Murray LeinsterRecensioni

F/SF

It's incredible how a sci-fi story published over 70 years ago stands up. I would be lying if I wasn't hoping for more of a twist or a twang at the end.

It's giving Final Destination meets The Lake House.

The reading I listened to on YouTube by Vintage Sci-fi Audiobooks was brilliant.

Vintage Sci-Fi. 30,000 years in the future global warming has created a carbon-heavy atmosphere that allows insects to grow t5o great sizes. Humanity has devolved to a nearly mindless state. Our hero, a throw-back to his ancestors single-handedly discovers weapons and hunting.
read 11/30/2023

Leinster is one of the lesser known writers from the Golden Age of science fiction, which spanned the 1940s-1960s. He was very popular in that era and very prolific, plus he also managed the feat of writing for mainstream magazines such as Argosy as well as the science fiction magazines which were looked down on as 'pulps'.

The stories are a mixture of straight science fiction such as 'Pipeline to Pluto' or more fanciful tales involving time travel by mental control. The key feature of all Leinster's work is the ethical and moral strand in it, with villains often getting their come uppance. In fact, one of his stories is called 'The Ethical Equations' and in it a lowly Lieutenant who has been put in charge of first contact with an alien species aboard a wandering vessel that has entered the solar system has to balance the needs of humanity (and the combination of greed for the aliens' technology with the desire to destroy them to safeguard Earth, shown by his superiors) and the requirement to act in an ethical way for all parties.

As with any stories from this period, the modern day reader has to make allowances for certain attitudes. There doesn't appear to be any obvious racism, but attitudes to women are typical of the time, with female characters being wimpish and irrational. One of the better stories, 'If You Was a Mocklin', is slightly spoiled by this, but is still amusing and with a good twist. Probably the best story is 'The Devil of Eat Lupton', about a tramp who makes first contact with what appears to be the scout for a hostile alien force, and deals with his complete incomprehension and blundering, and the unexpected outcome.

Regarding the cover of the UK edition, presumably a homage to the bug eyed monster sensationalism of pulp era magazines: the story it illustrates is anything but, as the BEM in question is an intelligent creature from a race which has a totally aquatic experience and carnivorous mentality. Nevertheless, this individual overcomes its mindset to interact helpfully with what to it are completely alien creatures, human beings. So Leinster actually subverted the usual pulp stereotype in this story, Dear Profundis.

The med service has received a plea from the planet Pheydra, for medical help take care of casualties from a war that is about to erupt. In perpetration for their sun going nova, the young people are sent away to prepare the new home. Now on separate planets the generations have turned against one another. Calhoun faces the challenge of how as someone who is dedicated to be neutral solve this mess?
The author has a classic view of gender roles and development.

Murray Leinster (William Fitzgerald Jenkins) is one of the great names in early Science Fiction, but he also tried his hand at westerns and mysteries, eventually writing hundreds of radio scripts and more than a dozen movie screenplays. He goes so far back that a few of his great stories, such as The Runaway Skyscraper, didn’t even appear in the pulp magazines — because they hadn’t yet been invented!

The Other Now is a later story from the great Leinster, first appearing in Galaxy Magazine in 1951. It’s less that twenty pages, but it will absolutely blow you away. It’s enthralling from the first sentence, and once you realize what may be happening, it’s even more compelling. You have to remember that it wasn’t until 1952 in Dublin that Erwin Schrödinger joked with an audience that his Nobel equations actually were describing alternative realities happening simultaneously. And it wasn’t until 1957 that American Hugh Everett III put forth what would become known as the many worlds theory. Leinster had, of course, dealt with similar themes much earlier, in Sidewise, but here, it was right on the cutting edge of quantum physics.

Jimmy and Jane Patterson loved each other very much, and then tragedy struck, and she was taken from him. Three months later, still lamenting the tragedy, he comes home and something strange happens. Didn’t he already open the door, and shut the door? Finally, he takes a photo, and it shows two doors. But it isn’t until he finds Jane’s diary, and is shocked to discover an entry dated after her death, and the sorrow filled within the entry as she laments his death in the car accident, that he begins to believe.

He tells his friend Haynes, an attorney, what has been happening. Haynes feels for Jimmy, but believes his friend may be going mad — at first. To reveal more would ruin this wonderful experience. Anyone with a romantic bone in their body will love this story, as will anyone who loves the genre, or just a well-written and enthralling short story. I consider this a minor masterpiece. It might seem too sentimental for the harsh world in which we find ourselves trapped nowadays, making it all the more wonderful. Though I picked this up on Kindle, it is available for FREE on Gutenberg, and I highly recommend you rush - don't dawdle - over there as quickly as your fingertips can carry you and download it. You’ll never think of the next drop of rain in quite the same way.

While it's true this book has three fine stories from the med ship series, for a good price, they are all contained in other collection

Indeholder "1. Til Månen om en halv time!", "2. Dabneys kraftfelt", "3. Demonstrationen", "4. Rumskibet", "5. Hvor er vi?", "6. Den navnløse planet", "7. De skibbrudne", "8. På opdagelse i universet", "9. Simms er forsvundet!", "10. Diamantsandet".

En reklamemand Jed Cochrane er ansat i reklamebureauet Kursten, Kasten, Hopkins og Fallowe. Og nu har Hopkins sendt Jed på mission til Månen sammen med Jeds sekretær Babs Deane, to teknikere mr West og mr Jamison og en journalist mr Bell. Jed tager en helicab ud til rumhavnen, hvor raketten lander imens han nærmer sig. En stewardesse checker billetten og sørger for at han og de øvrige er spændt godt fast. En psykiatriker mr William (dvs Bill) Holden kan fortælle at de er på mission for Hobkins, for hans svigersøn Dabney har opfundet noget stort, men synes ikke at han får nok anerkendelse. Dabney er neurotisk, så opgaven går ud på at holde ham klar af galehuset. Via en optankning på en rumstation, kommer de til Månen, hvor der er frimærkesalg og sol-varme-miner og andre svagt givtige foretagender. Jed og de andre mødes med Dabney, der viser videre til sin egen tekniker Jones. Opfindelsen går ud på at oprette et felt mellem to plader. Der opstår et cirkulært felt, hvor signalerne går hurtigere end udenfor. Opfindelsen virker nytteløs, for den kræver vakuum mellem pladerne, så man kan fx ikke sende direkte fra Jorden til Månen. Jed tænker at man kan få det til at lyde meget spændende, hvis man tilføjer at man kan sende genstande med samme fart. Jed får West og Jamison til at bikse noget overbevisende sludder sammen. Imens fortæller Jones at det er ham, der har gjort opdagelsen, men han har solgt den til Dabney. Det giver jo god mening, og Jones tænker også at han sagtens kan få ideen med at sende genstande med overlys-hastighed til at virke. Som tænkt så gjort. Et strandet marsrumskib bliver købt for en slik og Cochrane, West, Jamison og Jones danner et selskab, som står bag. De får forsyningerne gratis bare ved at give tilladelse til at leverandørerne må reklamere med at være leverandører til missionen. En tidligere måneskibspilot gennemgår skibet og Jones sætter et par stråleplader foran og bagpå, så de kan styre skibet. Hele projektet går viralt hjulpet godt på ved at Cochranes uovertrufne evner som reklamemand.
En millionærarving Johnny Simms er gift med Alicia Keith og har penge nok. Simms drikker West fuld og køber hans anpart i firmaet A/S Rumfart. Det giver ham mulighed for at bremse afsendelse af firmaets rumraket, men i praksis er det bare fordi han selv vil med. Han er psykopat og kender ikke forskel på godt og ondt, men han vil gerne med på noget spændende. Han tager elefantgeværer og ammunition med på turen. Bell spiller poker og sælger det halve af sin part til Babs. Der går nogle uger og rumskibet bliver udrustet og gjort klart, alt imens Cochrane ordner alt papirarbejdet og det er meget.
Babs dukker op og får ham med ud at se rumskibet. Han bliver sat i en stol og Jones giver signal til afgang, selv om Cochrane protesterer over at det er at sætte Babs i fare. Det har han nok ret i, for rumskibet suser afsted med overlyshastighed og er snart ude af syne fra Lunar City. De har heldigvis instantan kommunikation via en visifon, så de kan snakke med journalisterne og andre i Lunar City. Og sende billeder tilbage.
Besætningen er Jones, Al som er måneraketpilot, Babs, Cochrane, Holden, Bell, Alicia Keith og Johnny Simms.
I travlheden glemte Jones at få afleveret en seddel til Babs om at sørge for at få nogen til at finde ud af hvordan man navigerer udenfor solsystemet. Nu er de allerede så langt væk at Solen bare er en blandt tusindvis af stjerner og de kan ikke lige finde den igen. De er kommet pænt langt hjemmefra. De stopper i rummet og sætter en ballon ud, der kan fungere som relæstation. Data og billeder bliver sendt frem og tilbage og de er kommet 178,3 lysår væk fra Solen. Alt er godt og de får sat op, så de kan sende fjernsynsbilleder direkte. Det bliver til et fast show på en halv time hver dag og det bliver en omgående succes. Cochrane er både instruktør og producer. Og Al viser sig som lidt af en frikadelle, hvilket også er et stort hit ved publikum.
De finder en planet og lander. TV-billederne er kun forsinkede med ca tre sekunder over afstanden på 203,7 lysår. Planeten har vulkaner og mens Jed og Babs er udenfor og se sig om, tvinger et udbrud til andre til at lade raketten lette. De to tilbringer aften, nat og næste morgen med at overveje situationen, men heldigvis kommer raketten tilbage efter dem. Jones har endda tænkt over et par raffinementer, så de kan spare voldsomt på brændstoffet. De får sendt en transmission tilbage til Jorden med nogle klip, som Bell har lavet, mens Cochrane var strandet på planeten. Og imens finder Jones en anden stjerne med en anden planet at lande på. Her er nogle menneskelignende væsner, som Holden forsøger at kommunikere med, men Johnny Simms skyder i stedet på dem og dræber mindst en af dem. De letter og finder en anden planet. Her er store horder af bøffellignende dyr. Om natten går Simms ud for at skyde nogle af dem, men han bliver formentlig trampet ned af dem i stedet. De andre hører nogle skud og høje skrig af rædsel og så ikke mere. Simms kone Alicia er ulykkelig. Næste dag drager de ud for at finde liget, men de finder ham heldigvis i live. Han har været oppe at toppes med nogle fuglelignende væsener på menneskestørrelse og er blevet hakket alvorligt i, men dog i live. De får ham med tilbage til rumskibet og letter igen. Denne gang tilbage til Jorden og en masse kontrakter for udforskning af planeterne og udnyttelse af Dabney feltet bliver udformet. I løbet af det næste halve år bliver masser sat i værk og rumrejser bliver rutine.

Her er dømt space opera, hvor raketter sender 500 meter lange flammer ud, men er gratis at bruge? Murray Leinster styrer sine papfigurer med rutineret hånd. Måske er det en satire over tv-værter og speed-snakkere? Kold fusion og superledende materialer ved normalt tryk og temperatur bliver jo præcist kioskbaskere i vore dage, fordi det ville være så smart, hvis det altså fandtes. Måske.
Og tilgangen til at få gang i rumrejser bringer Elon Musk og SpaceX i hu. Forresten også Cavorit, for virkemåden af raket og Dabney-felt er ikke ret overbevisende.

Kinda cute, but predicable as all heck, with a sexist subtext a mile wide. The lone female character wasn't quite banished to the kitchen, but you get the idea. Feels like it was written in the 50's rather than the 60's. Space opera, but it hasn't weathered well.

A little pat and cliche. Wish I knew more chemistry to know if the plot line makes sense in some places.

A humourous short story in the same vein as other Leinster of the era. If cops, organized crime and PSI sound like a fun combination to you, then this is worth the read.

A cute, light hearted bit of summer fluff that's probably better appreciated if you have Irish ancestry, or at least enjoy St. Patrick's day.

If the process of imagining an infestation of tiny rainbow coloured dinosaurs makes you giggle, then this is definitely for you.

Snag an ebook for free at Gutenberg or Manybooks etc.

This story has all the stereotypes of a 50's style B-grade movie. There are battles with giant squid, lots of military-style destruction and undefined but menacing aliens.

Fun classic pulp. The primitive descendants of a forgotten crashed ship struggle to survive on a forgotten planet. There are fights with giant spiders and other giant insects.½

Cuenta la apasionante historia de un joven que ayuda a construir esta primera estación. Con precisión científica e imaginación, se describe la construcción y el lanzamiento de la plataforma.

Es una novela de invasión alienígena, sobre seres no humanos que aterrizan en la Tierra con la intención de conquistarla. Es la historia de cómo respondemos a la amenaza. El héroe de la historia es Lockley, quien sospecha que los traidores humanos pueden estar involucrados en el ataque alienígena y desarrolla un dispositivo portátil que desvía los rayos de terror alienígena en circunstancias sorprendentes e imprevistas.

Supongamos que, en algún lugar, el mundo de Las mil y una noches es real, incluidos los djinns, muy poderosos y peligrosos, que no se parecen en nada al gran amigo azul de Aladdin. Un hombre de nuestro mundo no tendría ninguna posibilidad contra ellos... ¿o lo haría?

Los primeros sonidos llegaron a medianoche. Era un plañidero gemido de una voz ignota perdida en la vasta extensión del espacio sin límites. Al cabo de pocas horas el mundo entero había escuchado la extraña música extraterrestre… y comenzó el pánico.
¿Eran los sonidos una petición de ayuda? ¿De quién? ¿De dónde? ¿O acaso eran una orden demasiado terrible para pensar en ella? Nadie lo sabía. Y el horror creció en millares de millones de mentes humanas…

¿Pero cómo podía el hombre, que todavía no había llegado a la luna, hacer frente al desafío de las estrellas? Y horas después el segundo mensaje alcanzó los oídos de un mundo impotente para reaccionar… Y los días de la Tierra estaban contados.

Link Denham había pasado la mayor parte de su vida de adulto tratando de eludir el aburrimiento. Pero, a veces, puede que la aventura sea excesiva para un hombre. Una mañana, Link despertó con una fuerte resaca, para hallarse en un ruinoso navío espacial, con un extraño hombrecillo llamado Thistlethwaite. Parecía ser que se dirigían a un planeta inexplorado para recoger inexplicables riquezas.

Las estaciones de radio y televisión de todo el mundo llevaron este corto y terrorífico mensaje: Los visitantes eran telépatas.

Esos niños de otro tiempo, de otro planeta, eran capaces de leer la mente humana. Eran totalmente invencibles.

Y eran infinitamente temidos…

En el Pentágono y en el Kremlin, los altos personajes estaban preocupados por la divulgación de todos los secretos. Los amos del bajo mundo se dieron cuenta que los niños podrían desbaratar sus planes más ambiciosos… y aun los ciudadanos más comunes, se estremecieron ante la posibilidad que fueran descubiertos sus pecados más miserables.

Así, cuatro niños de corta edad, llegaron a ser odiados por el mundo entero.

El profesor Blair , un conocido científico, desaparece en misteriosas circunstancias que desorientan al F.B.I. y a sus allegados, no obstante las investigaciones del profesor, tachadas por muchos de tonterias, son dram?ticamente revindicadas cuando la ciudad de Newark es repentinamente `atacada` por una plaga misteriosa que hace suponer la muerte repentina de sus moradores. Lucy, la hija del profesor Blair, y su prometido, Steve Waldron, se lanzan a investigar el misterio.

Murray Leinster’s “The Forgotten Planet” is as perfect an example of classic science fiction as one could hope to find. It’s a 1950s’ ”fix-up” novel of a few stories from the 1920s. In that sense, it is almost a century old.

On the surface it qualifies as pure adventure, and without the clunky sophomoric (as-if teen-imagined) view of romance that used to dominate pulp sf. (You know: pulchritudinous blonde daughter of a bespectacled scientist thrown together with a teen athlete boy or a nerd.) But it is rigorously worked out from a simple premise, and is as “hard science” as this sort of thing can be.

It is, in fact, the best example of a fix-up that I can think of, for it is seamless in its construction. Well, not exactly, I guess: the prologue and epilogue are the most obvious fix-up parts, a tad more elegantly written than the crisply narrated body of the text. But that’s apt, too.

It really is impressive.

And it is an apparent inspiration for Brian Aldiss’s masterwork, “Hothouse.”

A very few typos in this edition. I have another, early Ace edition of this book, but cannot find it. When I find it I’ll sell one of them. Or both? I hate to get rid of books I may need to refer to again.

Much has been made of the short story in this collection, "A Logic Named Joe", predicting the Internet as we know it. And, well, of course it doesn't.

The short story is about a set-top box (a cable box, possibly managing Internet-of-things devices like thermostats, but still not out of the ordinary for early sci-fi where the most pressing problems to which technology could be applied seem to be cooking meals and pressing a light switch) that, through a manufacturing glitch, starts pestering users to ask it for solutions to any problems they need help with. People being what they are, the questions tend towards committing the perfect crime rather than getting just the right level of juiciness in a pork roast. My favorite is the children that got the box to show them documentary footage of cannibals - undoubtedly a prediction of the horror film genre and its audience.

Basically, the box has access to relays which connect all information in the world. So, there's AI for you, sort of, except the AI here answers each question in the most Ray Bradbury/Twilight Zone way possible, and isn't prone to the embarrassing blinkered reasoning that characterizes *actual* AI. All in all, it's just another "Monkey's Paw" story.


As for the rest? Eh, they're fine. Entertaining, but rather formulaic ("oh look! another alien race that evolved telepathy in place of speech!"). Calling the characters even one-dimensional is charitable. As each story plays out, the same stock phrases are used again and again to drive the point home ("This was the end. blah blah This was the end. blah blah bah This was the end."). It's not as tiring as it sounds, but it sure ain't good writerin'.

There are two stand-outs:

"First Contact", in which two species encounter each other for the first time, each on a deep space mission. They have no choice but to fight it out: otherwise, the first ship to make it home will be able to launch a surprise attack on the homeworld of the other species. The set-up is a bit clunky, but the problem of establishing initial trust is a very real one, and the solutions attempted are all quite good. A nice thought-experiment, especially in an era of Alice-meets-Bob security protocols.

"Critical Difference", in which different solar cycles (6-month, 7-year, 136-year) all reach their low points at the same time, causing the inhabited planets to experience a new Ice Age. You know, the old Maunder Minimum that may or may not be exacerbating the human contribution to 21st-century climate change. The interesting part of this story is the Imposter Syndrome which plagues the main character: given Leinster's lack of attention to the human psyche up until now, it's impressive that he hit the nail on the head with this one.

While on a repair job, a telephone lineman picks up a call from himself ten days into the future. The experience sends him along what at first seems to be a treacherous path.

What happens when the Irish colonize a distant planet? Why, shenanigans, of course!

On the planet Eire, metal-eating creatures called dinies have all but destroyed homes, tools, and farm equipment, but the chairman overseeing the colony from Earth, Sean O'Donohue, won't have it. The colony's inadequate progress must be due to its worthless, lazy inhabitants and, you guessed it, their shenanigans!

Just wait until he learns about the snakes that the colonists use to keep the dinies under control. You know, the snakes that Saint Patrick drove out of Ireland back on Earth. On Eire, it was another Patrick who brought the snakes to the grateful colonists, but don't tell that to O'Donohue.

An amusing little SF comedy that proves the luck of the Irish extends across the cosmos.