Van Vogt is usually lumped together with other science fiction writers whose principal interest is to entertain and earn a living writing popular thrillers and romances. Yet, van Vogt may see himself differently. In its exploration of an alternative way to view the world, The World of Null-A seems more in the tradition of philosophical fiction typified by writers such as Sartre and Borges than typical science fiction adventures. An examination of van Vogt's career suggests some ambivalence about his role as teacher or entertainer, with works like The Silkie (1969) functioning as grand space operas and others like The World of Null-A investigating fundamental questions of human existence. If nothing else, The World of Null-A invites discussion of the difference between a novel as melodrama and a novel as thought-piece.

Which is it? Can a novel be both a light entertainment and a work that asks...