Some New Books and the Science Fiction Novel - Philip José Farmer

I had a nice walk this morning although I'm somewhat paying for it as I'm a bit stiff now. Still was a nice morning for a walk, cool and fresh. So now I'm relaxing and going to take this opportunity to continue with my look at the Sci-Fi novel. I'll also update a few books that arrived in the mail yesterday; a nice surprise.

New Books

1. The Paton Street Case by John Bingham (1955). I've read and enjoyed a couple of Bingham's mysteries. I think I'll continue to check out his writing.









"When there is a fire at 127 Paton Street, arson is immediately suspected. At first it seems a clear-cut case--until the insurance men find a corpse in the first floor flat. Are the two crimes related? Why are the bespectacled German-Jewish couple who own the premises bristling with defensive hostility? Who had left a cigarette end on the scene of the crime? The list of solutions seems endless; but inevitably the widening ripples begin of crime begin to point the way back to the cause of it all."

2. The Legion of Space by Jack Williamson (Legion of Space Series #1). In my look at the Sci-Fi novels this past few weeks, I looked at Jack Williamson's books and decided to check out some of those I hadn't read. This is the first book in his Legion of Space series.

"Space Legionnaires

They were the greatest trio of swashbuckling adventurers ever to shop out to the stars! There was giant Hal Samdu, rocklike Jay Kalam and the incomparable shrewd and knavish Giles Habibula.

Here is there first thrilling adventure - the peril-packed attempt to rescue the most important person in the galaxy, keeper of the vital secret essential to humanity's survival in the deadly struggle against the incredibly evil Medusae..."

3. The Poison Belt and Other Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Professor Challenger #2, 4 & 5). I've read the first book in the Professor Challenger series, The Lost World and enjoyed it; a nice change of pace from Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books. I've wanted to try some of the other books in this series as well.







"These lively, varied and thought-provoking science fiction stories (from the era of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells) are linked by their imposing central character, the pugnaciously adventurous and outrageous Professor Challenger. The Poison Belt presents an eerie doomsday scenario while in The Disintegration Machine the deadliest invention ever created is offered up for sale to the highest bidder. Finally, in When the World Screamed, the planet responds violently to an experimental incursion..."

Now let's look at Philip José Farmer...

The Science Fiction Novel - Philip José Farmer

Philip José Farmer

Philip José Farmer was an American author of Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and short stories. He was born in Indiana in 1918 and died in Illinois in 2009. (Some day I'll finally discuss a Sci-Fi author who is still alive). 

I've only read one of Farmer's novels to-date but he is best known for two series; the World of Tiers (6 novels between 1965 - 1993) and Riverworld (5 novels from 1971 - 1983). From 1946 - 2008, he published over 100 short stories and almost 60 novels. He often wrote under other pseudonyms, e.g. the one book I have read so far, Venus on a Half-Shell was written under the name Kilgore Trout, an homage to Kurt Vonnegut Jr as Trout was a fictional author who appeared in some of his stories.

Farmer won 3 Hugo awards for his work; The Lovers (Most Promising New Talent), Riders of the Purple Wage (Best Novella) and To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Best Novel). Farmer's stories often covered themes such as sexuality and religion. He also reworked existing characters from fiction and history. So far I've read one of his novels and have one more on my book shelf.

1. Venus on the Half-Shell (written under the pseudonym Kilgore Trout / 1975).

"Venus on the Half-Shell by Philip José Farmer is purportedly written by Kilgore Trout. Farmer used that pseudonym in honour of Kurt Vonnegut Jr and a character, Trout, who appears in a number of Vonnegut's books.

The story is about the Space Wanderer, an Earthman Simon Wagstaff, who escapes a destroyed Earth in a Chinese spaceship, accompanied by a dog, Anubis, and an owl, Athena. Along the way, he picks up another passenger, a female robot, Chworktap, who is programmed for sex. Simon begins a 'Gulliver' like voyage across the universe trying to find out the answer to a question that has been troubling him, 'Why are we created only to suffer and die?'

So there you go. And what about the story? Well, it wasn't one of my favourites of the year. It moved along nicely and you get to see different beings on different worlds and follow Simon's adventures. The story didn't enrich my life in any way but I'm glad I read it. I think it had some cult following... maybe. (3 stars)"

2. Dare (1965).









"Though Earthmen first landed on the planet Dare 300 years earlier, they were still bound by the same standards of snobbery and fear... until Jack Cage, eldest son of a wealthy human, found himself strangely drawn to a spectacularly beautiful native. To consort with her meant death. But why? And what were humans doing on the planet anyway?"

So there you go, folks. I'll continue with this tread tomorrow. Take care. The weekend is almost here!