AFTER SUCH KNOWLEDGE
BLACK EASTER
Cover art uncredited. Equinox printing March, 1977.
The final book in the Avon/Equinox Rediscovery Series.
James Blish ( 1921-1075) was an American SF writer. He is best known today for his Star Trek TV episode summaries, as well as the novel Spock Must Die. I first came across him through his series called Cities In Flight. Blish was a Futurian, and came to be known for his hard science writing. He often reworked early novellas into longer, revised works.
It has taken me nearly three years, but I have come to the final book in the Avon/Equinox Rediscovery Series. Why has it taken me so long? Because I am also reading all available books by the 24 authors represented in the series. I often wonder who might have written book #28, had the series continued. This is the only Equinox book that I owned, prior to beginning this project. It was likely purchased in 1977 or 1978, in Windsor, Ontario. Blish had long been my favourite SF writer, though this book is quite different from most of his writings.
From 1967, a shorter version of Black Easter was published in If Magazine under the title Faust Aleph-Null. This was somewhat expanded for book publication in 1968 by Doubleday.
From 1967, a shorter version of Black Easter was published in If Magazine under the title Faust Aleph-Null. This was somewhat expanded for book publication in 1968 by Doubleday.
1967 version published in If.
The book version has an intro by the author, and the book is dedicated to C. S. Lewis. The story is a simple one; an American arms dealer comes looking for greater thrills, seeking out a practitioner in the black arts. He first tests the conjurer by asking him to kill an important person. This is followed by a 2nd similar request, but he and his assistants wish to be present at the ceremony. When both of these events go off flawlessly, he makes his pitch for the big one; he wants all the spirits of Hell let loose for one night, which turns out to be Easter Sunday. That was a bad choice of dates, but I won't say why, since the ending is a surprise for first readers. Avoid the final sentence at all costs, until it is time to read it.
Even though I have read the book many years before, it still surprises me that Blish wrote it. Then again, it doesn't surprise me. Blish writes serious stuff, and there is little humour in his work. However, there is plenty of wit, and it is good to know the difference. All of his characters in Black Easter are very intelligent, and most of them are evil and selfish. It is much easier for me to believe in such characters today as it was in 1977. Anyway, the conjurer's art works perfectly, and the demons are let loose on the Earth. It is a sending of sendings, and things will never be the same again. Those deeds go a long way to explaining why things are the way they are today. Luckily, Blish passed away before he could really see how bad things have gotten in the world.
Black Easter is the 3rd book of a 4-novel series that begins with A Case of Conscience. Next came Dr. Mirabilis, Black Easter, and finally The Day After Judgement. Collectively the series is called After Such Knowledge. These books will be read and discussed first on this page.
Black Easter was way ahead of its time for its realistic treatment of conjuring. Blish studied up on his magic, and we get a blow by blow description of what the art entails. He plays down the horror aspect, and let's the event speak for itself. The overconfidence of the conjurer is not overdone, and we are lured into thinking that he has everything under some kind of control. I am anxious to reread the two books that come before this one. I have never read the one that comes afterwards. So with this Avon reprint we are thrust into the midst of a 4-book series, at the crucial moment. It is difficult to evaluate a single book in a series when it is read out of order. But this is a masterpiece of writing, and black magic never looked so authentic. Highly recommended.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed March 18th/19
THE DAY AFTER JUDGMENT
Cover art by Gary Ruddell
Three years after Black Easter, Blish completed the story with another excellent tale. This Jim Baen edition (1990) contains Black Easter and the sequel, under the general heading of "The Devil's Day" (actually a very good title). From 1971, the sequel is 159 pages, and takes up exactly where Black Easter left off. The same characters (minus one of them that got inhaled by demons in the previous story) are in the same location, in a post nuclear environment, and they are awaiting the tsunami of all tsunamis.
Part of a series of four books, in Chapter Eight of the present work we hear Baines give a short speech that explains the rationale for the series itself, which is called "After Such Knowledge."
"A large part of the mystic tradition says that the possession and use of secular knowledge--or even the desire for it--is in itself evil, according to Ware. But here we are."
By the time you are finished with this series, you will have a totally different outlook on good and evil, and the purpose and sustainability of those concepts. Is God dead, or abstaining? Who, or what, will replace God? What is evil? What is good? Is there such a thing as White Magic, or is all magic black? You will get answers to these and other fascinating questions in this series, and especially in this final volume.
Whereas most writers shy away from intense nuclear wars happening during the story itself--such events are usually imminent or happened a while ago--Blish dives right in to a world immediately following nuclear annihilation. Not only this, but part of the world is now filled with demons, flying and otherwise. Military generals, who of course survived underground during the holocaust, use their remaining resources to attack the invaders. It's all great fun, in a way.
The Demons thought they would have a field day if released upon the Earth for a single day; however, they find out that as far as evil doers go, they have met their match with humanity. Blish is relentless in blaming military leaders for their desire and need to start wars, and to use the most devastating weapons that money can buy. He allows illuminates their racism and their hatred for any system other than their own. Americans take most of the blame.
Though the final book is as dark or darker than Black Easter, it is essential reading.
**** stars. Reviewed May 3rd/19
A CASE OF CONSCIENCE
Cover art by Hoot von Zitzewitz.
This became the first novel in a very loose four-book series by James Blish that came to be known as "After Such Knowledge." This novel won a Hugo award in 1958. The story follows a Jesuit biologist of the future, dealing with an alien life form that seems to not have any need for a sense of morality. They are virtually perfectly in tune with their environment and with one another, and they turn out to have a most fascinating form of development and childhood, something that only works well on their home planet, Lithia.
The novel consists of two very different novellas, the first written in 1953 and published in "If." The second part came later, in 1958. My Ballantine version is the second printing, so it was obviously a popular work. The first novella concerns four humans sent to Lithia to determine its status as a world. We meet the reptilian Lithians, see their environment, and learn something of their life. Father Ramon Ruiz-Sanchez, a Peruvian Catholic, is paired up with a materialistic human who wants the planet to be used for nuclear bomb research. Near the end of their stay they are joined by the other two humans, who had been living elsewhere, and they have to make a decision.
Their decision becomes a stalemate, two against two. Father Sanchez wishes the planet to be left entirely alone, as he senses a major controversy between the Lithians and his strong Catholic beliefs. For one thing, the aliens have no religion, yet their morality is intact. I can deal with it, but apparently Catholics cannot.
In the 2nd novella we are back on Earth. A departing gift from one of the Lithians was one of their eggs, which will hatch and grow up on Earth. However, things quickly begin to go awry, as the tiny Lithian does not have the environment in which to struggle for its life. On Lithia, this struggle prepares the child for everything it needs to survive. On Earth, without the needed enrichment, the alien quickly veers off course, becoming, in a sense, insane as compared to its parents back on Lithia.
Though the 2nd part has its moments, it is generally very chaotic. Humans have been living underground for centuries now, to thwart a possible enemy nuclear attack. The alien, who soon has his own sponsored TV news show, is quickly able to lead the insane and disenfranchised humans, of whom there is a sizable number, to rebel and riot. Hounded by the police, he escapes on ship back to his home planet. What I mostly objected to in the 2nd book was not the heavy action that seems to replace conversation and debate, but the two inventions that allow Earth to talk directly with a planet 50 light years away, and then, later, to look through a telescope and see the planet as it is now, rather than as it was 50 years ago. Both are very good tricks, but not very scientific.
Blish writes hard science, in the tradition of Hal Clement, so I found it a bit surprising, convenient, and disappointing that these two inventions appear when needed most. And his priest character obviously influenced P. J. Farmer, with his short but sweet John Carmody series of stories.
The book is highly recommended, especially if you wish to better understand the later Black Easter and The Day After Judgement. I have one more book to read in this loosely connected series.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed June 20th/19
Mapman Mike
DOCTOR MIRABILIS
Cover art by Wayne D. Barlow.
From 1964 (my edition is from August 1982) comes Blish's historical fiction biography of medieval scientist Roger Bacon (not to be confused with the 18th C. Francis Bacon). Bacon was known to some of his contemporaries as Doctor Mirabilis, which means "amazing, wondrous, remarkable." My edition runs to 287 pretty dense pages, including a foreword by Blish, and an afterword. This is not SF or fantasy, but an educated guess as to how Bacon lived his life during the 1200s. It is not action packed, but rather dwells with the everyday struggles that a brilliant scholar would have had at this time. We see the beginnings of true humanism, scholarship, and scientific study in Bacon, and to lovers of knowledge who yearn to know how it all began, this is an excellent introduction.
Before reading this book (I read it forty years ago but remember nothing of it), my knowledge of the 1200s was pretty slim. It has now been enhanced greatly. How far Bacon might have travelled in his search for Truth and Knowledge cannot even be guessed at. Of course the church was in his face all the time, and he had to tread carefully. Even a pope who supported him had to have it done in secret. Once that pope was dead, Roger was basically finished as a scholar.
What is remarkable is that anything of his writing still survives, but it does. Written in times before book printing, everything had to be hand copied, at great expense. Rogers family had once been wealthy, but wars and greedy kings laid waste to the home, and for most of his life Roger was poor. He had few friends, and mostly worked alone. While the importance of Roger Bacon's writings and ideas cannot be dismissed, today, despite Blish and others, Bacon's name is still mostly unknown.
What connection does Bacon have to the series? For this we need a proper reading order of the 4-volume set. Chronologically, the books were written as follows:
1) A Case of Conscience, parts one and two.
2) Doctor Mirabilis.
3) Black Easter.
4) The Day After Judgment.
However, a reading order should really begin with Doctor Mirabilis, and follow the story in chronological format, thus:
1) Doctor Mirabilis.
2) Black Easter.
3) The Day After Judgment.
4) A Case of Conscience, parts one and two.
Whichever order in which they are read, Doctor Mirabilis is the most difficult one to get through. There is a lot of Latin, which might have still been taught in many schools back in 1964, but today Latin is hardly common. There is a lot of politics, as Bacon's character must be properly set against the turbulent times in which he lived. And the politics of England, France, and Rome, where most of the novel takes place, is complicated. Blish does his best to educate us and keep the story flowing. At no time did I want to give up on the novel, but it took me a long time to read it. And this is the manner that thicker novels should be read--this isn't pulp magazine material, but pretty intense (fictional to some extent) history. For readers who manage to finish the volume, a much clearer image of where our present day scientific studies emerged will result. A Case of Conscience will continue the moral debate, whereas Black Easter will show the ultimate conclusion of where such knowledge could lead.
All in all, a highly recommended book. Expect to read slowly and carefully, and you will be greatly rewarded.
**** stars. Reviewed August 11th/19
Cover photo by Lida Moser.
Cover photo by Lida Moser. 
Cover photo by Lisa Moser.
Cover art by Lambert.
The first appearance of the first story.
Cover art by Wayned D. Barlowe. The cover is ridiculous.
Cover art by Leo and Diane Dillon. 
Cover art by Gray Morrow. 
Cover art by John Schoenherr.
Cover art by Wayne D. Barlowe. 
First published in 1960 in Amazing SF Stories in 2 parts, the novel was expanded and published as a book in 1971. It is 191 pages long. This volume (Avon, 1974) has been read and in my collection for a very long time, and was purchased new. The story concerns a planet (not Earth) teaming with people that realizes its Sun is about to go nova. Plans were already underway to build the first interstellar ship, and these are hurried along now to make many more. Jorn is chosen, through a long process, to be a crew member of the first ship, the Javelin. When riots break out on the planet, the ships that are ready are launched just in time to escape destruction by the millions being left behind. 
Cover art by Chris Foss. Though a beautiful cover, this is
Cover art by Chris Foss. 
Cover art by Paul Lehr.
Cover art by James Starrett.
Oversize cover art by John Berkey.
Cover art by John Berkey.
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Cover art (front half of dust jacket only showing) by Jon Stopa. 
Cover art by Alex Eisenstein.
I read the Kindle edition.
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CITIES IN FLIGHT
THEY SHALL HAVE STARS
Cover art by David Mattingly.
Volume 1 contains two novels. The first one, They Shall Have Stars, was written in 1957 and originally called 2018. Chronologically it was written later than the third book in the series, called Earthman Come Home, which was written in 1955. Blish also made changes to later editions, including the version I read in the Baen Books version, above, published in 1991. If its all a bit confusing, consider that I read the original versions, too, in the single Avon editions back in the day. Now the series is printed in one giant Avon omnibus.
Anyway, when you get around to reading it, start with They Shall Have Stars. My edition lasts for 164 pages. The writing is strictly adult, and should be read carefully. Blish is nothing short of one of the very best SF writers who ever lived, and in his first volume to the series takes us (ahead) to the very first major breakthroughs that enabled humans to head for the stars. I admire books that are able to show us critical moments in our progress toward the stars, starting with Cyril Kornbluth's very basic Takeoff, and E. C. Tubb's more advanced Escape Into Space. Blish brings us to the moment when two exciting discoveries are made: human life has been extended indefinitely, and a spinning gravity drive enables nearly limitless velocities for our space ships.
For me the most exciting part of the novel, and the part that really shows Blish's futuristic vision, is the virtual reality work that is happening on the surface of Jupiter. Humans are building a vast ice bridge there, testing different technologies, and the workers see and experience violent Jupiter through the eyes and ears of robots actually working down there. The human technicians are actually on a small moon in a stationary orbit above the planet, but we get to experience what it might be like to "walk" on Jupiter on a typical day.
When I first read this series in my mid-teens, I did not like this first book very much. Too much tlaking, planning, and politics. When I read it a second time years later I loved every minute of it, and so it is today, after my third reading. Blish and other free thinkers were still reeling from the unthinkable McCarthyism years, and it shows in this book. But it is utterly amazing how Blish successfully otherwise left his times behind and thought about what the future might hold, with its religious fanaticism and bold experimentation. It is a book that should give immense hope to all fans of space flight, that someday we might discover a way to stop ageing, and a way to get to the stars. I am happy to think that both might happen, and perhaps not to far in the future.
This marks the 400th book I have read pertaining to this blog!
**** stars. Reviewed November 13th/19
For me the most exciting part of the novel, and the part that really shows Blish's futuristic vision, is the virtual reality work that is happening on the surface of Jupiter. Humans are building a vast ice bridge there, testing different technologies, and the workers see and experience violent Jupiter through the eyes and ears of robots actually working down there. The human technicians are actually on a small moon in a stationary orbit above the planet, but we get to experience what it might be like to "walk" on Jupiter on a typical day.
When I first read this series in my mid-teens, I did not like this first book very much. Too much tlaking, planning, and politics. When I read it a second time years later I loved every minute of it, and so it is today, after my third reading. Blish and other free thinkers were still reeling from the unthinkable McCarthyism years, and it shows in this book. But it is utterly amazing how Blish successfully otherwise left his times behind and thought about what the future might hold, with its religious fanaticism and bold experimentation. It is a book that should give immense hope to all fans of space flight, that someday we might discover a way to stop ageing, and a way to get to the stars. I am happy to think that both might happen, and perhaps not to far in the future.
This marks the 400th book I have read pertaining to this blog!
**** stars. Reviewed November 13th/19
A LIFE FOR THE STARS
Written in 1962 and first published a year later, this second novel in the series is 143 pages long, including a concluding author's note. This is perhaps my fourth reading of the series since I first discovered it as a teen. It cemented my appreciation for Blish, and it still reads as one of the finest SF series ever penned. I still own the Avon series, with their utterly soul-destroying cover art. Instead, look above for the art of David Mattingly for some inspiration to read this wonderful series.
A Life For the Stars starts out on Earth, in the 32nd Century, as Scranton, Pennsylvania is preparing to lift off and seek its fortune among the stars. Crispin deFord (Chris) is watching the event from nearby. Too nearby. He is grabbed by a final scouting party and brought into the city, forced to leave Earth and his family behind. Chris is 17. After a few onboard adventures in Scranton, he is transferred to New York City, where he is fostered by a couple, and educated. In time, Chris will have to prove himself useful to the city, thus becoming a passenger with all the rights and privileges deserved (including drugs that will likely keep him alive for several centuries), or remain a passenger, with no rights and only a normal life span.
As was usual for the time, this is a relatively short novel. I read it in one day. It's the kind of idea and series that could have gone on fifty books or more, and I really wish it had. Once aboard New York, Chris has two main adventures which make up the bulk of the story. Both involve trickery on planets where the ship has landed to do a job (the city motto is "Lady Can I Mow Your Lawn?"), and both involve Chris using his initiative to solve problems that will be of benefit to the city.
It is a great adventure story, it's only fault being too short. Flying cities has to be one of the greatest SF ideas ever invented, and Blish does it in a masterly way.
**** stars. Reviewed November 24th/20
EATHMAN COME HOME
First published as a novel in 1955, this 252 page version is a combination of 4 novellas published previously in SF magazines. The shorter stories were called "Okie," "Bindlestiff," "Sargasso of Lost Cities," and "Earthman Come Home." Joined together like this it constitutes one of Blish's longest novels.
John Amalfi is still Mayor of NYC, and still (barely) outsmarting his enemies and the Earth space cops. Blish came up with the ultimate SF space series with "Cities In Flight," an idea he could have milked for dozens more volumes. But he sticks to fantastic storytelling, and the four episodes we get here are all perfect examples of his creativity, intelligence, and extremely pared down writing style. He is more than 30 years ahead of Iain M. Banks, and his stories are just as galactic and just as large in scope and vision. Coupling the idea of itinerant working cities in space with the Okie phenomenon from the American depression of the 1930s is such a brilliant concept, that this series still rates as my favourite SF set. Of course I wish it was longer, by about twenty volumes, but one must admit that it stands utterly perfect as it is.
There are very few authors who can convince me that it might be possible to travel deep into space, and even to leave the galaxy, as we do here, and enter the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy to our massive main galaxy, and only seen from Earth in southern latitudes. There are very few authors who can convince me that we might live a thousand years, productively at that. And there are very few writers who can still seem relevant today to new readers (aside from those pesky slide rules, which keep coming into play). Blish handles everything with elan, writing some of the best stories in any genre, not just SF. It's also nice to see that Amalfi, now very, very old, is more cunning and ruthless than ever, having learned so much through experience that he is able to think his way out of the stickiest situations imaginable (and beyond).
This will mark my third reading of the set; I only hope I live to make it to a fourth.
**** stars. Reviewed February, 26th/21
THE TRIUMPH OF TIME
From 1958 (!!) comes this 158 page conclusion to, in my opinion, the best SF series ever created. And this just might be the best SF novel I have ever read. There are so many astounding things discussed in this novel, and events that occur, that it simply leaves most, if not all, other SF far back in the dust. It is Blish's greatest novel, and that is saying a whole lot.
My edition is form June, 1968, likely about when I bought my copy, which I still have. It contains a quote from the Koran as a frontispiece, as well as a Prologue, summarizing some of the events up till now. After the novel proper, there is a brief author's note, as well as a complete chronology of events occurring in the series, many of which happen "off camera," so to speak.
Blish tackles nothing less than the end of the universe as we know it, and he does it with such breathtaking virtuoso writing that it still astonishes first time readers today, as well as people like myself, who have read it at least four times. Each time I read the entire series, it opens up new ideas and perspectives of thought for me, often leaving me thinking about the books for days afterwards. The Triumph of Time is an astonishingly good novel, a must read for people who call themselves SF fans.
****++ stars. Reviewed May 22nd/21
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THE WARRIORS OF DAY
Cover art by Armand Weston.
From 1951 comes this excellent 160 page novel, about giant aliens invading the galaxy. It sounds hokey, but Blish has no problem pulling off a minor masterpiece. Tipton Bond (!) is a human misfit on Earth, an adventurer who tries to find enough challenges to keep him interested in life, and in tip top shape. We first meet up with him in a disagreeable scene in which he is killing a bear with a knife. But he is suddenly transported to another planet, one in which telepaths dwell. Their planet, Xota, is about to be attacked by a giant race, who are obliterating sections of the galaxy as they come. They fear Xota because of the telepathic life there. It beco0mes Tipton's job to unite the planet against the invaders, and defeat them.
He doesn't have much help, and he has many obstacles to overcome, not the least of which is his own self-doubt in him being the chosen one, the Sword of Mahrt, who will save the planet and its inhabitants. It is a grand adventure epic, one of the best in its class I have read. Farmer and many other authors obviously learned a lot from Blish, and he in turn learned from writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs and Jack Williamson. But Blish's writing is tight, with not a wasted scene or even a word. Scenes aboard the enemy spacecraft will remind readers of Land of the Giants, the 1960s TV show.
My edition was published in 1967, and I must have bought it new back in the day, for there is no indication that it was used. I rated it 4*s at the time I read it (in pencil on the title page). And yet I do not recall a single moment of this story, one which is certainly memorable. I likely read it in high school, or shortly thereafter. It's a bit scary that I can not recall a single detail; it is a unique and very good story. I love the whole idea of the temple of Mahrt, the original one that Tipton encounters and enters. And having a sentient cat as one of the planet's council members is also fun. Again, it is quite amazing what a great author can do in a very short amount of pages.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed March 25th/20
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed March 25th/20
JACK OF EAGLES
Cover photo by Three Lions Studio.
I am so happy to be reading Blish again, after so many years. He was the first SF author that I really went crazy about his works. He is still one of my top three favourite SF authors. I find his writing always well researched, and presented in a way that makes reading a pleasure from start to finish. He has a very subtle sense of humour, too, that is often used well to take some of the seriousness and tension out of the situations encountered. A Blish novel is always different from anything else I have ever read, and this story is no different.
I have read many novels about black magic. Blish's Black Easter (see top of page) is not only different from any other such novel, but simply the best one about the subject ever published in fiction. I have read many novels about space flight. Blish's Cities In Flight series is simply the best one about the subject ever published, and the most daring and outrageous. And so we come to Jack of Eagles, a novel about a man who has psi powers. I've read a few of those, too. And this just might be the best one of the bunch.
First published in 1952, my Avon edition (third printing) is from 1968. I've had it for nearly that long on my shelf, and though I certainly must have read it way back then, I did not remember a single word! Odd for a guy that loves Blish. I was probably too young back then to really appreciate this novel, which runs for 176 pages, but seems, by the end, to have been an epic. As in Black Easter, where Blish gave accurate descriptions of conjuring based on his lengthy research, Jack of Eagles relies heavily on what was known about psi-talented individuals back in the day. But he does such a good job of mixing in information and facts and science-based equipment and experiments with the lively narrative, that the story keeps moving along even when we are learning something about the subject.
First published in Galaxy Magazine, as a stand-alone novel.
Danny Caiden works as a columnist on a food trade newspaper, until he is fired for printing information about an upcoming stock scandal that no one could possibly know about. He has been hearing voices, and seeing and hearing events which have not yet happened. He becomes more and more distraught, and begins to seek help for his powers. As the story progresses, Danny gradually increases his power and perception, until his final showdown with the big meanie who wants to, of course, rule the world.
The novel is filled with real characters, but my one criticism of the novel is that there is only one lead female, and she disappears for much of the middle section of the story. All of the psi gifted individuals that Danny encounters are all male. Even in 1952 this was bad thinking, and it really harms the narrative today. This would make an excellent film or graphic novel, but more females would need to be included.
The climax of the novel, and one of the more interesting parts of any story I have ever read, is when Danny has to enter six different dimensions in search of his professor companion, who was kidnapped and shipped off to a strange land. These six mini-stories are pretty fascinating to read, even the fourth one, which consists of the chapter number 4 and a blank page! Like many novels from back in the day, the ending feels rushed, but, in this case, there really isn't anything more to say or do once the final confrontation has taken place. Loose ends are quickly tied up, and we are done. Thus ends a nearly perfect story. Highly recommended.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed October 1st/19
From 1953 comes this 128 page, small print novel. Though a collaboration with Robert Lowndes, there is no indication of who wrote what. However, most of the chapters are divided into two sub-chapters, so it is possible that the story got passed back and forth, and that each author took responsibility for either the first half of a chapter or the second. I am not going to speculate as to who wrote what, though I think I could.
THE DUPLICATED MAN
Cover artist uncredited. Published in novel form in 1959.
My Airmont version is from 1964.
My Airmont version is from 1964.
First appearance of the story, August 1953.
There are two major problems with the book. Firstly, there are far too many characters in the story. When one of them gets duplicated into five clones, it gets even more confusing. There simply isn't enough time to establish a character, many of whom have important roles to play. The second problem is that the politics is simply too confusing, despite the many pages of dialogue that try to explain it. The humans living on Venus hate the planet Earth for exiling them. They want to destroy it and cause as much misery as possible. Except for the Earth party, who want peace. On Earth, everyone wants peace with the Venus humans. Except the party that wants to destroy them. A third problem is that the novel is too short. A longer, more carefully drawn out tale might have helped solved the first two problems.
The Thomas Shield stops all atomics from entering the Venusian atmosphere, or from leaving it. So atomic weapons are out. Usually, we are on Earth for the first half of a chapter, and then on Venus for the second half. Thomas himself is immortal, and now weighs over 500 pounds. He lives on Venus, and seems to want destruction of Earth. At least at first. On Earth, Burgd is in charge, and wants the conflict with Venus to end. He chooses Danton, an Earthman, to be cloned, hoping that he can cause confusion if placed on Venus with his clones, since he looks like one of their leaders.
Though confusing, and one must be always paying attention (do not read this story late at night if you are tired), the novel does eventually begin to make sense, and all is explained. It's actually a pretty brilliant story, and no doubt a second reading would really clear up a lot of the mess sooner. There is a very strong lead female character, called Luisa. She is on Venus, and wants to not only rule the planet and destroy the Earth, but gain the secret of immortality, too. Just like a woman. There are some nice surprises at the end, too.
This would not be the first book by Blish that I would recommend to a new reader, but if you have patience to wait it out, the book isn't a truly bad one. It has been criticized for not having any action, and for being too talky. These are valid points, though obviously the authors were aiming at something a little bit different from the ordinary pulp stories.
** 1/2 stars. Reviewed February 11th/20
THE SEEDLING STARS
Consisting of 3 novelettes and a short story, my Signet edition was printed in 1962. However, the four stories are from the mid-fifties. The volume is 158 pages long.
Book One: The Seeding Program, was first published in 1955, until the title "A Time To Survive." It is 56 pages long. This story forms the basis of the cycle, as we get the backstory of Pantropy, through the eyes and mind of Sweeney, an Adapted Man. He has been specially bred for one mission that he has to carry out on Ganymede, a major moon of Jupiter. While the explanation would take too long here to explain well, the people in power on Earth do not want interstellar space travel, but rather want to fully control terraforming processes on nearby worlds. Their only goal is to make money, by selling or renting the land to homesteaders, collecting travel fees, taking a commission on everything grown or manufactured, etc. A second, much smaller and less influential group, wants to adapt humans to living on other worlds, rather than going through the expense and hassle of making the planets suitable to people from Earth. I will say no more, but the Pantropists have one chance to get their ideas into space, before being crushed by the opposition, the Port Authority. This is a good story, and certainly the basis for a very long running series, had Blish wished.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed March 28th/21
Cover by Chesley Bonestelle
Book Two: The Thing In The Attic is from 1954. It is 31 pages long. While the stories are very loosely connected, and this one was written earlier than the first, it is still easy to find connections between them, so cleverly is the first story written. This one takes us inside a primitive society of tree dwellers, unknowningly placed on the planet as part of the seeding program. There are some nice comments on religion here, and on interpreting religious teachings and stories. As well, there is classic pulp adventure as five people accused of blasphemy are lowered to the surface of the planet as punishment for their free thinking transgressions against the local religion. Surviving on the ground is a horrifying experience, and quite a deadly one, too. An excellent story of adventure, courage, and free thinking.
**** stars. Reviewed March 28th/21
Book Three: Surface Tension is from 1942, under the title "Sunken Universe," then it appeared in shorter form in 1952 under the current title. It was rewritten for this publication. It is 50 pages long. This has to be one of the finest SF stories I have ever read, and had to have been a huge influence on the writings of Hal Clement. At times I felt as if I was reading a story by Clement. But Blish has a slightly different handle on things, in a way that is difficult to describe, a tension that keeps the reader engaged all the way through the story. It is divided into three sections, including a Prologue, which shows how Hydrot (the planet) was originally seeded, and then two sections showing how the human lifeforms, microscopic in size, fared after they were released into their watery world. I really wish a huge number of other stories had been written in this series. Highly recommended.
**** stars. Reviewed March 30th/21
Book Four: Watershed is from 1954, and is 10 pages long. Blish tackles a tricky topic, one still relevant today, namely the feelings of superiority of one life form over another. Humans as we know them get their final comeuppance as the seedling project makes it back to Earth, which is in bad need of adapted men. Now in the minority, "normal" humans find themselves at a considerable disadvantage, as "normal" farming techniques decimate Earth-like planets. A wonderful end to a much too short series of tales.
**** stars. Reviewed March 30th/21
FALLEN STAR
From 1957 comes one of Blish's finest novels (and that is saying a lot). Though it easily falls into the SF genre, this is a SF book like no other. Set at the time of the first space satellites, it involves an expensive and adventurous to the North Pole. We are given fair warning at the beginning that it will likely be a disastrous expedition, but we can have no real idea of just how disastrous it will be. Julian Cole is an important science writer, and he has been invited on the ill fated journey. If you like your adventures frosty and white, then you will love Fallen Star.
For one thing, the main characters have been carved out by a master writer, and we are faced at every turn with interesting participants, whether it's the leader of the expedition, or Julian's two year old daughter (one of four daughters, all playing very minor roles but given life regardless). For another, Blish can be a very humourous writer, and several times I found myself laughing out loud at some turn of phrase or passing event. Lastly, his choice of subject matter is still timely and important--is there life outside of Earth?
This was my 2nd reading of the book, and I could probably pick it up again in a month and read it again. It's that good.
****+ stars. Reviewed November 22nd/21
VOR
Cover art by A. K. (?)
From 1958 comes this 159 page SF story about first contact. Expanded from a short story he co-wrote with Damon Knight back in 1949 ("The Weakness of RVOG"), it is the tale of an alien ship landing on Earth, and exactly what happens when it is discovered. The Avon edition cover art has nothing whatsoever to do with the story, but it's pretty cool nonetheless. I have had this little paperback in my SF collection since about 1970. I don't remember reading it previously, though I must have. The title stands for Violet Orange Red, a signal that the alien being signals to the humans trying to understand and communicate with it.
There are a number of really interesting things about this novel, including the lead character. Marty Petrucelli is dealing with two problems, before the big one even arrives. He is a member of the volunteer Civil Air Patrol, USAF, and stationed in the northern part of Michigan's lower peninsula. That is another interesting thing about this story--it all takes place in Michigan. To think that this happened just across the river from where I live in Canada! Anyway, Marty was once a flier, but a very scary and very narrow escape in a B17 bomber finished his flying days. He does not fly, but serves as part of the ground crew now. His second problem is his wife, Pat, a former stewardess and a real beauty. He is losing her to Al, a flying rival who always kids him about his not flying anymore.
Then the space ship lands, starting a forest fire, and the story is on its way to becoming one of the very best of its kind. It would still make a terrific movie, and hasn't dated itself much in 60 years. We still would not have any traditional weapons that could deal with VOR, who is essentially a walking sun. The solution is provided not by our vast weapons, but by using some psychology. In this sense, Blish's book is a premonition of how Captain Kirk would deal with many alien problems he would encounter 10 years later on the Enterprise. In fact, I'm certain that Gene Roddenberry would have read this, and seen the possibilities.
The political ramifications of VOR's presence in the US is handled well, and so is the social and religious reaction to the news that an alien has landed. Earth passes a big test in this story, thanks to Marty, as well as Russian linguist, Kovorsky. They made a pretty good pair. And Marty solves one of his initial problems thanks to the crisis, but not the second one. A must-read book for hard core SF fans. Blish is totally amazing, again.
**** stars. Reviewed December 30th/19
TITAN'S DAUGHTER
Cover art by Rowena Morrill. The image never occurs in the novel.
From 1961 comes this 143 page novel, originally published as Beanstalk, and then Giants In The Earth, before being expanded to full novel length and given its current title. My 1981 Avon edition includes an introduction by Virginia Kidd, once married to Blish.
Though Blish is one of my favourite SF writers, he doesn't always hit a home run. This novel, with the very misleading cover painting, is more a crime novel with a SF twist. And as is often the case in crime novels, the criminal proves to be insane and violent. Blish takes too many easy outs to get the good guy, Sam, framed for murder, including having him be out alone all night sitting by the river, with no alibi, and having the old professor killed just as he was about to tell Sam some important facts. Also, having the professor suddenly be away at a conference for a month, with no one able to contact him, is quite a stretch. There are certianly much better crime stories than this one.
And much better SF stories, too. This one concerns a race of giants, bred by the old professor, with secret intentions only he knows about. While his intentions are quite good, he is certainly a mad professor acting on his own instincts. The giant humans are hated and envied by ordinary humans. For one thing, they live longer, and can work much harder. They are excluded from most jobs, sports, and the prejudice against them, while entirely believable, colours everything they do. It bears a lot of similarity to how minorities were--and still are in many places--treated unfairly by the majority.
But the thing that bothers me the most is the ending. We are given three sentences, after all that has happened, and the big build up to the climax, to end the novel. Had the author suddenly reached his word count and had to stop? A short chapter, after all is said and done, is certainly to be preferred. Not one of Blish's finer moments.
** 1/2 stars. Reviewed June 11th/20
THE NIGHT SHAPES
Cover art signed but unreadable (K. Breese?).
From 1962 comes this 125 novel, featuring a Swahili phrase guide at the end. So many writers became interested in SF and fantasy writing because of people like Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. Rider Haggard. This strange little tale comes from that lineage. Set in the Belgian Congo of 1905, Kit Kennedy is an American expatriate, fleeing a teaching position in Kansas after impregnating a 15 year old student. He has settled in the Congo, and become one with the jungle. He is very much a Tarzan character, and is befriended by Tombu, a native king, and Manalendi, a 25 foot python!
An expedition sets out to a very remote part of the country, with Kit (Ktendi) leading it. After the party is attacked and captured, only Tombu and Kit are left to rescue the group. The village is surrounded by a very solid fortress wall. Why? What could be out there? And why is that snake following Ktendi everywhere?
The answers to these and other questions can be found in the pages of this book, though I still am amazed that Blish wrote it and had it published. Many of the Tarzan adventures are much better (Jewels of Opar, the Ant Men), and any of Haggard's African books are very much better. It's not a bad book, but it does nothing for the genre that hasn't already been done. Writing about white and black Africa of 1905, and in 1962, it is almost impossible to escape the 'n..' word, so be warned.
Not a bad book, though quite preposterous at the end.
** 1/2 stars. Reviewed August 20th/20
The answers to these and other questions can be found in the pages of this book, though I still am amazed that Blish wrote it and had it published. Many of the Tarzan adventures are much better (Jewels of Opar, the Ant Men), and any of Haggard's African books are very much better. It's not a bad book, but it does nothing for the genre that hasn't already been done. Writing about white and black Africa of 1905, and in 1962, it is almost impossible to escape the 'n..' word, so be warned.
Not a bad book, though quite preposterous at the end.
** 1/2 stars. Reviewed August 20th/20
HEART STARS
THE STAR DWELLERS
Cover art by Richard Powers (uncredited).
From 1961 comes this deep space SF novel, lasting only 128 pages. In fact, my biggest complaint is that Blish did not expand on his alien creations. We learn so little of them from this story, but we are left wanting much more. We meet some of the human characters again in an upcoming sequel, so perhaps all is not lost.
In addition to a tight and very well constructed SF novel, we also get the author's two page diatribe on education, and how adolescent sexual awakening interferes with and actually blocks out learning receptors. So the idea of pumping knowledge into them while they are young is supported in this story, which is mainly handled by a 17 year old cadet. Not the kind of cadet one might meet in a Jack Williamson novel; this one is entirely Blish's creation, and is mostly believable.
The cover art depicts the aliens, which were discovered in the Coal Sack, a dark nebula which blocks out light from our galaxy's centre. A previous expedition met with catastrophe when the "angels," as they are called, gained access to a ship's nuclear furnace. It was an accidental disaster, as the angels were drawn by the energy and heat of the ship's engines. One ship managed to return home, with an angel. Lucifer has since been living on Earth and cooperating with officials. But much more needs to be known about these creatures, so a second expedition is sent forth, a lone ship with three crew.
Now if Blish wants to get his spaceship across half the galaxy in a very short time, you can be certain that he is going to take some time and explain exactly how it happens. And so we are introduced to the Haertel faster-than-light drive. Langer, the scientist in charge of the expedition, is accompanied by two cadets, "Sandbag" and Jack. Langer (and Blish) have one more transportation surprise in store, as upon arrival in the Coal Sack, Langer and Sandbag set out to sail the dark nebula. They hope to attract the aliens without jeopardizing their ship's fusion reactor.
This is a very good story, perhaps even a great one, hampered only by its short length. Blish did not write epic novels, so one must accept what he did write for what it is; namely big ideas in a condensed narrative. I doubt anyone has done things better. Iain M. Banks, whose writing most reminds me of Blish, took a similar galactic path, but wrote wonderfully long novels. Thus the ending to our story is rather abrupt, and perhaps less believable than if a few chapters had been devoted to it instead of just a few pages. Even so, this is thrilling SF adventure, with big ideas and small heroes.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed May 3rd/20 MISSION TO THE HEART STARS
Cover art by Wayne Barlow, uncredited.
From 1965 comes the conclusion to this mini-series, and at a mere 96 pages is a long novella rather than a short novel. My edition includes the original foreword by the author, and a 1982 introduction by his daughter. The whole thing is only 111 pages.
Thus one problem with Blish's works is that they are so short. On the other hand, one of Blish's strengths is that he does not use more words than necessary. However, in this case, more words might have been welcomed by this reader, especially once we have reached distant Malis, the heart of the Hegemony. I agree with Blish that there isn't a lot to tell, but this can also be taken as a simplistic approach. I would have liked to have learned more about Malis and its citizens rather than that they are a culture in stasis. Ancient Egypt was also a culture in stasis, and we have yet to stop learning about it. There are so many expansive directions this novel could have taken.
Instead, we stop at three planets en route to the galactic centre, and we learn more about them than we do about the Hegemony, which turns out to be a military dictatorship ruled by their computers. Like a good Star Trek episode, the three humans have to outwit the galactic leaders and escape. Not only that, but they manage to easily find the flaw in the Hegemony, thus proving the superiority of humans on Earth. I wonder if the author would have the same expressive hope in humanity if he were still around today.
The story is a direct continuation of The Star Dwellers, with the same three male lead characters resuming activities about a year after the earlier book. Like before, the Angels have a dominant role to play, and without them on our side, the situation would have been completely hopeless. I really do hope there are angels of this type out there, and that they look after our future, if there is one. One nice touch added to this story is that of the dolphins. If only....
While a good story overall, I just wish some of the bones could have been fleshed out a bit more.
*** stars. reviewed July 22nd/20
________________________________________
A TORRENT OF FACES
From 1967 comes this 288 page novel, expanded somewhat from three novellas published a few years earlier. Divided into three books and 16 chapters, it tells the story of our planet 800 years in the future, holding its own with a population of 1 trillion people. Cities are several billion people are common, and small towns have 5 million population. Most people are unemployed but given food, money, and accommodation. They watch 3-D TV a lot, but there is a hidden element of creative individuals out there that most authorities no little or nothing about.
A greatly abridged version of chapters five and six appeared in 1965 in Galaxy Magazine. This part of the story tells of a vast hotel (3500' high), a dome that is anchored to the sea bed on the Great Barrier Reef, that breaks away and sinks during a hurricane, with 15 million people inside.
A modified and abridged version of chapters seven, eight, and ten also appeared in Galaxy in 1966. This part is largely an underwater adventure, too, as the first human (a female) descends to a depth of one mile in the ocean, without using a bathyscaphe.
An abridged version of Chapters 6, 9, and 11 appeared in Analog in 1967, under the title To Love Another. So the authors cobbled together these parts, expanded them, added new material, and voila, a novel was born. I have had possession of this book since the year it was published, and have never read it until now. That's a long time to hand onto a book without reading it, especially if Blish was a favourite author of mine.
Like a good story by Hal Clement, hard science is mixed nicely here with a very good story (or two). We get to see what life is like with an astounding world population, and we get to see humans dealing with several catastrophes, including the big one, which involves an incoming meteor. This is a fascinating and highly readable story, and is highly recommended.
**** stars. Reviewed September 26th/20
WELCOME TO MARS
From 1967 comes this 156 page novel, including a forward and afterword by the author. When this story was written, the only spaceship to reach Mars was Mariner 4, which did a flyby in July 1965. Those images did little to dispel the myth of canals on Mars, reported by Percival Lowell from Earth-bound telescopic views. Blish was using the most up-to-date knowledge available in 1967. Even then a science fiction writer could get away with a lot more than anyone could today. The following image was the clearest shot of Mars that Mariner provided:
The clearest image of Mars available at the time Blish wrote his novel.
The story is aimed at intelligent Grade 12 students, ones who prefer tinkering with mechanical and scientific gadgets than playing football or baseball. It is divided into three sections, each with five chapters. The first section is a little heavy going for today's students, but Blish wanted to establish the science of how these 17 year old kids got to Mars ahead of everyone else. Dolph Haertel invents an anti-gravity device that allows his treehouse to fly to Mars (I know it sounds ridiculous, and it is, but there is science and planning behind it). He becomes stranded there when one of his most important tubes is broken and cannot be replaced. He is soon followed by Nanette, a young woman as smart as Dolph (Adolph). This is a most welcome addition to a form of literature that usually excluded women.
The relationship between the two teens is platonic, which is more unbelievable than the Haertel Drive itself, until the very end of the novel. She comes to rescue him, but they both end up stranded. They live in two small rooms in a large crater, finding a moss-like plant life, as well as several kinds of other life forms. The cover art more or less gives away a big part of the story, but the alien, like those in many stories by Hal Clement, is benevolent and peaceful, though powerful and very strong.
The Haertel Drive appears again in a few of the author's short stories: Common Time; Nor Iron Bars; and This Earth of Hours. With the few clues left behind on Earth, scientists are able to make a functioning ion drive, reaching Mars far ahead of when most people thought that it would be possible (if only!).
I really liked this book, one of the last good Martian stories before the Viking lander arrived there. Rex Gordon's First On Mars is superior in most ways, and was written 10 years earlier than this novel. It makes fun reading for adults who like older SF, but I don't think it would impress many teenagers today, after they have read Andy Weir's The Martian.
*** stars. Reviewed October 25th/20
AND ALL THE STARS A STAGE
Cover art by Enric.
First published in 1960 in Amazing SF Stories in 2 parts, the novel was expanded and published as a book in 1971. It is 191 pages long. This volume (Avon, 1974) has been read and in my collection for a very long time, and was purchased new. The story concerns a planet (not Earth) teaming with people that realizes its Sun is about to go nova. Plans were already underway to build the first interstellar ship, and these are hurried along now to make many more. Jorn is chosen, through a long process, to be a crew member of the first ship, the Javelin. When riots break out on the planet, the ships that are ready are launched just in time to escape destruction by the millions being left behind.
The second part of the novel deals with the journey, and hopes arise as first one planet is explored, and then a second one. No luck. There is an adventure on the first planet involving fast flying insects that I have always remembered since first reading it in the 1970s, an idea so unique and mysterious (at first) that I still consider it to be a watershed moment in describing alien fauna. The first planet proves too biologically hostile, and the journey is resumed. The 2nd planet is like a story right out of Star Trek, where they are attacked as they approach. They discover later that it is a computer issuing attack orders; all of the inhabitants are long dead.
Finally, after many years, a third landing is attempted, and seems to be a workable planet for the 2nd generation onward. Though this planet is supposed to be a familiar one to us, it is strangely given a binary star system. What was that all about? Was there some crazy idea going around in the 1960s that our Sun had a companion? The ending, which was supposed to be a big surprise, is somewhat spoiled by this double star thing.
The original population of the now-destroyed planetary system from which our characters departed was of late a matriarchy. Blish appears quite sexist in his treatment of women in this novel, even though he has them as leaders. In one passage he claims that women cannot get on with machines like men can, and so should not aspire to be mechanical engineers. And just afterwards, he claims that women cannot handle high mathematics. His ears would be very red today if these claims saw the light of day now. Sadly, as a teenage boy reading this stuff, I no doubt believed it was true.
The story is good, though unnecessarily cluttered at first. Things improve a lot once we are onboard the ship and traveling through space. It's difficult for me to say how accessible Martinson's Aniara was in the 1960s, but it seems to have had some type of influence on Blish in this story. A good story, but gals beware.
*** stars. Reviewed December 22nd/20
MIDSUMMER CENTURY
not the tower described in the novel.
From 1972 (my edition 1975) comes this very short but intense novel, lasting only 106 pages. A radio telescope scientist falls towards his death trying to repair the telescope, only to awaken 23,000 into the future, trapped inside the mind of an entity called The Qvant. Martel, the scientist, is unable to move, or even to see anything beyond his direct vision. He finds himself in some type of museum, with run down and worn out machinery on display. The museum itself has also deteriorated, and is no longer fit for purpose.
Instead, The Qvant is occasionally visited by local tribesmen, seeking advice. Qvant, aware of Martel's presence, tries to boot him from his mind, but is unsuccessful. The two minds coexist for a long time afterwards, before Martel finally hatches a plan to escape, and seek a way back to his own time.
Though a commendable story, and recommended to readers for its original setting and conception, much of the book is quite static, as Martel tries to learn as much as possible about his present surroundings and the world outside. It is a thinking person's story more than an action-filled one, though once Martel escapes from the museum things do pick up nicely. No doubt Blish could have expanded the novel into something considerably longer, but what we have is a taut, terse, and no nonsense story without padding. Well done!
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed January 21st/21
THE QUINCUNX OF TIME
From 1973 comes this short novel based on a much earlier short story called "Beep" (see forthcoming short story reviews). The expansion works well, as we learn all there is to learn about Blish's invention of instant communication across the universe. And not only that, but communication across time as well, as the messages contain every missive ever sent through the transmitter.
Josef Faber is a fairly low level spy, who job it is to see that "boy meets girl." After a time he begins to question his job, and soon takes his doubts and frustrations to his boss. Here, though he expects to be fired, he gets a promotion, and learns all about the work he has been doing, and why. There are only three characters in the main story, which is framed by Josef's conversation with his boss. Dana Lje, Captain Robin Weinbaum, and Dr. Thor Wald are tasked with getting to the bottom of a great mystery, one that involves much conversation, some of it scientific, but little to no action. Blish is not out to write space opera here, but to explain a totally new science.
Interestingly, the story feeds back on previous stories by Blish, including the Heart Star series, and a wonderful intrusion from his previous novel, Midsummer Century (see above for both). For readers who want to know just what a quincunx is, you will just have to read this wonderful little novel--it is all explained.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed April 27th/21
_________________________________________
THE SHORT STORIES
GALACTIC CLUSTER
From 1959 (my edition 1965) comes eight short stories by the master of SF storytelling. The collection is 176 pages long.
Tomb Tapper is from 1956, and is 20 pages long. This is a cold war anti communist story, showing to what desperate lows those lousy commies will commit themselves. The idea of tomb tapping is quite interesting, though, and could have provided a much better story. Essentially a brain can be read after death and its images recorded, helping to defeat the enemy. No languasge barrier with images, either.
** stars. Reviewed June 25th/21
King Of The Hill is from 1955, and is 11 pages long. A story about an orbiting one man satellite, equipped with nuclear bombs. When the astronaut begins to crack up and starts setting his bomb sights on Washington D.C, including his own family, someone has to go up there and talk him out of it. It's interesting to note that the novel Fail-safe wasn't written until 1962. As usual, Blish was way ahead of the crowd.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed June 25th/21
Common Time is from 1953, and is 21 pages long. The earliest instance of the Haertal Drive in use, and we even get to meet the professor! A lone astronaut is sent to the Centauri system, following up on a two-man expedition that never returned. His adventure is pretty hard to describe in a short summary, but this is early SF writing at its very best.
**** stars. Reviewed June 25th/21
A Work Of Art is from 1956, and is 15 pages long. At first I didn't think this story was going anywhere, as the late 19th C composer Richard Strauss is brought back to life a few hundred years after his death. He finds a very different world, especially where music and composing is concerned. There are several wonderful key moments and insights near the very end, so stick with it.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed June 25th/21
To Pay The Piper is from 1956, and is 14 pages long. A devastating and continuous war has driven survivors from both sides underground permanently. As one side tries to gain any advantage over the other, a spy is caught in a trap and sent on his way. An odd story, quite depressing, and I'm not sure that the pointlessness of war is completely pointed out.
** stars. Reviewed June 26th/21
Nor Iron bars is from 1956, and is 32 pages long. Another great SF classic, somewhat related to Common Time, above. A ship with a new improved drive heads for Alpha Centauri with full crew and a hundred passengers. Things go awry yet again, and this time the ship and people end up orbiting inside an atom. Two of the people even get to walk on a proton! Great stuff, brom beginning to end. First rate SF.
**** stars. Reviewed June 26th/21
Beep is from 1954, and is 26 pages long. Expanded in the 1970s into the short novel The Quincunx of Time, either version is worth a read. Lots to ponder here, too. For those who believe in a deterministic universe, you will enjoy reading why it is so. To those of you who don't believe in it, good luck arguing against the evidence in this story. A fun read.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed June 26th/21
This Earth Of Hours is from 1959, and is 20 pages long. An aggressive human space armada approaches a planet that laid waste to a previous ship that tried to conquer it. The armada has similar bad luck, and the few survivors get to meet their nemesis. A good story, and one that sets humans back quite a ways in their exploring and conquering program.
***1/2 stars. Reviewed June 27th/21
ANYWHEN
Published by Doubleday in 1970, this hardcover edition contains 7 stories and a preface by Blish. It is 168 pages in total. The dedication is to Harry Harrison! Each story has a very brief introduction by Blish.
A Style In Treason is from 1970, and is 44 pages long. It is an expanded version of a 1966 story called "A Style In Treason." This is the kind of story that Kenneth Bulmer does so well in his short novels. I found Blish's version sophisticated but hard to get into. The novelette seems disjointed, or trying to cover too much territory in such a short time. The plot, characters, setting, and style should appeal to readers of Iain M. banks. However, I found it curiously uninvolving.
** 1/2 stars. Reviewed July 24th/21
The Writing Of The Rat is from 1956, and is 18 pages long. A great SF story, as humans struggle with their encounters with a superior race. Optimistic and easy to read.
**** stars. Reviewed July 24th/21
And Some Were Savages is from 1960, and is 30 pages long. A story in the tradition of Chad Oliver (see my page on his works), about a plague brought to a planet by a human first encounter expedition. A second expedition is sent to try and bring the vaccine to the natives. Very well done.
**** stars. Reviewed July 25th/21
A Dusk Of Idols is from 1961, and is 32 pages long. This story takes place during Blish's Heartland stories, and makes a nice addition to that cannon. Something of Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith is here, as a doctor visits a disease ridden planet to try and help save the inhabitants. The voyage along the underground canal is truly wonderful and amazing.
**** stars. Reviewed July 25th/21
None So Blind is from 1962 (published as "Who's In Charge Here?"), and is 6 pages long. "There are none so blind as those who will not see," goes the full quote. A bit of a puzzle, and I might agree with Fritz Leiber here, unless someone out there can enlighten me.
Unrated. Read July 25th/21
No Jokes On Mars is from 1965, and is 12 pages long. A short followup story to an earlier Blish novel, Welcome To Mars. This one takes place several years later.
*** stars. Reviewed July 25th/21
How Beautiful With Banners is from 1966, and is 13 pages long. A truly wonderful story, with a sad but very funny ending segment. This is a story that Hal Clement might have have wished he had written. I know how he feels.
**** stars. Reviewed July 25th/21
FLIGHTS OF EAGLES
Published in 2009 by NESFA, it is one of two hardcover volumes devoted to Blish. It contains three short novels, four shorter stories, and a lengthy introductory essay by Tom Shippey.
Introduction by Tom Shippey,
P. 9-28
Welcome To Mars
Reviewed previously, above, P. 29-146.
Jack Of Eagles
Reviewed previously, above, P. 147-308.
Get Out Of My Sky
P. 309-380. First published in 1957 in Astounding, it ran as two monthly installments. It is a short novel, barely longer than a novella, and was one I had never before heard about. It can barely be called SF, unless one focusses on the ESP angle more than the interplanetary one. Two planets are about to destroy one another with nuclear weapons, the more human world simply because the other world is there and might strike first (sound familiar?). The alien world wants only peace, as destroying other races goes completely against their beliefs.
A peace envoy from the human planet sets out for the nearby alien world, to try and stop the madness. While this can be considered early Blish, he had already written many wondrous novels and shorter stories. The writing is mature, clear, and keeps the reader interested and turning pages. At first, the introductory passage (in italics) makes little sense to the reader, but when the same event reappears at the end of the novel, we realize how much ground we have covered in so short a period of time.
While this would not be the first Blish novel I would recommend to readers unfamiliar with his writing, it was a delight to come across the work as someone who thought he had read everything by the author already.
*** stars. Reviewed August 27th/21
The Thing In The Attic, a short story reviewed previously (see The Seedling Stars, above).
The Writing of the Rat, a short story reviewed previously (see Anywhen, above).
The Genius Heap is from 1956, and is 16 pages long. A group of artistic geniuses are sent to live in a cramped colony on a moon of Jupiter. Why were they sent there? Well, there is an official reason, a study to see how well they do with some protection against neutrinos (??!). And then there is the real reason. An interesting story, but a pretty strange premise for one.
*** stars. Reviewed September 27th/21
Tiger Ride is from 1948, and is 11 pages long. Alien life can come in many forms, and a crashed party of humans wonders what happened to the dwellers of the fabulous but ruined cities they see before them. In this case, the alien life that may (or may not) threaten humans is AI, of a sort I have never encountered in any other SF story. Definitely worth a look.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed September 27th/21
WORKS OF ART
This is another hardcover volume published by NESFA Press. It contains a novella and 18 shorts stories by Blish, as well as an introductory essay by Gregory Feeley. Several of the stories have appeared in other story collections in my Blish library.
P. 9-22 James Blish and the Beginning of Interpretation, essay by G. Feeley. This essay is a decent introduction to Blish and his writing. Besides many of the works contained in the volume, we are hear something about Cyrus Kornbluth, E. R. Eddison, H. P. Lovecraft, and other writers, including Ezra Pound.
P. 23-38 A Work of Art (see Galactic Cluster, above).
P. 39-100 Surface Tension is from 1952. This is one of the novellas contained in The Seedling Stars, above.
P. 101-128 The Bridge is from 1952. This is an earlier version of the main story that makes up They Shall Have Stars, chronologically the first book of the author's Cities In Flight series. In all of my SF reading, I have never come across a bolder idea than building an ice bridge on the surface of Jupiter. Though it differs in a few areas from the novel, this early story is still one of the best SF novelettes out there. A must read.
**** stars. Reviewed October 23rd/21
P. 129-150 Tomb Tapper (see Galactic Cluster, above).
P. 151-170 The Box is from 1949. A dome has been placed over New York, slowly killing everyone inside of it. Escape is impossible. Only one man might be able to free the city, a German scientist who survived a concentration camp. An excellent story, and a good premise for a SF movie.
**** stars. Reviewed October 23rd/21
P. 171-188 The Oath is from 1960. The oath of the story title is the Hippocratic one, and this story of a post-apocalyptic doctor (who isn't a real doctor) who is asked to join a group trying to reform and return to some kind of meaningful society is one of the better ones along this them I have ever read. Some fascinating moral issues come up about medicine, too.
**** stars. Reviewed October 24th/21
P. 189-224 Beep is from 1954 (see Galactic Cluster, above).
P. 225-232 FYI is from 1953. In one sense this story reminds me of Lord Dunsany's Jorkens tales. But Blish makes this the final tale ever told by this particular men's social club storyteller. This is a humdinger of a tale.
****
P. 233-254 Common Time is from 1953 (see Galactic Cluster, above).
P. 255-290 There Shall Be No Darkness is from 1950. Blish's take on lycanthropy is a so-so effort, undistinguished from many such pulp tales. It would make an okay movie, but there is little here that is truly original or very scary.
**1/2 stars Reviewed October 24th/21
P. 291-312 A Dusk of Idols is from 1961 (see Anywhen, above).
P. 313-350 Earthman Come Home is from 1953. This is the early novelette version of the 3rd book of Cities In Flight. The Okies have landed permanently on a planet, but must win it from aliens who are controlling the peasant human population. It is one of four shorter works that Blish integrated into novel format. Is this the same story as encountered in the larger volume? Virtually the same, yes. But remember that it is the 4th story of a series that makes up the 3rd book of the tetralogy. Read either version, but read one of them.
*** 1/2 stars. Reviewed October 25th/21
P. 351-360 How Beautiful With Banners is from 1966 (see Anywhen, above).
P. 361-382 This Earth of Hours is from 1959 (see Galactic Cluster, above).
P. 383-402 Testament of Andros is from 1953. This is a bit of a puzzling story, and I think it is trying to do just a wee bit too much in such a short tale. The first part is fine, when an old scientist discovers that the sun is going to have a massive flare, destroying most or all human life on Earth. Then it gets stranger and stranger, though not in a bad way, but the storytelling doesn't seem to mesh properly. Perhaps a second reading would help. (No, it didn't).
** 1/2 stars. Reviewed October 25th/21 (October 2024).
P. 403-434 A Style In Treason is from 1970 (see Anywhen, above).
P. 435-492 A Case of Conscience is from 1953. (See the Novels section, above).
P. 493-516 Making Waves is from 1970. This is a speech given by Blish in England in 1970, and gives a good idea to the SF historian of what was going on in the field at this tumultuous time. While I disagree with many of Blish's comments and observations (and so will you), his erudite manner and penetrating vision will reward the patient reader. It makes me wish that there was a book containing such essays available to read. Many of SF's greatest names are dropped here.
*** stars. Reviewed
P. 517-519 Two Poems is copyright 1970. Two very different poems, one longer and one very short, give added dimension to Blish as a writer. They remain un-reviewed by this reader.
________________________________________
THE ISSUE AT HAND
James Blish wrote critical essays about SF in the 1950s and 1960s, ostensibly to help budding writings in the genre. He wrote under the name of Atheling, and his cover was not guessed for many years, when he finally came out. He wrote about the magazine stories from the time, which was virtually the only place to publish SF stories. The essays are full of incite, and make a very good handbook for young writers and older editors. Having recently read many essays by Barry Malzberg on the subject, Blish excels at getting to his point and proving it, something that Malzberg's essays often lack. He was a very erudite writer, and not above criticizing his own works in his essays. His emphasis on stories of humanity often fell on deaf ears for those writers engaged in space opera, but the essays invariably helped many writers, even the pros. An invaluable book, unavailable for many years until it appeared on Kindle. Praise Kindle!
****+ Stars. Reviewed July 14th/24
MORE ISSUES AT HAND
Now comes James Blish's More Issues At Hand. Blish's
second group of essays dates from the late 1950s to 1970. There is
more focus here on single novels, rather than shorter stories. I find
myself disagreeing with Blish much of the time, though he speaks many
truths and bursts many bubbles. He seems, to put it bluntly, to be an old
fogey. I do not blame him for trying to raise the standard of SF
literature, and for blasting poor writing. He blames writers, editors,
and readers for the problems. Why does some real drivel get published,
and why does some of it even win coveted awards? Well, Mr. Blish, the
universe is filled with mysteries, many of which will never get solved.
Why do voters vote for criminal and psychotic politicians? Why do
people eat tons of junk food every day? Why do hideous billboards
appear on highways that have beautiful natural scenery? Why do so many women
marry male crumb bums? I could go on. There isn't much that Blish can
do about it, except insult writers and make enemies of them, which he
seems to have done rather well. Among his other incisions, he tears
apart the British New Wave SF writers, often with very prescient
comments. I agree with much of what he says here, but what's done is
done. He loves SF literature, but never once mentions the many horrible
SF movies that helped lower the bar even further for writers. For most
people, SF means monsters, aliens, and flying saucers, all threatening
our existence (are you listening, Dr. Who?) instead of well plotted
stories about characters dealing with some form of science problem. He
blames SF writers for trying out new forms, ones which have been
prevalent in regular literature for decades. Since many writers never
come to terms with Joyce's writing, nor even attempt to, why belittle SF
writers when they try something new in the genre that has never before
been done here? Even failures have their value, providing that the writer and
others can learn something from them. Sometimes he swill rip apart a
story without even saying why, though most of the time he gives his
reasons for disliking a book. While some may boil and fume at Blish's
criticism, at the time he was only one of two writers even doing such a
thing. Overall, like the first book, this one is well worth reading for
SF fans, especially if well read in others areas of literature. Highly
recommended. (The second SF writer to turn critic was Damon Knight--I have seen purchased his book of such from Kindle).
**** stars. Reviewed August 12th/24
THE TALE THAT WAGS THE DOG
Published in 1987 and updated with a new foreword in 2016, this 287 page book contains more essays by Blish. Blish died in 1975. The essays date from the early Sixties to the early Seventies. His first two collections were specifically aimed, first at pulp magazine SF, and then later at novels. Part 1 of this third volume contains five essays, with titles such as The Function of SF, The Science in SF, and The Arts in SF. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but especially the one where he talks about music and art in SF. Part II contains four essays: Poul Anderson-The Enduring Explosion; The Literary Dreamers; The Long Night of a Virginia Author; and Music of the Absurd. In the second and third essays Blish writes about a trilogy of novels written by James Branch Cabell, separating them neatly from Finnegan's Wake, with which it has become associated. The chapter on music brings out Blish's grief at the state of new music in the 60s (especially John Cage). He needn't have lost sleep over it--it's all gone away now, more or less. Part III contains two chapters: A SF Coming of Age, where Blish brings in some theories of Spengler, explaining why the "great" SF novel has never been written, and never shall be written. The final chapter is an interview with Blish conducted by Brian Aldiss. This is a don't miss collection for fans of early SF writing, as are the two previous books of his essays. I only hope that eventually all of his critical writing will be published. These three volumes contains only a small percentage of his non-fiction writing.
****+ stars. Reviewed September 19th/24
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