Clifford Simak’s Time is the Simplest Thing, first serialized in Analog Magazine as The Fisherman, was novelized in 1961. Written in the middle of the social upheaval of the Civil Rights Era, Simak imagines a future marred by an intense surge of violent bigotry, where a single corporation has managed to leverage the turmoil to monopolize progress itself.
Unable to overcome the laws of physics that make space exploration an impossibility in their universe, humanity finds itself bitterly earthbound. Jaded, the people of Earth turn inward to discover a spark of latent power within themselves, power that grants a select few the ability to perform feats indistinguishable from magic. But within humanity also lies a latent animosity toward the supernatural, and the rise of people with paranormal abilities causes those without to devolve into an almost Medieval fear of that which they cannot understand.
Rather than concerning itself with the meticulously scientific exposition of its “harder” sci-fi contemporaries, Simak’s sixth novel asks us to suspend our disbelief a bit further with its lofty descriptions of telepathy and psionics. It is clear that his main goal was to draw our attention to the social issues at hand. He focuses on the intolerance born from a dramatic societal advancement that caused many to feel left behind, almost obsolete. His characterizations of a populace fearful of outsiders and deeply distrusting of any scientific progress—though not so distrusting that they would ever deny themselves the benefits of such progress—feel prescient enough that I have to remind myself that these sentiments would have been as topical in 1961 as they remain today.
Still, Simak does not allow us to forget that this progress itself does not come without injustice. The powerful Fishhook corporation employs talented telepaths, enabling them to cast their minds through the galaxy and bring home treasures and knowledge from distant planets for profit. But while Fishhook maintains the proprietary rights to the technology that allows paranormal humans to access the stars, their monopoly is so iron-clad that the advancement of the human race is left solely up to their profit-seeking discretion.
Though some of Simak’s speculations on humanity’s direction forward were less clairvoyant than others—the publication of this novel predicting mankind’s doomed space endeavors happened to coincide with the year of Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering spaceflight—the issues around which Simak composed Time is the Simplest Thing remain at the forefront. Space travel and the scientific and engineering marvels that characterize the modern era advance society at blinding speed, but its increasing privatization largely denies the spoils of such achievements to the people who bring it forth. The discontent of all those who feel forsaken by a progress that should have been for all humanity leaves me to wonder: is it too late for us to heed Simak’s cautionary tale? Can we learn from the past to act in our present for our future?
Great Analysis! Thank you for shedding light on this classic work—your insights inspire me to explore Simak’s writing with a deeper appreciation for its enduring relevance.