Space Cadets

by Mike Resnick (Editor), David Gerrold, Larry Niven

Space Cadets edited by Mike Resnick 24 stories elliciting memories of the Golden Age of Science Fiction.

The late Frankie Thomas, who died just as this book was going to press, thrilled a generation of future fans and writers as Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, in the early days of television. L.A. Con IV, the 2006 World Science Fiction Convention, selected Frankie as its Special Guest, and this book of stories about space cadets, each and every one of them inspired by Frankies acts of derring-do on the small black-and-white screens of the very early 1950s, is the conventions and Fandoms tribute to him.

In these pages youll find stories by L.A. Con IVs Writer Guest of Honor Connie Willis, plus Mercedes Lackey, Harry Turtledove, Kevin J. Anderson, David Brin, Larry Niven, Mike Resnick, Gregory Benford & Elizabeth Malartre, Kristine Kathryn Rusch & Dean Wesley Smith, Josepha Sherman, Todias Buckell, Craig Miller, Ralph Roberts, Kay Kenyon, Catherine Asaro, Stephen Leigh, Nick DiChario, Michael Burstein, Barry Malzberg, Brad Sinor, John DeChancie, and the book concludes with a novella by David Gerrold.

Before he died, Frankie wrote down some of his experiences as a young actor portraying Tom Corbett, and they are included here as well.

The cover art is by L.A. Con IVs Artist Guest of Honor James Gurney.

Contents:
Introduction by Mike Resnick --
Foreword: Tom and me by Frankie Thomas --
Need to know by Mercedes Lackey --
First flight by Nancy Kress --
Harry, Larry, Barry & Frankie by Mike Resnick --
The academy of humanity by Nick DiChario --
D.A. by Connie Willis --
Log entry by Kevin J. Anderson --
Echoes of pride by Catherine Asaro --
Monkey girl by Josepha Sherman --
Someone is stealing the great throne rooms of the galaxy by Harry Turtledove --
Logistics by Ralph Roberts --
Tall enough for Navy by Kay Kenyon --
They also serve by Stephen Leigh --
Riders of the hidden trail by Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch --
The gorgon's head by Elizabeth Malartre & Gregory Benford --
Redemption in the quantum foam by Michael A. Burstein --
These, the inheritors by Barry N. Malzberg --
Washed out by Craig Miller --
Boomer by John DeChancie --
A proper farewell by Bradley H. Sinor --
Eloquent elepents pine away for the moon's crystal forests by David Brin --
The silver streak by Tobias S. Buckell --
Cadet Amelia by Larry Niven --
Turtledome by David Gerrold.

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies

305 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Michael "Mike" Diamond Resnick, better known by his published name Mike Resnick, was a popular and prolific American science fiction author. He is, according to Locus, the all-time leading award winner, living or dead, for short science fiction. He was the winner of five Hugos, a Nebula, and other major awards in the United States, France, Spain, Japan, Croatia and Poland. and has been short-listed for major awards in England, Italy and Australia. He was the author of 68 novels, over 250 stories, and 2 screenplays, and was the editor of 41 anthologies. His work has been translated into 25 languages. He was the Guest of Honor at the 2012 Worldcon and can be found online as @ResnickMike on Twitter or at www.mikeresnick.com.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a somewhat uneven collection of stories by two-dozen science fiction authors on the topic of space cadets. The best of the bunch is by Connie Willis; it's a story worthy of Heinlein. There are also good pieces by Tobias Buckell, Kay Kenyon, and a few others. There's an interesting introduction included written by Frankie Thomas, the actor who portrayed Space Cadet Tom Corbett on television in the 1950s.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the start this anthology was a huge surprise, good, to very good short one after another. I'm used to anthologies being a mixed bag, of good, yuck and hey that was damn good! By the end of the book I was veering towards my usual anthology feeling and review. The reason for upping from three to four stars is that I think the the last story really didn't fit the book's theme, but it was well executed and in some ways a thought provoking piece of work. So it wasn't David Gerrold's fault, the book's editor should have not included it or sent it back for revision.

The collection was done for the World Science Fiction Convention where actor Frankie Thomas, who's most famous role was Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, was the guest of honor. So, the book was a tribute to Thomas and the show and is supposed to be about cadets.

Included is my favorite Connie Willis short, D.A. Catherine Asaro adds a short from when Soz, from Asaro's long running series, was a cadet. Mike Resnick's story was truly funny. David Brin turned in a take, in a way, on his Uplift Series where things are much reversed for humans, and I think Larry Niven's short had been better done, albeit different, by Eric Frank Russell.

Gerrold's is the longest short, and really reads like a very updated version on Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. There is really nothing wrong with the tale, but arguably it is not about cadets, It is about sexuality, arguably polyamory, asexuality and Earth oppressing the beginning of a Lunar world and lifestyle. Based off of my experiences with my daughter, I've had these discussions with her (and have felt way out of touch). That does not mean these aren't topics that shouldn't be explored. Gerrold does at the worst an adequate job doing so.

[Johnny Carruthers · Rating 5 out of 5]

LACon IV, the 2006 World Science Fiction Convention, had a "Space Cadets" theme, and this anthology was produced by LACon IV -- or at least their parent organization, the Southern California Institute for Fannish Interests, Inc. (aka SCIFI, Inc., pronounced "skiffy").

The book starts with a reminiscence by Frankie Thomas, who starred as Tom Corbett, Space Cadet in the 1950s, and who was one of LACon IV's Guests Of Honor. Sadly, Mr. Thomas died before the convention; as this book was going to press. I hope that he at least had the chance to read galleys of the book before he died. Because as editor Mike Resnick said in the Introduction, the rest of the book is 23 stories, all of which were inspired in one way or another by Frankie Thomas and his exploits as Tom Corbett.

I was pleasantly surprised when I read Space Cadets, because I thoroughly enjoyed reading the overwhelming majority of the stories. Listing all of my favorites would almost entail listing the book's table of contents.

The first story in the book, Mercedes Lackey's "Need To Know," would be my choice for the best story in the book. It just narrowly edged out "D.A." by Connie Willis and "Echoes Of Pride" by Catherine Asaro for that honor, though.

I liked Mike Resnick's "Harry, Larry, Barry, & Frankie," because he found a way to use Frankie Thomas as a character. And I always knew that Harry Turtledove was a good writer. But until I read "Someone Is Stealing The Great Throne Rooms Of The Galaxy," I never realized he could do funny.

As I said, there were a few clinkers. "These, The Inheritors" by Barry Malzberg seemed to be a good story, but I was left with the impression that you either had to be Jewish or have a much greater understanding of Jewish culture than I do to truly appreciate the story.

I have no idea what David Brin was trying to evoke with "Eloquent Elepents Pine Away For The Moon's Crystal Forests." They could have been pining for the fjords for all I know, because whatever Brin was trying to evoke, it didn't work with me. My general reaction to the story ranks somewhere around "So what?"

And then we have David Gerrold's "Turtledome." It was the last story in the book, the longest story in the book, and quite frankly, the worst story in the book. This novella should either have been shortened (which probably would have improved it), or Resnick should have told Gerrold that it needed to be expanded into a novel (which I probably would have ignored).

One other thing that deserves mentioning is the art on the dust jacket, which was created by LACon IV's Artist GOH, James Gurney. I know most people don't buy a book because of the cover art, but Gurney put so much detail into the cover that you can more than likely look at it a dozen times, and find something new every time you look at it.


-jc-

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still picking through this one reading a new story every now and then. The ones I've read have been pretty good and the table of contents is a pretty impressive list of good writers.