Strangers in Paradise

Federation of Humanity

by Christopher Anvil

OCLC 2452846

Genres: Science Fiction

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Christopher Anvil was a pseudonym used by author Harry C. Crosby. He began publishing science fiction with the story "Cinderella, Inc." in the December 1952 issue of the science fiction magazine Imagination. By 1956, he had adopted his pseudonym and was being published in Astounding Magazine.

Anvil's repeated appearances in Astounding/Analog were due in part to his ability to write to one of Campbell's preferred plots: alien opponents with superior firepower losing out to the superior intelligence or indomitable will of humans. A second factor is his stories are nearly always humorous throughout. Another was his characterization and manner of story crafting, where his protagonists slid from disaster to disaster with the best of intentions, and through exercise of fast thinking, managed to snatch victory somehow from the jaws of defeat.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fix-up novel comprised of three novelettes that were originally published in issues of Analog magazine in 1966 and '67. It's part of Anvil's Federation of Humanity/Interstellar Patrol series but stands alone with no confusion. It's the story of a colony world gone bad, a Utopia turned into a Garden of Evil, where three members of the patrol have the misfortune to crash land. One of the stories concerns a kind of quirky "want-generator" that I thought was maybe one of John W. Campbell's odder notions, but overall, it's a well-written interstellar adventure. The cover is by Jeff Jones, who usually did sword & sorcery/fantasy covers, and looks like a giant cat playing with Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, rendered in soft pastels; I liked it.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book in a free book box we have in my neighborhood and this is one of the most awful things I have ever read. The author elaborates on nothing, explains nothing and seems to set up plot points only to try to get past them and change the subject as fast as possible.

I haven't even gotten far in this book, I'm only on page 55 but I know enough to not recommend it to anyone unless you are into a couple hours of poorly written nonsense. The main characters in the story just accidentally turned a radio into a machine that controls human emotions while trying to fix it after a shipwreck. If that sounds appealing to you then check this out.

[Alton Motobu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was attracted by the cover, which turned out to be the best thing about the book, which was a meandering, nonsensical mess I could not figure out. The book is in my Top Ten of the WORST BOOKS EVER READ.

[Scott Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, first time reading Christopher's books and would read another. Interesting concept of the want engine.

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. Really quite enjoyable.

[Stephen Rowland]

3½

[Bridgitte · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. And not in cheesy sf terrible that is fun to read. Just terrible. The cover is the best part.

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts good and pulpy, and then gets a little meandery with the rather uninteresting plot development of the "want-generator". But not uncompelling.

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard pulp SF with an interesting middle section about a Want-Generator device. That could have been explored further, but the intent was more amusement.

[SciFiOne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade C+