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The Paradox Men
The Paradox Men is a science-fiction classic of its kind - a full-blooded adventure story of derring-do and distressed damsels, set after the Third Great War when North and South America are united into one Imperial America. A slave state run by a small noble elite who flaunt their wealth by using, and abusing, the one commodity that only the rich can human labour. But working underground, persecuted by the police, is an organization dedicated to the overthrow of government and the existing way of life and the establishment of freedom'. 'The Society of Thieves was the only organization that flouted authority in America they robbed the rich to buy freedom for the slaves. They were well equipped and trained for their job and had friends and informers in high places ready to reveal where the wealth of the nobles was hidden. And Alar was the best Thief of them all - for he had senses not found in ordinary men, senses that accurately warned him when danger was near. But Alar had amnesia and did not know his true identity though sometimes he sensed that there was a purpose in his actions that was not entirely his own volition. When Keiris, wife of the Imperial Chancellor saw him, she sensed that he was something special and helped him to elude pursuit even though it put her own life in danger. And in trips to the Moon and even the Sun itself, Alar begins to see what part he is destined to play in the struggle for men's freedom.
159 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1949
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1027 people want to read
About the author
Charles L. Harness
92 books24 followersAlso credited as Charles Harness.
Charles Leonard Harness was born December 29, 1915 in Colorado City TX. After an abortive stint at Texas Christian University, studying to be a preacher, he moved on to George Washington University in Washington DC, where he received a B.S. degree in 1942, and a law degree in 1946. He married in 1938, and he and wife Nell have a daughter and a son. He worked as a mineral economist for the US Bureau of Mines, 1941-47, then became a patent attorney, first with American Cyanamid (1947-1953), then with W.R. Grace & Co. (1953-1981). His first story, ‘‘Time Trap’’, appeared in Astounding (8/48), and he went on to write a number of well-regarded SF stories, many involving future trials and patent attorneys. A series of patent office spoofs/stories (some co-written with Theodore L. Thomas) appeared under the pseudonym Leonard Lockhard, beginning with ‘‘Improbable Profession’’ (Astounding 9/52). His first published novel, Flight Into Yesterday (aka The Paradox Men), first appeared as a 1949 novella, and was expanded in 1953. The Rose, his most famous novella, appeared as a book in 1966. It was followed by Wagnerian space opera The Ring of Ritornel (1968), Wolfhead (1978), The Catalyst (1980), Firebird (1981), The Venetian Court (1982), Redworld (1986), Krono (1988), Lurid Dreams (1990), and Lunar Justice (1991). His short fiction has been collected in An Ornament to His Profession (1998), which includes not only ‘‘The Rose’’ but a new novella as well.
Charles Leonard Harness was born December 29, 1915 in Colorado City TX. After an abortive stint at Texas Christian University, studying to be a preacher, he moved on to George Washington University in Washington DC, where he received a B.S. degree in 1942, and a law degree in 1946. He married in 1938, and he and wife Nell have a daughter and a son. He worked as a mineral economist for the US Bureau of Mines, 1941-47, then became a patent attorney, first with American Cyanamid (1947-1953), then with W.R. Grace & Co. (1953-1981). His first story, ‘‘Time Trap’’, appeared in Astounding (8/48), and he went on to write a number of well-regarded SF stories, many involving future trials and patent attorneys. A series of patent office spoofs/stories (some co-written with Theodore L. Thomas) appeared under the pseudonym Leonard Lockhard, beginning with ‘‘Improbable Profession’’ (Astounding 9/52). His first published novel, Flight Into Yesterday (aka The Paradox Men), first appeared as a 1949 novella, and was expanded in 1953. The Rose, his most famous novella, appeared as a book in 1966. It was followed by Wagnerian space opera The Ring of Ritornel (1968), Wolfhead (1978), The Catalyst (1980), Firebird (1981), The Venetian Court (1982), Redworld (1986), Krono (1988), Lurid Dreams (1990), and Lunar Justice (1991). His short fiction has been collected in An Ornament to His Profession (1998), which includes not only ‘‘The Rose’’ but a new novella as well.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 16, 2010
6.0 stars. On my list of "All Time Favorite" novels. The great novels of the "Golden Age" of science fiction, when done right, are some of the best stories EVER WRITTEN. After having just re-read this story (February 14, 2010), I would put this book in that category (along with other notable examples such as Fury by Henry Kuttner, The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, and The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov). This book is superbly written, has a compelling, fast-moving INTELLIGENT plot, and an outstanding ending with a message. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!
March 11, 2024
Check out my full, spoiler free, video review HERE.
This is a fantastic book that started as a short story from 1949. Fast pace, full of action, unique setting, intricate plot with lots of twists and turns, plus so many SF ideas, all packed into around 200 pages. This book was influential to many authors including Alfred Bester, which is probably the closest comparison, in terms of style IMO. But unlike Bester, we get heroes that you can feel good about rooting for. Almost all the plot lines are wrapped up and once you figure out the wild ending, and you’re also left with an upbeat, positive message. Highly recommended.
This is a fantastic book that started as a short story from 1949. Fast pace, full of action, unique setting, intricate plot with lots of twists and turns, plus so many SF ideas, all packed into around 200 pages. This book was influential to many authors including Alfred Bester, which is probably the closest comparison, in terms of style IMO. But unlike Bester, we get heroes that you can feel good about rooting for. Almost all the plot lines are wrapped up and once you figure out the wild ending, and you’re also left with an upbeat, positive message. Highly recommended.
August 23, 2011
I picked up this book because it had been compared to Alfred Bester's "The Stars, My Destination," one of my favorite sci-fi novels, AND because it is listed as one of the Top 100 sci-fi novels in David Pringle's excellent overview book. Happily, I found the comparison to be a fair one, and the rating to be just. This is one terrific science fiction novel, as fast paced and colorful as the Bester novel, and featuring a similar use of colorful characters and extravagant imagination. It is really quite impressive how Charles Harness manages to incorporate some fantastic surprise or bit of mind-blowing scientific hypothesizing into every single chapter. Einsteinian theories of the universe, Toynbeean history and non-Aristotelian philosophy are all mixed into a swashbuckling and fast-moving pulp story, with a backdrop of a technologically advanced society on the decline. The story jumps from the Earth to the moon to Mercury and finally to a "solarion," a station that hovers over a sunspot to process the energy of the sun itself. It's all wild and improbable and quite irresistible stuff, if you're game. I highly recommend it.
October 15, 2018
Featured in David Pringle's "Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels", and originally published in 1949, this is a forgotten Golden Age sci-fi would be classic. Set in a dystopian future where the poor masses are enslaved, the story follows the adventures of Alar, part of a secret society of thieves who steal from the rich in order to free slaves. Alar, suffering from amnesia, races across the solar system to unravel his mysterious past while avoiding capture by an oppressive, heavy handed government who believes he possesses special powers that could derail their plans for war.
Packed with action, intrigue and a smart, fast moving plot the story holds up well today. However, as is common from sci-fi stories of that era, it bases itself quite a bit on some pretty flimsy pseudo-scientific psychological and biological concepts. The plot is actually quite similar, right down to the protagonist's amnesia, to A.E. van Vogt's classic The World of Null-A, published in 1945. And to some extent as well to Alfred Bester's classic The Stars My Destination, published in 1955. But it holds up well on its own as a fun, original, well put together story.
Packed with action, intrigue and a smart, fast moving plot the story holds up well today. However, as is common from sci-fi stories of that era, it bases itself quite a bit on some pretty flimsy pseudo-scientific psychological and biological concepts. The plot is actually quite similar, right down to the protagonist's amnesia, to A.E. van Vogt's classic The World of Null-A, published in 1945. And to some extent as well to Alfred Bester's classic The Stars My Destination, published in 1955. But it holds up well on its own as a fun, original, well put together story.
August 31, 2018
Charles L. Harness' "The Paradox Men" is an uncanny prophecy of cool technology, considering the story was written in 1949! Contains echoes of Alfred Bester's "The Stars, My Destination", a dash of Arthur C. Clark's "2001 A Space Odyssey" (think cave men), a warped version of H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine", and a bit of PKD's "The Minority Report" starring a freaky precog called Meganet Mind. No, not DreamWork's Megamind, mind you. Unfortunately the story was bogged down by brain crushing hard science that would have given Einstein a brain haemorrhage...and endless psychobabble that would have driven Freud insane. Required reading for fans of classic SF.
March 22, 2015
Los hombres paradójicos (1953) de Charles L. Harness es ciencia ficción clásica de la mejor. Se trata de una distopía en el siglo XXV que utiliza momentos y sistemas sociales de nuestra historia y nos los devuelve aderezados de predicciones futuras. Sociedades esclavistas, viajes en el tiempo, teletransportación, nuevas energías, teorías filosóficas, naves espaciales, amores imposibles, etc, etc. Pero, sobre todo, mucha acción. Y acción siempre rodeada de elementos relacionados con el género, cosa que hay que agradecer. Hay muchas referencias a la cultura (tanto actual como antigua) y, principalmente, descripciones científicas y seudocientíficas que a veces, por su extensión, lastran un poco el ritmo, por lo general frenético. Pero esto no desmerece la clasificación de esta obra entre las más grandes de la literatura de ciencia ficción. Un placer leerla.
January 15, 2023
Read long, long ago -- I may still have a copy, unless it crumbled away. The review to read here is Jamie's 4-star:
"Packed with action, intrigue and a smart, fast moving plot the story holds up well today. However, as is common from sci-fi stories of that era, it bases itself quite a bit on some pretty flimsy pseudo-scientific psychological and biological concepts. The plot is actually quite similar, right down to the protagonist's amnesia, to A.E. van Vogt's classic The World of Null-A, published in 1945. And to some extent as well to Alfred Bester's classic The Stars My Destination, published in 1955. But it holds up well on its own as a fun, original, well put together story."
This would be a novella by current definitions, I think. ISFDB lists many reprints:
https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.c...
AKA "Flight into Yesterday " (1953)
Date first read is just a guess. I may have the Ace Double.
"Packed with action, intrigue and a smart, fast moving plot the story holds up well today. However, as is common from sci-fi stories of that era, it bases itself quite a bit on some pretty flimsy pseudo-scientific psychological and biological concepts. The plot is actually quite similar, right down to the protagonist's amnesia, to A.E. van Vogt's classic The World of Null-A, published in 1945. And to some extent as well to Alfred Bester's classic The Stars My Destination, published in 1955. But it holds up well on its own as a fun, original, well put together story."
This would be a novella by current definitions, I think. ISFDB lists many reprints:
https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.c...
AKA "Flight into Yesterday " (1953)
Date first read is just a guess. I may have the Ace Double.
April 29, 2023
This book is awesome, i love how the history progress eventualy, and the main character have a awesome history.
August 25, 2013
‘The Society of Thieves was the only organisation that flouted authority in America Imperial: they robbed the rich to buy freedom for the slaves. They were well equipped and trained for their job and had friends and informers in high places ready to reveal where the wealth of the nobles was hidden.
And Alar was the best Thief of them all – for he had senses not found in ordinary men, senses that accurately warned him when danger was near. But Alar had amnesia and did not know his true identity though sometimes he sensed that there was a purpose in his actions that was not entirely of his own volition.
When Keiris, wife of the Imperial Chancellor saw him, she sensed that he was something special and helped him to elude pursuit even though it out her own life in danger. And in tripe to the Moon and even the Sun itself, Alar begins to see what part he is destined to play in the struggle for men’s freedom.
Blurb from the 1967 Four Square paperback edition.
Harness, like Bester, wrote far less than his fans would have wished. His style (as Brian Aldiss terms it in the introduction the Four Square SF edition) is Widescreen Baroque, and despite the paucity of his output, one cannot deny that his influence has been a major one on the genre. Twelve years before Frank Herbert gave us Dune we see Harness employing the idea of personal force-shields, which repel bullets and blasters but allow through the relatively slow-moving sword or knife. Thus Harness combines the swashbuckling sword-wielding hero with the Solarion ships, which skate the surface of the sun, and the experimental interstellar ship, which is at the centre of the novel’s mystery. One can see the influence of Harness in many authors’ work, not least Herbert. Echoes of his style and imagery crop up in the work of Moorcock, M John Harrison, Will McCarthy (Aldiss notes in the introduction that Harness ‘shares a weakness for regality (and female rulers) with Van Vogt’ which seems to be also shared by Harrison and also McCarthy – see ‘The Collapsium’) and possibly Brian Aldiss himself.
Far in the future, America is a feudal Empire, its titular head being the Imperatrix Juana-Maria, although in reality her ruthless Chancellor, Haze-Gaunt, controls the Empire. His wife, Keiris was once married to the revolutionary Kennicott Muir, who set up the Society of Thieves, a Robin Hood style organisation dedicated to robbing the rich and bringing about the end of institutionalised slavery. Muir is now thought to be dead.
One of the best of the Thieves is Alar, the central figure of the novel, a man with no past, since he can remember nothing beyond a few months back.
Alar begins a search for the truth, during which he meets Keiris, a woman who seems hauntingly familiar; the Microfilm Mind, a mutant who can deduce the future by memorising and analysing thousands of facts of the present.
Meanwhile a vast interstellar ship is being built, raising the hope that Mankind might now reach the stars, but Alar is beginning to suspect that the ship has already returned to Earth and crashed long before it was built, and that he might have been on board.
One can argue that the novel is no more than a chase in which relentless enemies pursue Alar, searching for the truth and his own memories, but it is far more than this. It’s a joyful piece of elaborate plotting, as complex and beautifully structured as an orrery, filled with bizarre and memorable characters and featuring a denouement both expected and unexpected.
And Alar was the best Thief of them all – for he had senses not found in ordinary men, senses that accurately warned him when danger was near. But Alar had amnesia and did not know his true identity though sometimes he sensed that there was a purpose in his actions that was not entirely of his own volition.
When Keiris, wife of the Imperial Chancellor saw him, she sensed that he was something special and helped him to elude pursuit even though it out her own life in danger. And in tripe to the Moon and even the Sun itself, Alar begins to see what part he is destined to play in the struggle for men’s freedom.
Blurb from the 1967 Four Square paperback edition.
Harness, like Bester, wrote far less than his fans would have wished. His style (as Brian Aldiss terms it in the introduction the Four Square SF edition) is Widescreen Baroque, and despite the paucity of his output, one cannot deny that his influence has been a major one on the genre. Twelve years before Frank Herbert gave us Dune we see Harness employing the idea of personal force-shields, which repel bullets and blasters but allow through the relatively slow-moving sword or knife. Thus Harness combines the swashbuckling sword-wielding hero with the Solarion ships, which skate the surface of the sun, and the experimental interstellar ship, which is at the centre of the novel’s mystery. One can see the influence of Harness in many authors’ work, not least Herbert. Echoes of his style and imagery crop up in the work of Moorcock, M John Harrison, Will McCarthy (Aldiss notes in the introduction that Harness ‘shares a weakness for regality (and female rulers) with Van Vogt’ which seems to be also shared by Harrison and also McCarthy – see ‘The Collapsium’) and possibly Brian Aldiss himself.
Far in the future, America is a feudal Empire, its titular head being the Imperatrix Juana-Maria, although in reality her ruthless Chancellor, Haze-Gaunt, controls the Empire. His wife, Keiris was once married to the revolutionary Kennicott Muir, who set up the Society of Thieves, a Robin Hood style organisation dedicated to robbing the rich and bringing about the end of institutionalised slavery. Muir is now thought to be dead.
One of the best of the Thieves is Alar, the central figure of the novel, a man with no past, since he can remember nothing beyond a few months back.
Alar begins a search for the truth, during which he meets Keiris, a woman who seems hauntingly familiar; the Microfilm Mind, a mutant who can deduce the future by memorising and analysing thousands of facts of the present.
Meanwhile a vast interstellar ship is being built, raising the hope that Mankind might now reach the stars, but Alar is beginning to suspect that the ship has already returned to Earth and crashed long before it was built, and that he might have been on board.
One can argue that the novel is no more than a chase in which relentless enemies pursue Alar, searching for the truth and his own memories, but it is far more than this. It’s a joyful piece of elaborate plotting, as complex and beautifully structured as an orrery, filled with bizarre and memorable characters and featuring a denouement both expected and unexpected.
December 15, 2018
This is one strange book. Full of action (it starts with the main hero in middle of doing robbery some high aristocrat home). But it’s also full of physics theories about time and space with starship, lunar base and solar expeditions. Ah, and this world definitely is apocalyptically. But most of all this book is about people -their aggression, their petty squabbles that becomes the end of this civilization. I can’t say that I fully grasp all authors thoughts. Maybe I will reread it, but not in the near future-i need time to comprehend it firstly.
September 27, 2019
I read The Paradox Men in this edition. I did not read the novel "Dome Around America" by Jack Williamson that it is paired with in this edition, so this review only applies to the former. The dates started and finished are very approximate as I don't remember exactly when I read it. I remember enjoying reading it, but don't remember much about the plot.
September 15, 2021
Harness expresses his love of VanVogt and how it inspired him to write a similar type of book in his afterword. He certainly did so - it shares both some of the good and bad traits of VanVogt - but I think his book is better. It suffers from being dated and suffers from the weakness of many of the early pulp fiction - but is still strong enough to recommend.
September 16, 2016
Heavy on ideas and plot, weak on characters and prose style. Fairly fun and with a great ending
July 15, 2020
2015 Review:
The Paradox Men loomed large in my mind for a while. I first read about it in Brian Aldiss's SF history, Trillion Year Spree, where he categorizes it as a exemplary example of Widescreen Baroque, comparing it favorable to some of my other favorite SF such as The Stars my Destination and The World of Null-A. I got a nice hardback copy with introductory essays and afterwards, but I had to let my internal hype die down before I gave it a shot. I'm pleasantly surprised to find that it holds up to those other classics, especially after reading a disappointing Charles Harness book (Firebird). There are some clunky expository explanations but it's otherwise a fast-paced novel that may have inspired the shield-based combat of Dune. Like Stars and Null-A, the main character is a man of superhuman potential with a mysterious background. But my favorite character was the villain, the brilliantly named cruel emperor Haze-Gaunt, who's given a strong back story motivated by jealousy and a great ending.
2020 Update:
I reread this novel in 2020, after going on a long van Vogt reading jag, and this time I loved it! I don't think I was in the right headspace to appreciate what Harness was accomplishing with The Paradox Men the first time. But after rereading The World of Null-A, realizing how this novel was obviously inspired by Null-A, and considering how both of these novels grew out of serials in Astounding Science-Fiction, I can see how Harness took his inspiration from van Vogt but uplifted Vogtian tropes into a much greater novel. Both Null-A and The Paradox Men feature amnesiac men of action and are full of exciting twists and reveals. However, Harness bolsters The Paradox Men with a stronger sense of history and deeper emotions. Van Vogt's characters and worlds can feel a bit empty, void of affect and unmoored from reality. But Harness imbues his characters with vibrant feelings and shows us clearly how the Earth got from the present day to his dystopic future vision.
The Paradox Men loomed large in my mind for a while. I first read about it in Brian Aldiss's SF history, Trillion Year Spree, where he categorizes it as a exemplary example of Widescreen Baroque, comparing it favorable to some of my other favorite SF such as The Stars my Destination and The World of Null-A. I got a nice hardback copy with introductory essays and afterwards, but I had to let my internal hype die down before I gave it a shot. I'm pleasantly surprised to find that it holds up to those other classics, especially after reading a disappointing Charles Harness book (Firebird). There are some clunky expository explanations but it's otherwise a fast-paced novel that may have inspired the shield-based combat of Dune. Like Stars and Null-A, the main character is a man of superhuman potential with a mysterious background. But my favorite character was the villain, the brilliantly named cruel emperor Haze-Gaunt, who's given a strong back story motivated by jealousy and a great ending.
2020 Update:
I reread this novel in 2020, after going on a long van Vogt reading jag, and this time I loved it! I don't think I was in the right headspace to appreciate what Harness was accomplishing with The Paradox Men the first time. But after rereading The World of Null-A, realizing how this novel was obviously inspired by Null-A, and considering how both of these novels grew out of serials in Astounding Science-Fiction, I can see how Harness took his inspiration from van Vogt but uplifted Vogtian tropes into a much greater novel. Both Null-A and The Paradox Men feature amnesiac men of action and are full of exciting twists and reveals. However, Harness bolsters The Paradox Men with a stronger sense of history and deeper emotions. Van Vogt's characters and worlds can feel a bit empty, void of affect and unmoored from reality. But Harness imbues his characters with vibrant feelings and shows us clearly how the Earth got from the present day to his dystopic future vision.
November 23, 2017
Me ha parecido una obra muy influenciada por las novelas más conocidas de Bester, "El hombre demolido" y, sobre todo, "Las estrellas, mi destino". Algo que se nota mucho, primero en la ambientación, como de película de capa y espada del Hollywood de los años treinta y cuarenta pero en cf (por buscar una referencia moderna, yo me imaginé la ambientación de "The Paradox Men" vestida con la fantástica dirección artística del videojuego "Dishonored 2" con el que la novela de Harness guarda un par de curiosos parecidos) y segundo, en el personaje principal, Alar, ese hombre, casi superhombre, obsesionado con cumplir Su Misión, en este caso descubrir su verdadera identidad, aunque en el fondo no deja de ser otra marioneta manipulada por las corrientes de la historia. Porque Alar acaba resultando ser un mecanismo de las teorías de Toynbee, un héroe que una vez transcendido a semidivinidad, dará fin a una cultura agónica para comenzar de nuevo en un ciclo eterno de auge y caída de civilizaciones.
La historia es básicamente cf de acción y aventuras, el ritmo es endiablado y Harness no escatima espectáculo, como en el arranque o al final en la estación solariana, algo que no me extraña que impactase en algunos escritores de su época. La resolución es buena y bonita y el juego de identidades del héroe y su antagonista resulta intrigante y lleno de posibilidades, lástima que Harness tire por la solución más obvia. Por lo demás adolece de las típicos defectos de la cf "clásica" pre-new wave; personajes muy planos, escenas y recursos extraídos del pulp más tirao, algunos diálogos acartonados y explicaciones científicas que aunque se agradece el esfuerzo, resultan pesadas y anticuadas, el charlón sobre viajes espaciales a medio libro corta el rollo muchísimo. Por lo demás una novela que aunque se deja leer y mantiene el tipo, su lectura tampoco resulta imprescindible salvo para interesados en la historia de la cf anglosajona.
La historia es básicamente cf de acción y aventuras, el ritmo es endiablado y Harness no escatima espectáculo, como en el arranque o al final en la estación solariana, algo que no me extraña que impactase en algunos escritores de su época. La resolución es buena y bonita y el juego de identidades del héroe y su antagonista resulta intrigante y lleno de posibilidades, lástima que Harness tire por la solución más obvia. Por lo demás adolece de las típicos defectos de la cf "clásica" pre-new wave; personajes muy planos, escenas y recursos extraídos del pulp más tirao, algunos diálogos acartonados y explicaciones científicas que aunque se agradece el esfuerzo, resultan pesadas y anticuadas, el charlón sobre viajes espaciales a medio libro corta el rollo muchísimo. Por lo demás una novela que aunque se deja leer y mantiene el tipo, su lectura tampoco resulta imprescindible salvo para interesados en la historia de la cf anglosajona.
January 28, 2013
A really fun fast read that has held up well. Some of the physics is just wrong (confusing relativistic increase in mass with an increase in rest mass / gravity), outdated (the universe is only 13.7 years old), or half baked ( an event a billion light years away would take a billion years to show up, so you can't take a picture of it yet).
The twists and surprises are setup enough that you can guess what is coming, but the novel is perfect nevertheless. This is great, fast paced story telling with some depth. I was pleased to see that Frank Herbert stole some ideas from this.
Why isn't this more famous? Yeah, you should read it.
The twists and surprises are setup enough that you can guess what is coming, but the novel is perfect nevertheless. This is great, fast paced story telling with some depth. I was pleased to see that Frank Herbert stole some ideas from this.
Why isn't this more famous? Yeah, you should read it.
March 23, 2016
I first read this book 40 years ago, so re-reading it was an adventure in meeting my younger self. The book stands up very well. It's a well written story of a Thief (capital T) with no memory of his previous life, and his gradual uncovering of his past, which coincides with a crisis in the murderous totalitarian society in which he lives.
I loved the book in it's original day, and it is still very good. I have docked a star because the main female character is a bit of a cardboard cut-out - though this is not unusual in SF then - or now!
I loved the book in it's original day, and it is still very good. I have docked a star because the main female character is a bit of a cardboard cut-out - though this is not unusual in SF then - or now!
June 13, 2015
Have had this book on my shelves and have been meaning to read it for 30 years. Finally decided it was time to pull it down and check it out. It reads kind of like a more coherently plotted A.E. Van Vogt. If I'd read it 30 years ago when I was in my early twenties (or earlier, in my teens), I probably would have been blown away. Now, I enjoyed it but found it rather dated.
August 15, 2015
This was an interesting paradox story. The mystery in it is not nearly as difficult as the intro claims, and the ending, given the mechanism that brought it about, is more than a bit frightening—there should be millions or billions of “paradox men” out there, each thinking their vision is the right one.
It is very well-written and a great emissary from fifties sci-fi.
It is very well-written and a great emissary from fifties sci-fi.
January 1, 2017
Puntuación paradójica: entre 5 y 3 estrellas. Lo bueno y lo malo de la literatura de ciencia ficción, y también lo bueno y lo malo de los grandes clásicos del género.
Three or five stars: paradox punctuation. The good and the bad of science fiction literature, and also the best and the worst about the commonly considered great classics of the genre.
Three or five stars: paradox punctuation. The good and the bad of science fiction literature, and also the best and the worst about the commonly considered great classics of the genre.
July 27, 2017
Golden Age Science Fiction -- featuring swashbuckling science professors! Not much on time travel. Also .....
Fails the Bechdel test.
(The Bechdel test asks if a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added.)
Fails the Bechdel test.
(The Bechdel test asks if a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added.)
January 19, 2014
A Fantastic novel. Particularly I liked the travelling through the space with the velocity exceeding that of light. I think I might consider creating a new folder, the best science-fiction books, with putting this book there.
June 27, 2015
For the time in which it was written, 1949, this book was very good. Some very interesting science fiction concepts were explored and the characters were well developed. This book is number 10 in the book "Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels" by David Pringle. On to number 11!
July 13, 2014
Exhilarating, panoramic, baroque.
November 23, 2014
This would have been a good one for my high school SF class. Adventuresome, pithy, and even sexy!
February 11, 2017
Yes, a very nice story!
September 7, 2022
A classic sci-fi tale that combines adventure and ideas. Recommended
December 24, 2025
The Paradox Men by Charles L. Harness offers plenty of rollicking Golden Age science fiction adventure, but even at its svelte page count feels like it has stretched its premise too thin.
A space opera that feels as much science fantasy as it does science fiction, the best parts of The Paradox Men are those that feel they have leapt from the pages of a comic strip or off a matinee serial. Its influence upon later works in either of those subgenres is also apparent. One aspect that it doesn’t really explore is how the Americas by the time of the novels setting are united under a single entity called the American Imperium, a slave-owning empire. The dystopic aspects of such a society aren’t really played up with the story feeling one that is told almost entirely from the top of said society. With the expansion of the work from its original novella into a novel this feels like one aspect that maybe should have been explored more. Especially when the novel version feels padded in other aspects. The way some plot elements feel more like individual vignettes perhaps shows it would have been better if it had continued as separate, but connected, shorter works.
The plot never really gels together as a cohesive whole, despite many characters feeling larger than life or individual set pieces feeling well done. Too much of the plot is wound up in the physics, psychological, or biological concepts that Harness has inserted into the longer version, but more on them shortly. Those elements take away from what does work, which as mentioned is whenever the book devotes itself to swashbuckling action. There is a real filmic quality to these scenes that makes one wish there was an adaptation of the book out there that could deliver these without the elements of the book that let down the overall effort. Many of the characters feel broadly drawn archetypes but actually work better because of that within the context of this swashbuckling space opera. What lets them down is when they get bogged down in explaining scientific concepts that Harness has inserted as throughlines in the novel version. Like everything else in the book, everything is better when there’s swordplay.
Harness does at least write with a level of accessibility for the most part. It makes the action scenes all the better with their snappy narrations. The marked difference between the action scenes and the dialogue scenes is even there to be scene in the prose itself with how differently they are written. The dialogue is where Harness begins to focus more on the scientific concepts, which suffers from the issue of not knowing whether its hard science fiction or mere techno/psychobabble. Regardless of whether its research or imagination, the effect is the same of taking this reader out of the book and impatiently waiting for the next fight. They really harm the pace of the book too, the end result of which is to create a binary pace of breakneck speed during the action scenes and a snail’s pace in slow motion during the dialogue scenes. A book with this pacing in its best scenes and at this short length should not feel like a slog.
The Paradox Men likely would have worked far better had it been kept as a novel, but there’s no denying the excitement in those original, action packaged sequences.
A space opera that feels as much science fantasy as it does science fiction, the best parts of The Paradox Men are those that feel they have leapt from the pages of a comic strip or off a matinee serial. Its influence upon later works in either of those subgenres is also apparent. One aspect that it doesn’t really explore is how the Americas by the time of the novels setting are united under a single entity called the American Imperium, a slave-owning empire. The dystopic aspects of such a society aren’t really played up with the story feeling one that is told almost entirely from the top of said society. With the expansion of the work from its original novella into a novel this feels like one aspect that maybe should have been explored more. Especially when the novel version feels padded in other aspects. The way some plot elements feel more like individual vignettes perhaps shows it would have been better if it had continued as separate, but connected, shorter works.
The plot never really gels together as a cohesive whole, despite many characters feeling larger than life or individual set pieces feeling well done. Too much of the plot is wound up in the physics, psychological, or biological concepts that Harness has inserted into the longer version, but more on them shortly. Those elements take away from what does work, which as mentioned is whenever the book devotes itself to swashbuckling action. There is a real filmic quality to these scenes that makes one wish there was an adaptation of the book out there that could deliver these without the elements of the book that let down the overall effort. Many of the characters feel broadly drawn archetypes but actually work better because of that within the context of this swashbuckling space opera. What lets them down is when they get bogged down in explaining scientific concepts that Harness has inserted as throughlines in the novel version. Like everything else in the book, everything is better when there’s swordplay.
Harness does at least write with a level of accessibility for the most part. It makes the action scenes all the better with their snappy narrations. The marked difference between the action scenes and the dialogue scenes is even there to be scene in the prose itself with how differently they are written. The dialogue is where Harness begins to focus more on the scientific concepts, which suffers from the issue of not knowing whether its hard science fiction or mere techno/psychobabble. Regardless of whether its research or imagination, the effect is the same of taking this reader out of the book and impatiently waiting for the next fight. They really harm the pace of the book too, the end result of which is to create a binary pace of breakneck speed during the action scenes and a snail’s pace in slow motion during the dialogue scenes. A book with this pacing in its best scenes and at this short length should not feel like a slog.
The Paradox Men likely would have worked far better had it been kept as a novel, but there’s no denying the excitement in those original, action packaged sequences.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2020
Wish I had read it when I was much younger (3.5 stars)
I'm hedging my rating, because there are great concepts in here, and real meaning underlying the frantic pace of events, solid science (for its day) to justify the gadgetry, and many other well-thought out bits . . . but alas, I've read--and viewed--too much science fiction & fantasy over the past 50 years, as well as other literature. At this stage of my life, plots intended to blow your mind are up against too much competition if the quality of the writing--characterization, dialog, etc.--isn't equally up to snuff. It's not bad, mind you, not by a long shot--just not comparable to Harness's other strengths.
Bias alert: I'm not sure if this opinion is the result of an increasingly refined critical sense, accreted over the decades--or simply being jaded. A 14-year-old me, fresh from having his mind blown by the likes of Asimov's "The End of Eternity" would have given this a full 4 stars. (Or an even younger version, having waited seven long weeks on the reserve list at his elementary school library to finally read Marsten's "Danger: Dinosaurs!"--my childhood favorite from the Winston SF juvenile series--would definitely have given Harness a 5.)
These days, I tend to re-read old favorites at a ratio of roughly 1-to-6, with occasional binges of a single author (Poul Anderson, Robert Heinlein, Jack Vance, Roger Zelazny and a few others). I -am- glad to have read "The Paradox Men" as it is one of the books reviewed in Damon Knight's wonderful compendium of SF & fantasy criticism, "In Search of Wonder" which I've been using as a kind of guided reading tour of the genre from the 30's thru the early 60's. Re-reading the review almost makes me want to go thru Harness's book again with Knight's comments fresh in my mind.
But no: I am unlikely to re-read this one--there's simply too much to get through and not enough sand left in the hourglass. I -am- likely to read another Harness title in the future. (I recently purchased the Kindle version of "The Firebird" which I once owned as an SF Book Club edition, but lost somewhere in my travels,)
This is a relatively quick read by modern standards and worth your time, especially if you are the kind of reader that appreciates big concepts and likes trying to figure out an author's final "prestige" reveal from clues provided along the way.
I'm hedging my rating, because there are great concepts in here, and real meaning underlying the frantic pace of events, solid science (for its day) to justify the gadgetry, and many other well-thought out bits . . . but alas, I've read--and viewed--too much science fiction & fantasy over the past 50 years, as well as other literature. At this stage of my life, plots intended to blow your mind are up against too much competition if the quality of the writing--characterization, dialog, etc.--isn't equally up to snuff. It's not bad, mind you, not by a long shot--just not comparable to Harness's other strengths.
Bias alert: I'm not sure if this opinion is the result of an increasingly refined critical sense, accreted over the decades--or simply being jaded. A 14-year-old me, fresh from having his mind blown by the likes of Asimov's "The End of Eternity" would have given this a full 4 stars. (Or an even younger version, having waited seven long weeks on the reserve list at his elementary school library to finally read Marsten's "Danger: Dinosaurs!"--my childhood favorite from the Winston SF juvenile series--would definitely have given Harness a 5.)
These days, I tend to re-read old favorites at a ratio of roughly 1-to-6, with occasional binges of a single author (Poul Anderson, Robert Heinlein, Jack Vance, Roger Zelazny and a few others). I -am- glad to have read "The Paradox Men" as it is one of the books reviewed in Damon Knight's wonderful compendium of SF & fantasy criticism, "In Search of Wonder" which I've been using as a kind of guided reading tour of the genre from the 30's thru the early 60's. Re-reading the review almost makes me want to go thru Harness's book again with Knight's comments fresh in my mind.
But no: I am unlikely to re-read this one--there's simply too much to get through and not enough sand left in the hourglass. I -am- likely to read another Harness title in the future. (I recently purchased the Kindle version of "The Firebird" which I once owned as an SF Book Club edition, but lost somewhere in my travels,)
This is a relatively quick read by modern standards and worth your time, especially if you are the kind of reader that appreciates big concepts and likes trying to figure out an author's final "prestige" reveal from clues provided along the way.
April 15, 2025
Charles L. Harness’s classic novel The Paradox Men was first published as a short story in 1949 and then in novel form in 1953. There’s an Introduction by Brian Aldiss – I read this after I’d finished the book.
We’re in the future – 2177 – (as viewed from the late 1940s), after the Third War. Now, there are small settlements on the Moon, Mercury and solarion stations that hover over the sun’s hot spots, the latter stations harvesting invaluable muirium. Of the original 27 solarions only 16 now remain; ‘the average life of a station was about a year’ (p114).
It begins with a sort of prologue: ‘He had not the faintest idea who he was’ (p10). At this point we don’t know either. Then we’re straight into the action with a superior thief in the Society of Thieves, Alar, who is burgling Count Shey’s demesne. Shey is future Earth’s Imperial Psychologist. Alar is discovered but escapes. Alar is protected by a plastic invisible shell that makes him impervious to gunfire; however, sword and knife blades can penetrate the carapace. Swords and duelling have made a comeback!
Meanwhile, the Chancellor of America Imperial, Bern Haze-Gaunt is at loggerheads with his female partner, Keiris who used to be married to Kennicot Muir, who had created the Society of Thieves which was dedicated to rob from the rich and buy the freedom of slaves. Keiris is not quite what she appears.
Haze-Gaunt employs a disfigured man, the Microfilm Mind – ‘he functions on a subconscious level and uses the sum total of human knowledge on every problem given him’ (p29). In effect, he scans thousands of books and documents in order to formulate responses – much like AI today.
Imperial Police seem to be everywhere. This is a police state, after all.
There are debates and observations on time and space and gravity which threaten to be mind-boggling, and yet they’re carried off convincingly.
Alar joined the Society of Thieves five years ago and has no recollection of his life before that... So this is a quest for his identity, but also an attempt to overthrow the present administration. In his journey Alar begins to discover certain abilities he was not aware he possessed. His relationship with Keiris develops: there is a devastating revelation in Chapter 14 following an unpleasant torture...
The ending is probably not the ending but most likely the beginning...
We’re in the future – 2177 – (as viewed from the late 1940s), after the Third War. Now, there are small settlements on the Moon, Mercury and solarion stations that hover over the sun’s hot spots, the latter stations harvesting invaluable muirium. Of the original 27 solarions only 16 now remain; ‘the average life of a station was about a year’ (p114).
It begins with a sort of prologue: ‘He had not the faintest idea who he was’ (p10). At this point we don’t know either. Then we’re straight into the action with a superior thief in the Society of Thieves, Alar, who is burgling Count Shey’s demesne. Shey is future Earth’s Imperial Psychologist. Alar is discovered but escapes. Alar is protected by a plastic invisible shell that makes him impervious to gunfire; however, sword and knife blades can penetrate the carapace. Swords and duelling have made a comeback!
Meanwhile, the Chancellor of America Imperial, Bern Haze-Gaunt is at loggerheads with his female partner, Keiris who used to be married to Kennicot Muir, who had created the Society of Thieves which was dedicated to rob from the rich and buy the freedom of slaves. Keiris is not quite what she appears.
Haze-Gaunt employs a disfigured man, the Microfilm Mind – ‘he functions on a subconscious level and uses the sum total of human knowledge on every problem given him’ (p29). In effect, he scans thousands of books and documents in order to formulate responses – much like AI today.
Imperial Police seem to be everywhere. This is a police state, after all.
There are debates and observations on time and space and gravity which threaten to be mind-boggling, and yet they’re carried off convincingly.
Alar joined the Society of Thieves five years ago and has no recollection of his life before that... So this is a quest for his identity, but also an attempt to overthrow the present administration. In his journey Alar begins to discover certain abilities he was not aware he possessed. His relationship with Keiris develops: there is a devastating revelation in Chapter 14 following an unpleasant torture...
The ending is probably not the ending but most likely the beginning...
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