Book Review: Science Fiction: What It's All About

Book Review: 'Science Fiction: What It's All About', by Sam J. Lundwall

 3 / 5 Stars

Sam J. Lundwall (b. 1941) is one of Sweden’s most influential SF fans, authors, editors, and publishers. His novels ‘Bernhard the Conqueror’ (1973) and ‘2018 AD, or the King Kong Blues’ (1975) were published in the US by DAW Books.

Lundwall published ‘Science Fiction: What It’s All About’ in Sweden in 1969. Having met Lundwall during a world SF convention in London, Donald A. Wolheim, then the editor of Ace Books, offered to publish the book in the US (Lundwall is fluent in English).

‘SF:WIAA’ (256 pp., black and white illustrations) was released in 1971, with cover art by Dean Ellis.

As Wolheim points out in his Introduction, SF has primarily been viewed as a manifestation of American popular culture, with the genre’s standing in non-American countries being something of an afterthought among fans and publishers.

Thus, Lundwall’s overview of the genre provides a useful ‘Eurocentric’ perspective; more so when one considers that in the early 70s, there was no Internet or World Wide Web, and cross-cultural communications more laborious and cumbersome than today.

‘SF:WIAA’ is divided into chapters dealing with the early history of SF; early Utopian ideals in the genre; contemporary SF and its rather pessimistic view of the world; and the advent of fantasy / sword and sorcery literature as a cultural phenomenon. 

Successive chapters focus on traditional SF, and major writers such as Asimov and Heinlein; the field’s treatment of robots, women, and aliens; mass culture approaches to SF, such as comic books, television, and feature films; and SF fandom. The final chapter predicts where the genre would be headed as the 70s unfolded.

It goes without saying that SF:WIAA is outdated, as such books inevitably become within a few years of their release. Not surprisingly, a book of this length can only skim certain aspects of the genre, and gaps in coverage exist. For example, Lundwall rarely acknowledges that SF is a business, and that marketing and profitability play salient roles in determining what is, or is not, published. As well, Lundwall rarely passes up opportunities to remind his Anglophone readers that (arguably) seminal works of SF were produced in Scandinavia and Europe, an aspect of SF history that, in his opinion, has been given short shrift by the US component of SF fandom.

However, fans interested in a readable overview of the genre as the New Wave era became more prominent, and some degree of turmoil accompanied its advent, may find SF:WIAA worth a look. Lundwall himself is rather skeptical of the New Wave movement, seeing it as too fixated with the negative, but he also criticizes traditional SF for its conservatism and stodginess about social mores and attitudes (remember, in the late 60s – early 70s Sweden was the hallmark of a progressive country, what with its release of ‘explicit’ films such as ‘I Am Curious / Yellow’). 

'SF: WIAA' stands as an interesting snapshot of the genre when it was on the cusp of growing into the massive cultural phenomenon of the later 70s.

Heavy Metal magazine January 1982

'Heavy Metal' magazine January 1982

The January 1982 issue of 'Heavy Metal' features a front cover by Ron Walotsky titled ’Clone o’ My Heart’, while Michael Gross provides the back cover, ‘Heavy Metal Man’.

The ‘Dossier’ section provides some humorous insight into the tech toy of the day, the Sony Walkman. With iPods and smart phones so ubiquitous nowadays, it’s difficult to realize how revolutionary the Walkman was Back In The Day, when the idea of bringing your music with you had a hi-tech edge.

Also in the Dossier are the (expectedly pretentious) music column by Lou Stathis; book reviews by Brad Balfour and Norman Spinrad; and a review of ‘Time Bandits’ by Timothy Lucas.

Among the comic-related material appearing in the January issue are continuing installments of Segrelle’s ‘The Mercenary’, Corben’s ‘Den II’, and the conclusion of Steranko’s ‘Outland’, which I’ve posted below. 

This issue is noteworthy for the large number of one-shot pieces, some of which I will be posting as the month proceeds.

Book Review: Last Summer

Book Review: 'Last Summer' by Evan Hunter

 

3 / 5 Stars

‘Last Summer’ was written by Salvatore Lombino using the pen name ‘Evan Hunter’, which he reserved for his mainstream fiction pieces ('Ed McBain’ was the pseudonym Lombino used for his detective novels and police procedurals). 

The hardcover edition was published in 1968; this Signet paperback was published in April 1969. [Hunter published a sequel, ‘Come Winter’, in 1973. ]

Needless to say, a paperback like ‘Last Summer’ isn’t complete without a great James Bama cover; unfortunately, Bama worked for Bantam Books, so Signet made do with a rather underwhelming photo-collage cover.

And, needless to say, ‘Summer’ is a lot milder than the lurid cover blurbs would have you believe.

It’s the late 60s, and high school sophomores Sandy, Peter, and David are longtime Summer Friends, spending their days all season long on Greenwood Island (a fictional location on the Atlantic Coast; perhaps a stand-in for Martha’s Vineyard). 

David is a self-confident athlete; Peter a self-effacing intellectual; and Sandy, with her long blonde hair, bikini collection, and great tan, is easily the grooviest chick on the island.

In between lounging on the beach, sneaking beers from their parent’s refrigerators, and sailing around the island, our sunkissed trio take the time to tame a seagull, take in racy Art House films, and help out with the chores at adult parties (whose ‘Mad Men’ –era attendees drink and smoke to excess, clumsily try the latest dances meant for kids half their age, and tipsily grope Sandy).

Rhoda is also summering on the island…..except she’s short, Jewish, pale, dark-haired, wears braces, clumsy, neurotic, deeply insecure, and periodically depressed.

With the sort of amused, slightly mocking attitude WASPs display to those Born Less Fortunate, our trio decide to take Rhoda under their wing. Rhoda is thrilled to be hanging out with the coolest teens on the island. But there may be a price to pay when you hang out with the Beautiful People….

‘Summer’ is best described as ‘A Separate Peace’, set on the beach.

Author Hunter employs the same prose structure as John Knowles: the first-person narrative is a flashback coming from an older, sadder, and wiser Peter. There are lengthy monologues in which Peter offers a accurate dissection of adult foibles, as well as the emotional upheavals of adolescence.

Extended sections of dialogue, occupying several pages, make a regular appearance in the narrative; and there are frequent descriptive passages, saturated with a deliberately poetic and contemplative atmosphere, that evoke those carefree Golden Times of  Youth.

The novel’s denouement will seem rather underwhelming to modern audiences. Indeed, the adolescent explorations that surface in ‘Summer’ likely will draw amused titters from modern readers aware of the antics of the ‘Sandy’ who stars in Paul Ruditis’s 2005 schlock novel about wayward teen girls, ‘Rainbow Party’.
 
Even so, if you’re in the mood for a contemplative novel that melds the wistful tenor of ‘A Separate Peace’, the Sandpiper's song 'Come Saturday Morning', and Spanky and Our Gang's 'Like To Get To Know You', and transplants them to a beach filled with groovy 60s vibes, then ‘Summer’ is worth a look.

Deathlok the Demolisher origin

'Deathlok the Demolisher' origin

Astonishing Tales No. 25, August 1974

 

One of the more offbeat sci-fi - based comic characters of the mid-70s, and a forerunner to the Cyberpunk heroes of the following decade, was Marvel's 'Deathlok the Demolisher', created by Rich Buckler. Deathlok debuted in the August 1974 issue of Astonishing Tales. 

Deathlok was inspired to some degree by 'The Six Million Dollar Man', which originated as a made-for-television movie in March 1973, and became a weekly series in January 1974. ('Man' was of course adapted from Martin Caidin's 1972 sf novel 'Cyborg').

Unlike the Six Million Dollar Man, Deathlok operated in a dystopian near-future US marked by decayed cities and a dictatorial government. As well, Deathlok was by no means a hero in the traditional meaning of the word. He was a government-trained super-assassin who had few compunctions about killing his adversaries; even with the relaxed Comics Code standards that were in place by 1974, this was something novel and different from the way things were usually portrayed in Marvel comic books.

Deathlok was one of those strips that the very busy Buckler fitted in when he had the time and energy. While never given his own series during this era at Marvel, the character appeared in a number of different comics, such as Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Spotlight, Marvel Two-In-One, and even issues of Captain America, before going on extended hiatus in late1983.

Since that time, the character has resurfaced in several limited-run series, with middling success. The most recent run, a seven-issue production released in 2010, featured fine artwork by Lan Medina, but uninspired plotting by Charles Huston.

Here is the first episode of the Deathlok saga, from 1974. (Since original issues of the Deathlok comics are very expensive, these scans are taken from the Marvel masterworks compilation published in 2009).

Book Review: Rolling Hot

Book Review: 'Rolling Hot' by David Drake

3 / 5 Stars

'Rolling Hot (280 pp.) was published by Baen Books in September 1989; the cover art is by Paul Alexander.

This is an entry in Drake's 'Hammer's Slammers' franchise, about a mercenary outfit that roams the galaxy, intervening in various planetary conflicts......for the right price, of course. 

Throughout the 'Slammers' series, the hiring governments, and their armed forces, are almost always incompetent, if not hopelessly inept. This is true of the planet Prosperity, whose National Government has hired the Slammers as part of an effort to quash a long-running civil war with the World Government, aka The Conservatives.

This iteration of the series centers on a detachment of the Slammers led by Captain June Ransom; as the novel begins, they are bivouacked in a seemingly safe area, away from the front, enjoying a badly-needed respite from the fighting. 

However, the Slammer's R & R is rudely interrupted by an attack by enemy saboteurs.

Once the mess gets cleared up, Captain Ransom is given an order by Alois Hammer himself: she and her detachment of three tanks and five APCs are to immediately set off cross-country to the city of Kohang, which is about to fall to a surrounding force of Conservative troops.

If Kohang falls, so does the National Government, and if the National Government falls, then the Hammer's Slammer's don't get paid.

June Ransom and her team realize that it's a suicide mission, but orders are orders. So they roll out, on their way across 300 miles of terrain filled with hostile enemies. But sometimes, friendly fire can do as much damage as the people on the opposite side....

'Rolling Hot' adheres closely to author Drake's brand of military SF. The narrative moves along at a fast clip; death comes frequently and without rhyme or reason; one relies on one's buddies to survive the snafus and mischance that comes with combat.

Drake's writing about armored vehicles has a realism that comes from his time served in Viet Nam as a member of the 11th Armored Cavalry. That said, at times the narrative becomes overly preoccupied with the technical nuances of the operation and maintenance of the Slammer's ground-effect tanks and APCs, and my eyes began to glaze.

The combat scenes are well-written, and (with the exception of Alois Hammer, of course) all characters are expendable, so you never know who is going to 'buy it' when the action heats up.

Readers who are not fans of military SF will probably not need to seek out 'Rolling', but fans of the genre, and the 'Slammers' in particular, will find it rewarding.

The Vengeance of Arn: Fragments

'The Vengeance of Arn, Fragments' by Dionnet and Gal

from the April 1985 issue of Heavy Metal

After appearing regularly in the late 70s in Metal Hurlant / Heavy Metal , Jean Pierre Dionnet and Jean Claude Gal discontinued their strip 'Conquering Armies'  and focused on a quasi-spinoff, titled 'Arn', throughout the 80s. 

By and large HM didn't present many installments of Arn, but here's a brief tale from April, 1985.

The Illustrated Harlan Ellison

'The Illustrated Harlan Ellison'

edited by Byron Preiss, Baronet Publishing, 1978

 

‘The Illustrated Harlan Ellison’ (1978) was one of several trade paperbacks, in a groundbreaking graphic format, released by Baronet Publishers in the late 1970s under the auspices of ‘Byron Preiss Visual Publications’. The other volumes were ‘The Illustrated Roger Zelazny’, 1978; and ‘Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination, Volume One: The Graphic Story Adaptation’, 1979.

Being long out of print, copies of ‘The Illustrated Harlan Ellison’ can have high asking prices from online vendors. If you do decide to invest in a copy, MAKE SURE you are getting the trade paperback published by Baronet, and NOT the abridged mass market edition issued by Ace Books in 1980 !

As indicated on the back cover of the book, ‘Ellison’ featured 8 chapters / sections. Some of these were traditional comics, and some had been excerpted in early issues of Heavy Metal magazine: ‘Croatoan’, ‘The Discarded’, and ‘Shattered Like a Glass Goblin’. Other chapters were text stories with accompanying illustrations: ‘Deeper Than Darkness’, ‘Riding the Dark Train Out’, ‘I’m Looking For Kadak’.

There is a brief portfolio of paintings by Leo and Diane Dillon, Ellison's favorite artists.

The chapter devoted to an illustrated version of ‘“Repent, Harlequin !”, Said the Ticktockman’ is unusual in that Jim Steranko provided 3-D images, which the reader viewed with the aid of a pair of crude spectacles, with red and blue cellophane lenses, which were inserted into the book’s binding much like a detachable subscription renewal card. The 3-D effects genuinely work, and are another example of Steranko’s genius as an artist and designer. An article on Steranko's design process is available at this website dedicated to the drawings of the artist.

By and large the contents of ‘Ellison’ will appeal to fans of that author’s work. The ‘Croatoan’, ‘Discarded’, and ‘Glass Goblin’ pieces are outstanding, and ‘Dark Train’ also stands out.

The only real dud in this collection is ‘Kadak', which comes across as a too-contrived effort by Ellison to recover his Jewish Roots by working up a humorous fable heavily littered with Yiddish words and phrases.

Unfortunately, the high production costs of books like ‘Ellison’ were difficult to recoup through sales. The result was that Baronet went defunct in 1980. Back in the late 1970s the major retail outlets for books were the shopping mall-centered chain stories like Waldenbooks, and these retailers were just beginning to contemplate devoting precious store space to something as seemingly juvenile as paperback compilations of comics.
 
Indeed, if Baronet had started its line in the mid 80s, the chances of success would have been much higher. As is stands, they remain one of the early innovators of the graphic novel format that is widely represented in retail sf and fantasy commerce nowadays.