The World of Null-A
The science fiction novel world of zero -A! ( eng. Original Title: World of Null -A) by Alfred Elton van Vogt is in a distant future and focuses on the transition of people into a kind of superman with a variety of exceptional abilities. He first appeared in 1945 as a serial in Astounding Science Fiction, and is considered one of the masterpieces of AE van Vogt. The author made the novel is followed by two sequels.
Action
The central figure of the book is Gilbert Gosseyn, wants to participate in " the games" in which it is a kind of wide selection system whose function is that people gain a better understanding of themselves, the world and being in general. Is performed the whole by a giant computer. Right at the top face of doubt about the existence of a Gosseyns because the computer has a reliable lie detector function and notes that Gosseyns identity, however, he is wrong even convinced of their authenticity. From here on his odyssey begins with the purpose of finding out who and in particular what he is. Even death can not finish this quest, as he then somewhere else wakes up. For this purpose, provide a gradually skills such as teleportation, whose mastery he always better come to grips with the passage of time. In the course of the story it is due to Gosseyn to uncover a conspiracy that threatens all the inhabitants of the solar system.
Background
In his book, van Vogt refers repeatedly to the General Semantics, a conceptual model for the perception of reality is the Alfred Korzybski 1920-1950 developed over the years and described, among others, in his book Science and Sanity. The chapters are introduced in this context with matching philosophical quotes of different thinkers - partly itself by Korzybski zero, A is the novel for a non- Aristotelian logic, as described by Korzybski as mental programming in general semantics. The following two books ( The cosmic chess player and the third Gosseyn ) this philosophy of general semantics are further discussed and the reader brought home their underlying principles. Thus, the reader 's mental development Gosseyns at least follow in theoretical terms. There are differences between what is reality and what many people appear as reality always worked out very clearly.
Effect
The book influences on the early development of Dianetics and Scientology are attributed as the "go sane " process, which Gosseyn subjects in the novel to be included in the group of select " General Semantic ISTS ", the steps of the Scientologists to obtain the "clear " status similar. Van Vogt, practiced Dianetics and for a time was the first head of the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation of California at Los Angeles. Scientology as a religious orientation of Dianetics, however, he leaned always off.
Lawrence Alloway discovered by The World of Null -A, the concept of non- Aristotelian logic, and brought it into the Independent Group, in their artistic works, this concept was a defining element.