philmophlegm (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
philmophlegm) wrote2013-08-27 10:56 pm
philmophlegm) wrote2013-08-27 10:56 pm
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More book reviews - three very different examples of classic science fiction
'Last and First Men', Olaf Stapledon
Proper classic (and very highbrow) SF from 1930. Stapledon was philosopher who studied at Balliol and taught at Liverpool, which should commend him to both![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kargicq and louisedennis. 'Last and First Men' isn't really a novel, but an account of the future evolution of mankind through eighteen different species, from our own (starting with rivalry between America and China, which seems a pretty decent prediction from 1930) all the way to the last men and their extinction by supernova. Must have been really ambitious in 1930, and it pulls it off. Very readable even today. Highly recommended.
'The Stainless Steel Rat', Harry Harrison
Famous example of 1960s space opera. Thought it would be exactly the sort of book I love. Was ultimately a little disappointed - good, but not perhaps that memorable, and the reason I think is that the title character wasn't quite as ruthlessly anti-heroic as I thought he might be. I was hoping for Avon and got Tarrant.
'The Puppet Masters', Robert Heinlein
Hugely influential Earth-invasion-by-alien-parasites, without which there would probably be no Bodysnatchers or X-Files or those Star Trek episodes where the alien conspiracy attempts to take over Star Fleet. Obviously an allegory for communist infiltration of the United States (and released shortly before McCarthyism reached its height). Regardless of influence and allegory, an excellent thriller in its own right.
Proper classic (and very highbrow) SF from 1930. Stapledon was philosopher who studied at Balliol and taught at Liverpool, which should commend him to both
kargicq and louisedennis. 'Last and First Men' isn't really a novel, but an account of the future evolution of mankind through eighteen different species, from our own (starting with rivalry between America and China, which seems a pretty decent prediction from 1930) all the way to the last men and their extinction by supernova. Must have been really ambitious in 1930, and it pulls it off. Very readable even today. Highly recommended.'The Stainless Steel Rat', Harry Harrison
Famous example of 1960s space opera. Thought it would be exactly the sort of book I love. Was ultimately a little disappointed - good, but not perhaps that memorable, and the reason I think is that the title character wasn't quite as ruthlessly anti-heroic as I thought he might be. I was hoping for Avon and got Tarrant.
'The Puppet Masters', Robert Heinlein
Hugely influential Earth-invasion-by-alien-parasites, without which there would probably be no Bodysnatchers or X-Files or those Star Trek episodes where the alien conspiracy attempts to take over Star Fleet. Obviously an allegory for communist infiltration of the United States (and released shortly before McCarthyism reached its height). Regardless of influence and allegory, an excellent thriller in its own right.