The Troubadour

"The Troubadour" by Robert W. Lowndes is a science fiction story written in the early 1950s. The narrative unfolds in a modern setting, focusing on a mysterious character named Mr. Fayliss, who captivates an eclectic group of party-goers with his haunting songs. The story explores themes of cultural decay and the emotions tied to civilizations long past, positioning the troubadour as a chronicler of forgotten peoples. The story follows a gathering hosted by Jocelyn, where intellectual debates and artistic discussions are the main attractions. Amidst the conversations, Mr. Fayliss, an enigmatic figure, performs a song cycle that laments the loss of a once-great civilization, evoking feelings of despair and nostalgia among his listeners. His performance has an ethereal quality that resonates deeply, leaving the audience to ponder the fate of lost cultures and their own connections to those histories. The narrative raises questions about identity, memory, and the very essence of civilization, all while cloaked in an atmosphere of intrigue surrounding the troubadour's true nature and origins. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Robert Augustine Ward "Doc" Lowndes was an American science fiction author, editor and fan. He was known best as the editor of Future Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Quarterly, among many other crime-fiction, western, sports-fiction, and other pulp and digest sized magazines for Columbia Publications. Among the most famous writers he was first to publish at Columbia was mystery writer Edward D. Hoch, who in turn would contribute to Lowndes's fiction magazines as long as he was editing them. Lowndes was a principal member of the Futurians. His first story, "The Outpost at Altark" for Super Science in 1940, was written in collaboration with fellow Futurian Donald A. Wollheim, uncredited.