John Russell FearnReseñas

review of
John Russell Fearn's Legacy from Sirius
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - March 4, 2022

I forget how I found out about this guy but something that I read got me interested so I bought a couple of bks of his online &, Voila!, now I've read one. I'm not sure who did the cover art, I'm not sure if it's original art from the time of this bk's 1st publication or whether it's just art made in that 1950's pulp style, I tend to think it's the latter but I'm not sure. Whatever the case, there's a monster, a console, a man in a uniform, & a scantily-clad woman w/ a short tunic open to the waist to reveal breast profile. The actual writing has a similar cliché nature but I enjoyed it. According to the publishers, this is "a classic science fiction novel". I'm not exactly sure about that, but it IS from 1949. When I think of "classic", I reckon I tend to think of Shelley's Frankenstein or H.G.Wells's The Time Machine or Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or even Robert A. Henlein's Have Space Suit Will Travel.. but Fearn? I think that's pushing it a bit.

The claim is made this is a "FIRST EDITION" but acknowledging that it was "Previously published in different form as The Trembling World, under the house name (used only once by Fearn), Astron del Martia" (p 4)". I reckon that's fair enuf.

The writing style seems like that of the serial movies or the serial stories in the pulps: there're strong characters & major problems introduced immediately. In this case, the world is experiencing an extraordinary amt of earthquakes & an astronomer has been chosen by the President of the United States to help solve why this is the case so that something can be done about it.

""But I have been informed by various scientific experts that the cause of our troubles might lie in something of the order of neutronium, densely heavy matter which in its passage through space is swinging all the planets in the solar system slightly out of balance by reason of its preponderant gravity."

""Yes, sir, I suppose that's feasible." Bob admitted. "It can be checked by the orbital movements of other planets."" - p 11

"Neutronium (sometimes shortened to neutrium, also referred to as neutrite) is a hypothetical substance composed purely of neutrons. The word was coined by scientist Andreas von Antropoff in 1926 (before the 1932 discovery of the neutron) for the hypothetical "element of atomic number zero" (with zero protons in its nucleus) that he placed at the head of the periodic table (denoted by dash, no element symbol). However, the meaning of the term has changed over time, and from the last half of the 20th century onward it has been also used to refer to extremely dense substances resembling the neutron-degenerate matter theorized to exist in the cores of neutron stars; hereinafter "degenerate neutronium" will refer to this.

"Science fiction and popular literature have used the term "neutronium" to refer to an imaginary highly dense phase of matter composed primarily of neutrons, with properties useful to the story." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutronium

The Wikipedia article goes on to mention some uses of neutronium in later science fiction but doesn't mention Fearn so it seems that Fearn deserves some credit for precociousness here - although I admit that I'd find it funnier if Fearn had used the term "degenerate neutronium" or, even better, 'degenerate neutrients' or 'degenerate neutrowhizorinos'.

Bob, the astronomer, is married to one Mona:

"Her occupation as ace rocket-flier and leader of the Women's League of Rocketeers kept her fully occupied." - p 15

I'm a sucker for these women heroines / adventurers in fiction from the 1st half of the 20th century. I went thru a phase recently of checking out every Torchy Blane movie, e.g.. For that matter, if I'd been alive & in the vicinity of Annie Oakley back in the day I'm sure I'd've been madly in love w/ her.

"Gone were the days when a doctor had need to poke and probe. Mona simply stepped, fully clothed as she was, into a cabinet and the surgeon closed the door upon her. Beneath a battery of radiations, predominant amongst which were X-rays, every detail of her physique was reflected on to screens. Meters and gauges automatically showed respiration, heartbeats, and blood pressure." - p 24

Ah! X-rays! They're invisible so they're harmless, right?! Well, we're in Fearn's future now & maybe the big business of the Medical-Industrial Complex might just have a few, ahem, deleterious side-effects.

Well, something's got to be done about the way these earthquakes are tearing the planet apart - how can the people be saved?

"["]It's only a matter of time before these quakes bring civilization down round our ears...." A thought seemed to strike her. "Evacuation to Mars? When we haven't even set foot on the planet yet—except for robots!"" - p 30

Heck, Why not?! Get the top scientists on speed for a few wks & they shd be able to get a few million off the planet in time! Bring Tom Swift in on the job!

Bob & Mona end up crashed in some South American jungle or another.

""Now what?" Mona asked in surprise. "Have we landed on a South American gold mine or something? Be just about our luck when we can't get out and spend the money!"

""No, no, not gold," Bob said quickly, "There's statues by the millions beyond this wall—well, dozens of 'em, anyway," he amended. "And there's also some kind of machinery modelled in stone. Go on—take a look for yourself."" - p 61

The statues turn out to be actual once-were-human-beings who've been turned to stone. This is a work of the imagination, it's not what's now known as "Hard Science" science-fiction, a term that wdn't've existed at the time of the writing of this novel. People who don't know SF & who dislike it seem to tend to think that it's all like this. Silly them. The bk flashes back to the time before these people were turned to stone. Mona, it turns out, just so happens to be a conduit for their history.

"Over the destinies and scientific accomplishments of the city's inhabitants there ruled Cafna Brodix, quite eight centuries of age, yet with every faculty as alert as that of a young man. Science had found a way to indefinitely prolong life, but it still balked at defeating death. One day, a time must come....

"On a particular evening, in the second year of the city's establishment in the valley, Dafna Brodix summoned the young man whom he considered one of the ablest scientists in the community—Cal Vandos by name, eighty-six years of age, yet looking and feeling as callow as a man of twenty-five." - p 72

I wonder if he farted?

"Here the twilight was banished by the glow of shadowless cold light globes. Traffic, utterly silent, moved up and down the broad, specially designed tracks." - p 80

Do you ever think of silent traffic? It seems to me that more people wd get run over if they cdn't hear the traffic coming. Think of motorcycles w/ straight exhaust pipes: they're loud as hell but at least car & truck drivers then become conscious of their being there & become less likely to door them.

""Nothing else for it, Onia, but for me to see your father." Cal said at length, and the girl looked at him in surprise.

""About us, do you mean? Concerning our forthcoming marriage?"

""Great heavens, no! That is decided by laws and regulations and the Council of Eugenics.["]" - p 80

Yes, in Fearn's scientifically wondrous past eugenics still enjoyed a good reputation - just like it will in Gatesworld, The Amusement Park of the Near Future! (10% employee discount).

Onia's dad has some doubts about Cal's BIG PROJECT.

""how do you know what you will get when you withdraw materials from other planets, or suns?"

""I don't, sir. That's the whole point of trying."

""Dangerous gamble," Linida rumbled, shaking his head. "Suppose, just as a theory, you withdrew from some world a deadly type of creature? What do you imagine would happen when you opened up your portable laboratory? You might be struck dead, driven mad—anything!["]" - p 86

Shit! It's no more dangerous than injecting a genetically modified organism into billions of people. Well, since you put it that way, let's try it!

There shd be a whole genre called "tentacle fiction". Who doesn't enjoy a good tentacle story now & then?!

"Just in time Cal jumped back, and a quivering, protoplasmic grey tentacle slid, expanded, and shivered an inch from his feet. He licked his lips and stared, now noting something else. The plasmic effect was only operative where the stuff was flowing; otherwise it had metamorphosed into something granular, almost stone-like, and completely immovable. Of the booth that had contained the gas from Sirius itself, there was no sign, though its bulk was vaguely visible under the stuff." - p 104

What bothers me about the above is Cal licking his lips. I mean, was he thinking about kissing the tentacle? Or about eating it? There is such a thing as scientists going too far.

The reader is brought back to the present & it all ties together nicely.

"British writer John Russell Fearn was born near Manchester, England, in 1908. As a child he devoured the science fiction of Wells and Verne, and he was a voracious reader of the Boys' Story Papers. He was also fascinated by the cinema, and first broke into print in 1931 with a series of articles in Film Weekly.

"He then quickly sold his first novel, The Intelligence Gigantic, to the American magazine, Amazing Stories. Over the next fifteen years, writing under several pseudonyms, Fearn became one of the most prolific contributors to all of the leading US science fiction pulps, including such legendary publications as Astounding Stories, Startling Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stroies, and Weird Tales." - p 183

I like that. I just wish he hadn't devoured the work of Verne & Wells, I wd've liked to've read it.

Detective Inspector Garth is faced with solving the death of a stockbroker - Granville Collins - inside a locked room. Just as predicted by a note sent to the police. (This book was first published in 1948.)
An interesting tale as Garth solves the case bit by bit.

Gordon Drew has returned to Halingford after eight years only for the town to be faced with death and disasters. Drew is employed by Dr. Carruthers who in the past has helped the police. Can he with Superintendent Denning and his team solve the case. The clues were there to find.
But still an enjoyable crime story
Originally published in 1950.

Un giovane scienziato, Cliff Saunders, ha sposato una deliziosa creatura, Lucy. Una piccola donna delicata come un ninnolo prezioso, una di quelle "donnine bambola" che commuovono gli uomini per la loro fragilità e la loro ingenuità. Lucy non si è mai interessata di problemi scientifici, non ha nessuna idea di cosa sia un atomo, una centrale elettrica è per lei soltanto un mostruoso groviglio di cavi e di macchine spaventosamente ronzanti, e un disegno tecnico rappresenta ai suoi occhi l'indecifrabile rebus proposto da una maligna Sfinge. Eppure un giorno Lucy si mette a discutere con il marito di radiazioni cosmiche, dell'impiego pratico delle più complicate leggi matematiche, di audaci progetti tecnici. E ne discute con la competenza del più autorevole uomo di scienza, dando dei punti persino al marito che pure nel suo campo è di una eccezionale abilità. Non solo, ma la fragile donnina che sveniva con la facilità di un'eroina dell'Ottocento, si è trasformata al punto da sopportare disagi e fatiche addirittura con indifferenza. Cliff si rifiuta di credere ai suoi occhi e alle sue orecchie, ma col passare dei giorni deve pure arrendersi all'evidenza: Lucy è completamente profondamente cambiata. Ma in che modo? E perché? Che c'entri per caso l'incomprensibile complesso elettrico di cui i due giovani scoprono l'esistenza nel sottosuolo della loro piccola casa di campagna? Comunque sia, è un bene per Cliff che la moglie abbia subito quell'inspiegabile trasformazione, perché in caso contrario il troppo furbo Vilgarth raggiungerebbe il suo odioso scopo. E Raquilo non potrebbe portare a termine la sua delicata missione. Chi siano Vilgarth e Raquilo, quale sia lo scopo dell'uno e quale la missione dell'altro, lasciamo ai lettori di scoprire, per non sciupare il gusto della sorpresa. Diciamo soltanto che "Gli eredi della Luna" è un romanzo facile e divertente, pieno di imprevisti e denso di drammatiche avventure. E', insomma, un tipico romanzo alla Vargo Statten.

Indeholder kapitlerne "1. En bil kører i grøften", "2. Vil I ødelægge hele verden", "3. Det ville være overlagt mord", "4. Esau Jones får noget at tænke på", "5. Katastrofen nærmer sig", "6. Stands kædereaktionen", "7. Hvor er Esau Jones", "8. Panik over London", "9. Den gennemsigtige pige var forlovet", "10. Esau Jones triumferer". Desuden et afsnit om "Levende astronomi".

Fysikeren, dr Mark Haslam, er på vej til at holde forelæsning om sin opdagelse af splittelseskraften, da hans bil kører i grøften. En forbipasserende Esau Jones hjælper ham på næsten magisk vis, men advarer ham også om at opgive tanken om splittelseskraften, for den kan være farlig. Esau ved alt og behersker materien ved tankens kraft. Haslam får sin mappe med papirer tilbage, men hans formel for splittelseskraften har Esau brændt. Haslam truer med at melde ham til politiet, så Esau går med til at give formlen tilbage. Han kan med lethed huske den, selv om den er på tyve tætskrevne sider med formler. Undervejs finder Esau også på at han vil hjælpe en ung enke Rose Canbury med en lille pige, Hilda. Han tilbyder Rose ægteskab. Hun accepterer og begynder straks at blande sig i hvad han går og laver. De bliver gift og Esau går med til at demonstrere sine evner for et videnskabeligt selskab. Her må selv en noget arrogant dr Carfax overgive sig. Senere kommer Carfax på andre tanker og vil have Esau spærret inde. Rose vil også gerne spænde Esau for hendes vogn, men det har han nu ikke tænkt sig.
Carfax spænder buen lidt hårdere og sender to mænd hen for at myrde Esau, men det mislykkes og de må gå tilbage til Carfax med halen mellem benene. Haslam har ikke fået noget at vide om dette, men han forbereder et forsøg med splittelseskraften og vil tilintetgøre et stykke alstof, som består af alle 92 grundstoffer, minus 85 og 87, der kun kendes teoretisk. Demonstrationen udløser en mindre eksplosion og efterlader bordet med et sort hul af intethed, som spiser alt, hvad de hælder på det. Mens de går lidt i panik over det langsomt voksende hul, har Esau opdaget at han nemt bliver lukket inde af bureaukrati og at Rose kun har giftet sig for at få de materielle fordele.
Haslam gætter på at hullet består af negative elektroner og at kun kan stoppes med rene protoner, som man ikke kan fremstille. En sekretær, frk Amy Baxton, er også blevet forvandlet, men dukker op igen. I en udgave, der kun består af elektroner. Men hun kan tale og fungere, så de beder hende undersøge hullet. Det hjælper ikke, men hun har en forlovet Harry Deakin og Esau har en ide om at kvinder er elektroner og mænd er protoner. Han laver et rigtigt alstof med 85 og 87 i. Amy og Harry omfavner hinanden, mens de står i hullet og tingene går i hak igen.
Esau Jones og Rose og Hilda gør sig usynlige bagefter og ingen har siden set dem. Snip, Snap, Snude, så er den historie ude.

"Levende astronomi" handler om kapløbet mellem spejlteleskoper og linsekikkerter.

Historien nøjes med en enkelt utrolig præmis og så siger den ellers lidt om magtkampe både i videnskabelige kredse og mellem ægtefolk.

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2010481.html

I have no idea why I got this book. The cover art is quite remarkable in its own right and possibly caught my eye. (My wife wondered how the nipple shields might be attached; myself I wonder how much practical use they are in combat.) It turns out to be the cover for the wrong book; the heroine of Conquest of the Amazon is blonde and wears a white suit, whereas this lady is dark-haired and not wearing anything much at all. More critically, the cover suggests a sword-and-sorcery romp, when in fact the Amazon is a near-future woman using her super-powers to keep the space lanes clear from marauding Martians and treacherous if handsome men from Jupiter. I'm sure it sold well anyway - heck, I must have bought it (or perhaps someone else bought it for me) - but I wonder how many early readers suffered buyer's remorse after realising that it wasn't the Conan ripoff they were expecting?

I vaguely knew of John Russell Fearn, of course, but I don't think I had read any of his works before. This turns out to be the seventh book in a series of twenty pulp adventures of the Amazon, who acquired super powers half a century ago at the age of three, and is exercising them in the cause of Good. It is, frankly, not a good book, yet I got through to the end after tossing Dagger Magic aside because it doesn't take itself too seriously. At first I was tweeting particularly eye-catching samples of Fearn's deathless prose -

"Book me a reservation on the next helicoliner following the Mount Everest route."

"The end of the world is within sight. I thought you should know that."

"This woman has always been a smooth talker. She can get out of any tight corner by using subtlety." [Subtlety, eh? The fiendish minx!]

- but then I decided to just go with the flow, as the Amazon tries to simultaneously stop the Sun going out, hold back the glaciers, and resist the culture of the Great Red Spot. It's all utterly implausible, but it's a romantic portrayal of a future where a benevolent science rules and a superwoman saves the world. Short (126 pages) and rather sweet.½

A Brit Golden Age guy I read about in a Bayley interview that he mentioned as an early influence. Never heard of him before that. Got to give the guy credit: he's an unstoppable force of nature from all I've read about him, writing prolifically and across genre lines for years and years and years, under a multitude of pseudonyms including the one more people might be familiar with -Vargo Statten.
I think John Clute nails him when he describes him as "unpolished and imaginatively reckless", but that "his best work is vigorous and occasionally vivid". Most of the stories here are dated prune-o-reenos, with the silliest dated popular concepts of science, but a few are so far out that they are -well- something.
"Mathematica" and "Mathematica Plus" are really fantasy, but have a giddy lunacy about them, as does "Deserted Universe". The story that had the greatest appeal to me was a little fever dream called "Wings Across the Cosmos", which is about this walnut sized turtle like alien of colossal mass, that comes crashing to earth and ends up infecting the narrator who then undergoes a transformation. Just one of those twisted little stories that crawls under your skin. The last story "The Circle of Life" is the most giddy and silly piece of flapdoodle- Good Gosh...wotta way to end the collection...
I can only recommend this collection to people who want to know something about this prolific Golden Age figure through a nice core sample of his writing.
A little dab'll do ya.**1/2½