Uma pequena história anterior a 1955
"Ponto de Transferência" por Anthony Boucher , originalmente publicado em
sobre pessoas que se escondem de invasores ondulantes como a fita que entram pelas aberturas de ventilação. As fitas podem ter sido amarelas, e o autor poderia ter sido Van Vogt.
Não por Van Vogt, mas você está certo sobre a invasão de fitas amarelas:
It was then that they saw the first of the yellow bands.
It was just that: a band of bright yellow some thirty centimeters wide, about five meters long, and so thin as to seem insubstantial, a mere stripe of color. It came underneath the back drop behind the announcer. It streaked about the casting room with questing sinuosity. No features, no appendages relieved its yellow blankness.
Then with a deft whipping motion it wrapped itself around the announcer. It held him only an instant. His hideously shriveled body plunged toward the camera as the screen went dead.
That was the start of the horror.
Provavelmente envolve viagens no tempo.
He saw it clearly. Kirth-Labbery's genius had at last evolved a time machine. That was the one escape, the escape which the scientist had not yet tested and rather distrusted. And Lavra had poked the green button because Norbert Holt had said she had poked (would poke?) the green button.
Essa última passagem não é exatamente auto-explicativa, então deixe-me explicar. O personagem principal, Vyrko, entediado em seu abrigo hermético, estava lendo um estoque de antigas pastas de ficção científica que encontrou lá, e ele se deparou com uma descrição incrivelmente precisa de sua situação atual em uma história escrita por alguém como "Norbert Holt". Sim, um paradoxo do tempo. Aqui está um resumo do enredo de NESFA 's Ficção Científica Recursiva site:
Far in the future Earth has been invaded by aliens who look like yellow bands. They have used the allergenic gas agnoton to destroy humanity. Only three people survive—the scientist Kirth-Labbery, his beautiful, but stupid daughter Lavra, and her literary boy friend Vyrko. Vyrko, read old pulps (especially Galaxy and Surprising); he is amazed by the detailed accurate predictions of Norbert Holt. Vyrko is accidentally thrown back in time by Lavra (who is now pregnant with twins). In the 1950s, Vyrko has no skills, so he turns to writing history as science fiction under the name Norbert Holt. He becomes a success—convention guest of honor and president of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SCWA—go figure; this is changed to the Fantasy Writers of America in the anthology version). Vyrko has an affair with Ms. Manning Stern, editor of Suprising, but commits suicide to break the time loop. Appearing in cameo roles are Joe Henderson, Matt Duncan, and Austin Carter from Rocket to the Morgue.