A Pride of Monsters

The Hub

by James H. Schmitz

Story collection set in Schmitz's Hub Universe. Introduction, by James H. Schmitz; Lion Loose; The Searcher; The Winds of Time; The Pork Chop Tree; Greenface.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 27, 1970

About the author

James Henry Schmitz (October 15, 1911–April 18, 1981) was an American writer born in Hamburg, Germany of American parents. Aside from two years at business school in Chicago, Schmitz lived in Germany until 1938, leaving before World War II broke out in Europe in 1939. During World War II, Schmitz served as an aerial photographer in the Pacific for the United States Army Air Corps. After the war, he and his brother-in-law ran a business which manufactured trailers until they broke up the business in 1949.

Schmitz is best known as a writer of space opera, and for strong female characters (including Telzey Amberdon and Trigger Argee) that didn't fit into the damsel in distress stereotype typical of science fiction during the time he was writing. His first published story was Greenface, published in August 1943 in Unknown. Most of his works are part of the "Hub" series, though his best known novel is the non-Hub The Witches of Karres, concerning juvenile "witches" with genuine psi-powers and their escape from slavery. Karres was nominated for a Hugo Award.

In recent years, his novels and short stories have been republished by Baen Books (which bought the rights to his estate for $6500), edited (sometimes heavily edited) and with notes by Eric Flint. Baen have also published new works based in the Karres universe.

Schmitz died of congestive lung failure in 1981 after a five week stay in the hospital in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Betty Mae Chapman Schmitz.

Reviews

[Cheryl]

https://www.tor.com/2022/11/04/five-c...

James Davis Nicoll says:

"I credit Arthur C. Clarke for drawing my attention to Schmitz by including Schmitz’ story “Grandpa” in the Clarke-edited anthology Time Probe. The story’s treatment of ecological themes ensured that I’d pick up any Schmitz books that crossed my path.

A Pride of Monsters draws exclusively from magazines edited by John W. Campbell, Jr. (Astounding, later renamed Analog, and Unknown Worlds). All of the stories on offer centre on some manner of monster, but they manage to be otherwise quite diverse. Readers unfamiliar with Schmitz should get a decent sense of his range."

Paperbackswap has several of Schmitz's works ready to be wishlisted when I have room for more. Meanwhile, this, at least, is on openlibrary.

[Mark Isaak · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book contains five stories in which conflict with a monster make up some of the plot, sometimes all of it. The monsters are imaginative and suitably scary, but the humans are less interesting. Two of the stories are straight-up man vs. monster, with almost no other conflict. A third is a pair of detectives vs. a smuggling ring which turns into straight-up man vs. monster halfway through. A fourth is man vs. smuggling ring with a monster loose in the mix. These last two (which are the first two in the book) are the longest and most interesting, mostly because the human interactions are so much richer. The fifth story is a sort of "what if" description of a monster which people could gladly cultivate until it kills them.

[LeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lion Loose - This one was the hardest one to get through for me. I felt this was more like an action/spy story set in space than really a science fiction story. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters and their motivations.

The Searcher - Probably my favorite story in this book. I really liked the team of Danestar and Corvin; they were awesome. And I thought the creature was unique and interesting.

The Winds of Time - Liked the creature, but not so much the story.

The Pork Chop Tree - Super cool concept, would have like to have seen it flushed out more.

Greenface - Ehh, just a very average sci-fi story.

[Eric]

Full review: https://monsterbookclub.com/2022/01/0...

[Tvermar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent collection of 5 sci fi short stories involving alien creatures. My favourite was “Greenface” which was more straight up monster fare

[Garick Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid selection of two novellas, two novelettes, and one short story, bookended by two classics ("Lion Loose" and "Greenface"), with an introduction by the author. "Greenface," Schmitz's first published story, is one of my all-time favorites (in fact, it makes my Top Ten, although it was a close call between it and "Goblin Night"). Fans of Schmitz will want to read these, but it might also be a fair introduction to those who don't know him. At its best, Schmitz's writing possesses an effortless charm and sense of adventure.

[Laura Quilter]

A Pride Of Monsters by James H. Schmitz

[Kenneth Flusche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old fashioned SF short stories