"Black Friar of the Flame" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the Spring 1942 issue of Planet Stories and reprinted in the collection The Early Asimov (1972). "Black Friar of the Flame" was the thirteenth story written by Asimov, and was among his least favorite, though this was due more to the multiple rewrites and rejections the story suffered than to its admittedly modest intrinsic merits. Writing and re-writing Asimov began work on the story, which he originally titled "Pilgrimage", on 4 March 1939. It was to be "future history", set in the far future but written as though it were a historical novel, and would take place on a galactic scale. Asimov finished the 12,600-word story and submitted it to John W. Campbell on 21 March. Three days later, Asimov got the story back with a rejection slip that said, "You have a basic idea that might be made into an interesting yarn, but as it is, it is not strong enough." Asimov was not discouraged; he had succeeded in revising his earlier story "Trends" to Campbell's satisfaction, and decided he could do the same with "Pilgrimage". He brought a slightly longer revised version to Campbell on 25 April, and although Campbell wouldn't take it, he did ask for a second revision. Asimov submitted the second revision on May 9, only to have the story returned again. Campbell thought the story could still be salvaged, but he suggested that Asimov set it aside for several months and then return to it. Asimov started his third revision of "Pilgrimage" on 1 August and finished it in a week; by now the story had increased to 18,000 words. Asimov submitted the third revision to Campbell on 8 August. Campbell was waiting for a short novel by Robert A. Heinlein called If This Goes On— which also involved religion and revolution; if Heinlein's story was better, he would reject "Pilgrimage". As it turned out, Heinlein's story was better, and Asimov got his story back on 6 September. When Asimov's friend and then-agent Frederik Pohl became editor of Astonishing Stories and Super Science Stories later that year, Asimov submitted "Pilgrimage" to him. Pohl also rejected it, saying the ending was weak. Asimov continued trying to sell "Pilgrimage", rewriting it twice more and changing the title to "Galactic Crusade". Finally, on 15 August 1941,