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Atomsk: A Novel of Suspense
Right after World War II:
“I want you to spoil the secret of Atomsk.”
“Atomsk?”
Coppersmith spelled it out, adding, “It’s the Russian atomic center. We want them to know that we know all about it. We want them to guess as to how we know about it. We want to get the information for our own use, but we don’t just want to know about it as a bombing target. We want the Russians to suspect us so much that they will not fool themselves. For that, we need a man as a weapon.”
“To go in, to get out, and, after he was out, to leave traces?”
“Right. If the Russians think we know about their precious secret, they will be less disposed to take a chance. If we ourselves do know what the secret is, we will be less inclined to wage war against an unknown and therefore exaggerated danger. This is the meanest kind of fight there is, Major. It’s a fight to keep the peace.”
* * *
Major Michael Dugan had spent the war successfully pretending to be a Japanese officer. Now he infiltrates the secret Soviet city of Atomsk. The flair he does it with, the cleverness with which he overcomes countless obstacles,and the richness of the writing, make Atomsk a unique story and a page-turner. A dash of romance helps.
This Cold War-era spy novel was written by the man who went on to science fiction fame as Cordwainer Smith. His name in daily life was Paul M. A. Linebarger, and using his own name he wrote the classic book Psychological Warfare, translated into 14 languages.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
"Atomsk is what we now call a techno-thriller. It was written twenty-five years too early. Had it been written later, it would have been acclaimed as well, the sort of thing that Tom Clancy made millions out of! The seeds fell on ground that hadn't been ploughed and fertilized yet, as it were." -- Anthony Lewis, author of Concordance to Cordwainer Smith
"Perhaps I like Atomsk so much because of the cultural subtleties. It's one of my favorites of my father's books, even more than most of his science fiction. It's a real page-turner, too, as most of his work is." -- Rosana (Linebarger) Hart
"You should have warned me. I have to go to work but I can't stop reading." -- a friend of Rosana's
“I want you to spoil the secret of Atomsk.”
“Atomsk?”
Coppersmith spelled it out, adding, “It’s the Russian atomic center. We want them to know that we know all about it. We want them to guess as to how we know about it. We want to get the information for our own use, but we don’t just want to know about it as a bombing target. We want the Russians to suspect us so much that they will not fool themselves. For that, we need a man as a weapon.”
“To go in, to get out, and, after he was out, to leave traces?”
“Right. If the Russians think we know about their precious secret, they will be less disposed to take a chance. If we ourselves do know what the secret is, we will be less inclined to wage war against an unknown and therefore exaggerated danger. This is the meanest kind of fight there is, Major. It’s a fight to keep the peace.”
* * *
Major Michael Dugan had spent the war successfully pretending to be a Japanese officer. Now he infiltrates the secret Soviet city of Atomsk. The flair he does it with, the cleverness with which he overcomes countless obstacles,and the richness of the writing, make Atomsk a unique story and a page-turner. A dash of romance helps.
This Cold War-era spy novel was written by the man who went on to science fiction fame as Cordwainer Smith. His name in daily life was Paul M. A. Linebarger, and using his own name he wrote the classic book Psychological Warfare, translated into 14 languages.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
"Atomsk is what we now call a techno-thriller. It was written twenty-five years too early. Had it been written later, it would have been acclaimed as well, the sort of thing that Tom Clancy made millions out of! The seeds fell on ground that hadn't been ploughed and fertilized yet, as it were." -- Anthony Lewis, author of Concordance to Cordwainer Smith
"Perhaps I like Atomsk so much because of the cultural subtleties. It's one of my favorites of my father's books, even more than most of his science fiction. It's a real page-turner, too, as most of his work is." -- Rosana (Linebarger) Hart
"You should have warned me. I have to go to work but I can't stop reading." -- a friend of Rosana's
- GenresScience FictionRussia
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1949
15 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Carmichael Smith
1 book2 followersPseudonym for Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger, better known under his pseudonym Cordwainer Smith.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 6, 2014
Пришла пора наконец признаться, зачем я взялся за творчество Пола Лайнбаргера / Кордуэйнера Смита / Кармайкла Смита / и т.д. Подозрение-то у меня было и раньше, а в «Атомске» оно подтвердилось. Его следует рассматривать в контексте дальневосточной литературы. Американский китаист и спецпропагандист, крестный сын Сунь Ят-сена, понятно, не мог не написать роман, действие которого происходит в Японии, Маньчжурии и на территории Приморского края. Сам секретный атомный завод, на котором невесть что происходит (судя про тексту — русские просто облучают зэков радиацией и смотрят, что получится), располагается «в сопках недалеко от Владивостока», а точнее — где-то в тайге среди притоков Даубихэ, неподалеку от Яковлевки, Евгеньевки и Архиповки. Туда и отправляется из Благовещенска наш супершпион (сын ирландца и алеутки) — со всеми остановками по Транссибу…
Прелесть романа не в экшне, который там есть и вполне трэшовый (и с некоторой вполне развлекательной клюквой), а в темах «психовойны», которые занимали так или иначе автора. Первый важный посыл: чтобы выиграть войну, нужно возлюбить своего врага. Ты ее тогда, т.е., не выиграешь — само понятие войны уйдет из формулы. Это, как мы понимаем, вполне радикально для первых лет послевоенья, когда начиналась гонка вооружений. Подпункт первого посыла: русские клевые, а вот власть у них — говно. И всегда им была, потому что, будучи клевыми, русские — нация терпеливых рабов. Это тоже важное различение и замечание, потому что прошло сколько лет после «великой победы»? то-то же. Ну и третий элемент «пси-опа» — собственно сам майор Дуган, который исключительно психологическими методами мог становиться кем угодно — японцем, русским, уйгуром, китайцем, англичанином и т.д. Кое-какие методы в романе описываются, но мы обойдемся без спойлеров.
Прелесть романа не в экшне, который там есть и вполне трэшовый (и с некоторой вполне развлекательной клюквой), а в темах «психовойны», которые занимали так или иначе автора. Первый важный посыл: чтобы выиграть войну, нужно возлюбить своего врага. Ты ее тогда, т.е., не выиграешь — само понятие войны уйдет из формулы. Это, как мы понимаем, вполне радикально для первых лет послевоенья, когда начиналась гонка вооружений. Подпункт первого посыла: русские клевые, а вот власть у них — говно. И всегда им была, потому что, будучи клевыми, русские — нация терпеливых рабов. Это тоже важное различение и замечание, потому что прошло сколько лет после «великой победы»? то-то же. Ну и третий элемент «пси-опа» — собственно сам майор Дуган, который исключительно психологическими методами мог становиться кем угодно — японцем, русским, уйгуром, китайцем, англичанином и т.д. Кое-какие методы в романе описываются, но мы обойдемся без спойлеров.
February 19, 2013
I really liked it. It was written just after WWII, the start of the Cold War and the creation of the CIA, but just before the creation of James Bond and the Red Scare of the 1950's. Dugan is a superspy, but lacks the affectations that once made Bond so exciting and now make him almost rote. While Dugan's journey isn't necessarily "get-in, get-out", the love interest is almost refreshingly out of danger, aside from the threat of atomic hellfire reigning down from Soviet aircraft. The lack of an all-powerful villain is also a nice change of pace, as is the relative respect for Dugan's enemies. Carmichael/Cordwainer Smith (Paul Linebarger) uses, his military experience well, and it's sad that this is his only spy novel, although his career included a successful book on psychological warfare, as well as his obvious science fiction career. More than worth its $2.99 price on Amazon.
June 7, 2009
Another book that I'm apparently the only person in the last 50 years to read.
Atomsk wasn't bad, but for a book so sought after and rare, I expected it to be better.
Atomsk wasn't bad, but for a book so sought after and rare, I expected it to be better.
March 31, 2026
Entertaining as a tale of a man of infinite self-confidence imagining the edges of his own competencies and ability to talk his way out of trouble. Which feels a bit authorly?
September 21, 2016
By Carmichael Smith aka Cordwainer Smith aka Paul Linebarger. Simple-minded espionage antics in the manner of Bond, perhaps even more banal than that. It was something of a surprise to find this novel so disappointing as Linebarger was well-versed in CIA and military intelligence techniques, having evolved many of them in his classes and in his book on psychological warfare.
Years ago I enjoyed many of Linebarger's science fantasy novels, which he wrote under the pen-name Cordwainer Smith, without knowing anything about the man. It seems that you can't judge a book by its cover story, and I regret the fact that Linebarger came to my attention at all.
Years ago I enjoyed many of Linebarger's science fantasy novels, which he wrote under the pen-name Cordwainer Smith, without knowing anything about the man. It seems that you can't judge a book by its cover story, and I regret the fact that Linebarger came to my attention at all.
July 29, 2016
Cordwainer Smith started out as Carmichael Smith at his best.
This is required reading if you are interested in the spy novel and phycology all in one.
It's not always about learning every detail about your enemy, sometimes it's more disturbing for your enemy that you know of their secrets existence.
This is required reading if you are interested in the spy novel and phycology all in one.
It's not always about learning every detail about your enemy, sometimes it's more disturbing for your enemy that you know of their secrets existence.
January 3, 2026
Atomsk is a gripping Cold War spy novel by C. Smith (a pseudonym of Paul M. A. Linebarger, better known as Cordwainer Smith). Set in the tense post-WWII era, it follows U.S. operative Major Michael Dugan as he infiltrates the secret Soviet city of Atomsk, blending psychological warfare and espionage with thoughtful character work. Linebarger’s expertise gives the narrative an authentic edge, and Dugan’s resourcefulness keeps the plot engaging. While not as polished as later espionage classics, the book’s smart pacing, subtle peace-seeking themes, and moments of romance make it a compelling, overlooked thriller. goodreads.com+1
What relation does this book have to spy books by Ian Fleming
Atomsk has an indirect but meaningful relationship to the spy novels of Ian Fleming, based on context, timing, and approach rather than shared characters or plot.
• Same Cold War moment: Atomsk (1949) and Fleming’s James Bond novels (beginning in 1953) emerged from the same early Cold War anxieties about espionage, nuclear power, and East–West rivalry.
• Authorial expertise: Like Fleming, C. Smith (Paul Linebarger) had real intelligence and psychological-warfare experience, giving Atomsk a sense of insider authenticity.
• Different tone: Where Fleming emphasizes glamour, gadgets, and fantasy, Atomsk is more cerebral and realistic, focusing on psychological tension and moral complexity.
In short, Atomsk is closer to a serious proto-Bond contemporary than a stylistic ancestor.
What relation does this book have to spy books by Ian Fleming
Atomsk has an indirect but meaningful relationship to the spy novels of Ian Fleming, based on context, timing, and approach rather than shared characters or plot.
• Same Cold War moment: Atomsk (1949) and Fleming’s James Bond novels (beginning in 1953) emerged from the same early Cold War anxieties about espionage, nuclear power, and East–West rivalry.
• Authorial expertise: Like Fleming, C. Smith (Paul Linebarger) had real intelligence and psychological-warfare experience, giving Atomsk a sense of insider authenticity.
• Different tone: Where Fleming emphasizes glamour, gadgets, and fantasy, Atomsk is more cerebral and realistic, focusing on psychological tension and moral complexity.
In short, Atomsk is closer to a serious proto-Bond contemporary than a stylistic ancestor.
March 4, 2012
I read the book when I chanced upon it in the kindle free books list. For a spy thriller it is not a big Book. I liked The protagonist Ducan, a behind-the-enemy-line spy. He is tasked with the responsibility of collecting the details of underground atomic lab in Siberia. I find that the author has hurried the narration towards the end
July 4, 2014
A fun book. Not groundbreaking and not a patch on the incredible stories Smith would later write, but a decent espionage novel nonetheless. Prefigured much of the more psychological works of writers like le Carre.
February 4, 2017
Good one!
For Cold War era spy thriller this is ain't a half bad. I quite enjoyed it - and I think Eric Frank Russel with his "Wasp" was partially inspired by this book.
For Cold War era spy thriller this is ain't a half bad. I quite enjoyed it - and I think Eric Frank Russel with his "Wasp" was partially inspired by this book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews