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L'uomo che possedeva il mondo
Una cripta con un corpo esposto in una bara trasparente, e sopra la cripta la sagoma slanciata di un missile. È il mausoleo Carson, eretto a Londra all'eroe morto nel tentativo di raggiungere la Luna. Intorno al mausoleo sorgono le rovine della città resa irriconoscibile dal tempo e dalle guerre atomiche, e fra le rovine vivono gli unici esseri che ancora popolino la superficie del pianeta: i mutanti. Sotto le rovine, a grande profondità, sorgono le nuove città dei terrestri normali, autentiche fortezze sotterranee impenetrabili alle radiazioni. Ma Robert Carson, I'uomo al quale il mondo ha costruito un monumento, è vivo. L'hanno riportato in vita gli scienziati di Marte. E un giorno Robert Carson arriva sulla Terra per prendere ufficialmente il posto che gli spetta. Ma il discorso che pronuncerà ai suoi sudditi non sarà quello che i marziani si aspettano.
Copertina di Karel Thole
Copertina di Karel Thole
- GenresScience FictionFiction
158 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
About the author
Charles Eric Maine
59 books13 followersCharles Eric Maine (pseudonym of David McIlwain; 21 January 1921 – 30 November 1981) was an English science fiction writer whose most prominent works were published in the 1950s and 1960s. His stories were thrillers that dealt with new scientific technology
Biography
McIlwain was born in Liverpool.
He published three issues of a science fiction magazine called The Satellite which he co-edited along with J. F. Burke. From 1940 to 1941, he published his own magazine called Gargoyle.
During World War II, he was in the Royal Air Force and served in Northern Africa in 1943.
After the war, he worked in TV engineering, and became involved in editorial work with radio and TV. During 1952, he sold his first radio play, Spaceways, to the BBC. Due to its popularity, it became a novel as well as a movie.
One of his best known stories, Timeliner, was about a scientist who experiments with a time machine, only to be maliciously thrust into the future by a fellow scientist who was having an affair with his wife. It was originally written as a radio play known as The Einstein Highway.
He died in London in 1981.
Bibliography
Spaceways (1953) (Variant Title: Spaceways Satellite)
Timeliner (1955)
Escapement (1956) (Variant Title: The Man Who Couldn't Sleep)
High Vacuum (1956)
The Tide Went Out (1958) (Revised in 1997 with Variant Title: Thirst!)
World Without Men (1958) (Revised in 1972 with Variant Title: Alph)
Count-Down (1959) (Variant Title: Fire Past the Future)
Crisis 2000 (1959)
Subterfuge (1959)
Calculated Risk (1960)
He Owned the World (1960) (Variant Title: The Man Who Owned the World)
The Mind of Mr. Soames (1961)
The Darkest of Nights (1962) (Variant Title: Survival Margin)
B.E.A.S.T. (1966)
Alph (1972)
Biography
McIlwain was born in Liverpool.
He published three issues of a science fiction magazine called The Satellite which he co-edited along with J. F. Burke. From 1940 to 1941, he published his own magazine called Gargoyle.
During World War II, he was in the Royal Air Force and served in Northern Africa in 1943.
After the war, he worked in TV engineering, and became involved in editorial work with radio and TV. During 1952, he sold his first radio play, Spaceways, to the BBC. Due to its popularity, it became a novel as well as a movie.
One of his best known stories, Timeliner, was about a scientist who experiments with a time machine, only to be maliciously thrust into the future by a fellow scientist who was having an affair with his wife. It was originally written as a radio play known as The Einstein Highway.
He died in London in 1981.
Bibliography
Spaceways (1953) (Variant Title: Spaceways Satellite)
Timeliner (1955)
Escapement (1956) (Variant Title: The Man Who Couldn't Sleep)
High Vacuum (1956)
The Tide Went Out (1958) (Revised in 1997 with Variant Title: Thirst!)
World Without Men (1958) (Revised in 1972 with Variant Title: Alph)
Count-Down (1959) (Variant Title: Fire Past the Future)
Crisis 2000 (1959)
Subterfuge (1959)
Calculated Risk (1960)
He Owned the World (1960) (Variant Title: The Man Who Owned the World)
The Mind of Mr. Soames (1961)
The Darkest of Nights (1962) (Variant Title: Survival Margin)
B.E.A.S.T. (1966)
Alph (1972)
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 31, 2018
This was pretty unique, as far as classic sci fi goes, but at the same time was stuck in the cold war. Astronaut Robert Carson died attempting to be the first man to orbit the moon, then was brought back 8000 years later, and through a series of improbable events turned out he was the heir to a trust in his name that essentially owned all of Earth.
There were some interesting bits... a society of immortals living on Mars fighting those on Earth living underground, while a separate society of those that survived nuclear holocaust and were still mostly human lived on the surface.
I think he was going for Martians being the Russians, as they were essentially a military dictatorship, but it wasn't always clear. Unfortunately, the book ends suddenly without resolution for anyone but Mr. Carson, and includes a twist that made me cringe.
It did make me think the author could have other good books, this one just was sort of the hint of one that didn't really deliver.
There were some interesting bits... a society of immortals living on Mars fighting those on Earth living underground, while a separate society of those that survived nuclear holocaust and were still mostly human lived on the surface.
I think he was going for Martians being the Russians, as they were essentially a military dictatorship, but it wasn't always clear. Unfortunately, the book ends suddenly without resolution for anyone but Mr. Carson, and includes a twist that made me cringe.
It did make me think the author could have other good books, this one just was sort of the hint of one that didn't really deliver.
October 5, 2022
He Owned the World by Charles Eric Maine
Robert Carson is a twentieth-century astronaut who dies in an attempt to become the first man ever to orbit the moon when a systems failure causes his tiny spacecraft to veer off course (The craft was perhaps unwisely named the Wanderer II, and in accord with its name it proceeded to wander).
8000 years later, a colony of enhanced ‘immortal’ humans living on Mars apparently locates Carson’s spacecraft and finds his long-dead body still within. Using the advanced science of ‘anti-mortics’, the Martian doctors over a period of years are able to resurrect this man who had died millennia ago. Robert Carson is then officially informed that he is a person of great importance who holds the fates of two planets, Earth and Mars, in his hands.
But why should the Martians go to such trouble to bring Robert Carson back to life, and how can he possibly be the legal owner of the entire planet Earth as they claim? Furthermore, who really is the inscrutable Mr. Jaff, who on the surface seems so affable but who also has no compunction against using coercion to ensure obedience, and exactly what is his position in the Martian governmental administration?
Earth has been devastated by atomic warfare between the terrestrial nations and by interplanetary wars with Mars. The more fortunate members of the population live in underground cities and are unaffected by radiation, whereas those who eke out a meager living among the ruined surface cities are genetically damaged humans, or ‘mutants’.
The Martians launch a military expedition against Earth, and intend to back their claims of ownership by producing the person of Robert Carson, who is worshiped as a hero by the terrestrials. Carson’s twentieth-century morality is often at variance with Martian ethics, but should he cooperate with their campaign in the hope of somehow uniting the underground-dwelling ‘norms’, ‘mutants’ and ‘Martians’ in a common cause? Just as in Timeliner, the author advocates freedom of personal action and conscience and decries subjugation of the individual to the authority of the state.
This was a well-constructed story told in an engaging manner. Several key questions remain unclear both to the protagonist and the reader, providing the incentive to read on and find the answers. There are not as many plot twists as there are in Timeliner, but the one which occurs during the final pages of the book raises fundamental questions which may compel the reader to review the entire story for relevant clues.
Since the story was published in 1960, does it feel dated? In some ways it does. It fits perfectly into the Cold War mentality of the period, and the idea that ‘atomics’ are the key to human technological progress is also very much in evidence.
And how believable are the worlds created by the author? The psycho-neural skills possessed by the Martian medics are of course beyond anything available in 2022 (and we are never really certain whether anti-mortics is a real science or not), but that people are still using video screens (and clicking switches and writing on paper) after 8000 years of technical progress struck me as odd (even if the screens do display three-dimensional images). It was also hard to accept that a form of English was still spoken as the principal language of Earth, so Carson had no trouble communicating with the inhabitants when he arrived there. It is true that many languages are changing more slowly than in the past due to standardization and global mass communications, but I am pretty sure that the English of eight millennia hence will not be the English we speak now, if it even exists at all. The fact that the surface of the earth had been devastated time and again by atomic bombardments also make the continuity of linguistic and legal systems described in the book somewhat absurd.
Despite these minor flaws, He Owned the World is still a compelling story of intrigue and adventure in the classic style, which also raises certain thought-provoking ethical questions. Moreover, it is a highly enjoyable read, although in my opinion not nearly as absorbing as Timeliner.
Below are a few quotations from the book:
The pain, for instance—that was a subjective thing. In the physical world of nature there was no such thing as pain; it was a psychoneural reaction characteristic of a sentient being. It could not be measured, weighed or analyzed, but it was real, nonetheless.
"You are alive, but only just,” said the voice tonelessly. "You must obey every instruction. You will remain here under electronic stimulus for five years. During that time you will gain strength and improve. Afterwards, with care and training, you may be able to lave the life of a normal man.”
"Immortality,” Carson whispered. "It’s unbelievable.” "You were dead. Now you are alive,” the doctor pointed out. "We regard death as a curable disease."
"You speak my language very well,” he observed. "Much better than the green-eyed doctor, for instance.” “I was adequately trained. During the five years of your treatment I was assigned to study antique terrestrial English. Our modern language is international and agglutinative. We have syllables derived originally from most of the important languages. All we do is join syllables together to make up more complex ideas. A complete thought—a sentence if you like—is expressed in one word. We think in terms of sentences rather than individual words, just as an architect visualizes the structure rather than the separate bricks.”
Earth has changed considerably since your day. There have been many wars, and for centuries there was universal radioactivity. Earth is a planet of strange mutants, but there are isolated colonies of normal people, like you and me.
The most perfect language is mathematics. A simple formula can express an abstract idea so complex that it could not be communicated in a million words.
There was virtually no emotion among these people; they enjoyed life in a cold-blooded intellectual way, as one might sit down to enjoy a game of chess, and the only apparent motive for seeking pleasure was the gratification that pleasure could provide.
"You must get used to the fact that people come and go,” she advised solemnly. "It is important to avoid affinity and interdependence. We are each of us individual citizens, and in so far as we allow ourselves to become dependent on others, so we fail to give the State the services of a full individual.” " "Is the State more important than the individual?" She smiled reprovingly at him. "The State is the individual, and the individual is the State.
"It all sounds very unsatisfactory to me,” Carson observed sadly. "Why can’t human beings get together to solve their problems instead of attempting to destroy each other?” "They never have done so throughout history.
You, Mr. Carson, may well prove to be the means of saving Earth from itself. As you know, the Martian colony has on three occasions attempted to take over control of Earth in its own interests—but war across millions of miles of space is an extremely difficult and hazardous operation. More than anything, we have needed a symbol, a figurehead to apply a strong psychological thrust to any projected military campaign. It is our belief that you are that symbol.”
First the family, then the tribe, then the political party, and with the abolition of parties the nation, personified in a single leader; and finally the entire planetary population, directed and controlled and governed by an impersonal authority possessing the power to compel obedience.
What is wrong with mankind that his genius should always be channeled into aggression and war?
"If you knew the full history of Earth, Mr. Carson,” she said, "you would realize just how much they need a strong, rational government. It isn’t a question of aggression so much as—how can I put it? Compulsory assistance, perhaps.”
"You seem to have everything well planned,” Carson commented. Mr. Jaff smiled appreciatively. "All action should be the end product of logical, constructive thought. Action without thought is futile, and often destructive.
"Robert Carson,” he (the mutant) said in a toneless rasping voice. "Are you Robert Carson?” Surprisingly the language he was using was not the Martian semantic blend, but rather a slurred adaptation of the older English of Carson’s own era.
Always remember—the brain, once washed, can always be unwashed. It takes time, but it can be done.
Robert Carson is a twentieth-century astronaut who dies in an attempt to become the first man ever to orbit the moon when a systems failure causes his tiny spacecraft to veer off course (The craft was perhaps unwisely named the Wanderer II, and in accord with its name it proceeded to wander).
8000 years later, a colony of enhanced ‘immortal’ humans living on Mars apparently locates Carson’s spacecraft and finds his long-dead body still within. Using the advanced science of ‘anti-mortics’, the Martian doctors over a period of years are able to resurrect this man who had died millennia ago. Robert Carson is then officially informed that he is a person of great importance who holds the fates of two planets, Earth and Mars, in his hands.
But why should the Martians go to such trouble to bring Robert Carson back to life, and how can he possibly be the legal owner of the entire planet Earth as they claim? Furthermore, who really is the inscrutable Mr. Jaff, who on the surface seems so affable but who also has no compunction against using coercion to ensure obedience, and exactly what is his position in the Martian governmental administration?
Earth has been devastated by atomic warfare between the terrestrial nations and by interplanetary wars with Mars. The more fortunate members of the population live in underground cities and are unaffected by radiation, whereas those who eke out a meager living among the ruined surface cities are genetically damaged humans, or ‘mutants’.
The Martians launch a military expedition against Earth, and intend to back their claims of ownership by producing the person of Robert Carson, who is worshiped as a hero by the terrestrials. Carson’s twentieth-century morality is often at variance with Martian ethics, but should he cooperate with their campaign in the hope of somehow uniting the underground-dwelling ‘norms’, ‘mutants’ and ‘Martians’ in a common cause? Just as in Timeliner, the author advocates freedom of personal action and conscience and decries subjugation of the individual to the authority of the state.
This was a well-constructed story told in an engaging manner. Several key questions remain unclear both to the protagonist and the reader, providing the incentive to read on and find the answers. There are not as many plot twists as there are in Timeliner, but the one which occurs during the final pages of the book raises fundamental questions which may compel the reader to review the entire story for relevant clues.
Since the story was published in 1960, does it feel dated? In some ways it does. It fits perfectly into the Cold War mentality of the period, and the idea that ‘atomics’ are the key to human technological progress is also very much in evidence.
And how believable are the worlds created by the author? The psycho-neural skills possessed by the Martian medics are of course beyond anything available in 2022 (and we are never really certain whether anti-mortics is a real science or not), but that people are still using video screens (and clicking switches and writing on paper) after 8000 years of technical progress struck me as odd (even if the screens do display three-dimensional images). It was also hard to accept that a form of English was still spoken as the principal language of Earth, so Carson had no trouble communicating with the inhabitants when he arrived there. It is true that many languages are changing more slowly than in the past due to standardization and global mass communications, but I am pretty sure that the English of eight millennia hence will not be the English we speak now, if it even exists at all. The fact that the surface of the earth had been devastated time and again by atomic bombardments also make the continuity of linguistic and legal systems described in the book somewhat absurd.
Despite these minor flaws, He Owned the World is still a compelling story of intrigue and adventure in the classic style, which also raises certain thought-provoking ethical questions. Moreover, it is a highly enjoyable read, although in my opinion not nearly as absorbing as Timeliner.
Below are a few quotations from the book:
The pain, for instance—that was a subjective thing. In the physical world of nature there was no such thing as pain; it was a psychoneural reaction characteristic of a sentient being. It could not be measured, weighed or analyzed, but it was real, nonetheless.
"You are alive, but only just,” said the voice tonelessly. "You must obey every instruction. You will remain here under electronic stimulus for five years. During that time you will gain strength and improve. Afterwards, with care and training, you may be able to lave the life of a normal man.”
"Immortality,” Carson whispered. "It’s unbelievable.” "You were dead. Now you are alive,” the doctor pointed out. "We regard death as a curable disease."
"You speak my language very well,” he observed. "Much better than the green-eyed doctor, for instance.” “I was adequately trained. During the five years of your treatment I was assigned to study antique terrestrial English. Our modern language is international and agglutinative. We have syllables derived originally from most of the important languages. All we do is join syllables together to make up more complex ideas. A complete thought—a sentence if you like—is expressed in one word. We think in terms of sentences rather than individual words, just as an architect visualizes the structure rather than the separate bricks.”
Earth has changed considerably since your day. There have been many wars, and for centuries there was universal radioactivity. Earth is a planet of strange mutants, but there are isolated colonies of normal people, like you and me.
The most perfect language is mathematics. A simple formula can express an abstract idea so complex that it could not be communicated in a million words.
There was virtually no emotion among these people; they enjoyed life in a cold-blooded intellectual way, as one might sit down to enjoy a game of chess, and the only apparent motive for seeking pleasure was the gratification that pleasure could provide.
"You must get used to the fact that people come and go,” she advised solemnly. "It is important to avoid affinity and interdependence. We are each of us individual citizens, and in so far as we allow ourselves to become dependent on others, so we fail to give the State the services of a full individual.” " "Is the State more important than the individual?" She smiled reprovingly at him. "The State is the individual, and the individual is the State.
"It all sounds very unsatisfactory to me,” Carson observed sadly. "Why can’t human beings get together to solve their problems instead of attempting to destroy each other?” "They never have done so throughout history.
You, Mr. Carson, may well prove to be the means of saving Earth from itself. As you know, the Martian colony has on three occasions attempted to take over control of Earth in its own interests—but war across millions of miles of space is an extremely difficult and hazardous operation. More than anything, we have needed a symbol, a figurehead to apply a strong psychological thrust to any projected military campaign. It is our belief that you are that symbol.”
First the family, then the tribe, then the political party, and with the abolition of parties the nation, personified in a single leader; and finally the entire planetary population, directed and controlled and governed by an impersonal authority possessing the power to compel obedience.
What is wrong with mankind that his genius should always be channeled into aggression and war?
"If you knew the full history of Earth, Mr. Carson,” she said, "you would realize just how much they need a strong, rational government. It isn’t a question of aggression so much as—how can I put it? Compulsory assistance, perhaps.”
"You seem to have everything well planned,” Carson commented. Mr. Jaff smiled appreciatively. "All action should be the end product of logical, constructive thought. Action without thought is futile, and often destructive.
"Robert Carson,” he (the mutant) said in a toneless rasping voice. "Are you Robert Carson?” Surprisingly the language he was using was not the Martian semantic blend, but rather a slurred adaptation of the older English of Carson’s own era.
Always remember—the brain, once washed, can always be unwashed. It takes time, but it can be done.
July 16, 2020
This was an engaging story and a very easy read. Vintage sci fi at its best. I really like the way Maine writes. It was a great story that is somewhat still relevant today with a dose of classic vintage sci fi story lines that made me want to keep reading. This was my first book by Maine but, definitely not the last.
May 17, 2017
Charles Eric Main is a very engaging writer. Astronaut Robert Carson is killed in an attempt to reach the moon. He is brought back to life 8,000 years later by Earth ex-patriots living on Mars. Or was he? Or wasn't he? An extremely fun read that keeps the readers guessing.
May 18, 2017
Charles Eric Main is a very engaging writer. Astronaut Robert Carson is killed in an attempt to reach the moon. He is brought back to life 8,000 years later by Earth ex-patriots living on Mars. Or was he? Or wasn't he? An extremely fun read that keeps the readers guessing.
March 9, 2026
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for over 1000 book reviews in all genres
8,000 years ago, he died. Now resurrected, he was the undisputed owner of the world. Charles Eric Maine is a favourite science fiction author, and the life and death of Robert Carson is a terrific thriller.
In 1966, Carson piloted the first manned rocket to orbit the Moon in Wanderer II, an eight-month voyage filled with unknown risks. When a meteorite strike sends him reeling off course, corrective calculations are futile; contact is lost. Hurtled into space, he opens the air valves to die in the vacuum of space.
He awakens in a laboratory, attached to machines and wires, kept alive by electronic stimulus. Death is a difficult disease to cure.
He is on Mars, colonized by Earth hundreds of years ago, along with other planets and moons. 8,000 years have elapsed, and death has been abolished. Antimortic pathology has renewed his body with synthetic organs and psychoneural systems. He is now immortal.
After his death, Earth created a fund to develop technology to rescue the Wanderer II, which in turn caused the conflict that began the first atomic war. Earth is now a military dictatorship at war with Mars, where the terrestrials live in vast underground cities, and the radiated mutants are relegated to the surface. Mars needs resources, and Carson is the one who can initiate talks with the terrestrials. Revered as the man who sacrificed himself for space travel, Earth's memorial to the rocket and the astronaut is called into question. Earth is not welcoming—this man could be a well-trained fake. Both planets run rigorous identity tests to prove he is not lying—and prove successfully he is Robert Carson. Carson technically owns the fund which forms 90% of productivity on Earth, and must decide whom to support. Trapped between two warring planets, he knows after a treaty is signed, he will be surplus to requirements.
Maine (psuedonym of David McIlwain) has built a whole world of the future, adding a twist to the time travel theme. I have only touched on the surface of this story— at times is a little too political for my taste—leading up to an unforgettable ending.
Maine is recommended, and many of his works are online as eBooks or free downloads.
for over 1000 book reviews in all genres
8,000 years ago, he died. Now resurrected, he was the undisputed owner of the world. Charles Eric Maine is a favourite science fiction author, and the life and death of Robert Carson is a terrific thriller.
In 1966, Carson piloted the first manned rocket to orbit the Moon in Wanderer II, an eight-month voyage filled with unknown risks. When a meteorite strike sends him reeling off course, corrective calculations are futile; contact is lost. Hurtled into space, he opens the air valves to die in the vacuum of space.
He awakens in a laboratory, attached to machines and wires, kept alive by electronic stimulus. Death is a difficult disease to cure.
He is on Mars, colonized by Earth hundreds of years ago, along with other planets and moons. 8,000 years have elapsed, and death has been abolished. Antimortic pathology has renewed his body with synthetic organs and psychoneural systems. He is now immortal.
After his death, Earth created a fund to develop technology to rescue the Wanderer II, which in turn caused the conflict that began the first atomic war. Earth is now a military dictatorship at war with Mars, where the terrestrials live in vast underground cities, and the radiated mutants are relegated to the surface. Mars needs resources, and Carson is the one who can initiate talks with the terrestrials. Revered as the man who sacrificed himself for space travel, Earth's memorial to the rocket and the astronaut is called into question. Earth is not welcoming—this man could be a well-trained fake. Both planets run rigorous identity tests to prove he is not lying—and prove successfully he is Robert Carson. Carson technically owns the fund which forms 90% of productivity on Earth, and must decide whom to support. Trapped between two warring planets, he knows after a treaty is signed, he will be surplus to requirements.
Maine (psuedonym of David McIlwain) has built a whole world of the future, adding a twist to the time travel theme. I have only touched on the surface of this story— at times is a little too political for my taste—leading up to an unforgettable ending.
Maine is recommended, and many of his works are online as eBooks or free downloads.
September 30, 2025
He Owned the World (1960) by Charles Eric Maine is a fine little obscurity in science fiction. In sixteen chapters, its author tells a very science fictional tale, not pulpy but thoughtful while still fulfilling all the usual needs of the science fiction reader: a great premise, a well-worked-out future, a tight plot filled with warfare and betrayal and a dystopian look at power in a high-technological society. It ends as it must, and I judge it as good as, or better than, many another sf novel from this period. Indeed, it has not nearly so many flaws as the two Philip K. Dick novels that were published that year.
For better contrast, I am reminded of two not-quite-as-obscure sf novels: Biggle’s Monument (1974) and Niven’s World Out of Time (1976). The former shares a theme of scuttling the corruption of the institutions of a powerful space-faring human civilization, along with flawless prose and some attention to characterization; the latter shares the premise of an astronaut going out and returning to Earth after a long, long time to discover alien developments, but differs by being episodic and whimsical rather than plot-driven and dramatic. Both of these are excellent, but as a novel qua novel, I suspect that Maine’s 1960 effort may indeed be better than either.
For better contrast, I am reminded of two not-quite-as-obscure sf novels: Biggle’s Monument (1974) and Niven’s World Out of Time (1976). The former shares a theme of scuttling the corruption of the institutions of a powerful space-faring human civilization, along with flawless prose and some attention to characterization; the latter shares the premise of an astronaut going out and returning to Earth after a long, long time to discover alien developments, but differs by being episodic and whimsical rather than plot-driven and dramatic. Both of these are excellent, but as a novel qua novel, I suspect that Maine’s 1960 effort may indeed be better than either.
November 30, 2020
I'm stunned. I can honestly say, I'm stunned from the outcome of the story. I wasn't expecting it, I was deeply involved in the story itself that I didn't consider the other possibilities. A very unique take from the Golden Age of Science Fiction.
March 5, 2021
Ursula Le Guin must have read it before creating her The Dispossessed.
October 12, 2024
Not as weird as I was hoping but I appreciated the anti eugenics stance
December 28, 2025
Trama abbastanza originale e colpo di scena finale in questo bell’ Urania vintage.
May 28, 2026
Brilliant. Really clever. Old-school SF from a master. He also wrote one of my very favorite novels, Timeliner.
Read
April 29, 2015The plot of "He Owned The World" has many parallels with, and may well have been inspired by, "The Sleeper Awakes" by H.G. Wells, but the former is essentially a sci-fi yarn lacking in the social relevance of Wells's book.
Read
July 10, 2018Well-constructed writing, with the unfortunate side effect of a lack of wit and/or humour. Story was fine but somewhat uncompelling.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews