Astounding Stories, May 1941

---------------------------------------------- Robert A. Heinlein "Universe" (nv) (Hugh Hoyland) (Future History) (part of "Orphans of the Sky") © Astounding, May 1941 Orphans of the Sky, 1963 --novella : 1999 Locus All-Time Poll /37 --/ FIRST place space sf novella --/ wonder award --/ adventure award --/ idea award Ground-breaking and definitive "generation starship" story, which only grows better with time. Every "enclosed Universe" scenario, including Philip K. Dick's imaginary conspiracies and subliminal cages of the mind, up to the manufactured world of "The Truman's Show" owes to this classic masterpiece... The stifling atmosphere of the mutant-inhabited levels of the huge starship lost in the void, containing a speck of humanity drifting on a mission, long-forgotten - and yet discovered again in the process of an epic struggle - all condensed in a wonder-charged narrative of only 200-some pages (if you include the sequel). Life-changing novel, the best thing that Robert Heinlein had ever wrote. review: 25-Dec-07 (read in 1988) ---------------------------------------------- Isaac Asimov "Liar!" (Robot series) © Astounding, May 1941 I, Robot, 1950 --/ fourth place sf story --/ idea award Two timeless classics in one issue! Very good for a pulp magazine... a testimony to the Science Fiction Golden Age that was in full swing at that time, led by John W. Campbell talented editorship. One of the best stories from the "Robot Cycle", this one concerns a seeming necessity to lie in order to avoid a psychological harm, bad feelings (a conflict we often find ourselves in) and how this dilemma leads to the melting of the brains of a robot, bound by the Three Laws of Robotics.Highly entertaining tale, Asimov at his coolest. review: 25-Dec-07 (read in 1986) ---------------------------------------------- Robert Heinlein "Solution Unsatisfactory" (as by Anson MacDonald) © Astounding, May 1941 Another Robert Heinlein, this time with the seminal tract about the nuclear arms race, in which many post-war themes and ideas were explored ahead of their time, even pre-war, including prediction of the "Manhattan Project" and the following nuclear safety issues... I found the story quite dry, but readable: almost a required reading today for any serious fan of Golden Age SF. review: 25-Dec-07 (read in 1986) ---------------------------------------------- Eric Frank Russell "Jay Score" (Jay Score series) © Astounding, May 1941 Men, Martians and Machines, 1955 --/ cool sf story This story is important as a start of the highly entertaining planetary-exploration series "Men, Martians and Machines", though it's decidedly lower-key than its all-holds-barred adventure sequels. Pretty charming tale of a robot's interaction with the multi-ethnic spaceship crew (a sort of warm-hearted alternative to Asimov's robot story in the same issue), told in a typical Russel's tongue-in-cheek funny style. review: 25-Dec-07 (read in 1984) ---------------------------------------------- Harry Walton "Subcruiser" © Astounding, May 1941 --/ fourth place space sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award --/ rare find The heroics of bringing the Sub-space Cruiser to safety amid the sabotage, conspiracy, crew politics and necessary perils of exposing yourself to the unknown sinister forces, combined with clear and engaging adventure narrative - make this easily the favorite story for any "wonder-holic" and "exploration nut" like me. I totally appreciate Harry Walton down-to-Earth realism approach to depicting the wild events in bizarre surroundings. It's only a pity that he did not write much, only a handful of stories... This story screams to be reprinted and re-discovered for some military sf anthology. review: 25-Dec-07 (read in 2007) ---------------------------------------------- Also in this issue: Vic Phillips & Scott Roberts "Fish Story" © Astounding, May 1941 --/ cool sf story and the conclusion of: L. Sprague DeCamp "The Stolen Dormouse" (nv) © Astounding, Mar 1941

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