The Comet

Some minor spoilers in review

This is a short survey by the civil rights activists W.E.B. Du Bois, written in 1920. I read it as part of a reading challenge where this year I am focussing on 'speculative fiction by people of colour' and where possible I want to focus on authors I haven't read before and from 'A Crash Course in the History of Black Science Fiction' (http://www.nisishawl.com/CCHBSF.html).

Gases from a comet wipe out all life in New York City, except Jim a poor black man who at the time of the comet is sent into a vault to do some dirty or dangerous work, and a wealthy white woman. They come together, and for a short space of time they begin to see new possibilities beyond racial and class constraints - particularly the white woman.

There is a short dream sequence like quality where they travel (beyond New York? Beyond the world of racial segregation?) and for a moment there is a sense that these two are the only two on Earth and must populate and start again. In the short story there is something rather lovely about them seeing each other as individuals and not the colour of their skin or background.

I have seen some reviews saying there isn't enough science fiction in here - I dispute that. There is the fantastical - a need to change the world around us to see beyond racism and classism. And again, in the context of the time of writing, Du Bois needs to create a post-apocalyptic scenario to have his white character see Jim as a man. All of society needs to break down for this to occur. If science fiction asks 'what if?' and if science fiction is the presenting of new realities to understand our own then this is it.

The end of the short story is quite sad and somewhat ends the dream of two people seeing each other's humanity first and foremost. There is a sense of normality and a return to the status quo, although some characters have changed.

Plenty of free versions available online and worth a read.