RIP FOSTER RIDES THE GRAY (Grey) PLANET - variant titles: Assignment in Space with Rip Foster; and Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet [Hardcover]

Blake (John Blaine) (pen name used by Harold Leland Goodwin) Savage (Author), E. Deane Cate; (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Whitman Publishing; First Edition edition (1952)
• ASIN: B0018NUD0K
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,881,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A science fiction story from the red scare age that has worn well with age, December 17, 2008

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

For science fiction stories written in the early fifties that have elements of the Cold War as a fundamental plot line, this book stays very scientifically accurate. Rip Foster is a recently commissioned Lieutenant in the Planeteers, a military unit of Space Marines in the Federation of Free Governments. Earth is divided into two armed camps, the Federation of Free Governments and the Consolidation of People's Governments or Cons. Following the scientific knowledge of the time; Venus and Mars have indigenous plant and animal life.
An asteroid is discovered that consists of radioactive thorium and both sides want it. Rip is given command of a mission of Planeteers to land on the asteroid and use carefully planted atomic explosions to shift it into an orbit that will take it to Earth. His team lands and must do battle with a Cons ship. They successfully fight off the ship and set the asteroid on a new course.
However, the new course is a precarious one that puts the asteroid too close to the sun and Rip and his team must go back and make course corrections. In a series of harrowing space battles with the crew of the Cons ship, Rip and his team successfully reroute the asteroid to the proper orbit. During the battle, Rip and one of his team members experience a dangerous level of radiation but they receive treatment in time and are saved.
Unlike the plots of other science fiction stories of the time, while this one has the "evil cons", it is kept within bounds. There is a fairly rigid set of rules in space that both sides follow to the letter. Also, the action regarding the alteration of the orbit of the asteroid is within the bounds of orbital mechanics so no reference to "magic technology" is needed. Therefore, while the book is dated regarding the environments on Venus and Mars, it has worn well over the years.