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Post by wildfire2099 on May 30, 2014 12:46:23 GMT -5
I agree.. very cool cover (nice title, too) My entry for today: Siege Perilous by Lester Del Rey My copy is the 1st edition Lancer Paperback(1966) later editions apparently changed the title to Man without a Planet ... neither fits particularly well. Pretty good cover, nothing spectacular:  ' Plot: Fred Hunter built the space station that keeps the peace between the US and the Eurasian Combine, but he never thought he'd live there. A construction accident made it so the medics didn't think he could survive on Earth. During a shift change at the station (everyone else only stays for a few months to make sure they don't go crazy) bad guys spouting old movie quotes and using ancient space suits attack the station, and the incoming commander fails to stop them, only Fred, a gung ho soldier named Callaghan, and Fred's favorite scientist lady friend Sandy are free. Can they figure out who the invaders are, and stop armegeddon? Analysis: Not bad... full of tropes (to the extent that I think Del Rey was making fun of them, though I can't be sure at this early-ish date), but a page turned that made me LOL a couple times. It reminded me quite a bit of David Weber style wise.. makes me wonder if he's ever sited Del Rey as an influence. Probably not good enough to search out, but a good read if you come across it. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 31, 2014 12:33:52 GMT -5
 Lost World of Time by Lin Carter copywright 1969 from Signet. My is likely not the 1st printing (as it lists when the 1st printing was inside), but this appears to be the only cover. Strangely, the hero doesn't look much like his description in the book. Plot: At the edge of the solar system, the tenth planet is home of a once mighty empire, now fallen to decay. Princess Alara has little chance to hold against the Hordes of the living god of chaos, but a prophesy from the long dead court wizard says the Lion will come and wield the hammer of heaven and save the empire. Enter Sargon... Analysis: I like Carter's Conan OK, and I assume that he's got at least a few good books, since he's written a million of them. This one, however, is pretty much garbage... it reads like a 12 year old Conan fan fic, with ridiculously long descriptions, and FAR too many 'heroes', especially since the theme is there are no more heroes, do to the empire being in decay. The actual hero, Sargon, isn't present for the main battle, but instead saves the princess and leaves the defenders on their own. Oh, and LOTS of bad sort of machismo, too. Just a terrible book. No wonder it didn't become a series (though it ends with 'The Beginning') |
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Post by Rob Allen on May 31, 2014 15:19:57 GMT -5
Carter did get better. In this case he was lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to have someone publish his first draft.
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Post by gothos on May 31, 2014 15:22:26 GMT -5
Lost World of Time by Lin Carter copywright 1969 from Signet. My is likely not the 1st printing (as it lists when the 1st printing was inside), but this appears to be the only cover. Strangely, the hero doesn't look much like his description in the book. Plot: At the edge of the solar system, the tenth planet is home of a once mighty empire, now fallen to decay. Princess Alara has little chance to hold against the Hordes of the living god of chaos, but a prophesy from the long dead court wizard says the Lion will come and wield the hammer of heaven and save the empire. Enter Sargon... Analysis: I like Carter's Conan OK, and I assume that he's got at least a few good books, since he's written a million of them. This one, however, is pretty much garbage... it reads like a 12 year old Conan fan fic, with ridiculously long descriptions, and FAR too many 'heroes', especially since the theme is there are no more heroes, do to the empire being in decay. The actual hero, Sargon, isn't present for the main battle, but instead saves the princess and leaves the defenders on their own. Oh, and LOTS of bad sort of machismo, too. Just a terrible book. No wonder it didn't become a series (though it ends with 'The Beginning') Wow, I'm amazed someone else besides me read this turkey. I reread a few years ago because I'd read it 20-30 years and couldn't remember what happened in it. A few years later, I've already forgotten it again. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 31, 2014 16:43:28 GMT -5
I got two big boxes of (mostly) 60s sci fi book via ebay a couple months back... 200+ books for about $100... I started this thread (back on CBR) in great part to chat about them, and get additional ideas for stuff to read. I totally would have grabbed it at a library sale or whatever had I seen it, though, due to the Conan connection.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on May 31, 2014 17:46:53 GMT -5
Carter did get better. In this case he was lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to have someone publish his first draft. He didn't get much better. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 31, 2014 23:04:58 GMT -5
So my wife and her buddies recently read Stranger in a Strange Land for their book club. The big debate was... does Heinlein hate women (at least at that time) or was he being over the top to be satirical.
Thoughts?
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Post by Jesse on Jun 1, 2014 6:09:41 GMT -5
The *s indicate a short story collection.. all others are novels. Zelazny, Roger Roadmarks* (Art School Dropout) 5
Zelazny, Roger Creatures of Light and Darkness* (Art School Dropout) 6
Zelazny, Roger Last Defender of Camelot (Art School Dropout) 2Hey I just noticed this. Roadmarks and Creatures of Light and Darkness are not short story collections but Last Defender of Camelot is. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2014 10:00:06 GMT -5
I love the sort of semi-abstract cover painting you see on some of the American sf books from the 50s and early 60s. This one that Ish posted above is an excellent example. I can't quite make out the signature of the artist in the upper left-hand corner but I'd be tempted to buy a paperback for that cover. I haven't heard of the writer, but I like the title as well. The artist is named Powers Yes -- Richard Powers. Highly thought of, & for good reason. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2014 10:11:38 GMT -5
Those Idiots From Earth-Richard Wilson (1957) I'm aobut 99.9 percent positive I've got this, as well as a subsequent collection, Time Out for Tomorrow, & a novel, The Girls from Planet 5. I really need to start excavation work in my book room so that I can put my hands on those; the 2 novels of his that I've read, And then the Town Took Off (half of an Ace Double; no idea if it was ever published as a stand-alone) & 30-Day Wonder, I remember as being quite enjoyable. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2014 10:17:24 GMT -5
Today's book for me: The Synthetic Man(also called the Dreaming Jewels) by Theodore Sturgeon Haven't read it in probably close to 40 years, but this is my favorite thing of Sturgeon's though I know More Than Human has a higher critical rep. |
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Post by gothos on Jun 1, 2014 13:53:05 GMT -5
So my wife and her buddies recently read Stranger in a Strange Land for their book club. The big debate was... does Heinlein hate women (at least at that time) or was he being over the top to be satirical. Thoughts? So why did your wife say Heinlein hated women? Any particular scenes in mind? My own take is that Heinlein created a fair number of competent or even powerful women, but that he didn't really internalize anything about their characters, so even these types come off as rather flat-- while he really invests himself in his better male characters. He also liked both the 'sex doll' stereotype and the 'nurturing mama' stereotype, and kind of worked them in whenever he pleased, w/o much consistency. |
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Post by The Man of Tomorrow on Jun 1, 2014 15:50:11 GMT -5
So my wife and her buddies recently read Stranger in a Strange Land for their book club. The big debate was... does Heinlein hate women (at least at that time) or was he being over the top to be satirical. Thoughts? So why did your wife say Heinlein hated women? Any particular scenes in mind? My own take is that Heinlein created a fair number of competent or even powerful women, but that he didn't really internalize anything about their characters, so even these types come off as rather flat-- while he really invests himself in his better male characters. He also liked both the 'sex doll' stereotype and the 'nurturing mama' stereotype, and kind of worked them in whenever he pleased, w/o much consistency. To be fair, Heinlein wasn't really doing anything different than your typical male SF writer of the time. I don't recall cringing too much in regard to his female characters, which can't be said for some of his contemporaries. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jun 1, 2014 16:19:54 GMT -5
The two particular things she didn't like was a line about 'don't hit it any harder than your wife on a Saturday Night', and one about women and children having the same intelligence level... she has quotes, if you really want them. It's true lots of other authors are similar (but not as extreme as in this particular book)... I don't think she was surprised, just debating whether it was satire, or a real opinion.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jun 1, 2014 16:20:29 GMT -5
The *s indicate a short story collection.. all others are novels. Zelazny, Roger Roadmarks* (Art School Dropout) 5
Zelazny, Roger Creatures of Light and Darkness* (Art School Dropout) 6
Zelazny, Roger Last Defender of Camelot (Art School Dropout) 2Hey I just noticed this. Roadmarks and Creatures of Light and Darkness are not short story collections but Last Defender of Camelot is. Not sure how I did that, but all fixed. |
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