Mexico) published a comic adaptation inClasicos De Terror #4, "Cayendo En El Maestrom". Adapter and artist are unknown.
In 1962, British science fiction writerArthur C. Clarke wrote the short story "Maelstrom II" inspired by Poe's story.[12] It was first published byPlayboy and can also be found in Clarke's anthology,The Wind from the Sun. The story is set in the orbit of the Moon rather than at sea.
In 1970,Czechoslovak writerLudvík Vaculík made many references to "A Descent into the Maelström" as well as "The Black Cat" in his novelThe Guinea Pigs. InKurt Vonnegut'sPlayer Piano, Paul Proteus thinks to himself "Descent into the Maelstrom" as he succumbs to the will of his wife.[13] InLiu Cixin'sDeath's End, Poe and this short story are both referenced, and some of the characters visitMoskstraumen.[14]
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