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Arcot, Morey and Wade a.k.a. The Black Star #3
Invaders from the Infinite
The alien spaceship was unthinkably huge, enormously powerful, apparently irresistible. It came from the void and settled on Earth, striking awe into the hearts of all who saw it. Its mission, however, was not conquest -- but a call for help! First contact was a job for the brilliant team of scientists, Arcot, Wade, and Morey. And what they received was an offer of an alliance against an invading foe so powerful that no known force could turn it back! John W. Campbell's INVADERS FROM THE INFINITE is a veritable odyssey of the universe, exploring world after world and uncovering cosmic secret after cosmic secret. Here is a classic space opera that may never be surpassed!
166 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
52 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
John W. Campbell Jr.
778 books283 followersJohn Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction (later called Analog Science Fiction and Fact), from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.
Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in science fiction ever, and for the first ten years of his editorship he dominated the field completely."
As a writer, Campbell published super-science space opera under his own name and moody, less pulpish stories as Don A. Stuart. He stopped writing fiction after he became editor of Astounding.
Known Pseudonyms/Alternate Names:
Don A. Stuart
Karl van Campen
John Campbell
J. W. C., Jr.
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell
Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in science fiction ever, and for the first ten years of his editorship he dominated the field completely."
As a writer, Campbell published super-science space opera under his own name and moody, less pulpish stories as Don A. Stuart. He stopped writing fiction after he became editor of Astounding.
Known Pseudonyms/Alternate Names:
Don A. Stuart
Karl van Campen
John Campbell
J. W. C., Jr.
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 28, 2021
As I am a life-long fan of "John Carpenter's The Thing", I wanted to try out my first John W. Campbell novel, and what better novel to start with than . . . well, this one, I guess. It's an obscure title that has nothing to do with the movie of which I speak, so why start here? In short: I am a whore for a sexy cover. Just look at that thing! A dragon-like monster wrestling with a rocket ship? And all that for forty-five cents? Take my money!
The book seems to have trouble deciding to whom it's aimed. The awesome cover, the space-dog aliens, the rocket-ship-rattling space battles all seem to be shooting toward a juvenile audience, but all the wildly imaginative Hard SF might turn off that same audience. The prose is very competent, but the characters are just three guys with different names. The story itself is mostly forgettable as JWC seems to just be firing out random ideas as they occur to him rather than progressing the plot, or presenting moments of characterization for his leads.
I can't say I'd recommend this book to too many people. Current readers of Hard SF tend to "pshaw" when reading about radio tube technology in space ships, while YA readers need characters that are more well-rounded and identifiable. It is an interesting look into the Golden Age of Science Fiction, however, and an early product of curiosity for fans of JWC, but I probably should have started my JWC journey with "Who Goes There?" (the inspiration for "John Carpenter's The Thing") instead. But how could I have resisted that cover? Dragons and rocket ships!
The book seems to have trouble deciding to whom it's aimed. The awesome cover, the space-dog aliens, the rocket-ship-rattling space battles all seem to be shooting toward a juvenile audience, but all the wildly imaginative Hard SF might turn off that same audience. The prose is very competent, but the characters are just three guys with different names. The story itself is mostly forgettable as JWC seems to just be firing out random ideas as they occur to him rather than progressing the plot, or presenting moments of characterization for his leads.
I can't say I'd recommend this book to too many people. Current readers of Hard SF tend to "pshaw" when reading about radio tube technology in space ships, while YA readers need characters that are more well-rounded and identifiable. It is an interesting look into the Golden Age of Science Fiction, however, and an early product of curiosity for fans of JWC, but I probably should have started my JWC journey with "Who Goes There?" (the inspiration for "John Carpenter's The Thing") instead. But how could I have resisted that cover? Dragons and rocket ships!
November 2, 2025
Invaders from the Infinite was published in the Spring-Summer issue of Amazing Stories Quarterly magazine in 1932. It's the third of Campbell's novels about the adventures of Arcot, Morey, and Wade, an intrepid trio of space opera heroes, perhaps inspired by Tom Swift and Buck Rogers. It's not a very well-written book (and it has several annoying problems such as the tendency to over explain made-up scientific principles to explain made-up technology), and it has not aged well from a social standpoint, either. Campbell went on to revolutionize the field and built the foundation to fix a lot of those problems that characterized the first ten or fifteen years of the genre as an editor. Campbell's trio never achieved the fame of Flash Gordon or Curt Newton or Tom Corbett, but without them we might not have Luke Skywalker or James T. Kirk. This one didn't make it into book form until 1961, when Gnome Press issued it hardback (taking over for Fantasy Press, another small genre company that went under during the publishing process), and the first mass market edition came out in 1966 from Ace with a cool Gray Morrow cover showing a giant space dragon trying to eat a spaceship. Propellor beanies were definitely in order.
March 13, 2014
Thought I would try some old time Science fiction. John W. Campbell is famous for his novella "Who Goes There?", the basis for movies "The Thing from Another World" and "John Carpenter's The Thing?. He was also responsible for assembling the great authors of "Astounding Science Fiction" Magazine back in the 1930's.
"Invaders from the Infinite" is considered a classic of science fiction and I could see how people back in the day would be overly thrilled with this, but unfortunately it does not stand the test of time very well. An often techno-babble filled tale of our three scientist heroes trying to stop an invasion from a distant universe. There is very little character development and our heroes seem to miraculously come up with the various methods of defeating the enemy, eventually wiping out the aliens completely without any qualms about it. Definitely a product of its time.
"Invaders from the Infinite" is considered a classic of science fiction and I could see how people back in the day would be overly thrilled with this, but unfortunately it does not stand the test of time very well. An often techno-babble filled tale of our three scientist heroes trying to stop an invasion from a distant universe. There is very little character development and our heroes seem to miraculously come up with the various methods of defeating the enemy, eventually wiping out the aliens completely without any qualms about it. Definitely a product of its time.
May 22, 2022
ENGLISH: Very hard science fiction, written by the man who launched the Golden Age of Science Fiction (1939-1965) in his 34 years as editor of Astounding Science Fiction.
The novel is full of scientific details about invented technologies that nobody (not even the author) could understand, as they are supposed to take place in the 22nd century. The invaders from the infinity are fully spiteful and horrible, while the three protagonists from the Earth and their extraterrestrial canine friends and others solve most of their problems easily by taking advantage of ever more deadly weapons and physical theories, including time travel. The whole novel is an arms race and a string of increasingly difficult space battles where the protagonists always emerge victorious.
I found this novel disappointing, to the point of not having bothered to finish it. It's far from the level of Campbell's short story Who Goes There? that was adapted to the movies in the famous 1951 film "The Thing from Another World."
ESPAÑOL: Novela de ciencia-ficción dura, escrita por el hombre que lanzó la Edad de Oro de la Ciencia Ficción (1939-1965) en sus 34 años como editor de la revista Astounding Science Fiction.
La novela está llena de detalles científicos sobre tecnologías inventadas que nadie (ni siquiera el autor) podría entender, ya que se supone que la acción tiene lugar en el siglo 22. Los invasores del infinito son malvados y horripilantes, mientras que los tres protagonistas procedentes de la Tierra y sus amigos caninos extraterrestres (y otros) resuelven la mayoría de sus problemas con facilidad utilizando armas cada vez más mortíferas y teorías físicas, incluidos los viajes en el tiempo. Toda la novela es una carrera armamentista con batallas espaciales cada vez más difíciles en las que los protagonistas siempre salen victoriosos.
Encontré esta novela decepcionante, hasta el punto de no haberme molestado en terminarla. Está muy lejos del nivel del cuento corto de Campbell Who Goes There? que fue adaptada al cine en la famosa película de 1951 titulada "El enigma de otro mundo" y "La cosa".
The novel is full of scientific details about invented technologies that nobody (not even the author) could understand, as they are supposed to take place in the 22nd century. The invaders from the infinity are fully spiteful and horrible, while the three protagonists from the Earth and their extraterrestrial canine friends and others solve most of their problems easily by taking advantage of ever more deadly weapons and physical theories, including time travel. The whole novel is an arms race and a string of increasingly difficult space battles where the protagonists always emerge victorious.
I found this novel disappointing, to the point of not having bothered to finish it. It's far from the level of Campbell's short story Who Goes There? that was adapted to the movies in the famous 1951 film "The Thing from Another World."
ESPAÑOL: Novela de ciencia-ficción dura, escrita por el hombre que lanzó la Edad de Oro de la Ciencia Ficción (1939-1965) en sus 34 años como editor de la revista Astounding Science Fiction.
La novela está llena de detalles científicos sobre tecnologías inventadas que nadie (ni siquiera el autor) podría entender, ya que se supone que la acción tiene lugar en el siglo 22. Los invasores del infinito son malvados y horripilantes, mientras que los tres protagonistas procedentes de la Tierra y sus amigos caninos extraterrestres (y otros) resuelven la mayoría de sus problemas con facilidad utilizando armas cada vez más mortíferas y teorías físicas, incluidos los viajes en el tiempo. Toda la novela es una carrera armamentista con batallas espaciales cada vez más difíciles en las que los protagonistas siempre salen victoriosos.
Encontré esta novela decepcionante, hasta el punto de no haberme molestado en terminarla. Está muy lejos del nivel del cuento corto de Campbell Who Goes There? que fue adaptada al cine en la famosa película de 1951 titulada "El enigma de otro mundo" y "La cosa".
August 19, 2021
rounded up from 2.5 ☆. Generally I like hard sci-fi but I do get annoyed when the 'scientific explanations' make the novel read like a science lesson rather than a coherent story, especially when it is inaccurate. That is the case here. Campbell may be the father of modern American Sci-Fi and I do admire his work with Astounding Science Fiction but I prefer my novels to have three-dimensional characters, and a plot that doesn't leave me feeling cheated.
March 23, 2015
John W. Campbell is a pioneer editor for Science Fiction magazines of the Golden Age. He put a lot of effort to compile "hard-science" stories and had a taste for stories which employed plausible scientific theories and devices.
Invaders form the Infinite is one of the series of books he wrote, employing the same principle he used to select stories for his magazines. Today the so-called "science" in his books are really archaic and you can se that the writing is really low-quality and these books are space operas of the worst kind. I think this kind of writing was triggered by all the changes that were happening in the science of his day, since you see traces of scientific "facts" that were clearly influenced by Einstein's work on Relativity and the science that followed from it.
This does not reduce Campbell's importance as a pioneer of Science Fiction, but this fact does not make his books more readable.
Invaders form the Infinite is one of the series of books he wrote, employing the same principle he used to select stories for his magazines. Today the so-called "science" in his books are really archaic and you can se that the writing is really low-quality and these books are space operas of the worst kind. I think this kind of writing was triggered by all the changes that were happening in the science of his day, since you see traces of scientific "facts" that were clearly influenced by Einstein's work on Relativity and the science that followed from it.
This does not reduce Campbell's importance as a pioneer of Science Fiction, but this fact does not make his books more readable.
May 16, 2023
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how seriously one should take their pleasure. In my case (and, I'm assuming, yours), the pleasure in question is that of reading. How seriously should us bookish folk examine the quality of the yarns we read? Is there a point when close examination will rob us of some of the fun of exploring other worlds? This book proves that the answer is "yes"; conversely, the last book I read (*The Steel Crocodile* by D. G. Compton, another obscurity), proves that analysis can increase appreciation and enjoyment as well. I guess my point is that while *Invaders From the Infinite* isn't the best book you'll ever read, it is a pretty fun one, and I'm glad I spent two days immersing myself in Campbell's goofy, super-sized world. I read Alec Nevada-Lee's "biography" of him and his seminal novella "Who Goes There" last year, but this was my first novel of the Man himself. Turned out to be a pretty good time, but before we get into why that was, let me catch you up to speed on what the book's about.
The book centers around three scientists who did great things in the two preceding novels (which I have not read) that propelled them to the status of global ambassadors, a role they fulfill when some dog-like telepathic aliens land on Earth seeking help in defeating these other aliens (the Thessians, if I recall correctly), who come from another galaxy (or universe!) and seek to wipe out all life in our galaxy because they're evil conquerors. Our main scientist Arcot and his pals Motley and Wade take their ship, the *Ancient Mariner*, to the dog planet where they use their newly-invented molecular shields to deflect the enemy molecular rays and save the dog people. From there they explore different planets and civilizations in the cosmos, acquiring new tech like magnetic beams and instant matter generators to help fight the Thessian scourge that they meet on each planet. On each planet there's usually some kind of pseudo-naval combat fought with these new techs, a trend that lasts right until the battle against the Thessian scourge that ends with . It's a totally fun and pulpy ride.
There are things about this book that modern audiences will miss, such as thought-out and involved characterization; our characters are pretty much the same at the beginning and end of the book, and there's only a moment or two that take stabs at thoughtful character dynamics. Arcot also overshadows most of the other human characters. There are no great themes to be uncovered here, although I may be missing something because I just dived into this book without the context of the other novels because I just saw this cute Campbell Ace singleton at a used bookstore, but something tells me that I'm not missing anything that would affect my appraisal of *Invaders From the Infinite*.
All of that being said, this is some of my favorite ship-to-ship combat I've ever read. Sure, some of the "science," especially the time-dilation stuff, went over my head, but I thought it was all clever and inventive. As more sentient races were brought into the war and the scope widened, crazier technologies were introduced, not least-of-all being the . It was very out-there, not at all hard-SF, but I found it charming. I believe this novel is made up of stories from the early thirties despites its 1961 publication date, which would explain how outlandish this science is; it totally feels like the Golden Age science fiction that I don't read enough of, but without the logistical inconsistency that often turns me off of it. This has the fun "Super-Science" (A term I'd like to refine and popularize) and a solid, sequential, fun plot. It's not the best of all worlds, per se, but it's a good one.
At the beginning of this review I waxed on how seriously I take my pleasure, and it's because of those conclusions that I can only give this book a 7.5/10 and not an 8 that pure enjoyment might have warranted. Maybe if I'd read this book a little more carefully and poured more thought into the galactic super-Science I would've had more understanding of everything (and hence an 8/10 level of enjoyment), but that's neither here nor there since I have a lot of other books to get to. It's because of all those other books that I don't know when I'll be able to read more of this Golden Age fun, but I can say that I'll pick up the other books in the Arcot, Motley, and Wade trilogy if I get the chance. Before then, though, I've got to read a book on lake monsters, and I have a slight feeling that *Invaders of the Infinite* may offer more secure science than that piece of literature will...
The book centers around three scientists who did great things in the two preceding novels (which I have not read) that propelled them to the status of global ambassadors, a role they fulfill when some dog-like telepathic aliens land on Earth seeking help in defeating these other aliens (the Thessians, if I recall correctly), who come from another galaxy (or universe!) and seek to wipe out all life in our galaxy because they're evil conquerors. Our main scientist Arcot and his pals Motley and Wade take their ship, the *Ancient Mariner*, to the dog planet where they use their newly-invented molecular shields to deflect the enemy molecular rays and save the dog people. From there they explore different planets and civilizations in the cosmos, acquiring new tech like magnetic beams and instant matter generators to help fight the Thessian scourge that they meet on each planet. On each planet there's usually some kind of pseudo-naval combat fought with these new techs, a trend that lasts right until the battle against the Thessian scourge that ends with . It's a totally fun and pulpy ride.
There are things about this book that modern audiences will miss, such as thought-out and involved characterization; our characters are pretty much the same at the beginning and end of the book, and there's only a moment or two that take stabs at thoughtful character dynamics. Arcot also overshadows most of the other human characters. There are no great themes to be uncovered here, although I may be missing something because I just dived into this book without the context of the other novels because I just saw this cute Campbell Ace singleton at a used bookstore, but something tells me that I'm not missing anything that would affect my appraisal of *Invaders From the Infinite*.
All of that being said, this is some of my favorite ship-to-ship combat I've ever read. Sure, some of the "science," especially the time-dilation stuff, went over my head, but I thought it was all clever and inventive. As more sentient races were brought into the war and the scope widened, crazier technologies were introduced, not least-of-all being the . It was very out-there, not at all hard-SF, but I found it charming. I believe this novel is made up of stories from the early thirties despites its 1961 publication date, which would explain how outlandish this science is; it totally feels like the Golden Age science fiction that I don't read enough of, but without the logistical inconsistency that often turns me off of it. This has the fun "Super-Science" (A term I'd like to refine and popularize) and a solid, sequential, fun plot. It's not the best of all worlds, per se, but it's a good one.
At the beginning of this review I waxed on how seriously I take my pleasure, and it's because of those conclusions that I can only give this book a 7.5/10 and not an 8 that pure enjoyment might have warranted. Maybe if I'd read this book a little more carefully and poured more thought into the galactic super-Science I would've had more understanding of everything (and hence an 8/10 level of enjoyment), but that's neither here nor there since I have a lot of other books to get to. It's because of all those other books that I don't know when I'll be able to read more of this Golden Age fun, but I can say that I'll pick up the other books in the Arcot, Motley, and Wade trilogy if I get the chance. Before then, though, I've got to read a book on lake monsters, and I have a slight feeling that *Invaders of the Infinite* may offer more secure science than that piece of literature will...
July 12, 2017
All that's good and bad about early American SF
Campbell is the father of American SF. Descriptions are beautiful; ideas are challenging; technology is imaginative. The aliens are well thought out. However...the core flaw is that characterization is weak. Arcott, Morey and Wade are interchangeable. There are other 50s flaws...characters smoking in space ...no female characters...world changing inventions happening at breakneck pace. But, if you read this you see the literary DNA that leads to Star Trek, Star Wars, and Independence Day.
Campbell is the father of American SF. Descriptions are beautiful; ideas are challenging; technology is imaginative. The aliens are well thought out. However...the core flaw is that characterization is weak. Arcott, Morey and Wade are interchangeable. There are other 50s flaws...characters smoking in space ...no female characters...world changing inventions happening at breakneck pace. But, if you read this you see the literary DNA that leads to Star Trek, Star Wars, and Independence Day.
April 27, 2020
Possibly the worst science fiction book ever written.
When the good guys are losing a space battle to the aliens, they pop into bubble of spacetime and spend thousands of years developing powerful new weapons, then pop back into the battle a few seconds later with a vast armada to kick butt. I think that’s cheating. Like a book on improving your chess suggesting you use a chain saw to dismember your opponent.
I’m sure you can find books you think are worse. Don’t tell me. I’m not going to read them to compare. I don’t want know. Have it your way.
When the good guys are losing a space battle to the aliens, they pop into bubble of spacetime and spend thousands of years developing powerful new weapons, then pop back into the battle a few seconds later with a vast armada to kick butt. I think that’s cheating. Like a book on improving your chess suggesting you use a chain saw to dismember your opponent.
I’m sure you can find books you think are worse. Don’t tell me. I’m not going to read them to compare. I don’t want know. Have it your way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2021
A space opera from before times.
Published in 1960 this space opera was written before personal computers and a general understanding of wave particle duality. Light and cosmic radiation are made into matter. Time travel and faster than light travel are both a common place. Humans casually destroy an alien race. Bipedal aliens live on planets the size of the sun. Still this was a favorite of my childhood and I enjoyed rereading it again.
Published in 1960 this space opera was written before personal computers and a general understanding of wave particle duality. Light and cosmic radiation are made into matter. Time travel and faster than light travel are both a common place. Humans casually destroy an alien race. Bipedal aliens live on planets the size of the sun. Still this was a favorite of my childhood and I enjoyed rereading it again.
August 30, 2014
It's hard to describe how amazingly terrible this book is. Plucky earth man defeats aliens using techno-babble and hand waving. Characters are one dimensional and naive. The plot - what there is of it - is simplistic. The writing is at times painful to read. Toss in exactly zero female characters, the subtle racism, and casual genocide and you complete the picture.
August 12, 2024
I rated this novel " D " when I read it Jan. 1, 1972.
My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.
Since my original rating was 'D", I gave this book a Goodreads score of 1 star. While one star may seem harsh - it would be pointless to go through the motions of rating novels and books if you were going to restrict your ratings. I have seen this procedure used in judging photography contests, where judges are not permitted to give a score of one star (or whatever equivalent to stars). If scoring is out of 5, and then prevent judges from using 1 (or even 2, I think), then it is NOT true to say that the subject is being assessed out of 5.
I do not have a tag / bookshelf / category for pulp. This novel would pretty much fit that category - reminiscent of the Lensman series by E.E. "Doc" Smith.
My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.
Since my original rating was 'D", I gave this book a Goodreads score of 1 star. While one star may seem harsh - it would be pointless to go through the motions of rating novels and books if you were going to restrict your ratings. I have seen this procedure used in judging photography contests, where judges are not permitted to give a score of one star (or whatever equivalent to stars). If scoring is out of 5, and then prevent judges from using 1 (or even 2, I think), then it is NOT true to say that the subject is being assessed out of 5.
I do not have a tag / bookshelf / category for pulp. This novel would pretty much fit that category - reminiscent of the Lensman series by E.E. "Doc" Smith.
January 22, 2025
This is the last book in this trilogy about Arcott and company, the super advanced crew of a super advanced spaceship The Ancient Mariner. In this installment, they get a visit from all manner of aliens including the Nigrans they battled in the first book, the Black Star, their iron boned buddy from the second book, and a race of friendly telepathic doggos. All are united against an unstoppable race of giants destroying everybody's worlds. The needs of fighting these gives rise to a whole flock of better tools to warp space, manipulate time and materialize thoughts. All the innovations are explained to the reader in what some might consider a bit excessive degree.
October 25, 2025
yeah ima be honest, I lost interest in following this boys club around while they make terrible ethical choices. In fact, it wasn't long after the opening that I kind of became frustrated with the plot. Exactly the same for the previous book, after a good opening scenario the story became wearisome.
Might have paid to have a break between each to keep the sciencey business appealing.
In book 2 the lads pick their favourite genocidal race and assist them to obliterate the other.
In this last instalment things get a bit psifi unfortunately.
Might have paid to have a break between each to keep the sciencey business appealing.
In book 2 the lads pick their favourite genocidal race and assist them to obliterate the other.
In this last instalment things get a bit psifi unfortunately.
October 15, 2019
As others have noted, this is a (maybe THE) classic example of Golden Age Super Science space opera. The writing has all of Campbell’s strengths (imaginative, fast paced, science-based) together with his weaknesses (wooden characterization and a great deal of perfect coincidences.). It definitely shows its age (no female characters, vacuum tubes.) Still, it is a fun adventure yarn and is the progenitor of much action-sci fi that came later.
May 7, 2022
Entertaining fantasy listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy space Sci-Fi adventure thriller short story by John Wood Campbell about the earth 🌎 being invaded and what happens afterwards. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy Sci-Fi space novels. Enjoy the adventure of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚 . 2022
Another will written fantasy space Sci-Fi adventure thriller short story by John Wood Campbell about the earth 🌎 being invaded and what happens afterwards. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy Sci-Fi space novels. Enjoy the adventure of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚 . 2022
January 1, 2022
This was one hard sci-fi book.
It started out great, throwing around the idea of creating energy from different sources...then when the main scientist discovered he could create energy from his thoughts (and use that energy to create anything in the galaxy) it took a turn for the worse.
It started out great, throwing around the idea of creating energy from different sources...then when the main scientist discovered he could create energy from his thoughts (and use that energy to create anything in the galaxy) it took a turn for the worse.
July 13, 2018
Fantastic story, a bit slow at times though.
August 23, 2018
Read on LibriVox (free audio books in the public domain).
November 25, 2021
3 out of 5
June 19, 2023
You know it's 'Hard SF' when you get 2 full chapters discussing the power source for a ships generator. It's highly episodic and very much of it's time. Reading it was like doing historical research.
September 4, 2023
This was a seriously confused tale, crowded with technically questionable gibberish.
Read
February 3, 2024Kinda fun, but I am thinking that Campbell should have stuck to editing and publishing
August 15, 2024
Sheer torture. Dated super science with endless explanations and a matching amount of cosmic ray guns. As much as I love classic sci-fi, this particular sub genre should be buried.
October 4, 2024
That was surprisingly hard sci fi to the point that it might as well have just been a bunch of fictional scientists solving problems for a few hundred pages.
March 10, 2022
I converted this book for Standard Ebooks: https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/joh...
March 2, 2014
Product Description
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.
September 7, 2016
I like this book alot.
March 25, 2013
Another in the installments of Campbell featuring his trio of space "heroes", this book captures a more deliberate conflict than others as Arcot, Wade and Morley try to help a race of advanced dogs and prevent the aggressive onslaught of beings from an extremely dense world. Some weird science wrapped in some fairly conservative political ideologies as might and intelligence triumph and motives are boiled down to the most simplistic.
October 20, 2010
It is interesting how sci-fi can date. This story did seem to involve these amazing characters, who with their incredible brains could look at alien technology and instantly better it, ultimately saving the day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews