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bickleyhouse's review
5.0
I had read very little, if any, of Jack Williamson's work, before I embarked on this journey to read all of the Science Fiction Grand Masters.
He is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. His imagination was incredible. This is true Science Fiction at its best, with action, adventure, and even romance.
After reading this collection, I have determined that he was really fond of redheaded women, as it seems like most, if not all, of his leading ladies were redheads.
I bought this collection solely because it contained the novella, Xandulu, which was next on my list of Williamson books. Rather than just read the one story, I read the whole book, all 540 pages of it. And thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
The stories contained in this book were published in Weird Tales, Wonder Stories, Amazing Stories, Astounding Stories, and Thrilling Mystery, and all were published in the early-to-mid thirties. Almost one hundred years ago.
The science involved in many of these stories was truly amazing. I'm not sure some of the concepts that Williamson imagined are even possible. But he had people flying through space to other planets, and even had one story where the origin of all of the planets appears to have been inside the sun!
My head was almost spinning as I read some of these fantastic tales. I don't know if I have a favorite among them, but I did enjoy Xandulu, the main reason I purchased the volume, and also thoroughly enjoyed the closing story, "Grey Arms of Death," which had a rather Lovecraftian feel to it.
There was one story that did not seem to contain any Science Fiction whatsoever, a depression-based tale called "We Ain't Beggars." That one was originally published in The New Mexico Quarterly, being the sole entry that was not published in a Science Fiction pulp magazine.
Reading these stories took me back to my adolescence, when I had a subscription to The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. I remember awaiting each edition of that magazine with bated breath, eager to see what it brought to me.
There is just something special about pulp Science Fiction, and Wizard's Isle has not disappointed. A true treasure for any true fan of the genre.
Oh, and on a side note, there is a possibility that I am related to Williamson. Don't quote me on that, though.
He is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. His imagination was incredible. This is true Science Fiction at its best, with action, adventure, and even romance.
After reading this collection, I have determined that he was really fond of redheaded women, as it seems like most, if not all, of his leading ladies were redheads.
I bought this collection solely because it contained the novella, Xandulu, which was next on my list of Williamson books. Rather than just read the one story, I read the whole book, all 540 pages of it. And thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
The stories contained in this book were published in Weird Tales, Wonder Stories, Amazing Stories, Astounding Stories, and Thrilling Mystery, and all were published in the early-to-mid thirties. Almost one hundred years ago.
The science involved in many of these stories was truly amazing. I'm not sure some of the concepts that Williamson imagined are even possible. But he had people flying through space to other planets, and even had one story where the origin of all of the planets appears to have been inside the sun!
My head was almost spinning as I read some of these fantastic tales. I don't know if I have a favorite among them, but I did enjoy Xandulu, the main reason I purchased the volume, and also thoroughly enjoyed the closing story, "Grey Arms of Death," which had a rather Lovecraftian feel to it.
There was one story that did not seem to contain any Science Fiction whatsoever, a depression-based tale called "We Ain't Beggars." That one was originally published in The New Mexico Quarterly, being the sole entry that was not published in a Science Fiction pulp magazine.
Reading these stories took me back to my adolescence, when I had a subscription to The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. I remember awaiting each edition of that magazine with bated breath, eager to see what it brought to me.
There is just something special about pulp Science Fiction, and Wizard's Isle has not disappointed. A true treasure for any true fan of the genre.
Oh, and on a side note, there is a possibility that I am related to Williamson. Don't quote me on that, though.
sfian's review
4.0
This third slice of science fiction history is, from memory, more of a mixed bag than the first two volumes. Most are dated, adventure stories featuring scientists as heroes and women as their love interests, still enjoyable and easily read. Two, however, I didn't like anywhere near as much as the rest - the far future Invaders Of The Ice World and Islands Of The Sun. Both seem to be high-concept stories that modern day authors would make more of but the latter didn't take the concept - planets orbiting within the sun - very far at all, and it soon descended into more of a race through space story.
There are inconsistencies as well, probably highlighted by reading the stories consecutively rather than the months apart they would have been originally published. One story, for example, mentions that the Earth had only been explored up to four miles beneath its surface, while the next states two miles. Ideas, or at least endings, are repeated - the love interests of two characters are disguised and only revealed at the end of their two stories, while another two both end with the unlikely scenario of a single man and woman rebuilding the human race. one story - Born Of The Sun - includes an idea that seems to have been recycled relatively recently for a Doctor Who episode, however unlikely.
These things apart, though, this is another enjoyable collection of Golden Age SF. Favourites in this volume are Wizard's Isle itself, Dead Star Station and The Galactic Circle but the highlight is Xandulu.
There are inconsistencies as well, probably highlighted by reading the stories consecutively rather than the months apart they would have been originally published. One story, for example, mentions that the Earth had only been explored up to four miles beneath its surface, while the next states two miles. Ideas, or at least endings, are repeated - the love interests of two characters are disguised and only revealed at the end of their two stories, while another two both end with the unlikely scenario of a single man and woman rebuilding the human race. one story - Born Of The Sun - includes an idea that seems to have been recycled relatively recently for a Doctor Who episode, however unlikely.
These things apart, though, this is another enjoyable collection of Golden Age SF. Favourites in this volume are Wizard's Isle itself, Dead Star Station and The Galactic Circle but the highlight is Xandulu.
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