The Ballad of Lost C'Mell
| "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Cordwainer Smith |
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | Instrumentality of Mankind |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction short story |
| Published in | Galaxy Magazine |
| Publication type | Print (Magazine, Hardback & Paperback) |
| Publisher | Galaxy Publishing |
| Publication date | October 1962 |
| Preceded by | "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard" |
| Followed by | "Norstrilia" |
"The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" is a science fiction novella by American writer Cordwainer Smith. It was first published in October 1962 in Galaxy Magazine, and since reprinted in several compilations and omnibus editions.
The main characters are Jestocost, a lord of the Instrumentality of Mankind and C'Mell, a beautiful cat-derived "underperson" (an animal given human speech and form but no rights, while retaining some of its inherent genetics -- for example, C'Mell's father held the long-jump record at the time) who works as a "girly-girl" (similar to an escort) at the main spaceport.
The story revolves around Jestocost's ambition to help the oppressed underpeople gain rights without upsetting the established social order. While debating how to make contact, Jestocost telepathically accesses C'Mell's thoughts and overhears her call for help to someone named E-telly-kelly. After awkwardly questioning her later (which she at first mistakes for a crude pass), he is permitted to make contact with the E'telekeli, an eagle-derived underperson unknown to the Instrumentality with immense telepathic powers, who may be the leader of the underpeople. Jestocost and the E'telekeli agree to a simple scheme in which Jestocost supplies the underpeople, through C'Mell, with details about the main human checkpoints, so that the underpeople can avoid trouble with the Instrumentality while seeking rights. Their plan requires C'Mell and Jestocost to work closely together, and C'Mell (working for the first time with a human who respects her intelligence) falls in love with Jestocost, but he suppresses his own feelings as a distraction, and they separate when the plan succeeds. Ultimately, during Jestocost's life, underpeople achieve a lower-grade citizenship, for which their efforts were partly responsible. The story of Jestocost and C'Mell never becomes public, but a folk song among the underpeople entitled "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" tells a poetic and partial version of the events.
Smith's novel Norstrilia is partly a sequel to this story (it is set a few years later, includes all of the main characters, and is concerned with some of the same issues). C'Mell also appears in Smith's story "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard".[1]
"The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" was included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two, a collection of the 22 greatest science fiction novellas published before the introduction of the Nebula Awards in 1965, as selected by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
