The Planeteers

by John W. Campbell Jr.

Here are five adventures in planetary exploration capable of orbit the most Earthbound reader. You will find yourself embroiled in interplanetary riddles as pioneer space rovers Penton and Blake pit their wits against five alien races.Into the fray come an array of otherworld creatures - invisible imps, super-evolved blobs, and an amazing tribe of human chameleons. Watch, for the instance, how the adventures from Earth use their cunning to escape death from the 'spreading shleath' who ooze their unpleasant slime into every crack and crevice of the planet.(First published in 1966)

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction (later called Analog Science Fiction and Fact), from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.

Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in science fiction ever, and for the first ten years of his editorship he dominated the field completely."

As a writer, Campbell published super-science space opera under his own name and moody, less pulpish stories as Don A. Stuart. He stopped writing fiction after he became editor of Astounding.

Known Pseudonyms/Alternate Names:

Don A. Stuart
Karl van Campen
John Campbell
J. W. C., Jr.
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I admit this book is OLD. Written in the 1930s, the science... well, to be kind, does not align with what we currently believe to be true. And there is an element of the McGuyver approach to dilemmas: "Don't worry, I will somehow have access to the oddball elements I need to solve this," but I still enjoyed it.
But then, I'm old, too.

[Jeffrey Henning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mainly of historic interest, this is an anthology of short stories written in the 1930s about two criminals becoming the first to explore the dozen or so inhabited planets and moons of our solar system. Most stories involve action-adventure mayhem and murder, punctuated with a chemistry experiment that saves the day.