Customer Reviews

Bedlam Planet

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Two-hundred and seventy colonists leave earth in three ships (the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria) to populate a once visited planet named Asgard around the sun Sigma Draconis. Once there, the Pinta crashes into the moon leaving 180 colonists to fend for themselves without essential equipment which was on the ill-fated ship. This planet, with 1.08G, thirty-hour days and thirty-six-day months, is dotted with 736 islands (the largest no bigger than Britain). While covered in lush green forests, the animal life has not evolved insects, birds, large land mammals nor sea-life more sophisticated than a squid. Dennis is the only man who has visited the planet twice and is also the one unwilling colonizer. He is sent on a mission to search for diamonds which can be used for industrial drilling. However, when swimming he suffers toxemia from a sting which sends him into a delusional epiphany and discovers a Dionysian truth. With other colonists suffering from scurvy and other deficiencies, will they take his new found truth as their own or will they suffer a worse fate?

One of the best Brunner novels I've read yet (the fifth to date)! It's kind of like his novel Polymath as in colonists land on a planet and must start a new life with limited resources but this novel is much better focused on the planet, its wildlife and its general planet-ness in all. About 40% of the way through the novel is when the mythology begins in a sort of hallucinogenic delirium for Dennis. It seems random and out of place (and completely rambling for someone like myself who isn't interested in mythology), but it ties together very well in the end. Keep note of the racial descriptions of the key characters, as their specific mythologies will be brought to bare upon the pages later on.

The British science-fiction author John Brunner (1934-95) was noted for his impressive output and the high quality of his writings. It is for the novels that he is most remembered.

The discovery, exploration and colonization of a planet in a distant star system is a theme that has been employed in countless science-fiction stories by most of the "name" authors and many of the lesser known writers. There is a good reason for this - it gives the author a broad canvas to create for the reader a reasonable extrapolation of scientific discovery, an occasion to imaginatively and logically detail the flora and fauna of an extraterrestrial location and provides numerous opportunities for narrative conflicts between explorers, colonist, the home world and alien discoveries. In addition most readers are comfortable with tales of exploration both fictional and non-fictional. In fact some authors stories with some minor modifications could be rewritten as a tale from the Age of European Exploration.

John Brunner is no stranger to this theme. In addition to the book under discussion, "Bedlam Planet" (1968) he uses variations of this concept the novels "Castaways World"(1963); "Polymath"(1974) and "Total Eclipse"(1974) and others.

I am very fond of these type stories. If done well they leave one with the mental image of a logical, realistic possibility that fits with science as we think we know it and the possibilities of an infinite universe.

Brunner begins "Bedlam Planet" with the clever statement "Interstellar distances are God's quarantine regulations". The three colonization ships sent to a previously scouted earth-like planet are named after three ships sent by the King and Queen of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella, to discover the wealth of the Orient. We are informed that the cost of building the three star ships was such that it would be a generation of two before a follow up expedition could be sent.

Much to his credit, and this readers delight, Brunner does not introduce intelligent aliens either friendly, neutral or just nasty. We get fish, bugs, plants a-plenty but thankfully no BEINGS. The story consists of an extremely well extrapolated effort to establish a colony on a plant around a distant star. Yes, there are conflicts and dangers and a surprise ending. Highly recommended from this reader.

myth .subconscious origin.. Expedition to colonise a PLANET,MAYBE A MOON OF SATELITE, THERES LOTS OF SCIENTIFIC old style scientific quasi, workmansHip handymans specific ;..maybe obvious humdrum everyday pratical attention, theneed to fill pages up, this is workmanship cagey cratmanship specific you get WHAT YOU READ SUMMER ESCAPE READING, tough no nonsence pratical get it over with and write the next book, keep the electricity paid to feed the electricity feeding your living writer AS producer pulper ofcommerce chain of command easily disgestible churned out Its VERY RATIONAL reasoningEASILY ponderous at times in its pedestrian stategim., FACT MATTER.bottom lineness, it is also science fiction ... once you wade pass the waves of hard core hack cliches meaning dissposableAs, an intriguing premise just starts to jump/start the ordinary unfolding of STORY. the irritating the numb raking psuedo science , i tend to skim over OR grow weary of,HUMDRUM TO GET TO POINTs where the burden off digesting boy scout eagle scout workmanship, credos start to wear thin and wear me out and i find my subconsious telling me my head will, soon be giving me a headache and i will need some asprin to chew on. THE bitter and sWeet,ITS aal done PRATICALLY, NOT OBSURELY SURELY LIKE SOME ITS NOT PONDEROUS IN ITS PRETENTOUS FLAMES OF RED HERRINGS GENUIS.....claimstheres no parading PERCOCIOUS CONTEMPT pimping theres a very genuiness FRESH INSIGHTFUL contemptuouss, not in the least, in WITHIN , mans needs to COLONISE, explore the FAR OFF, to venture and conquer, THERES SOMETHING horrendous in OUR VANITY; revealed IN stark chiarosco, relief, and its far off as the nearest STAR IN TERMS of light years and OUR fears,A LITTLE MINISCULE,lost of attention to DETAILS can unravel OUR COLLECTIVE stupour,Conscious, ITS THE SIXTIES, DEJA vu, ALL OVER AGAIN READING THIS, written in 1967,our folly still resonates any progresses, and its clearly revealed ALMOST LIKE a REVELRY, narcotic in the home origin PULSE within our bodies if we LISTEN.SCURVY AND ITS LACK OFF, human vanity and ITS ATTACK,