[PREV - IDENTICAL_SHADOW] [TOP]
SHADOW_OF_THE_ETHER
July 15, 2006
A peculiarity of the early Shadow
novels is the conceit that the
voice on the radio and the
character in the story are the
same. The radio shows exist inside
the universe of the novels, and The
Shadow uses the broadcasts to slip
in secret messages that only his
agents can understand.
Almost identical language is used
to describe this in the first and
the third novels:
"The Living Shadow" "The Shadow Laughs"
published April 1931: published October 1931:
There were those, of Some had claimed that
course, who claimed that they had heard his voice
they had heard his voice coming through spaceless
coming through the either, over the radio.
spaceless ether over the But at the broadcasting
radio. But at the studio, no one knew the
broadcasting studio, The identity of The Shadow.
Shadow's identity had been
carefully guarded. He was He was said to have been
said to have been allotted alotted a special room,
a special room, hung with hung with curtains of
curtains of heavy, black heavy black velvet, along
velvet, along a twisting a twisting corridor.
corridor. There he faced There, masked and robed,
the unseeing microphone, he faced the unseeing
masked and robed. microphone.
The underworld had gone
so far as to make A spy of the underworld
determined effort to had contrived to enter
unravel The Shadow's the broadcasting studio,
identity - if it were to watch the door of the
truly The Shadow whose room that was supposed to
sinister voice the radio be The Shadow's. Yet no
public knew; for there one ever entered that
were doubters who room!
maintained the voice was
but that of an actor ...
representing The
Shadow. But all crookdom Only his voice was
had reason to be known. It might be that
interested; those without he broadcast by remote
the law had to make sure. control, his voice
coming to the studio by
So watchers were posted private wire. No one
at the entrance to the knew. Yet millions had
broadcasting chain's heard the voice of The
building. Many walked in Shadow over the radio,
and out; none could be and with it, his
labeled as The Shadow. In fear-striking laugh.
desperation, a clever
crook whose specialty was From Chapter IV,
wire-tapping applied for "An Unofficial Report"
and secured a position as page 18
a radiotrician. Yet
questioning of his fellow
workers brought nothing The voice of the announcer came
but guesses to from the radio. It was a
light. Around the studio sinister voice, that spoke in a
The Shadow was almost as weird whisper. It was a voice
much a myth as on the that startled Harry; for it
outside. Only his voice seemed familiar.
was known.
He listend to its tones --
Every Thursday night the not to the words. The voice
spy from crookdom would ceased. An uncanny laugh
contrive to be in the followed.
twisting corridor -
watching the door of the ...
room that was supposed to
be The Shadow's. Yet no He had recieved instructions
one ever entered that over the air. They were
room! orders from The Shadow,
artfully inserted in a radio
Could it be, then, that dialogue.
The Shadow broadcast by
remote control that his From Chapter XI,
voice was conveyed to the "Vincent Establishes Himself",
studio by private wire? page 57 (Bantam edition)
No one knew. He and his
fear-striking laugh had
been heard - that was "There is a real man called The Shadow,"
all. said Berkeley, in a low voice. "I have
heard that, on good authority.
From Chapter XXIX
"English Johnny's Trick" "He tries to pretend that he is simply
page 188 (Pyramid edition) a fictious character. He is featured in
a radio program. Yet, actually, he is
real and alive."
From Chapter XXII,
"Burbank Goes on Duty",
page 107 (Bantam edition)
--------
[NEXT - SHROUDED_IN_SHADOW]