1941 - Year in SF&F: Reviews

1941 THE WONDER TIMELINE: SF&F RETROSPECTIVE Read other issues here ---------------------------------------------- ASTOUNDING STORIES, MAY 1941 - FULL REVIEW: 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) ---------------------------------------------- "FANTASTIC ADVENTURES", November 1941 Typical issue of this pulp magazine, sort of poor-man's clone of the "Uknown Worlds" pulp - entertaining, light-hearted assortment of P.G.Wodehouse-styled tales. ---------------------------------------------- Edgar Rice Burroughs "The Living Dead" (Carson of Venus series) © Fantastic Adventures, Nov 1941 Escape on Venus, 1946 --/ cool sf story --/ rare find This story is part of the last Burroughs series: "Carson Napier on Venus". Reminded me of Alan Burt Akers "Scorpio" series, with the strange flying machines, fantasy-like aliens and clockwork primitive plot. Of course, Akers (pen name of Kenneth Bulmer) imitated Burroughs, but... Akers did it more engagingly, me thinks. Here, formulaic adventure is not as exotic and lush, as one might expect from Burroughs - however, it does contain one the future staples of space opera: putting our heroes on display (hanging from a hook) in an alien museum, and their subsequent inevitable escape. It seems the movie is in the works based on "Pirates of Venus" series. Should be a colorful CG experience. By the way, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there is a term "Sword and Planet" used to describe the whole subgenre in science fiction. Very convenient; I am going to use it now on a ton of pulp and paperback fiction reviews (Robert Moore Williams, Lin Carter, Akers, etc.) ---------------------------------------------- Nat Schachner "Eight Came Back" © Fantastic Adventures, Nov 1941 --/ cool time sf story --/ rare find Eight historic personalities come back to save the world... This was written in 1941, when America was soon to plunge into WW2 (this pulp issue is full of curious ads like "Do you know why German submarines can get so close to the American shores? - find out in this popular science text"), so such stories are a dime a dozen in the pulps - and I expected better from Schachner. He can routinely infuse a good dose of wonder into his (even run-of-the-mill) stories, but here he decided to stick to a boring formula. The giants of thought and famous generals are talking up a storm, each pushing an ego-maniacal or ideological agenda, but it all gets tiring very quickly. The idea somewhat resembles Philip Jose Farmer's "Riverworld" and Kelvin Kent Time Travel series (by Henry Kuttner and Arthur K. Barnes). ---------------------------------------------- William P. McGivern "Al Addin and the Infra-Red Lamp" © Fantastic Adventures, Nov 1941 --/ cool f story An inept and fumbling Genie brings his master only headaches and problems, instead of cold hard cash. The storyline is more than familiar: from ancient Arabic tales to Disney, and even famous Russian story for children "Old Man Khottabych" - and many, many stories in the fantastic pulps. Tells you that there are countless ways to screw up your "three wishes", and like in a bad dream, you never get ahead with Genie setup. ---------------------------------------------- David Wright O'Brien (as Duncan Farnsworth) "The Genius of Mr. Pry" © Fantastic Adventures, Nov 1941 --/ cool f story Breezy pulp-style "mafia vs. future prediction gone wrong" tale. Neat mafiosi characters, speaking funny. Not bad, entertaining fare. ---------------------------------------------- Dwight V. Swain "Henry Horn's Super-Solvent" (Henry Horn series) © Fantastic Adventures, Nov 1941 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ awesome scale --/ rare find Surprise! Dwight V. Swain's output in the 1950's pulps mostly left me unimpressed, but here he tackles good old "mad scientist unleashes a doom upon the world" story with great enjoyment. Sometimes there is a place and a craving for the classic fare, and this Wells / Gernsbeck-styled offering hits all the sweet spots. A universal solvent is unleashed this time, pretty impossible to contain, catch or eradicate. It dissolves, perfectly, everything in its path, and even when it hits the Rocky mountains, it does not stop there. Great visuals, and unexpectedly smooth entertainment from this writer. ---------------------------------------------- "FANTASTIC ADVENTURES", December 1941 - FULL REVIEW: Robert Moore Williams "The Reformation of Joseph Reed" © Fantastic Adventures, Dec 1941 --/ fourth place f story --/ humour award --/ rare find One of the better examples of pulp fantasy humour, very light-hearted and oh-so-enjoyable tale about 1940s reporter and his sweetheart arriving at unusual marital agreement with help of two very charming miniature demons. These demons are rather like gremlins - but less mischievous and more cuddly, so they would rather fall into category of Borrowers, or some such (almost harmless) category. What's so enjoyable about this tale, is how typical and hilarious it is, a great romp (including usual cast of characters: an evil boss, mafiosi, smart blonde, etc) that would feel at home in "Unknown" pulp, or even if written by Henry Kuttner. So far the best Robert Moore Williams story I've read. ---------------------------------------------- David Wright O'Brien "The Beauty and the Beasties" © Fantastic Adventures, Dec 1941 --/ cool f story --/ humour award --/ rare find Another great find of pulp-styled humor. So far, one of the best stories about humans transformed into pet animals. Funny interaction between a dog, a cat and a mouse, who are actually people in desperate need to return to their proper selves. Worthy of being turned into a "Babe"-like movie, or a neat "Toy Story"-like animation. ---------------------------------------------- William P. McGivern "Rewbarb's Remarkable Radio" © Fantastic Adventures, Dec 1941 --/ cool f story --/ humour award --/ rare find In the 1940s the radio, not movies was the focus of everyday entertainment, and a lot of pulp humour rotated around that - radio equipment and radio personalities became a subject of choice for many urban fantasy stories. This cute tale follows the journey of self-discovery and self-assertion of one very meek and shy man - with the help of an obnoxious radio set, which suddenly finds its voice... literally. The radio box speaks back, and not only its own mind, but the opinions of all popular radio hosts, amplified - in the meantime spoiling (or improving) our hero's miserable marriage. Cool story, smoothly told. ---------------------------------------------- William P. McGivern (as by P. F. Costello) "People of the Pyramids" © Fantastic Adventures, Dec 1941 --/ cool f novella --/ adventure award --/ style award --/ rare find I long suspected that Indiana Jones character was basically lifted from the adventure pulps of the 1930s, but this is the first time I've read a story where the lead guy looks like Indiana Jones, speaks like Jones, and has fantastic adventures in exotic desert just like in the Lucas-Spielberg movies. Even the Indy's hat is prominently featured here. Total sense of deja vu - only of course, this novella was written in 1941, supposedly by William McGivern. But is he the real author? P. F. Costello was a "one pen name fits all" in Ziff-Davis pulps, and I doubt that McGivern had written it. The writing is smooth, the adventure is tightly plotted - more masterful hand seems to be at play here. So here's what transpires in this "lost prequel" to the Indiana Jones series: Harrison Ford goes on a treasure hunt in the desert, saving a damsel in distress, captured by an evil archaeologist. There are fights in the crowded market, kidnappings, super-technology of the lost race, chases and double-crossings... enough plot and action to fill a movie script, complete with CG special effects in the end. Not bad for a totally forgotten pulp "lost world" fantasy. ---------------------------------------------- Raymond Z. Gallun "Forbidden Moon" (also as "Invaders of the Forbidden Moon") © Planet Stories, Autumn 1941 A First Glimpse & Other Stories, 2001 --/ fourth place space sf story --/ wonder award --/ rare find Starts with a bang, ends with a whimper... This novelette could have been a truly great space adventure, if it did not descend into comic-like one-dimensional world-domination plot in the end. It starts so promising, however, that I am tempted to include it in my list of best space pulp adventures. The Forbidden Moon of the title beckons with super-science mysteries of the lost alien race - plus the love interest and intrigue between main heroes is set up quite nicely (including visions of the underground lab of veritable steampunk quality). But once the action gets to the mysterious satellite, it all gets very predictable and incredibly similar to P. F. Costello's "People of the Pyramid" (I am sure, it's the other way around). Still, a good read from the Golden Age of "Planet Stories" pulp. ---------------------------------------------- Return to the Wonder Timeline

Click to go to "Dark Roasted Blend" site