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hese 30 stories from the legendary (but overlooked) SF Golden Ager Eric Frank Russell (1905-1978) focus on the heyday of his career, having appeared during the years 1941 to 1965. "Allamagoosa" won its author a Hugo for its comedic depiction of the snafus caused by red tape and regulations among spacegoing naval vessels. In "And Then There Were None," alien invaders are defeated by nothing more tangible than a nonviolent philosophy. "The Army Comes to Venus" follows the travails of Miranda Dean, Salvation Army worker amidst Venusian slums. "Basic Right" replays "And Then There Were None," as the all-conquering Radians fall afoul of Terran slyness. The struggling post-apocalyptic survivors on Earth receive help from a Martian poet in "Dear Devil." Terrestrial conundrums and paradoxes bedevil hostile aliens in "Diabologic." A tale of the far, far future, "Fast Falls the Eventide" shows how our dying race stages its own strange diaspora.
A crash-landed spacer stumbles upon an unfathomable alien who just might be God Himself in "Hobbyist." Traders on Mars learn disturbing truths about mankind's real status as a species in "Homo Saps." "I Am Nothing" is a piercing psychoanalytic profile of a lonely dictator. Are dogs the real rulers of Earth? is the question posited by "Into Your Tent I'll Creep." One of a series, "Jay Score" focuses on a noble robot. The few humans resident on the moon witness a chilling alien-engineered catastrophe as doom befalls Earth in "Last Blast." "Late Night Final" is another reworking of the "And Then There Were None" schematic. Who is the most valuable crew member on an experimental rocket? Find out in "A Little Oil."
The fate of an elderly retired planetary scout forms the kernel of "Meeting on Kangsham." One man against a whole planet: that's the theme of "Metamorphosite." Conditions at a future military academy is the topic of "Minor Ingredient." A captive Terran stakes his life on the outcome of a game that fortunately never ends in "Now Inhale." In "Nuisance Value," seven Terran POWs undermine their alien captors. "Panic Button" illustrates the economical advantages of psychology over force on a world where one man guards an entire empty but valuable planet. Another solo human captive outfoxes his warders with doubletalk in "Plus X." "Study in Still Life" echoes "Allamagoosa."
The lonely man monitoring the interstellar beacon in "Tieline" comforts himself with small touchstones from Earth. Sam Gleeson, human doctor on Venus, serves as sympathetic interspecies go-between in "The Timid Tiger." The unlikely role of ostriches in space war is the subject of the comical "Top Secret." Solarian wiles frustrate warring aliens in "The Ultimate Invader." Eight Terrans with surprising heritages mount a strong defense against a world full of aliens in "The Undecided." State-sanctioned suicide is not all it seems in "U-Turn." Finally, the odd planet Eterna holds a "pace-rate" problem for mankind in "The Waitabits."
A microcosm of SF's finest hours
An Englishman who could sound remarkably American (or at least mid-Atlantic) in his prose, Russell grew up a military brat who later studied hard sciences such as metallurgy and crystallography in college. But as an adult, he would turn his attention to the softer disciplines such as psychology and poly-sci, while still exhibiting a fascination with the military mindset. (Actually, Russell's posthumous reputation often invokes his Fortean dabblings in esoteric and bizarre phenomena. See his 1943 novel Sinister Barrier for an example.) A prime contributor to John Campbell's Astounding magazine, Russell has taken a hit as a human chauvinist for the number of times he depicted wily Earthmen easily trouncing slow-witted sentients from the stars. Yet there was a lot more to this writer than such a reductionist viewpoint offers.
"Dear Devil" offers the prime counterexample of Russell's actual open-minded outlook. Devoting his whole life to helping a race other than his own, the Martian bard Fander earns not only the gratitude of a whole species, but also its love. This understated piece offers a striking contrast stylistically to Russell's broader strokes elsewhere. And in "Hobbyist," the lone human encountering a godling in his workshop tucks his tail between his legs and runs, rather than indulge in some kind of hubristic charade. Finally, the 1952 tale "I Am Nothing"--basically a mainstream story in SF clothing--is psychologically deep enough in its portrait of a dictator undone by a child to have appeared in any issue of the contemporaneous New Yorker.
Unlike fellow SF satirist Keith Laumer, Russell was concerned primarily with one issue of some importance: who holds power in society, and how the individual could take charge of his own life, enlarging both his responsibilities and privileges. In this, he more closely resembles William Tenn, but without the sardonicism. Russell adopted a basically libertarian view--on display most clearly in "And Then There Were None"--which should earn him an additional audience today outside the genre among those of similar political bent.
This invaluable book holds many delights both tragic and ironic, although Russell's consensus SF future is showing its age a bit. A large chunk of SF's heritage is embodied in these charming tales of duplicity and devotion. -- Paul
Also in this issue: Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-mages: Casting Shadows, by Jeanne Cavelos
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