John W. Campbell Anthology; Thee Novels, (Doubleday science fiction) [Hardcover]

John Wood Campbell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1973

5 books in one: THE BLACK STAR PASSES Invaders from the Infinite Islands of Space The Last Evolution The Ultimate Weapon

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385068190
• ISBN-13: 978-0385068192
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,840,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spacetime Explorers, May 31, 2006

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John W. Campbell Anthology; Thee Novels, (Doubleday science fiction) (Hardcover)

Anthology: Three Novels (1973) is a set of SF novels by John W. Campbell. Originally published in Amazing Stories in the early 1930's, these short stories related the adventures of Arcot, Wade and Morey. Much later they were republished as three separate books: The Black Star Passes, Islands of Space, and Invaders from the Infinite.

This volume includes guest introductions by Isaac Asimov and Lester Del Rey. Each gives a glimpse of the times and forces that produced science fiction as a separate and growing genre. Another introduction, written by Campbell himself for the novelization of The Black Star Passes, gives a personal opinion on the influence of science fiction on the future.

In The Black Star Passes (1953), Arcot and Morey are tasked with stopping an air pirate. They quickly build a new type of aircraft and capture the pirate during another piracy attempt. Then they hand him over to the doctors for psychomedical treatments.

Afterward, the former pirate becomes an integral part of the team. Arcot, Wade and Morey go on to build a spacecraft, the Solarite, in which they travel to Venus. Becoming entangled in a planetary war, the team defeats the enemy and declares peace.

Then Nigra, a dead burned-out sun, passes near the Solar System and raiders are dispatched from it to conquer a new home for the Nigrans. As the ships approach Earth, a Terrestrial party meets them and signals that the flagship should land. Unfortunately, the outsiders interpret the signals as hostile action and retaliate immediately. After some losses on both sides, the Nigrans are driven off by the Interplanetary Patrol. But they would return.

Arcot, Wade and Morey are asked to examine the wrecked spaceships of the invaders. They quickly learn that the aliens breathed hydrogen gas. They also discover various marvels before barely escaping the exploding gases within the ship. Back in their laboratories, the team designs weapons and devices to use against the invaders.

In Islands of Space (1956), Arcot, Wade and Morey develop some new devices using the technology of the Nigrans and build another ship with advanced capabilities. Departing the Earth, they wait until crossing the orbit of Pluto before engaging the space strain drive to take the Ancient Mariner into hyperspace. After the initial test, they find themselves fairly near to the Sirius system and travel even closer.

In the Sirius system, they find the Nigrans already there readjusting the system. After taking observations of the changes, they take the Ancient Mariner onward at greater velocity and pass too close to a red giant. The resulting jar throws their gyros and drains power; their current orientation within the galaxy is problematical. Luckily, they relocate Sol and then move on, taking photographs of the surrounding stars at each stop.

Traveling through intergalactic space, they are gravitationally captured by a collapsed star. Though they manage to break free, the great shock renders them unconscious and the ship travels without guidance for some hours. They are lost in intergalactic space.

Restoring the Ancient Mariner to full operation, they select a galaxy close to their present course and then search therein for an advanced civilization having detailed intergalactic maps. They eventually locate two planets with intelligent inhabitants, but then become embroiled in an interplanetary war. One side drives them away and the other tries to entrap them. Despite these hostilities, they make friends, pass on information and determine the path back to Sol.

In Invaders of the Infinite (1961), an outsider ship brings a group of dog-like aliens to Earth. The Ortolians were artificially evolved by the Ancient Masters from canines after the humanoids nearly destroyed themselves in a disastrous war. The Ancient Masters have since passed away and now the Ortolians have developed a peaceful civilization emphasizing psychic powers.

Recently they encountered a race of super-strong conquerors and learned their plans by mental eavesdropping. Inserting commands into the mind of the Thessian commander, they guided the party to a specific location where they had implaced a weapon. This machine of the Ancient Masters penetrated the ship and the Thessians occupants died from explosive decompression.

The Thessians had feared only a few races in our galaxy, including the Terrestrials. In the repaired ship, the Ortolians traveled for three months to Earth to ask for aid. Within the Solarite, however, Arcot, Wade and Morey return them to their home planet in approximately fourteen hours. There they defeat a Thessian ship, pass on information and machines, and learn more about the invaders.

From Ortol, the team travels to Talso and helps defeat other Thessian ships. They also acquire another weapon -- artificial matter -- and leave a much needed auxiliary generator. Returning home, they pass on the knowledge and weapons already obtained and destroy Thessian installations at the North and South Poles. Then they return to Sirius, making contact with the Nigrans there. The team passes on information and specifications and gains information on the directed gravitational fields used to manipulate planetary masses.

Again the Terrestrials take part in a battle with even more Thessian ships. This time they leave Sirius with the nose of a Thessian vessel piercing the side of the Solarite. They make repairs in interplanetary space and travel on to a place in intergalactic space where they had previously found cosmic rays being generated.

In all three of these novels, the three Terrestrial scientists rapidly produce weapons and devices in sufficient time to defeat the current enemy. Using their prior knowledge and data collected during their encounters, they perform some lengthy calculations and then pass on the specifications to Fuller for design of production units. They never encounter much resistance, except from a few politicians who rapidly cave in when the enemy arrives. Indeed, these serials are the wish fulfillment fantasies of every engineer!

While these three novels have problems with technique and seem rather naive, they are space operas that include a vision of limitless spacetime, a contagious enthusiasm, and a sense of wonder that is seldom matched today. They provided the teenagers of the 1930's with a desire to do something significant, even if it didn't involve saving the whole universe. Indeed, it inspired an entire generation of engineers and scientists. You couldn't ask for much more than that!

Highly recommended for Campbell fans and for anyone else who enjoys exercising their sense of wonder.

-Arthur W. Jordin

5.0 out of 5 stars great early sci-fi, March 28, 2011

By 

G G Tuens (Washington) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: John W. Campbell Anthology; Thee Novels, (Doubleday science fiction) (Hardcover)

I read this when I was a teen and it is still great. John W. Campbell (aka Don Stuart) was and still is one of my favorite sci-fi authors. This is the compiled trilogy of the Arcot, Wade and Morey stories and not only is it worth reading it is worth re-reading. Over the years I've read these stories several times and I will hopefully read them several more. My soft covers are falling apart and have a tendency to go separate ways. This is a wonderful cloth bound edition with all 3 stories together so finding them all to read will never be a problem again.

If you like this author I also recommend A.E. Van Vogt, James H. Schmitz and E.E. Smith who also wrote in a similar style. If modern sci-fi is like Star Trek: the Next Generation's Picard than this style is like the original Star Trek's Kirk, phaser em first and ask questions later.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome sense of wonder, July 1, 2010

By 

B5Anteros (New England) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: John W. Campbell Anthology; Thee Novels, (Doubleday science fiction) (Hardcover)

Don't listen to the reviewer who says it's not worth reading. This is wondrous science fiction, conveying a sense of awe that has long been lost to this genre.

I have owned several copies of this book during my life and have re-read it many, many times. It is getting harder to get a hold of now but I hope to score a copy here on Amazon.

Read it, you will not be disappointed.