Night Lamp (Science Fiction Novel)

Striving. Amnesia. Revenge. A Secret Past. Clam Muffins. 

Night Lamp, by Jack Vance, is a space opera, with a dusting of mystery and satire. According to Worlds Without End, the novel is listed in the book Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985–2010.

Briefly, two visiting scholars, a married couple, rescue Jaro, a six-year-old boy who is about to be beaten to death by a gang of boys. The doctors who treat Jaro discover that he has recently sustained an emotional trauma so severe that it threatens his life. Their treatment essentially erases his earlier memories. The couple adopts Jaro and takes him back to their home planet, where the culture is focused on social striving. Jaro dreams of becoming a spaceman so he can find out about his past. His well-meaning adopted parents try to keep it a secret from him until he finishes his education. When they are tragically killed, he is left to uncover the mystery for himself. Where did Jaro’s adopted parents find him? What happened in the first six years of his life? Who is the mysterious man in his memories? What is the voice in Jaro’s head?

Night Lamp was not my cup of tea. The characters were likeable enough. The plot was interesting enough and had a number of interesting twists. The world view was fresh. But, I never totally resonated with the novel. I never became fully involved in the plot and wasn’t always sure what was meant to be funny and what was meant to be serious. 

Darker than You Think (Classic Fantasy Novel)

A Box. A Cat. Dogs. Wolves. Genetics. Silver. Dreams. Psychoanalysis.

I can almost see the fog roll out of the pages of Darker than You Think by Jack Williamson. Originally published in 1948, it is vintage horror, combining fantasy, mystery, and just enough science to make it credible. The age of the novel adds to the enjoyment, making it easier for the reader to imagine eerie scenes.

Briefly, Will Barbee is a reporter, who was once a student of the anthropologist Dr. Mondrick. In the opening scene, Barbee is at an airport, waiting for Mondrick’s plane to touch down. There Barbee meets another reporter, a mysterious red head named April Bell. After Mondrick's plane lands, he begins to announce a startling discovery that will change the world — the contents of a mysterious box are his proof — but, he collapses and dies before he can complete the announcement. His colleagues whisk the box away and risk their lives protecting it. Barbee suspects that April is responsible for Mondrick’s death, but he feels more fascination than fear toward her. Soon, he begins to have strange dreams in which he is transformed and is accompanied by a white, female wolf. When some of the details of the dreams are confirmed in his waking life, he searches for the truth. What is inside the mysterious box, and what does it have to do with him? 

I am not a fan of horror, but I thoroughly enjoyed Darker than You Think. It is fast paced, has interesting characters, and, although I suspected what would happen in the end, kept me guessing. I also have a tremendous respect for Williamson, who helped blaze a trail for modern horror writers.

Mission of Gravity (Classic Science Fiction Novel)

Experiencing Gravity. Flying. Exploring. Throwing. Trading. Overcoming Physical Obstacles. Strategizing. Communicating. Retrieving Something Valuable. 

Imagine a world where an intelligent species does not have words for such concepts as “flying” or “throwing.” In 1953 Hal Clement gave us the classic science fiction story Mission of Gravity, set in a world with intense gravity. Clement’s ability to create a convincing world is what makes this a classic. Never mind that in later years some of the scientific details would be disproved. According to Worlds Without End, the novel is on at least six major science fiction lists.

Briefly, Mission of Gravity takes place on Mesklin, a world shaped like a flattened sphere. The gravity at the equator is a number of times stronger than Earth and at the poles hundreds of times stronger. The Mesklinites, who look similar to large caterpillars, are an intelligent species. One of them, Barlennan, forms a relationship with Lackland, a human exploring the planet. When a rocket containing valuable scientific information is lost in a high gravity region, Lackland must enlist the help of Barlennan and his group to retrieve the information. As the gravity grows stronger, Lackland must part company with the group and help via radio (television?) contact. We soon learn that cute Barlennan is actually a shrewd trader and strategist.

Once again, I am reminded that current generations of science fiction authors stand on the shoulders of earlier generations. Mission of Gravity has good world-building and a relatively interesting plot. The novel represents major progress from standard 1950’s science fiction. By modern-day standards, this book might be considered quaint and, at points, a bit overly focused on mechanical details. At a few points, the humans, who are watching from space, take out their slide-rulers to make calculations. This novel is well worth reading.

The Last Song of Orpheus (Fantasy Novel)

Music of the Spheres. A Voyage. Destiny. Fate. The Netherworld. The Golden Fleece. Mysteries. 

To fulfill my role in maintaining the great harmony of the universe I must go from place to place as I am told, either to teach or just to sing and play, as is needed.

The above quote sums up The Last Song of Orpheus by Robert Silverberg. The novel is short and simple, but beautiful and poetic. Using a first person narrative, it brings to life the character of Orpheus, a musician from Greek mythology.

The Last Song of Orpheus also makes the reader think. Do we have freewill or are we at the mercy of fate? Can we unite the Apollo and Dionysus within ourselves? Can we perceive the music of the spheres underneath all that we experience in our world?

The Last Song of Orpheus is a worthwhile little book.

Time Travelers (Classic SF Novels)

Time Traveling. Cold War. Space Exploration. Aliens. Advanced Technology. Traders. Artifacts. 

Time Travelers by Andre Norton is a fun romp into classic science fiction. This omnibus consists of two relatively short novels -- The Time Traders copyrighted 1958 and Galactic Derelict copyrighted 1959 -- which share the same set of characters. The book has the feel of a 1960’s television program and reminds me a bit of the more recent Stargate series. Both books have a bit of the theme of the misfit finding his niche.

Briefly, in the first book we meet Ross, a misunderstood criminal who chooses to “volunteer” for an undisclosed project rather than submit to the more ominous sounding "rehabilitation." Ross soon discovers that the project involves traveling into the past to discover how the Russians are suddenly acquiring advanced technology. This leads him to a direct encounter with aliens. In the second book we meet Travis, an Apache who quit school because of racial prejudice. While in the desert, he accidentally stumbles on the latest time traveling project. His archeological background makes him a perfect candidate for time travel. But, the project ends up taking him and the team to distant planets.

The book isn’t particularly complex by modern standards, but it is entertaining. I could almost see the 1960’s special effects as I read the stories. Yet, the books left me pondering about the rise and fall of civilizations. As an aside, Norton was prophetic when she wrote in the book, in the late 1950’s, that the government stopped manned exploration of space after landing on the moon. Science fiction lovers like me owe a debt of gratitude to Andre Norton and her fellow writers who blazed a trail for modern science fiction

West of Eden (SF Novel)

Warm Blooded Animals. Cold Blooded Animals. Revenge. Genetic Engineering. Longer Winters. Dissenters. 

Originally published in the 1980’s, West of Eden by Harry Harrison is an alternative pre-history novel. It explores the question of what would have happened if the major cold-blooded animals had not been wiped out by an asteroid and had continued to evolve.

Briefly, the ice-age is approaching. The cities of the Yilané, a reptilian species, are created from biological materials which cannot withstand the growing cold. The Yilané must begin to move to warmer climates. While building a city in a new location, they encounter the Tanu, basically early humans. Both sides commit massacres and seek revenge. Early on in the story a young Tanu, Kerrick, is taken captive. He is taught the Yilané’s language and to some extent is incorporated into their culture. The person responsible for overseeing the construction of the new city uses him for her own political gain. Years later when he finally escapes, he is confused about his identity and loyalties. He finally joins with his own people to prevent their total obliteration.

I really enjoyed this novel. Harry Harrison does a nice job of world building. He describes both species well. The biological engineering twists to the Yilané environment are interesting, though some border on fantasy rather than science fiction. Kerrick is a relatable character. The story has lost little relevancy in the nearly thirty years since it was first published.

An Alien Heat (SF Novel)

Time-travel. Aliens. Menageries. Virtue. Love.

An Alien Heat by Michael Moorcock is a short, quirky novel that was written in the early 1970’s. The novel is set in the distant future. Bored earth inhabitants continuously create and recreate their surroundings and bodies in ways that amuse them. Often they will base their creations on what they know —however accurate or inaccurate—of different historical periods. Many of the inhabitants also have menageries filled with people from different time periods, animals, and aliens.

At yet another boring party, an alien announces that the Universe is near the end of time. Instead of paying attention to his warning, the inhabitants put the alien into a menagerie. Also at the party is a woman from 1896. Jherek is determined to experience love with her. First, he acquires her from someone else’s menagerie. He then attempts to win her love. When she suddenly disappears, he pursues her back to her own time period.

I found the novel mildly amusing and a tiny bit thought provoking. When I first began the novel, I was bored by the bored characters. But I slowly found Jherek endearing in his own misguided way. This is the first book in The Dancers at the End of Time series and the novel left me curious about the other books.

Early Del Rey (SF Book)

Mars. Dog People. Ape People. Wars. Brownies. Rockets. Rivals. Elves. Skulls. Plenum. Loops. Soldiers. Memories. Consciousness. Robots. Plagues. Apocalypse. Mutations. Teleportation. Time Travel. 

Early Del Rey by Lester Del Rey is an anthology of 24 short stories that have not be published in other books. The stories were originally published in pulp, science fiction magazines. Woven throughout the book is a description of Del Rey’s career from the time he sold his first story in 1938 to the time he became a full-time writer in 1950.

These are not Del Rey’s best works. There is something unrewarding about finishing a short story only to be told on the next page what was wrong with it. Yet, I found the book worthwhile for a number of reasons. It gave me a taste of the Golden Age of Science Fiction.  I was able to see how WWII affected the science fiction community. I learned more about the influence of John Campbell, one of the Godparents of modern science fiction. Lastly, most of the stories were actually enjoyable.

While I won’t recommend Early Del Rey, diehard science fiction fans might enjoy it.

The Immortal (SF Novel)

Immortality. Blood. Medicine. Power. The Price of Longevity. Doctors vs. Healers.

The Immortals by James Gunn is composed of a series of short stories. Versions of some of the stories were published in the mid 1950’s. Many of the stories have since been revised and new stories have been added. The final book was published in 2004. With the recent attention to healthcare, the story continues to be relevant.

The overarching plot spans over 150 years. In the first story, a man named Cartwright donates blood in order to earn some extra money. The person who receives the blood miraculously has his symptoms reversed and appears decades younger. But the effects only last a little over 30 days. Throughout the rest of the overarching story, various people attempt to find Cartwright and his children in order to use their blood for immortality. People also attempt to create an elixir that simulates the effects of the blood. As the story progresses, medicine takes on a larger and more grandiose position in society. Towards the end of the story, society has become a dystopia, where people spend over 52% of their income on medicine and defaulters are used as spare parts to keep the rich alive. One of the major characters in the stories is Doctor Pearce, who first realizes the properties of Cartwright’s blood.

This is the first book that I remember reading by Gunn. I am impressed by his writing and the way he describes scenes. The short story format helps give the plot a lively pace. Pearce gives us someone to feel sympathy toward. The last short story does a nice job of wrapping up the plot.

Lest Darkness Fall (Classic SF Novel)

Brandy. Sorcery. Accounting Systems. Copper Tubing. Printing Press. Reporters. Clock. Telegraph. Crossbow. Gunpowder. Politics. 

Lest Darkness Fall by David Drake is an early example of alternative history science fiction. This classic first appeared as a short story in 1939 and was first published as a novel in 1941. The story is still amusing and enjoyable to read.

Briefly, a present day — late 1930’s — archeologist is struck by lightening and sent back to 6th century Rome. There he introduces some modern inventions. But, his ultimate goal is to prevent the coming of the Dark Ages. One of his biggest obstacles is the politics of the era. Some things never change.

The novel was well worth the time I spent reading it.

Genesis (SF Novel)

Sapient Machines. Freedom. Knowledge. Artificial Intelligence Networks. World Guide. Alternative Histories. Galactic Brain. Post Human Earth.

Genesis by Poul Anderson won the 2001 John W. Campbell Memorial Award. On one hand, I am not sure that I liked the book. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and most of the time the plot felt disjointed. On the other hand, I keep thinking about the book even though I finished reading it two days ago.

Briefly, the book is composed of scenes that don’t seem to fit together until the end. The reader is introduced to Christian Brannock and Laurinda Ashcroft, both of whom eventually have their human consciousness uploaded into machine consciousness. Some of the scenes are about a clan-oriented culture in a time and place that are not clear to the reader. Still other scenes are about the artificial intelligences.

In some ways, I found the book appealing. Some of us science fiction fans dream of going to the stars, knowing that it is highly unlikely in our lifetimes. If I could upload myself into a star-going machine, I would probably go for it. I am also fascinated by the idea of a society where most people had their consciousness uploaded before they died. This has almost a religious feel to it. The book is definitely thought-provoking.

Helliconia Spring (SF Novel)

Cycles. Climate Change. Forgotten Knowledge. Binary Stars. Hunting. Domestication. Slavery. Gender Roles. Ancestors and Descendants.

Helliconia Spring by Brain W. Aldiss won the 1982 BSFA and 1983 Campbell awards. It is the first book in the Helliconia Trilogy. Aldiss creates a memorable world. Not only does he populate it with interesting humans and non-humans, but he adds some twists. The first twist is that Helliconia has a traditional year that lasts over 400 days and a second type of year that lasts centuries. This creates dramatic climate changes on the planet. The second twist is that people from earth are watching the drama on the planet unfold. These twists give the reader a unique sense of time. The novel is mostly science fiction with some fantasy elements.

Briefly, the opening section of the novel describes the experiences of Yuli, who comes to live in Oldorando after his father is captured and enslaved by the phagors. Yuli goes on to become something of a folk hero. The majority of the book describes the experiences of Yuli’s descendant Little Yuli, his grandson Laintal Ay, and their contemporaries. For the most part, they live in a brutal, patriarchal society that looks at knowledge as a luxury. A handful of women try to create and maintain an academy and explore the history of their civilization. The changing climate brings changes to the society.

Helliconia Spring is my first book in the Worlds Without End Grand Master Challenge and the first book that I remember reading by Aldiss. He impressed me with the world that he created, and he made me think about the climate changes that are going on in our own world.