3.5/5 (Good)
Theodore Sturgeon’s The Cosmic Rape (1958) is an unusual and refreshing take on the alien invasion trope — especially for a 1950s novel. Unlike many other reviewers, I found that the mechanics of the work (innumerable characters, short length, and ramshackle structure) do not detract from the overall result. Sturgeon’s prose is, as always, Continue reading
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5/10 (Bad/Average)
This “lost” (for good reason) little film is vaguely watchable for one aspect alone — a massive futuristic art-deco transatlantic plane which can fly from London to New York in 18 hours! Non-Stop New York (1937) is an early film from illustrious director Robert Stevenson (Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Love Bug, Continue reading
4.5/5 (Very Good)
Nominated for the 1970 Nebula Award for Best Novel
“The ground was covered with old names…” (76)
Joanna Russ, famous for her feminist sci-fi novel The Female Man (1975), weaves together a bizarre (and difficult) novel filled with strange images, peculiar characters, and a fragmented/layered/bewildering narrative structure. And Chaos Died (1970) is a startlingly original take on the staple sci-fi Continue reading
Van der Graaf Generator is one of my favorite prog-rock bands active in the late 60s and 70s. Although this isn’t one of their best songs, ‘Childlike Faith in Childhood’s End’ from the album Still Life (1976) perfectly fits the theme of this sci-fi inspired song series. The song is directly inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s seminal novel Childhood’s End (1953) which postulates a future where aliens usher in the next stage of human Continue reading
5/10 (Average)
Continuing my nascent series of episode by episode blog posts of Space: 1999 (1975) I present Episode 2, season 1 ‘A Matter of Life and Death.’
Plot Summary (spoilers — inherent in the very nature of this sci-fi episode post series because endings are the easiest to rant about)
Moonbase Alpha, hurtling across space, comes into contact with its first potentially inhabitable Continue reading
3/5 (Average)
Brian M. Stableford’s Journey to the Center (1982) is a poor man’s Ringworld (1970) mixed with a light dose of Pohl’s Gateway (1977). The combination is pleasantly surprising in parts but also downright dull. Stableford’s alien species are interchangeable and uninteresting and his descriptions of the world — although a fantastic idea — fail to encapsulate the awe Asgard should inspire. Continue reading
2.5/5 (Average)
For me Robert Silverberg has finally lost his aura. I knew it would happen eventually if I delved into his lesser read 60s works — but I’d been impressed recently with a string of his best (Thorns, Downward to the Earth, The World Inside) which created the aforementioned aura. I believe in the demystification of an author (for nebulous reasons) however painful the reader’s experience might be — at least The Time Hoppers (1967) clocks in at a mere 182 pages.
The Time Hoppers takes place in an overpopulated world Continue reading
I’ve finally acquired enough science fiction books to hold me (hopefully) over the summer YET few enough that I’ll clear out 90% of previous unread novels languishing in dark forgotten corners of my bookshelves…. A valiant statement I know. Most likely more will arrive mysteriously in the mail — when I sleepwalk I buy books (books in the mail = evidence of sleepwalking)…
1. The Time Hoppers, Robert Silverberg (1967) (MY REVIEW)
Another overpopulation themed novel! From the few reviews I’ve read this pales in Continue reading
1971 Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel
3.75/5 (Good)
D. G. Compton’s novel The Steel Crocodile (1971) is a thoughtful yet ultimately unspectacular exploration of the intersection of religion and science. Although the work is nowhere near the level of Compton’s masterpieces (Synthajoy, The Unsleeping Eye), it infinitely surpasses the later The Missionaries (1972) which attempted to explore similar themes. I find his strong female characters Continue reading
Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations 