Tue 12 Sep 2017
SF Review: MARK PHILLIPS – The Impossibles.
Posted by Steve under Reviews , Science Fiction & Fantasy[7] Comments
MARK PHILLIPS – The Impossibles. Kenneth J. Malone / Psi-Power #2. Pyramid F-875, paperback original; 1st printing, June 1963. Previously serialized in Astounding SF in three parts as “Out Like a Light,” April-June 1960. Reprinted under this title but as by Laurence Janifer & Randall Garrett by Resurrected Press, trade paperback, 2011.
The first in this series, concocted in high comic fashion by SF writers Laurence Janifer and Randall Garrett, was Braintwister (Pyramid, 1962), in which intrepid FBI agent Ken Malone meets up with a telepathic old lady who thinks she is Queen Elizabeth. The third and last was Supermind (Pyramid, 1963), in which he tangles with … well, you’ll have to tell me, as I haven’t read it yet.
In this one, though, he meets up with a gang of kids in New York City who … well, I can’t tell you that, since that’s the mystery that Malone is called on to solve. Let me say that it begins with Malone lying flat on his back on a Greenwich Village sidewalk, having been sent to the big city to investigate a series of strange incidents involving red Cadillacs — only Cadillacs, and only red — that are being stolen and taken for joy rides all over the metropolitan area, but with no one being able to see who’s taking them or or even who’s behind the wheel.
Truth be told, as a novel, The Impossibles is a minor affair, but the pleasure comes from watching Malone tackle the unknown in a wink and a nod sort of way, and then as he tries to explain to others what he comes across. That and passages such as this one, chosen from very early on in the book:
A few minutes passed. It was obvious that his head had settled down for a long stay, and no matter how bad it felt, Malone told himself, it was his head, after all. He felt a certain responsibility for it. And he couldn’t just leave it lying around somewhere with its eyes closed.
All in all, a series that’s a lot of fun to read, but there’s no way I could call it essential.
September 12th, 2017 at 5:02 pm
All three books were great romps and a nice tribute to Craig Rice and John J. Malone.
September 13th, 2017 at 12:33 am
Quite so!
September 12th, 2017 at 10:15 pm
A very funny series that mixed the screwball mystery genre with SF in an entertaining way.
Sometimes sheer fun is more than enough.
September 13th, 2017 at 12:36 am
Strangely enough, Janifer and Garrett collaborated on these three books and never another. I’ve read quite a few of Garrett’s stories, both long and short, but nothing comes to mind that was by Janifer alone.
September 13th, 2017 at 4:55 am
Both have written hundreds of pieces of fiction during the 50s and 60s using a variety of names.
Kindle has Best of Laurence Mark Janifer that includes this book and more for $1.99. It also has Brain Twister that was nominated for a Hugo in 1960.
Garrett’s Unwise Child is available on Kindle for 99 cents. The description mentions Garrett’s was best known for the Lord Darcy series.
September 13th, 2017 at 6:17 pm
Janifer also wrote under the name Larry M. Harris and under that name collaborated with Garret on PAGAN PASSIONS, one of the sexed-up Galaxy Novels published by Beacon Books. Of interest to readers of this blog is THE PICKLED POODLES, written as Larry J. Harris, in which he continues the saga of Craig Rice’s John J. Malone and Jake and Helen Justus.
September 13th, 2017 at 6:30 pm
I stand corrected on my statement about only the three books they worked together on. Thanks, Jerry!
And for some reason, if I ever knew about THE PICKED POODLES, I’d totally forgotten it. That’s a book I’d like to see if I can find.