For Mars!
by Carey Rockwell
science fiction
published 1952, read in October 2012
rating 6 / 10: read to pass the time
Clean-cut heroic leader, strong but not so smart sidekick, super smart but troubled 2ic... Stereotyped (space) adventure.
Early pulp fiction. To be read with a touch of embarrassment. To be read and enjoyed. Critical faculties switched off.
Wikipedia does say that -- for its time -- the science is good. But the story logic! Unbelievable... yet enjoyable :-)
The heroes rescue passengers from a stricken spaceship. They then risk their lives to save the ship itself. Why? Because it's a valuable asset worth many millions of space dollars.
Two chapters later and they have destroyed the ship by crashing onto Mars. Does anyone now mention the value of the ship? Nope...
Aside from the dodgy plot, this is very clearly a "science fiction" adventure. How can you tell? Check the equipment:
The Space cadets wear their Space uniform, including Space boots. They fly a Space ship to the Space ship yards. Their Space watches tell them the Space time as they wish each other, Spaceman's luck... You get the idea! Why is a Space boot different from any other boot? We are not told.
This story is fun but not great. As a modern book I would score it as 4, bad but could be read. Set in context -- as "old" SF, available free from Gutenberg Press -- it is well worth reading.
If only to see how science fiction has changed.
And for more on that -- how science fiction has changed -- see my review of Shadow of the Scorpion...
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