Customer Reviews

Wolfbane (VGSF Classics, No. 7)

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Unfortunately for sci-fi fans, Cyril M. Kornbluth had a very short life (1923-1958). Nevertheless he was able to deliver several very good novels alone or usually in collaboration with other authors as "The Space Merchants" (1952) and "Gladiator-at-law" (1954) in collaboration with his friend Frederik Pohl, "Gunner Cade" (with Judith Merril 1952).

Frederik Pohl (1919) the other co-author is one "Sci-fi Golden Age" writers. He is still producing new books, imagine! He has authored more than one success as the already mentioned collaborations with Kornbluth, the underrated but excellent "Drunkard's Walk" (1960) and Hugo & Nebula winner "Gateway" (1977).

"Wolfbane" (1959) was Kornbluth's last novel, written before his fatal heart attack.

The plot is as follows: Earth has been dragged into deep space by a rogue planet, losing the sun as star. Instead the moon is an alternate sun reignited every five years by mysterious forces, probably related with an alien pyramid laid on Everest's top.

Human race has dwindled to ten million souls divided into ten thousand "wolves" and the rest submissive "lambs". "Wolves" are defiant and trying to liberate humanity from its prostrate state.
The chronicle of this struggle is the subject of the story.

This book is more centered in plot than in characters and that is its strength and weakness at the same time. The reader can't feel any deep identification with any character, but what is happening to humanity grows in significance. One other point to notice is the "compound mind" devised by the authors and compare it with Sturgeon's "More than Human".

Enjoy this somehow underrated and little known sci-fi classic!

Reviewed by Max Yofre