5.0 out of 5 stars
Interuniversal Intruders, May 31, 2006
Invaders of the Infinite (1961) is the third novel in the Arcot, Wade and Morey series, following Islands of Space. Originally published in Amazing Stories in 1932, these short stories were later republished in novel form as a Gnome Press hardback. In the previous volume, the team explores outside the galaxy, becomes lost for a while and eventually returns home with a guest.
In this novel, 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 aliens and learned their plans by mental eavesdropping. They discover that the Thessians are trying to conquer the universe. Inserting commands into the mind of the Thessian commander, they guided the party to a specific location where they have implaced a weapon. This machine of the Ancient Masters penetrated the Thessian ship and the 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. They land on the armored roof of the building where Arcot, Wade and Morey have their laboratories. The Ortolians introduce the team to another method of mental communications and soon the Ortolians are telling them of the Thessians.
Arcot, Wade and Morey load supplies into the Solarite and return the Ortolians 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, another planet feared by the Thessians, and discover enemy ships investing the planet. One attacks the Solarite and they quickly find themselves at a disadvantage. But the Talsonians destroy the enemy ship as they are dodging its beams.
Arcot, Wade and Morey examine the device used by the Talsonians and decide that it is producing artificial matter. They produce a variant of this device that is much more controllable and start performing the necessary calculations to determine the limits of this technique. They provide Talso with the improved device, information on the Solarite's weapons, and a much needed auxiliary generator to charge their devices.
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 weapon 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.
This novel involves Arcot, Wade and Morey with an invasion from another universe. Although the Thessians have a base in our universe, their home planet is elsewhere. Can the team learn to travel between universes?
Highly recommended for Campbell fans and for anyone else who enjoys exercising their sense of wonder.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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