‘Taurus Four’ (156 pp) was published in January 1970 by the Paperback Library. The cover art likely is by Robert Foster.
Rena Vale (1898 – 1983) published two sci-fi novels for the Paperback Library in 1970, her other novel being ‘The Day After Doomsday’.
‘Taurus’ is set in the year 2270 AD. Dorian Frank, a sociologist by training, has been assigned to do a simple reconnoiter of the eponymous planet when his scout ship crash-lands on the surface, leaving him stranded for several months before an interstellar cruiser can return to pick him up.
Corpulent, fussy, and devoid of much in the way of self-confidence (a consequence of being reared on a regimented Earth dominated by females) Frank is forced to fend for himself in the dangerous terrain of Taurus Four. When he stumbles upon a tribe of hippies eking out an existence in a forested area of the planet, Frank is dumfounded: there aren’t any records of humans living on Taurus Four.
The hippies are led by a Charles Manson-like ‘chief’ named Pete, who – when not chewing stalks of marijuana – enforces his rule by demanding human sacrifices in order to appease a 'God' who dwells in a nearby geological formation.
When Teeda, the beautiful Hippy Chick who dwells in enforced isolation from the tribe, takes a liking to Dorian, complications ensue……because Pete has designs for Teeda, and he won’t hesitate to have Dorian Frank slaughtered if the stranded Earthman steps out of line……………
‘Taurus Four’ clearly uses the Hippy movement, which was of course in full swing at the time of the novel’s publication, as its inspiration. While superficially a standard ‘Stranded Earthman’ adventure tale, the book aims at satirical humor: the hippies are in danger of extinction due to their self-absorbed, ignorant lifestyle, but at the same time, they enjoy a sort of hedonistic freedom that Dorian Frank, as a member of the ‘establishment’, comes to appreciate.
The narrative moves along at a quick pace, aided by author Vale’s use of carefully calculated episodes of surprisingly nasty violence that give ‘Taurus Four’ an edge I was not expecting.
Summing up, while I can’t label ‘Taurus Four’ as a touchstone work of early 70s sci-fi, it certainly has aged better than many of the more heralded novels of its era. If you happen to see it on the shelves of your used bookstore, it is worth picking up.
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