Something To Read by Ken Slater

Only one title falling within my own arbitrary definition of science fiction has come my way in the last month; this is Charles Eric Maine's HIGH VACUUM (Hodder & Stoughton, 12/6, 192pp). As the title suggests, the story is a "space" epic, the first manned moon trip, and although I was under the impression that John W. Campbell's THE MOON IS HELL was the final word on that subject (final worth-while word) I'm very pleased to discover that Mr. Maine adds a couple of later phrases.

I am particularly impressed by the prelude, in the form of an "Operational Programme" of the Western Federation Astronautics Commission, and the various quotes occurring through the novel from the "Handbook of Procedure." I was disappointed by the  term "M.O.A." for Ministry of Astronautics—for some time I was wondering what the deuce the Ministry of Agriculture had to do with the yarn...

The technical parts of the story are mainly sound, but I was worried about the scene where Patterson, after some deep thought, is struck by the realisation that as the glass envelopes of the vacuum tubes are broken in the radar equipment, the obvious thing is to evacuate the cabin of the moonwrecked vessel. This didn't seem to be quite in order, although I couldn't put my finger on the snag. A radar expert pointed it out to me—air is an insulator; operating normal equipment in a vacuum is not possible because of arcing and leakage when this insulating is removed, and this is why it is often necessary to pressurise and seal equipments in high-altitude aircraft.

I think that this is a minor "boob"—and anyway there is nothing to indicate that this point had not been taken care of in the construction of Moonship Alpha.

On the human level, we have three of the crew of four men surviving the crash, and the female stowaway — her extra weight is the cause of the vessel's failure—who, it is discovered, had married the fourth, deceased, member of the crew contrary to regulations; had hidden herself on the vessel before take-off (due to slackness on the part of security, selfishness and lack of understanding on her part, and a desire to create a certain set of circumstances on the part of Mr. Maine) and now was faced with the same problem of survival as the three crew members proper.

This problem is complicated by various factors ; the ship has crashed in a area of high radioactivity, the second vessel has been sabotaged due to the same slackness of the security forces, the medico of the team has a fractured leg, and his communicator has been broken. Owing to the radio-activity the four must spend most of their time in vacuum suits, outside the area of the crater; the doctor has to be helped back and forth each time to perform necessary personal functions; the woman lacks the knowledge of the others and is naturally—not a favourite; the sabotage of the second ship means that air and food must be stretched to cover an impossible period of time...

Problems on problems. I'm afraid that although there is a survivor, there is not a "happy ending" to the story. It is all the more realistic for that.

Miss Rene Ray is a stage and screen star, and apparently the author of three novels prior to THE STRANGE WORLD OF PLANET X, her science fiction offering. Published by Herbert Jenkins, 10/6, 190pp, this is a yarn I'd recommend all Heinlein, van Vogt, J. T. McIntosh, A. Merritt and Ted Sturgeon enthusiasts to avoid. It may possibly have some appeal to those of you who yearn for the days of Vargo Statten. Primarily, the little "science" serves as a vehicle for a triangle story. A couple of "scientists" are labouring on discovering "Magnetic Field X", which will give them a new dimension. This activity seems to consist of switching on magnets at the corners (?) of a glass box, in various orders, all made very difficult because they don't have enough hands to throw all the switches at the same time that they wish to throw (they are so concentrated on their speciality. I guess. that they never had time to discover linked and multi-pole switches, nor of any number of ways of solving their difficulties by material available from most good electrical warehouses). Anyway, this business opens a gateway to the Fourth Dimension, and Gavin Laird (one of the two scientists) decide to use it for no good purpose. Quite what his "no good purpose" is, or quite why the other scientist, David Graham, thinks M.F.X. should be forgotten, I couldn't make out. But Gavin sends his wife through (David, naturally, is in love with Gavin's wife) and brings her back; he sends another woman through and doesn't bring her back. Everything finishes neatly in the end with Gavin electrocuted just before he is arrested, and David picking up the swooning Fennella (Gavin's wife) and kissing her, meanwhile  murmuring sweet nothings into her shell-like ear.

UP AND OUT by John Cowper Powys (Macdonald, 15/- 224pp) is of a much higher literary standard, but of little more appeal to the average s-f reader. The title story of the two in the book deals with the destruction of all life on the earth (not detailed), and the subsequent surrender of the stars and other astronomical bodies to death, the destruction of Time, or Eternity, of God and the Devil—in fact, the end of everything. The whole thing is written with a vast amount of flowing oratory from the  characters—most of it meaningless, in my opinion—which constantly reverts to a diatribe against the practise of vivisection. The second tale is The Mountains of the Moon: a lunar love story, and describes the adventures of an aboriginal lunite in search of his lady-love. There is in this tale some resemblance, perhaps, to Wallerstein's THE DEMON'S MIRROR, or possibly to the more fantastic writing of James Branch Cabell. There is certainly more "story" than in the title item. However, unless you welcome a surfeit of adjectival eulogy, of mystical pronouncements; unless you enjoy glowing phrases of literary eloquence as fulsome—and meaningful—as a political speech, don't worry about this title. Of course, if you are a highbrow you'll just have to read it—even if you understand as little of it as I did.

from Nebula No.25. October 1957

 

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