Thu 18 Jun 2026
SF Diary Review: WILLIAM F. NOLAN & GEORGE CLAYTON JOHNSON: Logan’s Run.
Posted by Steve under Uncategorized[5] Comments
WILLIAM F. NOLAN & GEORGE CLAYTON JOHNSON: Logan’s Run. The Dial Press, hardcover, 1967. Dell, paperback; 1st printing thus, March 1969. Bantam, paperback, 1976. Film: 1976, wih Michael York, Jenny Agutter. TV series: CBS, September 16, 1977, to February 6, 1978.
In the year 2116, youth has taken over the Earth. The maximum age allowed in 21, with death mandatory after that date, enforced by the Sandman police force. Logan is a Sandman, and his problems begin just as he is turning 21. There are rumors of a Sanctuary, and while he is tracking it down [on behalf of his job] through the worldwide underground railway, designed to show off Earth’s hellspots, he discovers that he wants it for himself.
His motivations lose significance in the chase, and we have nothing more than a picturesque adventure story, extremely suitable for a large budget motion picture, while much better science fiction stays confined to its own pages. The plot jumps, the characters are too often emotionless. Why does it seem all too typical of SF with major promotion behind it?
Overall rating: **½
June 19th, 2026 at 6:41 am
Probably not the best work by either Nolan or Johnson, but right-time-right-place-fortuitous-publicity can work wonders. And it is still a fairly readable piece.
Nolan, a talented writer in many areas, went on to write some sequels and a comic book series about Logan. He has written extensively about writers Max Brand, Ray Bradbury, and Dashiell Hammett, as well as “The Black Mask Boys” (Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Erle Stanley Gardner), and has won awards for lifetime achievement from various writing associations. Johnson, whose personal sequel to LOGAN remains unpublished, was an active television and film writer; among his works were the original script for OCEAN’S ELEVEN, many episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, as well as the first episode of STAR TREK to be aired.
June 19th, 2026 at 7:53 pm
Nolan was a Guest of Honor at Pulpcon one year, and I’d to say I met him then, but I can’t remember that I did. He and I enjoyed the same kinds of things: pulps, hardboiled private eye fiction, science fiction and so on, except that he was writing the stuff, and I was reading it. I never held that against him. I wish I had met him.
June 19th, 2026 at 11:49 pm
A fairly entertaining adventure, but pretty one note, but I felt the same about the film for what it’s worth.
June 22nd, 2026 at 10:50 am
I interviewed both Nolan and Johnson at great length for Filmfax, and am proud to say that the booklet for Arrow Video’s upcoming 50th-anniversary release of the film is scheduled to contain a lengthy excerpt with the relevant material from the Nolan interview.
June 22nd, 2026 at 12:09 pm
Congratulations, Matthew! Quite a nice addition to your already overflowing resume!