The shadow girl

In Short

This is a fast-paced pulp science fiction novel that blends the technological anxiety of the 1940s with a grand, sweeping narrative of time travel. The plot centers on a young woman who appears in Central Park, pursued by a dangerous physician, Dr. Turber, who uses a temporal vehicle to manipulate history. Through a series of rapid jumps—from the early geological formation of the earth to a colossal, hive-like city of 2445—the protagonists fight to reclaim their stolen friend. It remains a classic example of early, imaginative "fix-up" style speculative fiction.

The Story

The narrative begins on a sultry night in 1945, when two friends, Alan and Ed, witness an impossible vision on their new television set: a mysterious, otherworldly girl in a distant, star-lit city. When a strange tower suddenly manifests in Central Park, they realize the girl is a traveler from the future, caught in a conflict with a sinister doctor named Turber. Turber, who maintains a suspicious hospital on Staten Island, has abducted Alan’s sister, Nanette, intending to use her to further his own temporal machinations.

As Alan and Ed attempt to rescue Nanette, they are pulled into a cross-century chase. Turber retreats into the past, specifically to New Amsterdam in 1664, where he attempts to hoard treasure and influence history during the British takeover of the Dutch colony. Alan and Ed follow, navigating the politics of the era and rescuing Nanette from a burning blockhouse with the help of a future-born woman named Lea and her companion, San. The group then escapes into the future, landing in the "Great New York" of 2445—a monolithic, rooftop-enclosed city of thirty million people.

The battle for the future begins here. Turber’s forces occupy the city’s vital industrial corridors, causing global economic collapse and mass panic. While Alan and Ed attempt to hold their ground, Lea and San travel to even more distant centuries to recover a legendary, super-powerful weapon from the ruins of a future museum. The climax sees the protagonists confronting Turber in a final, cataclysmic clash. Lea’s advanced weaponry wreaks havoc on Turber’s base, causing his time-vehicle to crash. In the ensuing temporal instability, Nanette is rescued, though she suffers a traumatic displacement in time. Ultimately, the heroes succeed in returning to their own era. The story concludes with the survivors settling into a quiet, suburban life in 1945, forever changed by their experience, while Lea remains with Alan, a permanent "shadow girl" haunting the quiet orchards of the present.

How It Unfolds

The vision on the screen The story opens with a malfunctioning television set displaying a strange, starlit vista from an unknown time. Alan and Ed realize that a phantom tower has arrived in New York, and that a young woman has been brought into their century against her will.

The rescue from the past After discovering Turber’s connection to historical New York, the group travels back to the 17th century. They infiltrate a Dutch blockhouse, battling primitive conditions and the interference of local history, to reclaim Nanette from Turber’s grasp.

The battle of 2445 The protagonists arrive in a vast, interconnected future city that serves as a global business hub. When Turber attacks, the city’s infrastructure fails, turning the monolithic metropolis into a panicked, claustrophobic maze of war.

The final confrontation Lea and San retrieve an ancient, forgotten weapon from the distant ruins of the future. They use this device to pinpoint and destroy Turber’s base, effectively trapping him and allowing the protagonists to return home to 1945.

The People

Alan Tremont is the driving force of the narrative, a man whose family background in theoretical science makes him the only one capable of deciphering the temporal technology they encounter. He is motivated by a fierce, protective love for his sister, Nanette, and he matures from a confused observer into a decisive, tactical leader.

Ed serves as the loyal narrator and grounded witness to the insanity unfolding around him. His primary conflict is the struggle to maintain his sanity and rational perspective as he is tossed through millions of years of history.

Dr. Turber acts as the primary antagonist, a cold and calculating physician who views time as a resource to be harvested. He is defined by his hubris and his willingness to sacrifice millions to secure his own power. He remains a flat, menacing force throughout the book, ultimately consumed by his own ambition.

Nanette is the catalyst for the journey. Initially a passive figure caught in the wake of the men's conflict, she experiences significant trauma during her abduction and rescue, evolving into a hardened survivor.

Lea is a woman from the far future who aids the heroes. She possesses a deep, almost reverential understanding of the technology they use, and her presence brings a sense of mythic tragedy to the group. She eventually chooses to abandon her own era to stay with Alan in the past.

In Its Own Voice

"The screen hummed as the current went into it. But at once we saw that something was wrong."

This occurs at the very beginning of the book, establishing the eerie, technological mystery that sets the entire adventure in motion.

"A vast area of gray land and water lay spread around us."

This passage describes the protagonists' terrifying vantage point while traveling back to the earth’s volatile, prehistoric dawn.

"The city was flooded with words this night."

This line captures the frantic, chaotic atmosphere in New Amsterdam as the Dutch colonists grapple with the impending British arrival.

What It's Really About

The book explores the fragility of civilization when confronted with the immense, uncaring scale of deep time. The "Great New York" of 2445 serves as a metaphor for the dangers of over-optimization; the city is so interconnected and "perfectly" run that the removal of a single gear causes a cascading collapse that threatens the world. Beneath the pulp action, there is a recurring argument about the "dastardly" nature of human ambition, suggesting that regardless of the century, humanity is always prone to the same greed, panic, and violence. The story posits that history is a weight that can crush the present, and that the only way to survive the crushing gears of progress is to retreat into the simplicity of a quiet, private life.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the "golden age" of science fiction will find this book a fascinating artifact of its time. It moves with a frantic, unpolished energy that is characteristic of the serialized fiction published in magazines during the 1940s. The prose is functional rather than flowery, designed to keep the reader turning pages through impossible scenarios.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes and the occasional jarring shift in tone. The portrayal of the 17th-century Dutch and indigenous characters relies heavily on the tropes and stereotypes prevalent in mid-century pulp literature, which can feel dated or insensitive today. The pacing is also relentless, sometimes sacrificing character development for the sake of another sudden time-jump or battle scene.

Despite these hurdles, the book is a rewarding read for those who appreciate "what if" fiction. The sense of wonder—particularly in the descriptions of the future city’s massive, glass-covered scale—remains vivid. It is a story about the desire to escape the suffocating complexity of a high-tech world in favor of the small, tangible reality of an apple orchard, a sentiment that resonates as much today as it did in 1942. If you value historical curiosity and are willing to overlook the rough edges of an older style of storytelling, this book offers a unique, breathless journey.