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Paul Malmont

The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown: A Novel Hardcover – July 5, 2011

by Paul Malmont (Author)

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Based on an incredible true episode of World War II history, Paul Malmont’s new novel is a rollicking blend of fact and fiction about the men and women who were recruited to defeat the Nazis and ended up creating the future.

In 1943, when the United States learns that Germany is on the verge of a deadly innovation that could tip the balance of the war, the government turns to an unlikely source for help: the nation’s top science fiction writers. Installed at a covert military lab within the Philadelphia Naval Yard are the most brilliant of these young visionaries. The unruly band is led by Robert Heinlein, the dashing and complicated master of the genre. His “Kamikaze Group,” which includes the ambitious genius Isaac Asimov, is tasked with transforming the wonders of science fiction into science fact and unlocking the secrets to invisibility, death rays, force fields, weather control, and other astounding phenomena—and finding it harder than they ever imagined.

When a German spy washes ashore near the abandoned Long Island ruins of a mysterious energy facility, the military begins to fear that the Nazis are a step ahead of Heinlein’s group. Now the oddball team, joined by old friends from the Pulp Era including L. Ron Hubbard (court-martialed for attacking Mexico), must race to catch up. The answers they seek may be locked in the legendary War of Currents, which was fought decades earlier between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. As the threat of an imminent Nazi invasion of America grows more and more possible, events are set in motion that just may revolutionize the future—or destroy it—while forcing the writers to challenge the limits of talent, imagination, love, destiny, and even reality itself.

Blazing at breathtaking speed from forgotten tunnels deep beneath Manhattan to top-secret battles in the North Pacific, and careening from truth to pulp and back again, The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown is a sweeping, romantic epic—a page-turning rocket ship ride through the history of the future.

Print length

432 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Simon & Schuster
Publication date

July 5, 2011
Dimensions

6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1439168938
ISBN-13

978-1439168936
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A rip-roaring adventure . . . Required reading.” —The New York Post

“A rollicking adventure . . . Great fun . . . The Astounding is the very definition of a page-turner.” —The Onion A.V. Club

“A giddy ride . . . spills, chills and thrills." —Time Out New York

“Delightful . . . Madcap . . . It’s so much fun that it virtually defines what light fiction should be.” —Library Journal (starred review)

"A 1940s adventure story, full of historical characters and breathtaking near-escapes, this novel will appeal to the little boys in grown-up readers." —Newark Star Ledger

“Paul Malmont launched his affectionate and entertaining secret history of twentieth-century American pulp fiction with The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril in 2006. The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown is the second novel in this sequence, and the focus turns to famous science fiction authors including Robert Heinlein and the young Isaac Asimov. Together they tackle the mysteries of Nikola Tesla and winning World War II in an adventure that swoops from romp to chills, from humor to dread. Malmont’s big, lush novel is sly and charming, nostalgic and intriguing fun.” —Katherine Dunn, author of Geek Love

“Paul Malmont’s whirlwind novel celebrates the grand era of science fiction by taking its legendary writers as characters in a wholly original romp through WWII-era technology and intrigue. The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown beams its readers right into its world with all the dazzle of a newly uncovered and improved Tesla transmitter.” —Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club

“Watch out, Earthlings! The fathers of science fiction are on the prowl again, trying to save the world from the Nazis in Paul Malmont’s delightful romp. The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown delivers thrills, laughs, intriguing speculation, and even a little romance—much like the best sci-fi. A treat!” —Kevin Baker, author of Strivers Row and Paradise Alley

“Malmont’s funny, zesty, brain-teasing love letter to sf heroes affirms the glory of creativity and science, sacrifice and courage.” —Booklist

“A wild trip . . . Malmont lovingly embraces the fact-fiction synthesis employed by the writers he brings to life . . . Fans of the original pulps will surely enjoy the ride.” —Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Paul Malmont works in advertising. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children. Please visit the author at www.paulmalmont.com. You can follow his blog postings at amazon.com or on Facebook.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; 1st Edition (July 5, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1439168938
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1439168936
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,780,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #90,318 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #109,343 in Historical Fiction (Books)
- #162,608 in American Literature (Books)

Customer Reviews:
40 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		51%
4 star		28%
3 star		12%
2 star		3%
1 star		6%

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Jim Lester

A fun blend of truth and fiction

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018

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I'm not normally a fan of taking historical figures and turning them into fictional characters who do things the real person never did. However, in theis case that technique works extremely well. Malmont takes a group of science fiction pulp writers from the 1940s and puts them in a fictional situation where they are part of a secret project to develop a super-weapon during World War II. What makes the book work is the author's detailed efforts to recreate each writers' character--Robert Heinlein's leadership qualities, L.Ron Hubbard's erratic behavior, Lester Dent's love of adventure and so forth. The result is an interesting read. The novel is full of information and insights into the world of pulp fiction, the early days of science fiction, exciting action and even a few touches of humor. The book is well-plotted and well written and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of American popular fiction.

One person found this helpful

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Timothy HaughTop Contributor: Baby

Not Quite What I'd Hoped For

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2011

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I really enjoyed Mr. Malmont's last foray into the world of the pulps, The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril, and, though the Shadow writer Walter Gibson and Doc Savage writer Lester Dent are back for part of the story here, this time around the focus is on a different set of authors. As the title implies to fans of the era, science fiction authors like Robert Heinlein, L. Sprague de Camp, Isaac Asimov, and L. Ron Hubbard take center stage now.

The story is set in the midst of World War II. Heinlein is in charge of a group of science fiction writers/ researchers charged with turning science fiction weapons into reality. They work diligently albeit mostly unsuccessfully, until rumors of work by the recently deceased Nikola Tesla comes to the group's attention. Then they are plunged into a series of intrigues that ultimately push the boundaries of science.

It's not a bad plot--it's hard to go wrong by delving into the genius of Tesla. On the other hand, this novel doesn't really hold up to The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril. For me, part of that is personal. I was obsessively interested in golden age science fiction when I was a boy. I know a lot more about Hubbard, Heinlein, and, in particular, Asimov, than I do about Gibson and Dent. This makes is a lot harder for me to be convinced by a fictional portrait of these authors.

On the other hand, there are a number of other reasons why this novel doesn't work as well. Most importantly, The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril read like a Shadow adventure. Using Gibson and Dent to present an homage to the pulps works very well. This novel does not read like classic pulp science fiction and so has to stand on its own merits. This is much harder to accomplish and Mr. Malmont doesn't quite achieve it.

Part of the reason he can't scale the previous pulpy heights is because of the choices he makes about which characters we are going to spend time with. There is an extraordinary amount of time devoted to wives and lovers in this novel. Heinlein's mad wife, de Camp's sophisticated wife, Asimov's young bride, and Hubbard's and Heinlein's lovers all get page time while contributing little to the plot or, really, the characterizations of our protagonists. Then, there are the not-so-subtle hints of Hubbard's future as the founder of Scientology, which are distracting.

In the end, though Mr. Malmont has produced a decent novel, it ends up feeling like an opportunity missed. Instead of a magnificent modern pulp novel like we got last time around, we get an average World War II thriller with famous names this time. I was hoping for more.

6 people found this helpful

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Science Mag Pulp becomes Great Literature

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2011

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What if a group of sci-fi magazine writers were asked by the government to come up with secret super weapons for their troops during WWII? What if these writers just happen to include Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and L. Ron Hubbard? Then you would have a truly amazing novel which is just what Paul Malmont has! Further, these gentlemen really were recruited by the U.S. Government to work for the Navy during WWII. Malmont uses many historical sources to write his fictional account of this group and their activities during this time period. Plus we get a peek into their personal lives, i.e., erotic rituals (involving L. Ron Hubbard), marital unhappiness (Robert Heinlein), marital difficulties (Isaac Asimov), and marital happiness (the De Spragues and the Dents). This is really an exciting and gripping novel.

Not to mention, this group gets involved in trying to figure out Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower to find out if it was a super weapon and not just a giant antenna broadcasting system. Following the clues of Tesla's leads them on many adventures and misadventures which are just too much fun to describe here. Not to mention reading about Asimov as a young man, they call him "the kid" in the novel, is really exciting. In fact reading about all these characters outside of what is generally known about them was a real enlightenment.

I have to admit I couldn't follow most of the science in this novel but it didn't take away for me the reading experience. Plus the weird dreams L. Ron Hubbard has are just too far out for me to comprehend; otherwise, it was a perfect novel. Malmont shows the strong personalities of these characters and remains sympathetic to them throughout. If you know anything at all about these authors and have read or thought of reading their work, then you will love this novel. I can't give it a high enough recommendation.

3 people found this helpful

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John Trimble

... actual historical SF authors as the main characters was fun, but as a long time SF fan

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2016

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I thot the author's use of actual historical SF authors as the main characters was fun, but as a long time SF fan, I found some jarring false notes. These didn't really affect the story, but they caused some leaks in my willing suspension of disbelief. He has the year of the 1st World SF Con wrong (1939, not '38), and the characters use the term "sci-fi" to describe what they write, but it was almost 2 decade later that theterm was invented by Forrect J Ackerman.

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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2015

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Not as good as the Chinatown Death Cloud Mystery but readable. Excellent condition used book, very pleased with purchase.

Robert Price

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on March 24, 2016

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another super book. really enjoyed.

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