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A Sense of Wonder
Contains
Exiles on Asperus by John Wyndham
The Mole Pirate by Murray Leinster
The Moon Era by Jack Williamson
Exiles on Asperus by John Wyndham
The Mole Pirate by Murray Leinster
The Moon Era by Jack Williamson
175 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1969
1 person is currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
John Wyndham
378 books2,014 followersJohn Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was the son of a barrister. After trying a number of careers, including farming, law, commercial art and advertising, he started writing short stories in 1925. After serving in the civil Service and the Army during the war, he went back to writing. Adopting the name John Wyndham, he started writing a form of science fiction that he called 'logical fantasy'. As well as The Day of the Triffids, he wrote The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids, The Midwich Cuckoos (filmed as Village of the Damned) and The Seeds of Time.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 19, 2020
Three rather different stories of early SF, but all with charm and a level of adventure. The Wyndham story "Exiles On Asperus" is dated in the way it treats the asteroids, though it's depiction of interplanetary travel is fairly timeless and realistic; The aliens of Asperus are what Hienlien once described as "Beings who have worked around or grown beyond the need for patty-paws", they are sentient but have no real hands. However, they use their intellect to use Humanity's greatest strength to place a yoke upon the shipwrecked 'exiles' of the title; Human adapatability is turned against them. The strongest story ideas-wise.
The Leinster tale "The Mole Pirate" utilises a very common trope; Making people and objects immaterial, capable of passing through other matter. Unlike other stories of this ilk, even the most modern, Leinster works within set rules as to how this operates, how to avoid the obvious flaws and also how to work those flaws to defeat a threat using the technology. Technical yet entertaining.
Finally, though the idea of an inhabited Luna is long since been debunked, the Williamson story "The Moon Era" is a tale of adventure and beauty that transcends such considerations and instead takes the reader on an adventure on another world seperated by times from our own rather than space. Early Williamson is not as rigourous in science, but perhaps it makes up for it in lyrical effect.
Higly reccomended as a solid and still readable glimpse into the best of the pulp age of SF.
The Leinster tale "The Mole Pirate" utilises a very common trope; Making people and objects immaterial, capable of passing through other matter. Unlike other stories of this ilk, even the most modern, Leinster works within set rules as to how this operates, how to avoid the obvious flaws and also how to work those flaws to defeat a threat using the technology. Technical yet entertaining.
Finally, though the idea of an inhabited Luna is long since been debunked, the Williamson story "The Moon Era" is a tale of adventure and beauty that transcends such considerations and instead takes the reader on an adventure on another world seperated by times from our own rather than space. Early Williamson is not as rigourous in science, but perhaps it makes up for it in lyrical effect.
Higly reccomended as a solid and still readable glimpse into the best of the pulp age of SF.
September 12, 2016
This collection of three sci-fi novellas put together and introduced by the arch-anthologist in the genre, Sam Moskowitz, can claim to have re-discovered John Wyndham's early story 'Exiles on Asperus' (1933). Wyndham's estate only published it in 1979, ten years after his death, but here it is in 1976 with Moskowitz claiming it is the first publication in book form, which may very well be true.
Wyndham was 30 when he wrote it, still writing for genre magazines, in this case Wonder Stories Quarterly under a different variation of his name, John Benyon Harris. Moskowitz's point is that the three stories go beyond a sense of the fantastical into a sense of wonder. In other words, they ask mature questions like what is technology for, and what effect will scientific advances have on human nature. I would add the suggestion that the length they have to play with (each runs roughly 50 pages in paperback) allowed them to ask such questions and develop more rounded characters.
In any event, Wyndham's story is, as you would expect, the best of the three. By 2077 Earth has colonised the Solar System (we'd better get a move on then). It is an empire not unlike the British Empire, which did some good things and some appalling things. The Martians, who are regarded as semi-human, have rebelled and been suppressed. The Argenta is transporting some of the ringleaders to a penal colony. They are holed by a message rocket, the 21st century equivalent of a message in a bottle. The message was sent out 25 years earlier by the captain of the Red Glory, wrecked on the planetoid Asperus. It is perfectly possible that the castaways are still there. The Argenta lands to investigate.
The crew are indeed still there. They have bred a second and a third generation. Also resident are the Batrachs, an alien race of bat-like creatures who control the humans, using them to carry out tasks which their wings prevent the Batrachs doing for themselves. So far so predictable. We assume, along with the crew of the Argenta, that the humans want liberating. Without giving too much away, let's just say it comes down to mind control through conditioning. Mussolini was already in power when Wyndham wrote this story; Hitler was on the rise and in Britain the Daily Mail was backing Moseley's Blackshirts. The horrors of the Holocaust were still to come, thus Wyndham reflected a world in which fascism was seen as a possible solution. And that moves 'Exiles on Asperus' into another league entirely.
Murray Leinster's 'The Mole Pirate' and 'The Moon Era' by Jack Williamson suffer by comparison. They don't really ask such big questions and are limited by being earthbound in the former and driven by the prospect of cash rather than wonder in the latter. That is not to say that they do not have their moments.
Leinster (real name William F Jenkins 1896-1975) was a prolific writer of pulp fiction. His mole is a machine which can dematerialise and pass through solid matter. Rather than use it for something significant, it is hijacked and used for bank robbery. There is, however, a fabulously imaginative sequence when inventor Jack Hill is kicked out of the dematerialised mole with nothing but a pair of radioactive snow shoes to prevent him falling through the Earth.
Williamson (1908-2006) was notable rather for those he inspired (Asimov, Pohl etc.) than the stories themselves. He was only 23 when he wrote 'The Moon Era' so it is not surprising that his hero, Stephen Conway, is driven by the primal impulses of financial security and sex. His inventor uncle offers to make him heir to his millions if Stephen will test-fly his latest and greatest invention, an anti-gravity machine that should fly to the moon inside a week.
I enjoyed the concept of a space capsule that basically falls off the Earth. The twist is that it also goes back in time, aeons over the course of a week, landing on a Moon that still supported life forms. Stephen encounters the last surviving female of the pure moonlings. They strike up a relationship in order to escape the impure moonlings, who live in machines, a sort of splicing of H G Well's Martian invaders and the Daleks. It is the totally alien nature of the Mother which sets Williamson's story apart, especially the way in which despite her otherness she and Stephen manage to establish a convincing relationship.
Wyndham was 30 when he wrote it, still writing for genre magazines, in this case Wonder Stories Quarterly under a different variation of his name, John Benyon Harris. Moskowitz's point is that the three stories go beyond a sense of the fantastical into a sense of wonder. In other words, they ask mature questions like what is technology for, and what effect will scientific advances have on human nature. I would add the suggestion that the length they have to play with (each runs roughly 50 pages in paperback) allowed them to ask such questions and develop more rounded characters.
In any event, Wyndham's story is, as you would expect, the best of the three. By 2077 Earth has colonised the Solar System (we'd better get a move on then). It is an empire not unlike the British Empire, which did some good things and some appalling things. The Martians, who are regarded as semi-human, have rebelled and been suppressed. The Argenta is transporting some of the ringleaders to a penal colony. They are holed by a message rocket, the 21st century equivalent of a message in a bottle. The message was sent out 25 years earlier by the captain of the Red Glory, wrecked on the planetoid Asperus. It is perfectly possible that the castaways are still there. The Argenta lands to investigate.
The crew are indeed still there. They have bred a second and a third generation. Also resident are the Batrachs, an alien race of bat-like creatures who control the humans, using them to carry out tasks which their wings prevent the Batrachs doing for themselves. So far so predictable. We assume, along with the crew of the Argenta, that the humans want liberating. Without giving too much away, let's just say it comes down to mind control through conditioning. Mussolini was already in power when Wyndham wrote this story; Hitler was on the rise and in Britain the Daily Mail was backing Moseley's Blackshirts. The horrors of the Holocaust were still to come, thus Wyndham reflected a world in which fascism was seen as a possible solution. And that moves 'Exiles on Asperus' into another league entirely.
Murray Leinster's 'The Mole Pirate' and 'The Moon Era' by Jack Williamson suffer by comparison. They don't really ask such big questions and are limited by being earthbound in the former and driven by the prospect of cash rather than wonder in the latter. That is not to say that they do not have their moments.
Leinster (real name William F Jenkins 1896-1975) was a prolific writer of pulp fiction. His mole is a machine which can dematerialise and pass through solid matter. Rather than use it for something significant, it is hijacked and used for bank robbery. There is, however, a fabulously imaginative sequence when inventor Jack Hill is kicked out of the dematerialised mole with nothing but a pair of radioactive snow shoes to prevent him falling through the Earth.
Williamson (1908-2006) was notable rather for those he inspired (Asimov, Pohl etc.) than the stories themselves. He was only 23 when he wrote 'The Moon Era' so it is not surprising that his hero, Stephen Conway, is driven by the primal impulses of financial security and sex. His inventor uncle offers to make him heir to his millions if Stephen will test-fly his latest and greatest invention, an anti-gravity machine that should fly to the moon inside a week.
I enjoyed the concept of a space capsule that basically falls off the Earth. The twist is that it also goes back in time, aeons over the course of a week, landing on a Moon that still supported life forms. Stephen encounters the last surviving female of the pure moonlings. They strike up a relationship in order to escape the impure moonlings, who live in machines, a sort of splicing of H G Well's Martian invaders and the Daleks. It is the totally alien nature of the Mother which sets Williamson's story apart, especially the way in which despite her otherness she and Stephen manage to establish a convincing relationship.
October 6, 2024
[Sidgwick & Jackson] (1967). SB. Uncorrected Proof Copy. 197 Pages. Purchased from Rubus Books.
Three novelettes ‘rescued’ from early 1930s magazines. Moskowitz’s brief Introduction attests to an overall unity which, in reality, is flimsy at best.
The real mystery’s why these works were deemed worthy of republication.
Wyndham’s piece first appeared in “Wonder Stories Quarterly” (Winter 1933). It’s standard, shallow pulp fare with little appeal beyond the appetites of bibliophile completists. A glancing blow is dealt to religious contrivance… themes of intolerance, assimilation and inhibition are touched upon… There’s a strong impression of something which was breezily cranked out for money, by the maestro, in his youth.
“The Mole Pirate” by Murray Leinster (“Astounding Stories” (November 1934)) predictably disappoints - dematerialisation heist bunkum. I’ve never been able to forgive him for butchering “Land of the Giants”.
“The Moon Era” by Jack Williamson (“Wonder Stories” (February 1932)) kicks off as a fourth division Verne/Wells clone, ending in ludicrous and vaguely repulsive mulch. Trash.
A waste of paper.
Three novelettes ‘rescued’ from early 1930s magazines. Moskowitz’s brief Introduction attests to an overall unity which, in reality, is flimsy at best.
The real mystery’s why these works were deemed worthy of republication.
Wyndham’s piece first appeared in “Wonder Stories Quarterly” (Winter 1933). It’s standard, shallow pulp fare with little appeal beyond the appetites of bibliophile completists. A glancing blow is dealt to religious contrivance… themes of intolerance, assimilation and inhibition are touched upon… There’s a strong impression of something which was breezily cranked out for money, by the maestro, in his youth.
“The Mole Pirate” by Murray Leinster (“Astounding Stories” (November 1934)) predictably disappoints - dematerialisation heist bunkum. I’ve never been able to forgive him for butchering “Land of the Giants”.
“The Moon Era” by Jack Williamson (“Wonder Stories” (February 1932)) kicks off as a fourth division Verne/Wells clone, ending in ludicrous and vaguely repulsive mulch. Trash.
A waste of paper.
December 22, 2022
A cracking little collection of classic sci-fi novellas. Let’s take a look at each one of them.
Exiles On Asperus: This was a strong short story, but I will say that I feel as though it lost momentum towards the second half. I was intrigued by the idea of Martian prisoners-of-war staging a revolt on a spaceship.
The Mole Pirate: Awesome sci-fi here about a ship that can defy the laws of physics and falls into the hands of a criminal. Themes of technology gone bad, epic.
The Moon Era: The weakest of the three novellas in the collection that I read, but still interesting for its depiction of travel to the moon written decades before man ever landed there. Still worth reading.
All in all then, it was a pretty solid collection and each novella was worth reading, though Leinster’s was the best. I was impressed!
Exiles On Asperus: This was a strong short story, but I will say that I feel as though it lost momentum towards the second half. I was intrigued by the idea of Martian prisoners-of-war staging a revolt on a spaceship.
The Mole Pirate: Awesome sci-fi here about a ship that can defy the laws of physics and falls into the hands of a criminal. Themes of technology gone bad, epic.
The Moon Era: The weakest of the three novellas in the collection that I read, but still interesting for its depiction of travel to the moon written decades before man ever landed there. Still worth reading.
All in all then, it was a pretty solid collection and each novella was worth reading, though Leinster’s was the best. I was impressed!
October 22, 2024
Three pretty good science fiction stories from the early 1930s, all with some elements grounded in science, but for the most part these are adventure tales. A pleasant read, though I wouldn't insist that anyone add this to their bucket list.
December 14, 2017
Science fiction at its best.
July 11, 2023
Interesting reflection of the times (all three stories were originally published in 1930s) but science and cultural values have changed such that the stories feel very limited.
June 19, 2024
Exiles on Asperus: 3.5/5
The Mole Pirate: 4/5
The Moon Era: 1/5
The Mole Pirate: 4/5
The Moon Era: 1/5
January 1, 2026
A Sense of Wonder contains a ~2.5 page Introduction by Sam Moskowitz and three stories (novelettes, I think) from the 1930s, all well worth reading:
John Wyndham: Exiles on Asperus (1933, ~58 pages)
Murray Leinster: The Mole Pirate (1934, ~49 pages)
Jack Williamson: The Moon Era (1931~55 pages)
Exiles on Asperus has earthlings and martians shipwrecked on an asteroid and fighting a common enemy. It is undeniably of its time and the ending wasn't the best possible, but it was still enjoyable early Wyndham. 4.25/5
The Mole Pirate was interesting because it involves the subterranean element instead of space. Other than that, it's a futuristic pirate story of sorts. I may perhaps have read some Leinster short story in the past, but The Mole Pirate encourages me to read more at some point. 3.5/5
I don't think I had heard of Jack Williamson before reading The Moon Era. I'm writing this review three months after I read the story, and in retrospect I like the story much more than I seem to have done initially. Perhaps the ending affected me too much at the time? The story, especially the beginning, made me think of H. G. Wells. There's our protagonist and a rich uncle who's invented a space ship. And then our hero has some highly exciting adventures on the Moon. My initial rating was just 3/5, but now I would give it 4.25/5. I really should read more Williamson.
Overall, A Sense of Wonder lives up to its title. However, although the cover of the New English Library 1974 edition is cool, it's not related to any of the stories.
John Wyndham: Exiles on Asperus (1933, ~58 pages)
Murray Leinster: The Mole Pirate (1934, ~49 pages)
Jack Williamson: The Moon Era (1931~55 pages)
Exiles on Asperus has earthlings and martians shipwrecked on an asteroid and fighting a common enemy. It is undeniably of its time and the ending wasn't the best possible, but it was still enjoyable early Wyndham. 4.25/5
The Mole Pirate was interesting because it involves the subterranean element instead of space. Other than that, it's a futuristic pirate story of sorts. I may perhaps have read some Leinster short story in the past, but The Mole Pirate encourages me to read more at some point. 3.5/5
I don't think I had heard of Jack Williamson before reading The Moon Era. I'm writing this review three months after I read the story, and in retrospect I like the story much more than I seem to have done initially. Perhaps the ending affected me too much at the time? The story, especially the beginning, made me think of H. G. Wells. There's our protagonist and a rich uncle who's invented a space ship. And then our hero has some highly exciting adventures on the Moon. My initial rating was just 3/5, but now I would give it 4.25/5. I really should read more Williamson.
Overall, A Sense of Wonder lives up to its title. However, although the cover of the New English Library 1974 edition is cool, it's not related to any of the stories.
July 5, 2012
Ok first off this was the book from the ISBN number on the back but its not by Sam Moskowitz, he wrote the interaction and not the stories within. They are Exiles On Asperus by John Wyndham, The Moon Era by Jack Williamson and The Mole Pirate by Murry Leinster.
Those details aside what about the book, amazing is simply how I would describe it. I started reading science fiction and I still hold that dear to me, I grew up on Asimov and Clarke, Heinlein and Herbert. However one of the first things I learnt was that early science fiction was often grouped together and roughly and sometimes unfairly treated as one style or other. That said one of the eras referred to was the "Golden Age" and this book though originally printed in 1967 (my version was the third impression from the 80s) it installed in me a sense of wonder and adventure I have often felt missing from many more modern books.
The 3 stories here are varied and unrelated but each I found thrilling and I was unable to put the book down the last one the mole pirates especially reminds me of the boys own adventures, the RKO Buck Rogers and the Rocketeer stories of Yester-year. I originally sought out this book because of its connection to John Wyndham but it is so much more. Its quite a small volume but still well worth the effort to find it and read it - I often go back to it even now.
Those details aside what about the book, amazing is simply how I would describe it. I started reading science fiction and I still hold that dear to me, I grew up on Asimov and Clarke, Heinlein and Herbert. However one of the first things I learnt was that early science fiction was often grouped together and roughly and sometimes unfairly treated as one style or other. That said one of the eras referred to was the "Golden Age" and this book though originally printed in 1967 (my version was the third impression from the 80s) it installed in me a sense of wonder and adventure I have often felt missing from many more modern books.
The 3 stories here are varied and unrelated but each I found thrilling and I was unable to put the book down the last one the mole pirates especially reminds me of the boys own adventures, the RKO Buck Rogers and the Rocketeer stories of Yester-year. I originally sought out this book because of its connection to John Wyndham but it is so much more. Its quite a small volume but still well worth the effort to find it and read it - I often go back to it even now.
October 8, 2013
This was a collection of three really exceptional novellas. John Wyndham's 'Exiles on Asperus' was a great story and a brilliant meditation on whether 'freedom' actually means anything. Murray Leinster's 'The Mole Pirate' was another brilliantly imaginative story, concerned with possible misuse of technology - and Jack Williamson's 'The Moon Era', raised questions about the sort of unforeseeable risks that might arise in an unknown world. They were all vividly imagined and very well told. I want to know what happened to Murray Leinster and Jack Williamson now. I've got to find out if they went on writing! :)
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