Customer Reviews

Beyond the Galactic Rim

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A. Bertram Chandler's _Beyond the Galactic Rim_ (1963) is an early collection of his Rim Worlds stories. There are four stories, all published in various magazines in 1959. The stories are: "Forbidden Planet" (_Fantastic Universe_), "Wet Paint" (_Amazing_), "The Man who Could Not Stop" (_Fantasy and Science Fiction_), and "The Key" (_Fantastic_). None of the stories are classics, but they are all reasonably well crafted pieces.

Two stories-- "Forbidden Planet" and "The Man who Could Not Stop"-- have heroes with the name Clavering. But they are not the same character. The Clavering in "Forbidden Planet" is a married spaceship captain who later appears in the novel, _Gateway to Never_ (1972). The Clavering in "The Man who Could not Stop" is a ruthless criminal who is unmarried and who has no real experience as a spaceman. The first story is about how the hero finds a solution to his financial problems on a world that is a lot like hell. The second story is about how a scoundrel finally gets his just desserts.

"Wet Paint" and "The Key" are two gimmick stories, but they are so smoothly done that you are not likely to predict the exact ending if you are reading them for the first time. The first story centers around an anthropological mystery on an obscure planet. The second deals with a search by the Outhouse King for the meaning of the universe.

Chandler is probably better known for his novels. But he was also a first class short story writer. Give this collection (and some of his others) a try. There is nothing like "Giant Killer" or "The Cage" included here, but you will be getting decent value for your money.