PIERS ANTHONY – Sos the Rope. Pyramid X-1890. Paperback original; 1st printing, October 1968. Cover art by Jack Gaughan. Serialized earlier in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, July-Aug-Sept 1968, Collected in Battle Circle (Avon, paperback, 1978).

   A strange triangle formed between two men and a woman becomes the key to the future of a post-war semi-feudal society, There are the warriors whose problems are solved by the force of arms, by trial by combat. And there are the crazies, who supply the traditions of learning and the past.

   Any form of unifying leadership is discouraged by the secret underground manufacturers of all supplies, and it is Sos’ friend Sol who threatens to provide that leadership, with the help of Sos, which would upset the balance of this precarious society. Sola is the wife of Sol, who bears the daughter of Sos. And it is Sos who is sent to end Sol’s leadership, and who then becomes the one who must be destroyed, What he has built, he must also destroy.

   A dilemma, unresolved. To strive for the benefits of civilization again, or to maintain the present because with it civilization brings destruction? What to do with an empire that cannot withstand those who have the power and wish to keep it for themselves?

   Much much more than for Lin Carter’s “swords and sorcery.”

Rating: *****

ELLERY QUEEN’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE. December 1967. Overall rating: ***

JON L. BREEN “The Austin Murder Case.” A parody-pastiche of Philo Vance, who uncovers a murderer at a masquerade party, Hilarious footnotes. (5)

JACOB HAY “The Name of the Game,” A Russian school for spies sends a couple to pose as Americans. Expected ending, but with a haunting sense of unreality, (4)

JOHN DICKSON CARR “The Man Who Saw the Invisible.” Colonel March. First published in The Strand Magazine, April 1938, as “The New Invisible Man” by Carter Dickson. An impossible situation revealed as a magician’s trick. (3)

ANTHONY GILBERT “The Intruders.” After terror, a twist makes everything OK for the old lady, but happily? The terror is real. (4)

CHARLOTTE ARMSTRONG “More Than One Kind of Luck.” A would-be killer finds that he makes his own bad luck. (2)

G. C. EDMUNDSON “A Question of Translation.” It would help the reader to have knowledge of both Spanish and Italian. (3)

EDWARD D. HOCH “The Spy Who Didn’t Exist.” An obscure piece of knowledge helps Rand decipher a calendar code. (3)

AGATHA CHRISTIE “The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb.” Hercule Poirot. First published in The Sketch, September 26, 1923. Belief in the supernatural is a powerful force, one Poirot must face, But why does he fake being poisoned? (2)

JOHN HOLT “Number One.” First story. A “practical” joke on a paroled con backfires into murder. (5)

PHYLLIS BENTLEY  “Miss Phipps Goes to the Hairdresser.” If the wig wasn’t obvious, I don’t know what was. A waste. (1)

URSULA CURTISS “Change of Climate.” An elaborate buildup is ruined by an editor’s note which explains the whole story. Climate as a murder weapon. (3)

JOE GORES “File #1: The Mayfield Case.” Daniel Kearny Associates. Telling it as it is in the private eye game: repossessing cars. (2)

NEW DETECTIVE MAGAZINE, May 1944. Cover art by Gloria Stoll. Overall rating: *½.

BRUNO FISCHER “Fatally Yours.” Novelette. A draft board official, accused of selling deferments, is also framed for the murders of those who might have found out, Could only have been written in those days of all-out mobilization, except for those fighting to stay out. (3)

F. ORLIN TREMAINE “The Dagger from Singapore,” Novelette. The love of a sailor with a memory for crime is interrupted by murder. Action, but little else. (1)

FREDERICK C. DAVIS “Death Marks the Spot.” Novel. After six years, an arsonist turned murderer is caught, allowing a falsely convicted gunsmith to work for the war effort, Hard to swallow at times, and overly dramatic. (1)

J. F. HUTTON “Three Days to Howl.” In the time remaining before his induction, Steve Warren helps keep an important new weapon out of enemy hands. (2)

JAMES McCREIGH “No End to Murder.” A train station robbery is thwarted while a cop stops in the restroom. (2)

KENNETH BULMER – The Star Venturers. Ace Double 22600; 1st printing, 1969. Published back-to-back with The Fall of the Dream Machine, by Dean R. Koontz [reviewed here]. Cover art by John Schoenherr.

   Thrown together by fate, Jarrett, Todd and Sue hunt for the abductor of a missing prince. Jarrett is forced on the venture by a two-bit princess. Todd becomes his friend and follows along, and Sue is the daughter of another adventurer who has not been heard from since being sent out on the same task as Jarrett.

   Probably the dullest story of galactic adventure I have read in some time. Kiddie stuff for adults. And since the girl’s father has not yet been found by story’s end, there’s gonna be more, unhappy day.

Rating: *

   
PostScript: Assuming I was correct in my assessment of this book, the good news is that there was not a sequel to it. At least, I don’t think so.

DEAN R. KOONTZ – The Fall of the Dream Machine. Ace Double 22600, paperback original; 1st printing, 1969. Published back-to-back with The Star Venturers, by Kenneth Bulmer (a review of which to be posted soon). Cover art by Jack Gaughan. Never reprinted in English.

   McLuhan’s theories are made real in a future where Show dominates, a few actors and actresses acting out their emotions for an audience who can feel them through electric wizardry. The domination of Show extends beyond mere communication, however, since the economy of the country is already under Show’s power, and it is not difficult to see that complete political control is next.

   This revolution of media, Show having taken over the function of television, which has disappeared, along with books and movies, is spawning another revolution, one dedicated to bringing back the past. Is that possible? The books ends with the victors watching a movie made by 20th Century Fox, symbolizing their attempt to do so. It may be possible.

   Revolution is often bloody, as Koontz vividly reminds us, and I have no quarrel with the violence what happens. The emphasis shocks, and one does not like it, but it may have to be this way. And in a participatory government, where the leaders actually lead, the idea occurs that violence which is then officially sanctioned is by golly going to be required.

   I am not personally convinced that the disappearance of books, in particular, is going to take place that fast, without more of a struggle, or indeed that this world Koontz envisions could actually exist. The problem with direct communication of thoughts and emotions in drama is that science fiction, with its concepts of the as-yet impossible, could not exist. And such ideas and concepts die hard.

   Naturally, I am a romanticist, as are the story’s new revolutionaries. See page 31: “… collecting old books which he could not read, old movies which he could nut view…” And romanticists will delight in this book.

   Mike’s doubts of his love (page 43) are effective; his search for the revolutionaries motives (page 47) is not. Show has existed for 200 years, and yet only now is Director Cockley’s power growing so dangerous. Nit. I did not read this very fast. Ideas were being awakened right and left.

Rating: ****½

WILLIAM IRISH – Dilemma of the Dead Lady. Graphic Book #20; paperback, 1950.

   While nowhere the masterpieces that the back cover claims that these particular stories are, the work of Irish/Woolrich are always exciting. Looking back on them, the details don’t always fit, but the people are real, in almost real situations that are made to seem real, situations the world seems to be collapsing inward. Could it happen to you?

Overall rating: ***

“Dilemma of the Dead Lady.” A cheap crook with no conscience has to murder his girl friend before he can leave France and then has the body to deal with. Fate [that follows] says that he will die for a murder that could have been avoided, committed to cover up the first, which probably would not have been revealed. (3)

“The Lie.” The by-now classic story of a son taking the blame for a murder he believes his father has committed. The clues do not point to him, however, and [unfortunately] those pointing to his innocent father are never explained. (2)

“The Dog with the Wooden Leg.” A story of a man and his dog already has a lot going for it, but if he unknowingly is made the go-between in a narcotics racket, then you really have a story, The only flaw is the complicated business of their doing away with him once he is captured by the gang. (4)

“The Blue Ribbon.” The history of a fighter, from boyhood to championship, then the fall from glory to comeback. The fake supernatural ending destroys the mood. (3)

“Subway.” An exciting chase through a subway train, but occurring only at the expense of the guard’s intelligence. (2)

Rating: ***

ANALOG SF. December 1967. Editor: John W. Campbell. Cover artist: John Schoenherr. Overall rating: ***½.

ANNE McCAFFREY “Dragonrider.” Serial; part 1 of 2. See report following that for the January 1968 issue.

ALEXEI PANSHIN “The Destiny of Milton Gomrath.” Men find their own level in life. (3)

JACK WODHAMS “Whosawhatsa?” Novelette. Judge Forsett’s latest case and nightmare is a comedy of sex changes, complicated by various pregnancies. Still, imagination can provide even more legal complication. The point is valid. (4)

PIERS ANTHONY “Beak by Beak.” Contact, but with the wrong inhabitants of Earth, For bird lovers. (3)

CHRISTOPHER ANVIL “A Question of Attitude.” The testing routine for joining the Interstellar Patrol requires that one look at both sides of the problem. (1)

MACK REYNOLDS “Psi Assassin.” A killer sent out by Section G on behalf of United Planets must be stopped before he eliminates the wrong man. Even the lectures are not new. (1)

RICHARD DEMING – The Sock-It-to-Em Murders. The Mod Squad #3. Pyramid X-1922, paperback original; 1st printing, December 1968.

   While the job of translating the TV program to book form is professional enough job, especially given the lack of time allowed, and while the outer essence of the characters is there, what it is that makes the show successful is not.

   But then, the TV programs seem to be content lately with putting Peter, Linc and Julie into exotic locations than taking advantage of their ability to communicate with youth, at the same time as they are finding themselves.

   In this book, the title of which means nothing, they are assigned to undercover work in a factory troubles with sabotage and industrial espionage, We get all the details of plant work, but nothing more meaningful, The solution works out clearly enough, but it would not have been difficult to write this without involving the Mod Squad at all.

Rating: ***

DAMON KNIGHT, Editor – Orbit 3, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, hardcover, June 1968. Cover art by by Paul Lehr, Berkley S1608, paperback, September 1968. Cover art also by Lehr.

   Damon Knight has gone off the deep end, I’m afraid, in his search for literary excellence in SF. Of these nine selections, two have straightforward stories to go with their messages, and of the other seven, only one has any message which seems important enough to be reading about. Maybe we should be grateful that most of these  others are the shorter ones. ***

RICHARD WILSON “Mother to the World.” Novelette. The story. combined with personal diaries, of the last couple in the world, with an added twist. It is well that Martin Rolfe has a basic love and understanding for animals, since Siss, while a normal woman in all other aspects, has the mentality of an eight-year-old. Consideration slowly becomes love, as we watch, hoping that nothing happens to spoil it, and a family is begun. A family that may have a future. (5)

RICHARD McKENNA “Bramble Bush.” Novelette. Knight was right the first time: that is, I did not understand a word either. It is remarkable that an author makes no concessions to the reader in the interpretations of his visions. Here is an example, however, with theories of the fourth dimension. (0)

JOANNA RUSS “The Barbarian.” Novelette. Alyz meets a fat man who may or may not be a time traveler, but who is someone who thinks he is the master of his machines, yet who in his foolishness is inferior to Alyx. Confusing story, but a message lurks somewhere. (4)

GENE WOLFE “The Changeling.” Knight doesn’t understand this, shall I argue? The [relatively] high rating is based not on the possibility there might be a meaning, but on the reminiscences of small town life. (2)

DORIS PITKIN BUCK “Why They Mobbed the White House.” Why indeed? I thought this story might explain. Something about computers and income tax. (1)

KATE WILHELM “The Planners.” A glimpse into the life of the head of a research project which is trying to stimulate the intelligence of monkeys. But a glimpse is all. (2)

PHILIP JOSE FARMER “Don’t Wash the Carats,” What does it mean if a “literary Rorschach test” is nothing but nonsense to you? (0)

JAMES SALLIS “Letter to a Young Poet.” Well, that’s what it is. What did you expect? (3)

JOHN JAKES “Here Is Thy Sting.” Novelette. A newspaperman discovers a scientific project probing the experience of death from a qualitative approach. Of the two essential parts, the sleep and the pain, which is it that mankind fears? And if the fear of the pain were to be eliminated, what would be the effect on the future of mankind? And why was this story described as funny? Or amusing? ****½

DETECTIVE NOVELS MAGAZINE – December 1940. Overall rating: *

FRANK JOHNSON {Norman Daniels] “The Crimson Mask’s Death Gamble.” Novel. The Crimson Mask, in reality pharmacist Bob Clarke, fighting evil the way no police can do, takes on a case that could only happen only during a depression, when jobs are precious and hard to come by. An employment agency collects $50 for sending applicants to tough manual-labor jobs where foremen drive them to quitting, thus forfeiting the $50. In the days when the pay was $21 a week, this would be quite a racket. The Mask’s girl friend has the most intelligence of anybody running around. (1)

CYRIL PLUNKETT “To Hell with Death,” A murderer drives his victim around in a car with carbon monoxide coming from the engine and a lawman in the back seat. Suspense. (1)

ALLAN K. ECHOLS “Dollars to Doughnuts.” An honest man in the hard-hit wartime docks resists temptation. (3)

JOHN L. BENTON [Norman Daniels] “The Fifth Column Murders.” Novel. Patriotism, a strong motivation in the days just before World War II, against the scummy war of infiltration and sabotage. The Candid Camera Kid, news photographer Jerry Wade, stops a gang bent on destroying America’s defenses. Why must the clues by hidden from the reader? (1)

ROBERT LESLIE BELLEM “Agents of Doom.” Mixed up story of blackmail used to destroy bombers headed for Canada. (0)