The Long Night of Waiting

~ A Short Story by Andre Norton

long night of waiting 1979

 

Synopsis ~

In 1861, Lizzy and Matt Mendal, aged 11 and 5, began crossing their father's field to take him his lunch - a journey that would not end for 110 years. Before their father's eyes, the children vanished into thin air; their parents never saw them again and put up a marker on the spot where the children disappeared, to mark their long night of waiting. In 1971, three other children - Rick, Lesley, and Alex - on their way home from school meet two scared, lost strangers their own age.

 

Write-up from a fan ~

Alex, Rick and Lesley discover that the two children, Matt and Lizzie, they'd found in the old orchard are gone -- back to where they came. Rick tries to explain to Alex that Matt had gone back, "He didn't come from here" even though Matt insisted the old farmhouse was HIS home. Lesley remembers the "funny old stone" they'd found in the orchard: "A long night of waiting / to the memory of our dear children / Lizzy and Mathew Mendal / Who disappeared on this spot / June 23, 1861. ~ SL

 

Bibliography of English Editions ~

  • Long Night of Waiting and Other Stories (1974) Edited by Roger Elwood, Published by Aurora, HC, 0-876-95149-3, $6.95, 212pg

Long Night of Waiting and Other Stories, edited by Roger Elwood, inaugurates Aurora's Science Fiction Series, This collection of original short stories is headed by the leading writers in the field of Science Fiction, Andre Norton, Eando Binder, William Carlson and A. E. Van Vogt set the standard for this and future volumes in this Series ln “A Long Night of Waiting,” Andre Norton sets the tenor of the collection with at marvelous combination of science fiction and fantasy. Eando Binder has had a long successful career and in “Resemblance to Magic.” one wonders how each succeeding work by this master can surpass the last. Other series authors include Joan C. Holly, Joseph L. Green, Chad Oliver, Barry Malzberg, and Phyllis Eisenstein.

Contains:
    i • Foreword (Long Night of Waiting and Other Stories) • essay by Theodore Sturgeon
    3 • The Long Night of Waiting • short story by Andre Norton
    27 • Teleprobe • short story by Phyllis Eisenstein
    51 • Like a Diamond in the Sky • short story by Mary C. McKinley
    63 • The Proper Study • short story by J. Hunter Holly [as by Joan C. Holly]
    77 • Natural History • short story by Barry N. Malzberg
    85 • The Most Forgettable Story in the World • short story by R. A. Lafferty
    91 • Unreasonable Facsimile • short story by Bob Shaw
    113 • The Singing Cliffs of Faunus • short story by Miriam Bunch
    127 • Earth Mother • short story by Carolyn Gloeckner
    137 • Thirty-Three and One-Third • short story by Jack Dann and George Zebrowski [as by George Zebrowski and Jack M. Dann]
    147 • Old Max • short story by B. J. Lytle
    155 • The Trippers • short story by Barry N. Malzberg [as by Robin Schaeffer]
    165 • Any Resemblance to Magic • short story by Otto Binder [as by Eando Binder]
    183 • First Mission • novelette by William K. Carlson
    211 • Epilogue: The Future of Science Fiction • essay by Audrey L. Bilker and Harvey L. Bilker

 

  • The Book of Andre Norton (1975) Edited by Rodger Elwood, Published by DAW, PB, 0-451-UY119-8, $1.25, 221pg ~ cover by Jack Gaughan
  • (1979) Educational Progress Published by Western Publishing Co. a division of Educational Development Corp, #1-803548, ~ One of 5 Short Story titles published as a Stand-Alone Booklet. Extremely Scarce in any condition.
  • Moon Mirror (1988) Published by TOR, HC, 0-312-93098-4, $17.95, 250pg ~ cover by Yvonne Gilbert
  • Isaac Asimov’s Magical Worlds of Fantasy: Faeries (1991) Edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg & Charles G. Waugh, Published by ROC, PB, 0-451-45061-2, $4.99, 374pg

Contains:
    1 • Fairyland • essay by Isaac Asimov
    4 • How the Fairies Came to Ireland • (1902) • short story by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh [as by Herminie Templeton]
    15 • The Manor of Roses • [John & Stephen] • (1966) • novella by Thomas Burnett Swann
    79 • The Fairy Prince • (1911) • short story by H. C. Bailey
    93 • The Ugly Unicorn • short story by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
    105 • The Brownie of the Black Hags • (1828) • short story by James Hogg
    121 • The Dream of Akinosuké • (1904) • short story by Lafcadio Hearn
    128 • Elfinland • novelette by Ludwig Tieck (trans. of Die Elfen 1812) [as by Johann Ludwig Tieck]
    148 • Darby O'Gill and the Good People • (1901) • short story by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh [as by Herminie Templeton]
    161 • No-Man's-Land • (1899) • novella by John Buchan
    208 • The Prism • (1901) • short story by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman [as by Mary E. Wilkins]
    220 • The Kith of the Elf-Folk • (1908) • short story by Lord Dunsany
    235 • The Secret Place • (1966) • short story by Richard McKenna [as by Richard M. McKenna]
    252 • The King of the Elves • (1953) • novelette by Philip K. Dick
    274 • Flying Pan • (1956) • short story by Robert F. Young
    284 • My Father, the Cat • (1957) • short story by Henry Slesar
    292 • Kid Stuff • (1953) • short story by Isaac Asimov
    307 • The Long Night of Waiting • (1974) • short story by Andre Norton
    325 • The Queen of Air and Darkness • (1971) • novella by Poul Anderson

 

  • Treasures of Fantasy (1997) Edited by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman & Martin H. Greenberg, Published by EOS, TP, 0-061-05327-9, $14.00, 401pg ~ cover by Paul Youll
  • Treasures of Fantasy (1999) Edited by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman & Martin H. Greenberg, Published by HarperPrism, PB, 0-061-05630-8, $6.99, 576pg ~ cover by Paul Youll

Contains:
    ix • Introduction (Treasures of Fantasy) • essay by Margaret Weis
    2 • A Proper Santa Claus • (1973) • short story by Anne McCaffrey
    12 • Wet Wings • (1996) • short story by Mercedes Lackey
    18 • Not Long Before the End • [Magic Goes Away] • (1969) • short story by Larry Niven
    32 • The Queen of Air and Darkness • (1971) • novella by Poul Anderson
    82 • Comes Now the Power • (1966) • short story by Roger Zelazny
    90 • Lady of the Skulls • (1993) • short story by Patricia A. McKillip
    102 • The Long Night of Waiting • (1974) • short story by Andre Norton
    120 • A Dozen of Everything • (1959) • short story by Marion Zimmer Bradley
    126 • Sandmagic • [Mither Mages] • (1979) • novelette by Orson Scott Card
    146 • Narrow Valley • (1966) • short story by R. A. Lafferty
    162 • Guinevere's Truth • (1996) • short story by Jennifer Roberson
    166 • Storm in a Bottle • [Brak] • (1977) • novella by John Jakes
    210 • Sail On! Sail On! • (1952) • short story by Philip José Farmer
    222 • My Dear Emily • (1962) • short story by Joanna Russ
    246 • The Dragonbone Flute • (1992) • short story by Lois Tilton
    258 • The Man Who Loved the Sea • (1995) • short story by Alan Brennert
    278 • The Same to You Doubled • (1970) • short story by Robert Sheckley
    290 • The Dreamstone • (1979) • short story by C. J. Cherryh
    306 • The Seventh Mandarin • (1970) • short story by Jane Yolen
    312 • The Montavarde Camera • (1959) • short story by Avram Davidson
    328 • Shottle Bop • (1941) • novelette by Theodore Sturgeon
    356 • The King of the Elves • (1953) • novelette by Philip K. Dick
    378 • Salve, Regina • (1996) • short story by Melanie Rawn
    392 • The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas • (1973) • short story by Ursula K. Le Guin

 

  • Isaac Asimov’s Magical Worlds of Fantasy: Faeries (2000) Edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg & Charles G. Waugh, Published by Barnes & Nobles Books, TP, 0-760-72369-9, 978-0-760-72369-2, $10.95, 374pg - contents same as above

 

Non-English Editions ~

  • (1993) Published in Segrate, by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, no ISBN, TP, 414pg ~ cover by Oliviero Berni ~ translation by MB Piccioli ~ Italian book title Il regno incantato [The enchanted kingdom] ~ Duplication of Isaac Asimov’s Magical Worlds of Fantasy: Faeries

 

Russian Omnibus Editions ~

  • (1993) Published in Niahny Novgorod, by Phlox, 5-871-98046-5, HC, 480pg ~ cover by A. Tarasov ~ Russian title Долгая ночь ожидания [The Long Night of Waiting]

Contains:

    • "Operation Time Search" as "Operation Search in Time" as ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 3-164
    • "Garan the Eternal" as "Eternal Garan" ~ translation by N. Khokhlova, pp. 165-270
    • "Catseye" as "Cat's gaze" ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 271-382
    • "Long Live Lord Kor!" as "Long live Lord Cor!" ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 383-440
    • Fantastic stories
      • "Mousetrap" as "The Mousetrap" ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 442-449
      • "All Cats are Gray" as "The Secret of The Empress of Mars” ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 449-456
      • "Long Night of Waiting" ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 456-467
      • "Gifts of Asti" ~ translation by N. Rezanova, pp. 468-479

 

Ukrainian Omnibus Editions ~

  • (2018) Published in Kyiv, Ukraine by Globe (Fanzine), no ISSBN, HC, 724pg ~ cover by Rodney Matthews ~ Ukrainian title …Все кошки серы [...All Cats Are Sulfur] ~ Limited to 10 copies

Contains:

    • "Moustrap" as "The Mousetrap" ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 7-13
    • "All Cats are Gray" as "... All cats are sulfur" ~ translation by E. Drozd, pp. 14-21
    • " Gifts of Asti" as ~ translation by N. Rezanova, pp. 22-34
    • "Nine Threads of Gold" as "Nine Golden Threads" ~ translation by I. Togoyeva, pp. 35-65
    • "Long Night of Waiting" ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 66-77
    • "London Bridge" ~ translation by N. Rezanova, pp. 78-90
    • "Velvet Shadows" ~ translation by N. Rezanova, pp. 91-282
    • "The Prince Commands" as "The Prince orders" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 283-416
    • "Star Man's Son" as "The Son of Star Man" ~ translation by V. Fedorov, pp. 417-574
    • "Ralestone Luck" ~ "Luck of the Railstones" ~ translation by V. Shcherbakova, pp. 575-722

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https://andre-norton.com/works-of-a-master/short-works-of-a-master/519-the-long-night-of-waiting#sigProIdaf80f0088b

 

 

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