Customer Reviews

Three to Conquer

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As usually, E.F. Russell has created an excellent scanario with three aliens dressed as humans and only one man who can stop them. Wade Harper, a telepath, needs all his wit, wisdom and inspiration not only to stop the conquerors from enslaving all humans but also to keep his little telepathic secret for himself. A must for every true SF lover. I've bought two copies just to be sure to find at least one if I feel the urge to read it again (every year or so).

In 1958, when I was eight years old, my older cousin was cleaning out his bookcase as I played solitaire on his bed. "Here," He said, handing me a paperback. "you like this kind of stuff". It was an Ace double novel - "Two Complete Novels, 35 cents". One side was Doomsday Eve, by Robert Moore Williams (forgettable), and the other was Three to Conquer. What impressed me most about this novel was the character development. The hero was not your ordinary lantern-jawed he-man type prevalent at the time; Wade Harper was a squat, hirsute, ape of a man who was contrary enough to have a job developing instruments to manipulate the very small. Oh yeah, he also read minds, which is the catalyst for the story. The plot is simple Bodysnatchers fare, the good guys are good and the bad guys lethal, and you can read it in one evening. I still do. What more can you ask?

Eric Frank Russell's _Three to Conquer_ (1956) was originally a three-part serial in _Astounding_ under the title "Call Him Dead" in 1955. It featured a cover by Kelly Freas depicting a fearsome looking apelike creature cradling a dying policeman in its arms. But the creature wasn't some kind of fearsome alien. It turned out to be the hero of the story. _Three to Conquer_ doesn't have the imaginative outrageousness of _Sinister Barrier_ (_Unknown_, 1939; 1943), the charm of _Men, Martians and Machines_ (1955), or the power of _Dreadful Sactuary_ (_Astounding_, 1948; 1951). Nor does it have the gentle humanism of some of Russell's early short stories. But it is a well told tale for all that. I find that after reading more serious lit'rary efforts and works of Social Seriousness, it is frequently a pleasure to return to Russell and let him take me along for a ride.

Earth is being invaded by alien viruses that turn humans into puppets and make them do dreadful things. The planet is ripe for invasion! Or it would be if our hero wasn't a telepath who is able to detect their nefarious thoughts and spike their plans. I suspect that John W. Campbell, Jr. was largely responsible for the telepathic hero. Campbell was becoming more and more obsessed with "psionics" (which he claimed was real), and a growing number of ESP stories (many of them second rate) were beginning to be published in _Astounding_. The telepathic hero is a weakness of the novel. The aliens are defeated a touch _too_ easily. Russell would have done better to adopt a more clever method of turning the tables on the invaders. Still, it is fun to watch the hirsute Wade Harper operate against the alien villains while trying to keep his own abilities secret.

Russell (a British author) adopts a kind of hard-boiled Americanized style of writing, of which this is a fair sample:

Harper phoned [Ledsom] from a diner twenty miles farther on.
"No luck," Ledsom informed. "Grundoff is still in the jug."
"Did he have any pals who might do his dirty work for him?"
"No. He was a lone wolf."
"Do you thing he may have made friends in the clink who've been released and started tending his affairs?"
"Not on your life," scoffed Ledsom. "No ex-con is going to shoot up a cop merely to please some leg still inside. There would have to be money in it, big money. Grundoff couldn't dig up ten bucks." (42)

Russell's handling of American slang is not flawless, but in general he does fairly well. This is not classical Russell, but it is good reading for late night bedside entertainment.

Our Hero is able to see the surface thoughts of others. Its been more of a hassle than a gift, Who wants to know that the guy next to you wants a hamburger or has an itch? Then one day he passes a hideous (sic?) alien intelligence wearing a human body. If he goes to the government with what he knows and HOW he knows it, they're likely to disect HIM to figure out how he works!!! Killer The realistic attitude and sense of humor of the hero has to be experienced to be believed! I read this about 10 years ago and can't remember the character's name. I wish I had never loaned this one out! (ie. gone!)