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El Eternauta #novela
El Eternauta y otros cuentos de ciencia ficción
Edición novelada de "El Eternauta" más relatos cortos.
Continuación, novelada, de las aventuras del mítico Juan Salvo otra vez en la Tierra. Un relato de ritmo infernal que comienza en el Tigre, sigue en Nueva York y termina sin terminar en el espacio exterior... Completan el volumen algunos de los mejores relatos de ciencia-ficción de Oesterheld.
Continuación, novelada, de las aventuras del mítico Juan Salvo otra vez en la Tierra. Un relato de ritmo infernal que comienza en el Tigre, sigue en Nueva York y termina sin terminar en el espacio exterior... Completan el volumen algunos de los mejores relatos de ciencia-ficción de Oesterheld.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
11 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Héctor Germán Oesterheld
136 books228 followersHéctor Germán Oesterheld Puyol fue un guionista de historietas y escritor de relatos breves argentino de ciencia ficción y novelas
Seudónimos: H. Sturgiss, C. de la Vega, Francisco G. Vázquez, Germán Sturgiss, Héctor Sánchez Puyol, Joe Trigger, Patrick Hanson.
Nació en el año 1919 en Buenos Aires. Hijo de Ferdinand Kurt. Estudió y se graduó en la carrera de geología. Fanático de H. Melville y Joseph Conrad. A partir de 1950 cuando comienza a escribir guiones de historietas y relatos de aventuras.
Publicó en las revistas "Misterix", "Hora Cero", "Frontera", entre otras. Sus personajes más conocidos son Sargento Kirk, Bull Rocket, Ernie Pike, Sherlock Time y Mort Cinder. Pero es sin dudas El Eternauta la creación que le ha dado un lugar entre los maestros de la historieta, y le permitió superar ampliamente el género. Apareció por primera vez en 1957, en la revista "Hora Cero Semanal" con dibujos de Solano López. Más tarde modifica algunos detalles del guión y la publica en "Gente" con dibujos de Alberto Breccia, pero por problemas con la editorial, Oesterheld es obligado a terminar la historia en tres entregas, transformándola en un resumen de la historia original de "El eternauta". En la década del setenta aparece la segunda parte en la revista "Skorpio", otra vez de la pluma de Solano López. A principios de la década del setenta se incorporó a la organización Montoneros. El 27 de abril de 1977 fue secuestrado en La Plata. Estuvo detenido en Campo de Mayo y en una cárcel clandestina de La Tablada. Se cree que fue asesinado en Mercedes.
Sus cuatro hijas también están desaparecidas.Oesterheld desapareció en 1977, durante la última Dictadura Militar. Los sobrevivió su viuda, Elsa Sánchez de Oesterheld.
Seudónimos: H. Sturgiss, C. de la Vega, Francisco G. Vázquez, Germán Sturgiss, Héctor Sánchez Puyol, Joe Trigger, Patrick Hanson.
Nació en el año 1919 en Buenos Aires. Hijo de Ferdinand Kurt. Estudió y se graduó en la carrera de geología. Fanático de H. Melville y Joseph Conrad. A partir de 1950 cuando comienza a escribir guiones de historietas y relatos de aventuras.
Publicó en las revistas "Misterix", "Hora Cero", "Frontera", entre otras. Sus personajes más conocidos son Sargento Kirk, Bull Rocket, Ernie Pike, Sherlock Time y Mort Cinder. Pero es sin dudas El Eternauta la creación que le ha dado un lugar entre los maestros de la historieta, y le permitió superar ampliamente el género. Apareció por primera vez en 1957, en la revista "Hora Cero Semanal" con dibujos de Solano López. Más tarde modifica algunos detalles del guión y la publica en "Gente" con dibujos de Alberto Breccia, pero por problemas con la editorial, Oesterheld es obligado a terminar la historia en tres entregas, transformándola en un resumen de la historia original de "El eternauta". En la década del setenta aparece la segunda parte en la revista "Skorpio", otra vez de la pluma de Solano López. A principios de la década del setenta se incorporó a la organización Montoneros. El 27 de abril de 1977 fue secuestrado en La Plata. Estuvo detenido en Campo de Mayo y en una cárcel clandestina de La Tablada. Se cree que fue asesinado en Mercedes.
Sus cuatro hijas también están desaparecidas.Oesterheld desapareció en 1977, durante la última Dictadura Militar. Los sobrevivió su viuda, Elsa Sánchez de Oesterheld.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 30, 2016
Ho letto questo romanzo dopo mesi di estenuante attesa, vista là tutto sommato difficile reperibilità in Italia dell'ultima edizione. Ho adorato il primo capitolo della serie, sono rimasto molto deluso dal secondo e dopo aver letto questo volume mi sono ripromesso di considerare solo il primo lavoro come il vero "Eternauta". Un romanzo sostanzialmente scritto male, con una trama da B movie e dei personaggi abbozzati superficialmente. Per fortuna o purtroppo la sofferenza finisce in fretta: è un romanzo brevissimo. Leggetelo con cautela: è una delusione per chiunque abbia amato le gesta di Juan Gálvez e dei suoi compagni narrate nel fumetto originale.
December 23, 2020
(Crítica en español primero. . . Review in English below)
La continuación de El Eternauta es decepcionante después de la majestad de la original (se puede leer mi crítica aquí), pero los demás cuentos -- y especialmente los últimos -- recompensan para éste defecto.
Le hace falta mucho a esta version novelada de El Eternauta la ausencia de los dibujos. La historia no transmite ni cerca del nivel de suspenso y tensión de la original. Además una de las fortalezas mayores de la original era en tener un grupo de protagonistas, es decir varios personajes con quienes podíamos empatizar. No existe este grupo en el segundo, solo tenemos a Juan (y hacía el final el regreso de un personaje genial que sin embargo parece completamente distinto que su versión original), nada mas que Juan experimentando algunos cortos episodios aislados e irreales. Se pone más interesante hacía el final cuando salen del planeta, pero en esas alturas ya parece otro cuento. . . no permanece nada que me recordara de la magnífica primera instalación.
Los demás cuentos son mucho más agradables, y muchos recuerdan del genial Ray Bradbury con sus toques de nostalgia, y con las muestras del lado humano del espacio y el futuro (especialmente "Una muerte," "El árbol de la buena muerte," y "Un extraño planeta. . ."). Parece que Bradbury escribía unos solos años antes de Oesterheld (estoy pensando en algunos representativos como R Is for Rocket, The Illustrated Man, y Dandelion Wine), lo cuál impresiona bastante, que el argentino los escribió casi en el mismo momento, y por lo menos tan buenos.
Mi favorito, quizá por lejos, era "Retorno," que cuenta de un futuro en que los seres humanos son esclavizados por robots. Reanude algunos temas de El Eternauta en este respecto, pero llega en un final mucho más optimista (no muy difícil dado el otro, jeje) y con una cantidad pasmante de sutileza y moderación. Es decir es raro encontrar un cuento sobre tecnología que no obviamente propone un lado u otro. Oesterheld sostiene la sorprendentemente progresiva actitud que la tecnología puede estar bien, pero también el deseo de no utilizarla.
Me intrigaba mucho el próximo cuento, "Un extraño planeta. . . planeta. . . planeta," y me encantaba el diario como modo de narración, pero se puso muy apurado y me hubiese gustado que demore mas, con mas detalle y un poco mas de explicación. "Paria especial" me recordaba un poco de Asimov con su misterio, entretenador sin duda. Allí también encontré la mejor línea del libro -- y uno de las mejores que he leido en meses -- cuando Oesterheld compuso una poesía sobre la exploración estelar:
Son estos toques que elevan a Oesterheld en mis ojos. Creo que la continuación de Eternauta fue en gran parte un error -- no me sorprende que nunca lograra crearse un digno final -- pero los cuentos revelan una impresionante mente creativa. Combinados con la imprescindible Eternauta, podemos darnos cuenta del gran genio que se nos fue arrebatado muy pronto, y de manera horriblemente injusta.
************
The novelized sequel to El Eternauta is disappointing after the majesty of the original (see my review here), but the other stories -- and especially the last ones -- make up for this lack.
The absence of drawings significantly hurts the sequel, as the narrative no longer transmits the suspense and tension of the original. Additionally one of the great strengths of the first book was in having a group of protagonists, or various characters with whom you could empathize. There's no group here, just Juan (and toward the end one of the most loved characters of the original, though in a form that has little resemblance to his original portrayal), nothing more than Juan experiencing short, isolated and surreal episodes by himself. It gets more interesting toward the end when they leave the planet, but at this point it really seems like a different story altogether. . . there's nothing there that recalls the magnificent first installation.
The rest of the stories are much more enjoyable, and many of them remind one of the great Ray Bradbury with their nostalgic touches and portrayals of the human side of space and future (especially "Una muerte," "El árbol de la buena muerte," and "Un extraño planeta. . ."). From what I've researched it seems that Bradbury was only writing a few years earlier than Oesterheld (thinking primarily of some of his more representative works like R Is for Rocket, The Illustrated Man, and Dandelion Wine), which is highly impressive in that the Argentine was writing this stuff (which is arguably as good or better) at the same time.
My favorite, maybe by far, was "Retorno," which tells of a future in which humans are enslaved by robots. It renews certain themes from Eternauta in this respect, while arriving at a much more optimistic ending (not very difficult when considering the other, I suppose). Most impressive in the story is the subtlety and moderation Oesterheld employs, especially over the last page. It's rare to find a story about technology that doesn't obviously advocate either the pro- or con- of the discussion. But here, Oesterheld maintains a surprisingly progressive attitude toward technology by saying that it can be very good, and it's good to pursue it, but it is also good for those who have no wish to pursue it. Both are okay.
The next story, "Un extraño planeta. . . planeta. . . planeta," was highly intriguing as well. I loved the narrative device of the diary, but it got very rushed and I would have liked it to last longer, more drawn out, more detailed and perhaps even more explanation. It's one of the rare short stories that left me wanting more. "Paria espacial" reminded me a little of Asimov (as did the robot theme from "Retorno"), with its entertaining mystery. There also I found the best line of the book, one of the best I've read in months actually, when Oesterheld composed some pseudo-poetry about interstellar exploration (my translation):
These are touches that elevate Oesterheld in my eyes. I believe that trying to continue Eternauta was largely a mistake -- it's not surprising that no worthy conclusion was ever created -- but the stories reveal an impressively creative mind. Combined with the landmark of Eternauta, we can begin to understand the heights of the beautiful genius that was unjustly taken from us too soon ("disappeared" by the Argentine dictators against whom he fought).
Not Bad Reviews
@pointblaek
La continuación de El Eternauta es decepcionante después de la majestad de la original (se puede leer mi crítica aquí), pero los demás cuentos -- y especialmente los últimos -- recompensan para éste defecto.
Le hace falta mucho a esta version novelada de El Eternauta la ausencia de los dibujos. La historia no transmite ni cerca del nivel de suspenso y tensión de la original. Además una de las fortalezas mayores de la original era en tener un grupo de protagonistas, es decir varios personajes con quienes podíamos empatizar. No existe este grupo en el segundo, solo tenemos a Juan (y hacía el final el regreso de un personaje genial que sin embargo parece completamente distinto que su versión original), nada mas que Juan experimentando algunos cortos episodios aislados e irreales. Se pone más interesante hacía el final cuando salen del planeta, pero en esas alturas ya parece otro cuento. . . no permanece nada que me recordara de la magnífica primera instalación.
Los demás cuentos son mucho más agradables, y muchos recuerdan del genial Ray Bradbury con sus toques de nostalgia, y con las muestras del lado humano del espacio y el futuro (especialmente "Una muerte," "El árbol de la buena muerte," y "Un extraño planeta. . ."). Parece que Bradbury escribía unos solos años antes de Oesterheld (estoy pensando en algunos representativos como R Is for Rocket, The Illustrated Man, y Dandelion Wine), lo cuál impresiona bastante, que el argentino los escribió casi en el mismo momento, y por lo menos tan buenos.
Mi favorito, quizá por lejos, era "Retorno," que cuenta de un futuro en que los seres humanos son esclavizados por robots. Reanude algunos temas de El Eternauta en este respecto, pero llega en un final mucho más optimista (no muy difícil dado el otro, jeje) y con una cantidad pasmante de sutileza y moderación. Es decir es raro encontrar un cuento sobre tecnología que no obviamente propone un lado u otro. Oesterheld sostiene la sorprendentemente progresiva actitud que la tecnología puede estar bien, pero también el deseo de no utilizarla.
Me intrigaba mucho el próximo cuento, "Un extraño planeta. . . planeta. . . planeta," y me encantaba el diario como modo de narración, pero se puso muy apurado y me hubiese gustado que demore mas, con mas detalle y un poco mas de explicación. "Paria especial" me recordaba un poco de Asimov con su misterio, entretenador sin duda. Allí también encontré la mejor línea del libro -- y uno de las mejores que he leido en meses -- cuando Oesterheld compuso una poesía sobre la exploración estelar:
Vi un sol que no era 'mi' sol, vi planetas que nada tenían que ver con 'mi' planeta. Me vi entonces a mí mismo, y vi que también yo nada tenía que ver con el que era antes. . .210"Lo mejor de esta es que Oesterheld inventó una falsa historia de un explorador histórico que había comentado esto sobre encontrar una nueva estrella.
Son estos toques que elevan a Oesterheld en mis ojos. Creo que la continuación de Eternauta fue en gran parte un error -- no me sorprende que nunca lograra crearse un digno final -- pero los cuentos revelan una impresionante mente creativa. Combinados con la imprescindible Eternauta, podemos darnos cuenta del gran genio que se nos fue arrebatado muy pronto, y de manera horriblemente injusta.
************
The novelized sequel to El Eternauta is disappointing after the majesty of the original (see my review here), but the other stories -- and especially the last ones -- make up for this lack.
The absence of drawings significantly hurts the sequel, as the narrative no longer transmits the suspense and tension of the original. Additionally one of the great strengths of the first book was in having a group of protagonists, or various characters with whom you could empathize. There's no group here, just Juan (and toward the end one of the most loved characters of the original, though in a form that has little resemblance to his original portrayal), nothing more than Juan experiencing short, isolated and surreal episodes by himself. It gets more interesting toward the end when they leave the planet, but at this point it really seems like a different story altogether. . . there's nothing there that recalls the magnificent first installation.
The rest of the stories are much more enjoyable, and many of them remind one of the great Ray Bradbury with their nostalgic touches and portrayals of the human side of space and future (especially "Una muerte," "El árbol de la buena muerte," and "Un extraño planeta. . ."). From what I've researched it seems that Bradbury was only writing a few years earlier than Oesterheld (thinking primarily of some of his more representative works like R Is for Rocket, The Illustrated Man, and Dandelion Wine), which is highly impressive in that the Argentine was writing this stuff (which is arguably as good or better) at the same time.
My favorite, maybe by far, was "Retorno," which tells of a future in which humans are enslaved by robots. It renews certain themes from Eternauta in this respect, while arriving at a much more optimistic ending (not very difficult when considering the other, I suppose). Most impressive in the story is the subtlety and moderation Oesterheld employs, especially over the last page. It's rare to find a story about technology that doesn't obviously advocate either the pro- or con- of the discussion. But here, Oesterheld maintains a surprisingly progressive attitude toward technology by saying that it can be very good, and it's good to pursue it, but it is also good for those who have no wish to pursue it. Both are okay.
The next story, "Un extraño planeta. . . planeta. . . planeta," was highly intriguing as well. I loved the narrative device of the diary, but it got very rushed and I would have liked it to last longer, more drawn out, more detailed and perhaps even more explanation. It's one of the rare short stories that left me wanting more. "Paria espacial" reminded me a little of Asimov (as did the robot theme from "Retorno"), with its entertaining mystery. There also I found the best line of the book, one of the best I've read in months actually, when Oesterheld composed some pseudo-poetry about interstellar exploration (my translation):
I saw a sun that wasn't 'my' sun, I saw planets that had nothing to do with 'my' planet. I looked then at my very self, and I saw that I too had nothing to do with what I had been before. . .210The best thing about it is that Oesterheld invented a fake history of a historic explorer who uttered this upon seeing a new star up close.
These are touches that elevate Oesterheld in my eyes. I believe that trying to continue Eternauta was largely a mistake -- it's not surprising that no worthy conclusion was ever created -- but the stories reveal an impressively creative mind. Combined with the landmark of Eternauta, we can begin to understand the heights of the beautiful genius that was unjustly taken from us too soon ("disappeared" by the Argentine dictators against whom he fought).
Not Bad Reviews
@pointblaek
September 22, 2023
I received this book as a gift to be properly introduced into the world of Argentinian comics. Oesterheld's masterpiece, The Eternaut, is a sort of classic, even to the point of being exported and continued in Italy after the author's fate.
Héctor Oesterheld belonged to the Montoneros guerrilla in the 70s, an revolutionary peronist movement that was a very odd mix of ideologies. Firstly, there was an undoubted marxist influence, due to the Cold War and specially after Castro's Cuban Revolution, which mottled the movement with an affinity towards violence. Secondly, its Peronist ideology was supported on an autocratic leadership, an absolute ovation toward the figure of Juan Domingo Perón since the 40s, which was originally influenced by Mussolini's fascism but then it was molded into whatever was convenient to earn more votes, which bent its ideology towards both the far-left and/or the far-right. After one of the many coup-de-etats, Perón had to go to exile. Within these years, the far-left peronist movement created the Montoneros guerrilla, a more communist-inclined revolutionary movement, whereas the far-right peronist one created the anticommunist Triple A, which gave rise to a horrible witch-hunt. Both extremes caused the death of civilians and crimes against humanity, but, as it is common for many, people ended up defending one over the other, even in the present day. Given that Oesterheld participated in the Montoneros group, he would later be killed within the "National Reorganization Process" (1976-1983), the last Argentinian dictatorship of the time. This fate was shared by other artists and journalists who had joined Montoneros (e.g., Rodolfo Walsh).
I have read many books and many ideologically-biased comics. In Chile, it is well-known that Themo Lobos's Chilean Mampato comic strip has an underlying message of oppressors vs oppressed, very common for left-leaning literature. By contrast, the Chilean Condorito comic molded its message in accordance to the status quo, no matter if it was right wing or left wing. This dichotomy was common everywhere in the world, but was specially mainstream in Latinoamerica.
Having said that, I was specially surprised with Oesterheld's book. I must admit that I expected many ideological messages or biases of the author, which were almost nowhere to be found. Despite an allusion of "Revolution" against the oppresive robots of the dystopian future in his short story "Retorno" (Return), it appears that the author preferred to write by heart rather than by ideology.
Unfortunately, this "the Eternaut" story had many problems for me. This book was gifted as an introduction to Oesterheld's magnus opus, but it never indicated that the narrated story told the afterward of the original comic. It was a novelized sequel that was never marketed as such. There I was, reading about characters I never read about before, as if they were obvious to the plot, and about human-robots, "Manos" (Hands) and "Ellos" (They). Also, the story is not finished. It ends when the Juan Salvo's journey truly starts. This appears to be because the magazine at the time was discontinued, and possibly because of the ideological background of the author.
In regard to the writing, "The Eternaut" has a style that is very non-novelistic in its nature. Quick, a little over-the-top, continuous action, a Rambo'esque storytelling that would better be expected as the script of a classic comic strip instead of a novel. This is a contrast with the other smaller stories that the book also contain, whose style is more akin to what it is expected from a novel format.
Oesterheld wrote these within the 60s, a time in which all the world was absolutely dazed with the space race between the Soviets and the US, and, concomitant to it, the aliens fervor. This was a time of the hidrogen bomb and an era before the internet. This period of history is shown within its sci-fantasy narratives, full of techno-babble and the common allusions to places and names that were part of the public opinion of the time. Therefore, the recalling of a single Korea, of the still existent Soviet Union, an "Eisenhower spaceship", they all send us back to a time long past.
If I had to make it short for each one, The Eternaut's novel appears to be a curious mix of Rambo's action and Star Trek sci-fi. It managed to motivate me to read the original comic strip. The rest of the noticeable stories were not connected to The Eternaut story, but were nonetheless interesting. "Un hombre común" (A common man) narrates the story of a man that was not selected for being a space pilot, but ends up being one when the planet needs him the most. "Retorno" (Return) has a more politically influenced story, where men are treated as cheaper and more expendable than robots, who oppress them. This is the story of a pair of men recovering their worth and freedom, the first by reading non-authorized books and savotaging the system (a "Revolution"), and the second by merely listening to the other and finally obtaining what the first fought for. The message against censorship and for freedom is one that I agree with, despite not supporting the author's underlying ideology. "Paria Espacial" (Spatial Pariah) tells the story of a man that is known to have survived an impossible journey 25 years ago, but has not made any contact with anyone ever since, despite seeing him at his cabin. A secret that he has within his ship hinders his happiness and freedom, which is the reason why he cannot leave nor let anyone on the vehicule, wandering alone through space. Finally, and probably my favorite of them all, "Un extraño planeta... planeta... planeta..." (A strange planet... planet... planet...) is a logbook recount of a trip to Sigma 9, a bountiful and beautiful world to be discovered, depicted from a naturalist standpoint, which somewhat recalls Jules Verne's obsession with taxonomic description and scientific analogies. The protagonist manifest a desire of knowledge that is exhibited with such accuracy and obsession that it can perfectly resound within all researchers that are close to the act of searching for the truth. Oesterheld studied geology, and this story proves that it did foster this kind of love for the unknown. Also interesting is the idea of a "beautiful trap", a concept that can be recalled to the sailors' meeting with the beautiful sirens in the Odyssey, who then trapped and drown them into the sea. The beloved planet is a trap, and the protagonist is seduced by a strong desire of knowledge and appreciation because of it.
Certainly weird, Oesterheld made me feel many things while reading through his stories. At this time of adulthood, and in spite of his obvious ideological biases that eventually doomed him, he was nothing but a kid zealously writing about the universe, spacecrafts and hoping for the best possible outcome. Again, the author prefered to write by heart rather than by ideology, and I take my hat off because of it.
Héctor Oesterheld belonged to the Montoneros guerrilla in the 70s, an revolutionary peronist movement that was a very odd mix of ideologies. Firstly, there was an undoubted marxist influence, due to the Cold War and specially after Castro's Cuban Revolution, which mottled the movement with an affinity towards violence. Secondly, its Peronist ideology was supported on an autocratic leadership, an absolute ovation toward the figure of Juan Domingo Perón since the 40s, which was originally influenced by Mussolini's fascism but then it was molded into whatever was convenient to earn more votes, which bent its ideology towards both the far-left and/or the far-right. After one of the many coup-de-etats, Perón had to go to exile. Within these years, the far-left peronist movement created the Montoneros guerrilla, a more communist-inclined revolutionary movement, whereas the far-right peronist one created the anticommunist Triple A, which gave rise to a horrible witch-hunt. Both extremes caused the death of civilians and crimes against humanity, but, as it is common for many, people ended up defending one over the other, even in the present day. Given that Oesterheld participated in the Montoneros group, he would later be killed within the "National Reorganization Process" (1976-1983), the last Argentinian dictatorship of the time. This fate was shared by other artists and journalists who had joined Montoneros (e.g., Rodolfo Walsh).
I have read many books and many ideologically-biased comics. In Chile, it is well-known that Themo Lobos's Chilean Mampato comic strip has an underlying message of oppressors vs oppressed, very common for left-leaning literature. By contrast, the Chilean Condorito comic molded its message in accordance to the status quo, no matter if it was right wing or left wing. This dichotomy was common everywhere in the world, but was specially mainstream in Latinoamerica.
Having said that, I was specially surprised with Oesterheld's book. I must admit that I expected many ideological messages or biases of the author, which were almost nowhere to be found. Despite an allusion of "Revolution" against the oppresive robots of the dystopian future in his short story "Retorno" (Return), it appears that the author preferred to write by heart rather than by ideology.
Unfortunately, this "the Eternaut" story had many problems for me. This book was gifted as an introduction to Oesterheld's magnus opus, but it never indicated that the narrated story told the afterward of the original comic. It was a novelized sequel that was never marketed as such. There I was, reading about characters I never read about before, as if they were obvious to the plot, and about human-robots, "Manos" (Hands) and "Ellos" (They). Also, the story is not finished. It ends when the Juan Salvo's journey truly starts. This appears to be because the magazine at the time was discontinued, and possibly because of the ideological background of the author.
In regard to the writing, "The Eternaut" has a style that is very non-novelistic in its nature. Quick, a little over-the-top, continuous action, a Rambo'esque storytelling that would better be expected as the script of a classic comic strip instead of a novel. This is a contrast with the other smaller stories that the book also contain, whose style is more akin to what it is expected from a novel format.
Oesterheld wrote these within the 60s, a time in which all the world was absolutely dazed with the space race between the Soviets and the US, and, concomitant to it, the aliens fervor. This was a time of the hidrogen bomb and an era before the internet. This period of history is shown within its sci-fantasy narratives, full of techno-babble and the common allusions to places and names that were part of the public opinion of the time. Therefore, the recalling of a single Korea, of the still existent Soviet Union, an "Eisenhower spaceship", they all send us back to a time long past.
If I had to make it short for each one, The Eternaut's novel appears to be a curious mix of Rambo's action and Star Trek sci-fi. It managed to motivate me to read the original comic strip. The rest of the noticeable stories were not connected to The Eternaut story, but were nonetheless interesting. "Un hombre común" (A common man) narrates the story of a man that was not selected for being a space pilot, but ends up being one when the planet needs him the most. "Retorno" (Return) has a more politically influenced story, where men are treated as cheaper and more expendable than robots, who oppress them. This is the story of a pair of men recovering their worth and freedom, the first by reading non-authorized books and savotaging the system (a "Revolution"), and the second by merely listening to the other and finally obtaining what the first fought for. The message against censorship and for freedom is one that I agree with, despite not supporting the author's underlying ideology. "Paria Espacial" (Spatial Pariah) tells the story of a man that is known to have survived an impossible journey 25 years ago, but has not made any contact with anyone ever since, despite seeing him at his cabin. A secret that he has within his ship hinders his happiness and freedom, which is the reason why he cannot leave nor let anyone on the vehicule, wandering alone through space. Finally, and probably my favorite of them all, "Un extraño planeta... planeta... planeta..." (A strange planet... planet... planet...) is a logbook recount of a trip to Sigma 9, a bountiful and beautiful world to be discovered, depicted from a naturalist standpoint, which somewhat recalls Jules Verne's obsession with taxonomic description and scientific analogies. The protagonist manifest a desire of knowledge that is exhibited with such accuracy and obsession that it can perfectly resound within all researchers that are close to the act of searching for the truth. Oesterheld studied geology, and this story proves that it did foster this kind of love for the unknown. Also interesting is the idea of a "beautiful trap", a concept that can be recalled to the sailors' meeting with the beautiful sirens in the Odyssey, who then trapped and drown them into the sea. The beloved planet is a trap, and the protagonist is seduced by a strong desire of knowledge and appreciation because of it.
Certainly weird, Oesterheld made me feel many things while reading through his stories. At this time of adulthood, and in spite of his obvious ideological biases that eventually doomed him, he was nothing but a kid zealously writing about the universe, spacecrafts and hoping for the best possible outcome. Again, the author prefered to write by heart rather than by ideology, and I take my hat off because of it.
September 21, 2021
Los cuentos que le gustan a Juan Saturain, son los que menos me llegaron. Recomiendo esta colección de historias a los lectores eternautas.
September 19, 2024
Sequel abbastanza inutile, praticamente un combattimento unico e cose che accadono senza un determinato perché o una spiegazione sensata come nel fumetto.
L'opera originale è molto molto bella ma questo "romanzo" è decisamente inferiore, stavamo bene anche senza.
L'opera originale è molto molto bella ma questo "romanzo" è decisamente inferiore, stavamo bene anche senza.
March 27, 2020
La novela es una continuación del original/primera parte del Eternauta.
Es una version incompleta. Mantiene el ritmo de la primera parte.
Queda el misterio de saber cómo se desarrollaba esta historia y el final (seguramente circular como en las partes I, II y III).
El texto también podría ser más refinado, ya que se la presenta como una novela en vez de una historieta, aunque se nota en el estilo de escritura que la historieta está de fondo y aceptaría ilustraciones para cada escena.
Me gusta más esta continuación que la del Eternauta II (que me parece la peor de las tres historias).
Una pena que HGO nunca se decidiera a terminarla.
Es una version incompleta. Mantiene el ritmo de la primera parte.
Queda el misterio de saber cómo se desarrollaba esta historia y el final (seguramente circular como en las partes I, II y III).
El texto también podría ser más refinado, ya que se la presenta como una novela en vez de una historieta, aunque se nota en el estilo de escritura que la historieta está de fondo y aceptaría ilustraciones para cada escena.
Me gusta más esta continuación que la del Eternauta II (que me parece la peor de las tres historias).
Una pena que HGO nunca se decidiera a terminarla.
October 6, 2022
Leí la novela cuando tenía 15 años y me voló la cabeza, tanto como el cómic del que es secuela. Lo vuelvo a leer ahora, con 38 años, y me sigue volando la cabeza, pero con pena. Pena de que la historia haya quedado inconclusa, como la vida de uno de los más grandes historietistas de Latinoamerica. Los cuentos también valen todo.
April 26, 2025
Nunca imagine que una historia de ciencia ficción tan argentina podía resultar tan increíble. Siempre tan acostumbrados a la bandera de EEUU llenando para salvarnos.
Juan es más argentino que yo y sin embargo mí cabeza entro en el juego de una. Es genial por todos lados sin fisuras y se leen volando.
Juan es más argentino que yo y sin embargo mí cabeza entro en el juego de una. Es genial por todos lados sin fisuras y se leen volando.
January 8, 2023
No es la historia del eternauta que conozco los personajes están ahí pero a este libro le falta un principio y un final aún así siempre me gusta leer de las aventuras que pasaron y su pelea contra los “ellos”
November 10, 2025
una delusione.
avevo letto il fumetto ma questo libro non ha molto a che fare con la storia.
si parte catapultati in uno scenario, ci si sposta di geografia e il tutto finisce con un gran punto di domanda.
Sicuramente il canovaccio per la continuazione del fumetto, ma non certamente un libro.
avevo letto il fumetto ma questo libro non ha molto a che fare con la storia.
si parte catapultati in uno scenario, ci si sposta di geografia e il tutto finisce con un gran punto di domanda.
Sicuramente il canovaccio per la continuazione del fumetto, ma non certamente un libro.
January 12, 2022
Trasposizione scritta di un fumetto famoso che costo all'autore di finire nella lista dei desaprecidos (non per questo romanzo)
September 17, 2023
Bellissimo ma purtroppo incompleto
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2024
El eternauta es alucinante!
December 27, 2025
Es extremadamente corto. No me gustó, la ciencia ficción no es lo mío. Capaz si lo leo a modo de novela gráfica cambie mí opinión pero como novela no fue de mí agrado.
December 31, 2014
Come non leggere questo libretto avendo amato e apprezzato l'epopea dell'Eternauta già dalle sua uscita sulle pagine di Skorpio?
Mancano i disegni (ahimè) e occorre crearseli mentalmente visto che lo schema narrativo è chiaramente pensato accoppiato alle immagini.
Non mi pare che con queste pagine Oesterheld trovi un finale convincente, e io neppure ne sentivo la necessità, possiamo solo essere grati ad Oesterheld per averci offerto un grande racconto che ci ha affascinato e che continua ad affascinare
La dittatura argentina ha privato l'umanità di un genio.
Eterna riconoscenza a Oesterheld.
Mancano i disegni (ahimè) e occorre crearseli mentalmente visto che lo schema narrativo è chiaramente pensato accoppiato alle immagini.
Non mi pare che con queste pagine Oesterheld trovi un finale convincente, e io neppure ne sentivo la necessità, possiamo solo essere grati ad Oesterheld per averci offerto un grande racconto che ci ha affascinato e che continua ad affascinare
La dittatura argentina ha privato l'umanità di un genio.
Eterna riconoscenza a Oesterheld.
January 17, 2019
La continuación de El Eternauta es decepcionante excepto su final, tristemente (pero probablemente de forma necesaria) inconcluso. Los otros cuentos, algunos que aparecen con algunas modificaciones en "Más allá de Gelo" son sublimes. El epílogo/síntesis de Sasturain da un buen marco, efectivamente ese hombre se volvió indisociable a Oesterheld debido a su fanatismo. Cómo no empatizar con él, es difícil no admirar a Oesterheld. Buen libro.
April 6, 2015
El tomo más imprescindible de la serie Oesterheld, en el que HGO revisita a su creación más emblemática y lo lleva la literatura más otras historias de ciencia ficción que marcaron una época y un estilo irrepetibles.
Want to read
April 27, 2015Edición italiana de la novelización del eternauta.
May 11, 2021
Tomo de la Serie Oesterheld literaria de Colihue dedicado al Eternauta.
March 10, 2024
No he acabado con las cortas, pero solo con "El Eternauta". Ha sido un escribo agradable, pareciéndome un poco "pulp" al empiezo, y madurando en su escrito más tarde.
April 4, 2025
Un relato inconcluso y varios cuentos cortos, algunos con un toque de terror, que hacen un gran complemento.
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