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Farewell, Fantastic Venus
Farewell Fantastic Venus is a science fiction anthology edited by Brian Aldiss and Harry Harrison. It was first published in 1968 as a direct response to the information returned from the first space probes sent to Venus, especially the first atmospheric probe to return data, Venera 4. The first data was not returned from the surface until Venera 7 successfully landed in 1970.
The book contains stories and novel excerpts from the time before Venus' true nature became apparent, when the clouded planet could still be imagined as another Earth, albeit a hotter one. From that point on, no stories would be written which did not recognize Venus as a dry lifeless world with acid clouds and a temperature high enough to melt lead. Writers such as Larry Niven (Becalmed in Hell) did write about the "new" Venus, but there were to be no more transplanted jungle adventures, no imagined world of oceans with monsters, no Venusians. Venus had been the best hope for extraterrestrial life, and now that hope was lost.
The book contains stories and novel excerpts from the time before Venus' true nature became apparent, when the clouded planet could still be imagined as another Earth, albeit a hotter one. From that point on, no stories would be written which did not recognize Venus as a dry lifeless world with acid clouds and a temperature high enough to melt lead. Writers such as Larry Niven (Becalmed in Hell) did write about the "new" Venus, but there were to be no more transplanted jungle adventures, no imagined world of oceans with monsters, no Venusians. Venus had been the best hope for extraterrestrial life, and now that hope was lost.
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1968
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About the author
Brian W. Aldiss
834 books676 followersPseudonyms: Jael Cracken, Peter Pica, John Runciman, C.C. Shackleton, Arch Mendicant, & "Doc" Peristyle.
Brian Wilson Aldiss was one of the most important voices in science fiction writing today. He wrote his first novel while working as a bookseller in Oxford. Shortly afterwards he wrote his first work of science fiction and soon gained international recognition. Adored for his innovative literary techniques, evocative plots and irresistible characters, he became a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 1999.
Brian Aldiss died on August 19, 2017, just after celebrating his 92nd birthday with his family and closest friends.
Brian W. Aldiss Group on Good Reads
Brian Wilson Aldiss was one of the most important voices in science fiction writing today. He wrote his first novel while working as a bookseller in Oxford. Shortly afterwards he wrote his first work of science fiction and soon gained international recognition. Adored for his innovative literary techniques, evocative plots and irresistible characters, he became a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 1999.
Brian Aldiss died on August 19, 2017, just after celebrating his 92nd birthday with his family and closest friends.
Brian W. Aldiss Group on Good Reads
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 27, 2026
This book is an abridgement of a book that was published in the U.K. with the title Farewell, Fantastic Venus! It mixes science essays and science fiction, showing how the theories and perceptions of the planet have changed. It strikes me as odd that Mars has always been so much more popular, but there you go. It has excerpts of pieces of Olaf Stapledon, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and C.S. Lewis novels, which I never thought was a good idea. It does not have anything by Ray Bradbury or Leigh Brackett, for example, and classics by them would have used the space better. It does have a pair of Poul Anderson stories and an Arthur C. Clarke that are pretty good; what's here is okay, but it could have been much better.
July 24, 2020
Published in 1968, this anthology of both fact & fiction about the planet Venus is the sort of thing you just won't find today. As science was discovering the true, hellish nature of the planet, this book served as a fond look back at earlier imagined vistas -- the eternal rains, the verdant swamps, the endless clouds, both in reasonably hard SF & pure planetary romance. At the same time, it offers a range of non-fiction articles spanning the centuries, gradually revealing Venus as the sulfuric inferno we know it to be now. The fictions range from excerpts from Edgar Rice Burroughs' "The Pirates of Venus", Olaf Stapledon's "Last and First Men", and C. S. Lewis' "Perelandra", to such short stories as Poul Anderson's "The Big Rain" and Arthur C. Clarke's "Before Eden" -- each presenting a vivid world impossible to write about these days. More's the pity! As a marker between romance & reality, it's a thoroughly enjoyable collection, recommended for the historically-minded SF reader.
August 7, 2018
Recommended only for people who enjoy dense narrative and very little sci-fi. Reminded me a lot of James Michener.
September 10, 2021
OK, they literally don't write them like this anymore. On the 18th of October, 1967, spoilsport Russians landed a probe on Venus and proved once and for all it wasn't the exotic, romantic planet of so many science fiction tales. A year later, Aldiss and Harrison published this collection of stories and essays culled from years long past, to commemorate that lost world.
The result is an intriguing, eclectic mix of sci-fi like your grandad used to read, and short scholarly articles, many of them as outdated as the SF. There's one utterly charming 1882 report by the Astronomer Royal, Sir Robert Ball, in which he describes his attempt to view the transit of Venus across the sun, something that only happens a couple of times in more than a century, from an observatory in Dunsink, Ireland, in December. Ireland. In December. It's the most British thing ever.
All-in-all, this was an unspectacular, enjoyable curio, which in its way has as much to say about the SF scene of 1968 as it does about the fictive history of Venus in the preceding years. Who on earth would even think of publishing a book that mixed SF stories and scientific essays today?
I give this three stars, but one of those is definitely for quirkiness, and your mileage may vary.
The result is an intriguing, eclectic mix of sci-fi like your grandad used to read, and short scholarly articles, many of them as outdated as the SF. There's one utterly charming 1882 report by the Astronomer Royal, Sir Robert Ball, in which he describes his attempt to view the transit of Venus across the sun, something that only happens a couple of times in more than a century, from an observatory in Dunsink, Ireland, in December. Ireland. In December. It's the most British thing ever.
All-in-all, this was an unspectacular, enjoyable curio, which in its way has as much to say about the SF scene of 1968 as it does about the fictive history of Venus in the preceding years. Who on earth would even think of publishing a book that mixed SF stories and scientific essays today?
I give this three stars, but one of those is definitely for quirkiness, and your mileage may vary.
April 10, 2017
This was a tragically mixed bag. I give it 3 stars mostly for including Burroughs (an excerpt from the first Carson of Venus book, "Pirates of Venus") and other antique speculative pieces. For some reason not one but two Poul Anderson stories appear here with opposing versions of Venus (the first of which is about fighting commies, which makes it the more fun of the two).
As always the "hard sci-fi" entries put me right to sleep.
As always the "hard sci-fi" entries put me right to sleep.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews