Giant Walking Houses and Other Weird Ideas From Science Fiction's Early Years

"Betelgeuse"
Tales of the Stars, Tales of Future Past, DavidSZondy.com

"Giant walking houses. Say that slowly with me: Giant. Walking. Houses."

"What in the name of a fitful Welsh rarebit fiend nightmare made the people of Betelgeuse think that walking houses would ever be a good idea; let alone a giant conga line of perambulatory dwellings? There had to be mass buyer's remorse on an epic scale...."

That picture is half as wide as the original on DavidSZondy.com.

Of all the strange, improbable, implausible, and simply crazy notions in his Tales of the Stars collection, This may be my favorite.

Of course, there is the grimly sophomoric humor of "Lyra."

Then there's "Mizar:" "...This idyllic form of habitation is so original, so picturesque that it is universally regarded as the stupidest idea ever hit upon...." Considering the competition, that's impressive.

Mr. Zondy doesn't take old-time (or more contemporary) science fiction very seriously - but he knows what it's supposed to be about: which makes his commentary something I come back to at intervals.