Book Review: 'Wolfling' by Gordon R. Dickson

2 / 5 Stars

‘Wolfling’ was originally published as a serial in Analog in 1969; this Dell paperback edition (157 pp), with a cover illustration by Maelo Cintron, was released in December, 1980.

Earth has achieved intersteller flight and with it, the realization that not only does there exist a galactic Federation, but it is ruled by a race of 7 feet-tall humanoid aristocrats, labeled the High-Born. 

From their homeworld of the Throne World, the High Born control government, commerce, and travel among all federation planets.

As a means of getting access to the High Born, an apprehensive Terra decides to recruit special agent Jim Keil, a taciturn, introspective man with degrees in anthropology, history, and chemistry. Jim Keil also excels at hand-to-hand fighting, memorizing information, and  understanding cultural nuances and interactions – in short, he is a standard-issue Gordon R. Dickson ‘Superman’.

Keil makes his way to the planet of Alpha Centauri III, and there displays such prowess in a bullfight that an impressed High Born delegation elects to have him join them at the Throne World.

Once on the Throne World, Jim Keil discovers that the High Born are a race of overconfident, self-absorbed decadents, with all manner of schemes and plots underway to overthrow their Emperor.

Jim finds himself in a race to learn as much as he can of the High Born's dysfunctional culture, for only by interposing himself into palace intrigue can he avert a possible disaster for Earth.

But the High Born have little intention of letting a wolfling – a primitive barbarian from a backwater planet – interfere with their machinations……

‘Wolfling’ is another readable, but unremarkable, early-career space opera from Dickson.

The novel’s focus on underlying themes of anthropology and sociology are a nod to the influence of the New Wave movement, but the narrative itself is firmly styled on the sort of traditional sf adventure that was part and parcel of stories and novelettes appearing in Analog during the 50s and 60s.  

The final chapter uses a courtroom setting to provide the reader with various plot revelations; the rationale for these revelations is overly contrived and unconvincing.

Dickson completists will want to have a copy of ‘Wolfling’, but all others may be excused.

'Godfather Death'
by Scott Hampton
from issue 17 (April, 1983) of Epic Illustrated

 

Heavy Metal April 1983

'Heavy Metal' magazine, April 1983

April, 1983, and on MTV, no can escape seeing Styx's 'Mr. Roboto' video.

On the newsstands is the latest issue of 'Heavy Metal' magazine, with a front cover by Chris Achilleos, and a back cover by Tito Salomoni.

In the Dossier section, there is a decided focus on early 80s hipster material.

We start off with a review of films being made by pretentious NYC indie filmmakers; one of the decade's biggest poseurs, Lydia Lunch, gets prominent mention. 

From there, the Dossier turns to something called 'Classical Modernism', with a spotlight on somebody named Karlheinz Stockhausen. I imagine that even the most ardent hipsters began to get glazed eyes here.

The comics pages cover releases by Jack 'Jaxon' Jackson, and Gil Kane, among others. 'Judge Dredd' and '2000 AD' comics, in the form of 'The Cursed Earth' series, shows up on the HM radar.

Among the better comics appearing in the April issue is 'Power to the People', by Angus McKie, which I've posted below.

 

Book Review: 'The World Next Door' by Brad Ferguson

2 / 5 Stars

‘The World Next Door’ (342 pp) was published by Tor Books in October 1990; the cover artwork is by David Mattingly.

‘World’ is set in an alternate USA in the late 1990s. In this particular USA, World War Three took place in 1962, and most of civilization has been destroyed. In the Adirondack region of upstate New York, the small town of McAndrew is beginning to recover from the decline caused by the War.

The main protagonist of ‘World’ is Jake Garfield, a young guitar player who, along with his friend Prosper Cross, tours the back roads of the Northeast US as a busker, storyteller, and all-purpose laborer.

As the novel opens, Jake and Prosper find a warm welcome in McAndrew, and soon become integrated into the daily life of the community. As the narrative unfolds, it transpires that the townspeople are being troubled by the advent of unusual dreams.

These dreams are not so much nightmares, as they are vivid glimpses into the lives of people in another USA….what turns out to be ‘our’ USA. And as the 20th century comes to a close in Our USA, events in Europe take a dangerous turn, perhaps towards the starting of World War Three. 

Will the dreams of the citizens of McAndrew presage death and destruction for the parallel world ‘next door’ to them ? Will the catastrophe taking place in the parallel world spill into the adjoining world-line and leave McAndrew a charred cinder ?

‘World’ is light on sf content, and light on action. Author Ferguson devotes the bulk of his narrative to a slow-paced, folksy recounting of the domestic intrigues and romantic interactions of his cast of townspeople. 

The backstory behind the collision of the two alternate realities is perfunctory, even contrived, serving mainly as a plot device, rather than an in-depth exploration of 'alternate reality' physics and cosmology.

A subplot, involving the depredations of a team of ruthless militiamen, takes its time unfolding, but it does lend the latter chapters some verve.

Readers looking for a low-key, character-driven drama about managing life in post-Apocalyptia will probably find ‘The World Next Door’ to their liking. But readers looking for an engaging, imaginative exploration of the parallel-world theme likely will find ‘World’ a disappointment.

'Hunter II: Time in Expansion' from Eerie magazine issue No. 71 (January 1976)

In the third installment of the 'Hunter II' franchise, our hero, again teaming up with Eerie's ongoing 'Exterminator' character, confronts an attack by hordes of goblins (i.e., mutants). 

Things look pretty hopeless for Hunter and Exterminator.....but is there a last-minute intervention ?!

'The Bus' by Paul Kirchner

Heavy Metal magazine April 1977

'Heavy Metal' magazine, April 1977

April, 1977, and on the FM radio stations, David Soul is getting major airplay with 'Don't Give Up On Us'.

I didn't know it at the time, but the very first issue of Heavy Metal magazine was on the stands, and with it, a revolution in the way graphic art and comics were presented to readers in the US. 

Issued by National Lampoon publisher and owner Leonard Mogel, HM was the American incarnation of Metal Hurlant, a magazine Mogel had seen on newsstands in France.

The inaugural issue staff included Sean Kelly and Valerie Marchant as Editors and Julie Simmons (who would go on to be Editor herself in several years) as the Associate Editor.

The 'Origins' statement provided in the first issue lays out - in exaggerated 70s hipster style - how this all came to be....

I didn't buy an issue of HM until November 1978, mainly because I had limited money in my pocket (I was only 16 years old) and what money I did have was spent on sf and fantasy paperbacks.

 It's too bad I didn't pick up, and save for posterity, the first issue of HM; copies in good condition go for $50 on up to greater than $100 on eBay.

Issue 1 contained the opening episode of Corben's 'Den', an outstanding installment of Gal and Dionnet's 'Conquering Armies', an 'Arzach' episode by Moebius, and a first look at Terry Brooks's 'The Sword of Shannara', featuring illustrations by The Brothers Hildebrandt.

And, of course, a great comic from Sergio Macedo: 'Selenia', posted below. This is the kind of stuff late 70s stoners went goggle-eyed over, as they drew a toke on their joint or their bowl.....ray guns, spaceships, giant robots, and A NUDE CHICK !

All of this cripsly rendered in black and white / graytone on 'magazine stock', glossy paper....!

Unlike the non-Comics Code black and white magazines from Warren and Marvel / Curtis, HM was definitely European, and definitely adult, in content. During the first few years of its existence, it was mailed, in brown wrappers, to subscribers in some areas of the country. Since I was only 16 in April, 1977, I'm not sure if I actually could have purchased the inaugural issue of HM in those more innocent times.....