J. W. Campbell. The Mightiest Machine (1935; reprint of 1947)

     J. W. Campbell. The Mightiest Machine (1935; reprint of 1947) A “classic hard SF” story, about the building of a faster than light drive and a galactic war that Terrans presumably win. I didn’t read that far. The SF of the 30s was heavy on “science”, mostly bad speculation based on largely misunderstood theories, theories which were themselves very tentative, that is more or less wrong. The tech talk gets rather tedious. SF has changed a lot since then. For example, one of the virtues of Star Trek was its emphasis on character; the success of the series gave SF writers permission to ignore “explanations” of how the marvellous technologies actually worked. And when the technology was one of the protagonists, it was based on a good deal more than high school bowdlerisations of physics, as in the STNG story about the crew member who was afraid to be transported. His knowledge of the principles underlying the transporter gave him the willies, justifiably so, as it turned out. Anyway, I didn’t finish Campbell’s opus. The story just didn't engage me at the level that really matters, the characters. Campbell eventually edited Astouning Stories, which later became Analog. He was a far better editor than writer. * (2005)

W. J. Burley. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (1968), & Wycliffe and Death in a Salubrious Place (1973)

     W. J. Burley. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (1968) The Pussy in question is Pussy Welles, who has a slight deformity, revealed when her killer strips the deformed leg of its stocking. Pussy was bad, Burley doesn’t use the word “psychotic”, but that’s what she was. Wycliffe digs up her past (as he always does), and her past holds the key. Psychologically not believable these days, but I suppose in 1968 it seemed plausible, since Freud’s baleful influence on psychology still had its effects. I’ve noticed that Wycliffe’s sidekick seems to change with each book. Does Burley not keep track, or does he not want to be burdened with having to develop another relationship? Wycliffe’s marriage is barely hinted at, which suggests that Burley doesn’t want to deal with it; perhaps he was afraid that whatever he shows us of Wycliffe’s relationship to his wife, it would reflect on himself. ** (2005)

     W. J. Burley. Wycliffe and Death in a Salubrious Place (1973) I seem to be on a Wycliffe

kick, I guess they are easy and pleasant enough to take my mind off my worries (mostly having to do with the commitments I’ve made: volunteering is getting to be as stressful as working.) A girl is found dead in a quarry on the Scilly Isles, and a local pop-star is the favourite suspect. But when he is killed, too, it’s clear that the murderers are islanders, and Wycliffe gets the final help he needs to solve the case. Not that it matters, as the one murderer sets a fire that kills them both. Another well done puzzle, but with less human interest than most Wycliffe books (not that any of them are all that subtle in characterisation.) Books like these, with simple but well differentiated characters, are probably the best source for TV series, as the scriptwriter, director, and actor can add the subtleties that attract the viewer enough to care about the characters.. ** (2005)

Loren Eiseley. The Firmament of Time (1960)

     Loren Eiseley. The Firmament of Time (1960) The text of six lectures given while Eiseley was Visiting professor at the University of Cincinnati in 1959, this book gives many hints of the political and spiritual conditions of the times. The American fear and loathing of the Soviet Union increased the threat of nuclear war, especially since at the time no one fully understood the weakness of the USSR. Thus, Eiseley expresses his gloom about humanity’s future in terms of the apparent descent into the maelstrom of nuclear war. Nowadays, we fear the terrorists, who strike without warning and detection, and the crazy tyrants such as Korea’s Kim Il Jung.

     But the relevance of Eiseley’s themes doesn’t depend on any particular historic circumstance. He argues that our development of science without spiritual and artistic values is moving us towards an inhuman future, one on which the ordinary decencies will be meaningless. Yet he hopes that the human capacity to love and transcend oneself may yet rescue us from our diminished selves. In the last lecture, Eiseley expresses himself in mystical and poetic terms rather than scientific and philosophical ones. He knows that what he has to say can make sense in no other mode. An interesting and valuable book, even though Eiseley’s style and manner don’t quite suffice for the grand reach of his themes. Worth reading at least once. **½ (2005)

Three short reviews: Bent is the Bow, Whatever Happened to...?, Wycliffe and the House of Fear

     Geoffrey Trease. Bent is the Bow (1967) One of a projected series of books intended to help kids “To grow in imagination”, etc. This story reads like the opening sequence of a longer work about the Welsh border wars in the time of Henry IV and Owen Glendower Ca. 1400). The narrator, Hugh Vaughan, and his sister Megan are invited to be “guests” of a neighbouring English lord who appears to want to eliminate the boy so that his sister will become heiress, and hence marriageable to his weedy son, Stephen. The story ends on a positive note, with the children restored to their mother, but there is clearly much more to tell. I don’t know if Trease ever finished this tale. Illustrations by Charles Keeping. I’ll pass it on to Bria, and see what she thinks of it. It’s a “chapter book.” ** (2005)

     A. Mourby. Whatever Happened to...? (1997) Just what the title says, except that it’s fictional characters’ afterlives that Mourby has discovered. Most are 1st person accounts by the character or a related one. All come to a bad end, except the Big Bad Wolf, who is protected by bureaucratic ass-covering and myopia. Amusing, but not a keeper. I’ll give it to a Deserving Relative, who may pass it on as (s)he wishes. ** (2005)

     W. J. Burley. Wycliffe and the House of Fear (1995) Wycliffe, convalescing in a cottage rented from the Kemps, is drawn into the investigation when Kemp’s wife is murdered. The Kemps, a dysfunctional family, abound in suspects. Roger, the current holder of the estate, is a weakling with too much family pride, which has led him to do stupid things. Wycliffe uncovers the truth, of course, after a nice meander round and through family relationships and history. A pleasant entertainment. A more thorough treatment of Wycliffe’s relationship with his wife would add to the story, which as it stands is little more than a well done puzzle in the English manner. **½
(2005)

P. Collenette, ed. Winter’s Tales 23 (1977)

     P. Collenette, ed. Winter’s Tales 23 (1977) A collection of the kind of well-made short stories that at one time appeared regularly in pulp magazines of varying quality and target audience. By the time this series was published, that kind of story was already obsolescent, and collections like this were about the only channel for them. They are like bonbons or chocolates: after one bite, you know what kind of story it will be, and you can enjoy the confection. Forgettable but well-constructed fiction. * to ** (2005)

Anne Perry. Bethlehem Road (1990)

     Anne Perry. Bethlehem Road (1990) A “Victorian” mystery, quite well plotted, with adequate but somewhat unbelievable characters. The author provides helpful explanations for artefacts and customs, which I think mar the narrative, and the dialogue is often too modern American in idiom. There’s also a tremendous amount of clothing lore, which I suppose delights the apparently intended audience - middle-brow American women of a certain age and sensibility, who want to fantasise about being ladies a hundred-odd years ago. The detecting is perfunctory; the ‘tec’s wife is a lady, which gives her an entree to the upper class that he can’t access in the same way. I may read another of these if I find one at 10 cents at a yard sale. * (2005)

J. Bronowski. The Common Sense of Science (1978)

      J. Bronowski. The Common Sense of Science (1978) Bronowski argues that the core values of science are profoundly human, and that science offers a way of seeing the world an oneself that can, perhaps, guide us through the perilous times ahead. In particular, he emphasises that science’s acceptance of uncertainty can promote tolerance, that its attitude of seeking knowledge to guide decisions can give us hope. A good book. *** (2005)