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Badge of Infamy
Daniel Feldman was a doctor once. He made the mistake of saving a friend's life in violation of Medical Lobby rules. Now, he's a pariah, shunned by all, forbidden to touch another patient. But things are more loose on Mars. There, Doc Feldman is welcomed by the colonists, even as he's hunted by the authorities. But, when he discovers a Martian plague may soon wipe out humanity on two planets, Feldman finds himself a pivotal figure. War erupts. Earth is poised to wipe out the Mars colony utterly. A cure to the plague is the price of peace, and only Feldman can find it. (summary by Steven H. Wilson)
Originally published in the June 1957 issue of Satellite Science Fiction.
Originally published in the June 1957 issue of Satellite Science Fiction.
3 pages, Audiobook
First published June 1, 1957
18 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Lester del Rey
635 books117 followersLester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey is especially famous for his juvenile novels such as those which are part of the Winston Science Fiction series, and for Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books edited by Lester del Rey and his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.
Also published as:
Philip St. John
Eric van Lihn
Erik van Lhin
Kenneth Wright
Edson McCann (with Frederik Pohl)
Also published as:
Philip St. John
Eric van Lihn
Erik van Lhin
Kenneth Wright
Edson McCann (with Frederik Pohl)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
October 21, 2022
This is a good cautionary novel about the medical administration profession set on Mars. It was first published in a 1957 issue of Satellite SF magazine, then reprinted by Galaxy, and then as half of one of the classic Ace Doubles along with a much stranger novel by del Rey, The Sky is Falling. It's similar in a way to the YA adventure novels he wrote in the 1950s but has a much darker tone and conclusion. (Particularly in the area of the main characters' marriage.) It's ironic that Earth is recovering from a global pandemic caused by a plague started in an obscure part of China. He makes some observations about healthcare that probably seemed a lot more far-fetched when the story was printed than they do now, and I'm sure he had a good chuckle by having the outlawed doctor figure out the Martian plague could be cured by (--spoiler warning!!--) having the patients smoke a lot of Martian tobacco. It's a fun book, with a social conscious more reminiscent of Frederik Pohl than del Rey. I listened to a good reading via Librivox.
March 25, 2010
Most people, when asked, probably could not name a book written by Lester Del Rey. A very small number of people (who happened to be following the science fiction literature world at the time) might remember that he worked as an editor for John W. Campbell. What most people remember about Lester Del Rey, possibly without even knowing it, is that, in 1977 he founded Del Rey Publishing, an imprint of Ballantine.
Lester Del Rey was working as an editor at the time when a manuscript for a new fantasy novel (something largely unheard of at the time) by Terry Brooks came across his desk. The marketing groups told him it was unpublishable so Del Rey, along with his wife, founded Del Rey Publishing and published Terry Brook's first book, the Sword of Shannara. Thus started the fantasy genre as we know it today. Terry Brook's book hit the New York Times bestseller list and nearly every book he's written since then has followed suit. Shortly after that Del Rey picked up such authors as Stephen R. Donaldson, Piers Anthony and David Eddings and the rest, as they say, is history.
Thus ended the mostly unsuccessful writing career of Lester Del Rey. Lester Del Rey was never popular as a writer but many of his authors freely claim that their ideas stemmed from things that Lester Del Rey suggested to them.
He had the potential, when he was younger to be one of the most prolific authors in science fiction. If only he had been more successful at selling his novels and stories.
There is an anecdote by David Gerrold in his book, Worlds of Wonder. He mentions that Lester Del Rey was frequently frustrated with how long it took his authors to finish their manuscripts. He explains that Lester Del Rey would go home from working on the magazine all day, sit down at his typewriter and come in the next morning with a completed manuscript for a novel.
Books back then were not nearly as long as they are now but even if the book was only fifty thousand words that's still more than ten times what most full time writers can manage in a day.
Because of this anecdote I sort of felt leery of such a writer. Can anybody who writes that fast be any good? Could it be well done?
Well, his books have all long since passed out of print and are even difficult to find in used book stores – they were never very available in any case. Some of his books have even fallen into the public domain and still I avoided them.
Finally I came across Badge of Infamy and, lacking any inspiration or drive to read anything else at the moment, I decided to give it a try. After all, if its horrible then I don't ever have to think about his books again.
Imagine my shock when the first chapter ended with me breathless and unable to put the book away. This was possibly the most intense book I've read in a long time.
Badge of Infamy is about Doctor Daniel Feldman in the year 2100. Dr. Feldman performed an emergency surgery on a friend who accidently shot himself – an emergency surgery against the doctrines of the Medical Lobby. In punishment he was labeled a pariah and forbidden to ever practice medicine again. His wife, Chris Ryan, leaves him and he is shunned by all of his associates. Living on the streets he watches a man from the Space Lobby die and takes the man's ID card, using it to get work aboard a ship bound for Mars.
He is discovered and the other spacers beat him senseless and leave him to die in the cold, thin air of Mars.
He is saved when a representative of the Villages invites him to go be their country doctor. They live too far away from any Medical Lobby hospitals and they can't get anybody who is still on good terms with the Lobby to break rules that might mean a death sentence.
Figuring he is dead anyway he agrees. While treating their patients he discovers a new disease, one that has lain dormant on Mars for over a million years. One that has an incubation period of fourteen years. One that the Medical Lobby has missed completely because of their strict ban on all medical research. A disease that at least eighty percent of the human race will die from.
Frantic to find a cure for a disease immune to all Earth medicines he delves into research that he knows nothing about, having no training. Meanwhile his ex-wife, the new head of the Medical Lobby on Mars hunts him with singular purpose, intent on bringing him to justice.
Doc Feldman is not treated nicely in this book. He is hunted at every turn by his ex-wife, who left him for saving a friend. He is hated and beaten and betrayed and sold out time and time again. Just when things seem hopeless they get worse.
I couldn't leave this book alone. When I wasn't reading this book I was thinking about it. The intensity of emotion surprised me for a book written in the seventies. I have no idea if this book was written in a single night but it was an incredible experience.
The rise of the Lobbies in government feels eerily prophetic of where we are headed today with socialized health care and government controlled medical services. So much so that I actually looked up the publishing date to make sure it wasn't a new book. (I know, Lester Del Rey is dead. It can't be knew, but it was seriously clairvoyant.)
I will definitely be seeking out more of Lester Del Rey.
On a side note there is some debate as to what Lester Del Rey's name really is. He often told people that his real name was Ramon Felipe Alvarez-del Rey or even Ramon Felipe San Juan Mario Silvio Enrico Smith Heartcourt-Brace Sierra y Alvarez del Rey y de los Uerdes. I suspect that last was a joke. His sister said his real name was Leonard Knapp.
(9/10)
Lester Del Rey was working as an editor at the time when a manuscript for a new fantasy novel (something largely unheard of at the time) by Terry Brooks came across his desk. The marketing groups told him it was unpublishable so Del Rey, along with his wife, founded Del Rey Publishing and published Terry Brook's first book, the Sword of Shannara. Thus started the fantasy genre as we know it today. Terry Brook's book hit the New York Times bestseller list and nearly every book he's written since then has followed suit. Shortly after that Del Rey picked up such authors as Stephen R. Donaldson, Piers Anthony and David Eddings and the rest, as they say, is history.
Thus ended the mostly unsuccessful writing career of Lester Del Rey. Lester Del Rey was never popular as a writer but many of his authors freely claim that their ideas stemmed from things that Lester Del Rey suggested to them.
He had the potential, when he was younger to be one of the most prolific authors in science fiction. If only he had been more successful at selling his novels and stories.
There is an anecdote by David Gerrold in his book, Worlds of Wonder. He mentions that Lester Del Rey was frequently frustrated with how long it took his authors to finish their manuscripts. He explains that Lester Del Rey would go home from working on the magazine all day, sit down at his typewriter and come in the next morning with a completed manuscript for a novel.
Books back then were not nearly as long as they are now but even if the book was only fifty thousand words that's still more than ten times what most full time writers can manage in a day.
Because of this anecdote I sort of felt leery of such a writer. Can anybody who writes that fast be any good? Could it be well done?
Well, his books have all long since passed out of print and are even difficult to find in used book stores – they were never very available in any case. Some of his books have even fallen into the public domain and still I avoided them.
Finally I came across Badge of Infamy and, lacking any inspiration or drive to read anything else at the moment, I decided to give it a try. After all, if its horrible then I don't ever have to think about his books again.
Imagine my shock when the first chapter ended with me breathless and unable to put the book away. This was possibly the most intense book I've read in a long time.
Badge of Infamy is about Doctor Daniel Feldman in the year 2100. Dr. Feldman performed an emergency surgery on a friend who accidently shot himself – an emergency surgery against the doctrines of the Medical Lobby. In punishment he was labeled a pariah and forbidden to ever practice medicine again. His wife, Chris Ryan, leaves him and he is shunned by all of his associates. Living on the streets he watches a man from the Space Lobby die and takes the man's ID card, using it to get work aboard a ship bound for Mars.
He is discovered and the other spacers beat him senseless and leave him to die in the cold, thin air of Mars.
He is saved when a representative of the Villages invites him to go be their country doctor. They live too far away from any Medical Lobby hospitals and they can't get anybody who is still on good terms with the Lobby to break rules that might mean a death sentence.
Figuring he is dead anyway he agrees. While treating their patients he discovers a new disease, one that has lain dormant on Mars for over a million years. One that has an incubation period of fourteen years. One that the Medical Lobby has missed completely because of their strict ban on all medical research. A disease that at least eighty percent of the human race will die from.
Frantic to find a cure for a disease immune to all Earth medicines he delves into research that he knows nothing about, having no training. Meanwhile his ex-wife, the new head of the Medical Lobby on Mars hunts him with singular purpose, intent on bringing him to justice.
Doc Feldman is not treated nicely in this book. He is hunted at every turn by his ex-wife, who left him for saving a friend. He is hated and beaten and betrayed and sold out time and time again. Just when things seem hopeless they get worse.
I couldn't leave this book alone. When I wasn't reading this book I was thinking about it. The intensity of emotion surprised me for a book written in the seventies. I have no idea if this book was written in a single night but it was an incredible experience.
The rise of the Lobbies in government feels eerily prophetic of where we are headed today with socialized health care and government controlled medical services. So much so that I actually looked up the publishing date to make sure it wasn't a new book. (I know, Lester Del Rey is dead. It can't be knew, but it was seriously clairvoyant.)
I will definitely be seeking out more of Lester Del Rey.
On a side note there is some debate as to what Lester Del Rey's name really is. He often told people that his real name was Ramon Felipe Alvarez-del Rey or even Ramon Felipe San Juan Mario Silvio Enrico Smith Heartcourt-Brace Sierra y Alvarez del Rey y de los Uerdes. I suspect that last was a joke. His sister said his real name was Leonard Knapp.
(9/10)
November 5, 2010
I really, really enjoyed this audiobook (available for free at www.podiobooks.com). It was short but gripping, and the author really developed tension in the story that kept me coming back eagerly to see what would happen next.
So... why only the 3-star rating? I guess mainly because I couldn't accept the extent of the hostile reaction this doctor received for his crime - helping a dying man. Supposedly there were regulations (by the all-powerful medical lobby) dictating when and where a doctor could treat somebody.
But that strained my belief. I really can't see anybody training for years to be a doctor and then not use his skills to save a life? Imagine the callousness and lack of care for a fellow human to watch them die and not intervene, all to satisfy protocol. I can accept some inhumanity in certain professions, but never to such widespread degree within medicine. To me, perhaps wrongly (but my opinion nonetheless), many doctors dedicate their life to making the human condition better.
So... it was just so jarring to see his fellow colleagues in medicine turn our protagonist into an immediate pariah, hunted and despised. While all his actions are for the good of mankind, even his wife deserts him and delivers him into judgement.
And that's another flaw - his ex-wife was a bit hard to decipher. I guess that was Del Rey's intent, and should have added to the intrigue. But it just got confusing - is she bad or not? And if she's not, then how to explain all the nefarious actions she took against him? And if she is bad, then why assist? Perhaps in the end the author gave enough reason for the ex-wife's actions. But I wasn't completely at ease with it.
Overall, a recommended read - quick and gripping. A nice addition to the various "Mars" novels I've been reading the past few months.
3 to 3.5 stars.
So... why only the 3-star rating? I guess mainly because I couldn't accept the extent of the hostile reaction this doctor received for his crime - helping a dying man. Supposedly there were regulations (by the all-powerful medical lobby) dictating when and where a doctor could treat somebody.
But that strained my belief. I really can't see anybody training for years to be a doctor and then not use his skills to save a life? Imagine the callousness and lack of care for a fellow human to watch them die and not intervene, all to satisfy protocol. I can accept some inhumanity in certain professions, but never to such widespread degree within medicine. To me, perhaps wrongly (but my opinion nonetheless), many doctors dedicate their life to making the human condition better.
So... it was just so jarring to see his fellow colleagues in medicine turn our protagonist into an immediate pariah, hunted and despised. While all his actions are for the good of mankind, even his wife deserts him and delivers him into judgement.
And that's another flaw - his ex-wife was a bit hard to decipher. I guess that was Del Rey's intent, and should have added to the intrigue. But it just got confusing - is she bad or not? And if she's not, then how to explain all the nefarious actions she took against him? And if she is bad, then why assist? Perhaps in the end the author gave enough reason for the ex-wife's actions. But I wasn't completely at ease with it.
Overall, a recommended read - quick and gripping. A nice addition to the various "Mars" novels I've been reading the past few months.
3 to 3.5 stars.
June 22, 2024
Die Ärzte- und Raumfahrerlobbies beherrschen defacto die Erde und die Marskolonien. Unser Held Dr. Feldman wurde mit Schimpf und Schande aus der Ärztelobby geworfen, weil er außerhalb eines Krankenhauses eine lebensrettende Notoperation an einem Freund ausführte. Nun ist er obdachlos.
Das reichlich abstruse Grundszenario machten es für mich schwierig, die ganze Sache ernst zu nehmen. Der Roman ist über eine lange Zeit recht düster und deprimierend. Später kommt noch eine Seuche ins Spiel, unser Held versucht, ein Heilmittel zu finden. Dadurch nimmt die Handlung etwas Fahrt auf.
Letzendlich bleibt der Roman aber SF-Dutzendware. Wenn man nach Positivem sucht, könnte man das etwas ungewöhnliche Thema (Medizin) und den ordentlich flüssigen Schreibstil aufführen. Und wohl auch die Kürze von 128 Seiten.
Das reichlich abstruse Grundszenario machten es für mich schwierig, die ganze Sache ernst zu nehmen. Der Roman ist über eine lange Zeit recht düster und deprimierend. Später kommt noch eine Seuche ins Spiel, unser Held versucht, ein Heilmittel zu finden. Dadurch nimmt die Handlung etwas Fahrt auf.
Letzendlich bleibt der Roman aber SF-Dutzendware. Wenn man nach Positivem sucht, könnte man das etwas ungewöhnliche Thema (Medizin) und den ordentlich flüssigen Schreibstil aufführen. Und wohl auch die Kürze von 128 Seiten.
July 30, 2020
An interesting short story that revolves around an epidemic spreading on colonial Mars, the almost dictatorial government operated by the medical lobby, and one outcast doctor who is trying to solve the issue. Being just 70 pages it is a fairly quick but descriptive and imaginative read!
July 10, 2022
I enjoy reading well-written science fiction medical dramas. This story has realistic characters and motivation of a powerful medical lobby motivated primarily by money. I found the villains largely unsympathetic though they have moments where the humanity shines through.
August 13, 2019
Summary
Kicked off Earth for practicing medicine outside a sanctioned facility, Dr. Daniel Feldman is barred from medicine completely. Faced with a medical emergency on Mars, though, he gives in to temptation and starts a sequence that challenges the Medical Lobby itself.
Review
I may have to go back and re-evaluate my Lester Del Rey reading. Badge of Infamy is a stronger story than Police Your Planet, but it has similar weaknesses in its treatment of women. Again, here, we see an unreasonably angry woman who suddenly turns around at the end and "give[s] in completely". Thankfully, in this story, they don't live happily ever after. But the woman in the story plays a key role, and her actions make very little sense.
Gender issues aside, the setup is an interesting one. While the action is a little on the pulpy, side, the narrator is intriguing, and has some moments of uncertainty. He's a failure much of the time. Scientifically, well, there's a lot of handwaving, and it's enough to keep the plot moving, but it's not something you want to peer too far into.
I enjoyed the story, but it's largely for people really wanting to dig into the post-Golden Age middle period of SFF. It's not your best place to start with Del Rey. In fact, I'm starting to think maybe novels weren't his forte.
February 6, 2013
Badge of Infamy is a novella in the genre of science fiction. First published in 1954 this book contains many impossibilities and a few uncanny insights to the future. The Earth has colonized Mars and treats the Martian-born inhabitants as purely financial pawns. For a refreshing change, Martian-grown tobacco plays a redeeming role. I love reading and read almost everything in print. This said, science fiction is one of my least favorite genres. I feel sure that if this wasn’t the case, I would have given this story a higher rating. Take heart, the three star rating is more a reflection on me than on this book.
April 1, 2010
I used to work in a hospital. A woman in the accounting department would tell me about the junk the doctors would pull trying to rip off the government. They would send paperwork back to the doctors because they knew the government wasn't dumb enough to fall for some of their nonsense.
The medical bureaucracy portrayed in this book makes it almost seem prophetic considering the medical problems in this country now. It is a decent story but that makes it better than average. Our medical problems affect the entire economy though. Just like on Mars in this story.
The medical bureaucracy portrayed in this book makes it almost seem prophetic considering the medical problems in this country now. It is a decent story but that makes it better than average. Our medical problems affect the entire economy though. Just like on Mars in this story.
April 3, 2019
I stumbled upon this on YouTube and mistook it for "The Red Badge of Courage." It wasn't until I started listening to it that I realized I had a completely different book.
Even though this wasn't the classic I was looking for, I loved this story. It was written back in the 60's and has this old-school, classic sci-fi thing going on. I can't pinpoint what exactly but it's the same kind of thing that makes Star Wars Episode IV enjoyable. There isn't a lot of fighting or action scenes but the race to find a cure for a mysterious disease was captivating.
Even though this wasn't the classic I was looking for, I loved this story. It was written back in the 60's and has this old-school, classic sci-fi thing going on. I can't pinpoint what exactly but it's the same kind of thing that makes Star Wars Episode IV enjoyable. There isn't a lot of fighting or action scenes but the race to find a cure for a mysterious disease was captivating.
March 26, 2019
This was an excellent science fiction book with actual medical science being applied as the protagonist doctor attempts to halt a Martian plague. It also has an outstanding, practical argument against the lunacy of socialism and socialized medicine, which I think is more relevant now than when this book was written.
February 3, 2011
Quite an interesting concept of a 'Lobby' controlling everything about society like that. I think Lester handled the story very well, and the conflicts stood out so you could almost picture them.
March 30, 2021
An excellent short story. The author took his time, and this is longer than many short stories. It doesn't feel cut, simplified, or even all that short when listening to it. That takes a real skill few have, and I'm not sure can be taught. What starts out seeming like yer average (nowadays arguably overused) mega-corporations utopia that upon closer inspection isn't so utopic, or at least gets a whole lot less shiny when your not the right person in the right areas. This story has that, and in fact probably inspired a majority of the stories most people recognize. Badge of Infamy comes at it from a slightly different p.o.v. Where many stories use disillusionment as a character flaw, or part of the big reveal, this story makes it the plot build up. It's a perspective that's both relatable, and which boosts the readers' egos by presuming experience or knowledge. The exact opposite of what is safe to do in storytelling. In this case it leads to a very interesting result. The second half of the story becomes the critical thinking part, rather than the beginning. Yes, it's still has a story arc with beginning, middle, and end in their proper places. The action still flows as you'd expect. It's just that there is a somewhat subtle difference in mentality from how most stories progress. It makes me wonder if this short story was more of a technique experiment, and social study, than story.
Whatever the author's intention it's an entertaining read, and a clear inspiration for many author's since. I highly recommend giving it a go. My personal set-up was listening to it by way of YouTube audiobook while mmo resource node grinding in a desert area for that mars vibe.
Whatever the author's intention it's an entertaining read, and a clear inspiration for many author's since. I highly recommend giving it a go. My personal set-up was listening to it by way of YouTube audiobook while mmo resource node grinding in a desert area for that mars vibe.
July 28, 2022
I liked this book. I was forced to read it for school so I don't think it was as enjoyable as it would have been if I read it on my own time.
But as a writer, I did see a lot of good writing techniques. The tension was deep the whole book, it only dissolved at the end, which I was really impressed with.
This is not my normal genre, I don't care much for science fiction, but the context of the world right now made this book really interesting to me. It was about a pandemic basically, and I found that premise really interesting.
Again, I was rushed for time so I don't feel like I got the most out of it as I could have.
But there were a lot of elements that kind of made me pause and think.
If science fiction is one of your favorite genres, I definitely recommend this book. It's thrilling in a slow way that I typically don't like, but worked for this book.
Over all a 4 star read and if my attitude toward reading it had been better, maybe a five star. XD
But as a writer, I did see a lot of good writing techniques. The tension was deep the whole book, it only dissolved at the end, which I was really impressed with.
This is not my normal genre, I don't care much for science fiction, but the context of the world right now made this book really interesting to me. It was about a pandemic basically, and I found that premise really interesting.
Again, I was rushed for time so I don't feel like I got the most out of it as I could have.
But there were a lot of elements that kind of made me pause and think.
If science fiction is one of your favorite genres, I definitely recommend this book. It's thrilling in a slow way that I typically don't like, but worked for this book.
Over all a 4 star read and if my attitude toward reading it had been better, maybe a five star. XD
January 7, 2024
Tired. That's how I would describe this book. Maybe it's the over saturation of scifi-books out on the market, the stereotypically classical plot and characters.
I'm sure this book was revolutionary when it came out in -57, I think. But still, how can something be so typical and predictable? Maybe, everything ever made after this book came out just copied it, but I could not find a symbol or metaphor that wasn't obvious from the start. All twists and turns that ensued were resolved almost immediately.
It's simple, some people like it. Personally I find it also predictable and boring. It's a fine line to walk, between simplicity and predictability. I wouldn't say that this book aged badly, it's just that it aged. And some things are better enjoyed fresh.
I'm sure this book was revolutionary when it came out in -57, I think. But still, how can something be so typical and predictable? Maybe, everything ever made after this book came out just copied it, but I could not find a symbol or metaphor that wasn't obvious from the start. All twists and turns that ensued were resolved almost immediately.
It's simple, some people like it. Personally I find it also predictable and boring. It's a fine line to walk, between simplicity and predictability. I wouldn't say that this book aged badly, it's just that it aged. And some things are better enjoyed fresh.
October 20, 2019
I do believe I had started this book years ago. I did not remember anything after chapter four, so that must be as far as I made it. It was a easy story to read (listen to) and kept my interest. The political views and interplanetary nature of the book felt a lot like the fifties in which it was written.
December 2, 2021
Entertaining listening 🔰😀
Another will written fantasy space thriller adventure novella by Lester Del Rey. The story line starts on earth 🌎 where a Dr. is being shipped to Mars. He becomes a rouge doctor when a plague threatens the population of Mars. I would recommend this novella to fantasy readers. Enjoy 2021
Another will written fantasy space thriller adventure novella by Lester Del Rey. The story line starts on earth 🌎 where a Dr. is being shipped to Mars. He becomes a rouge doctor when a plague threatens the population of Mars. I would recommend this novella to fantasy readers. Enjoy 2021
Read
June 22, 2020A book about futuristic plagues.
Freebie. The author predicts that a plague will come out of China and destroy one third of the world's population. Having survived th first plague a second plague from mars strikes. Quite accurate predictions of plague and social stagnation.
Freebie. The author predicts that a plague will come out of China and destroy one third of the world's population. Having survived th first plague a second plague from mars strikes. Quite accurate predictions of plague and social stagnation.
September 14, 2020
WOW, simply WOW. Amazing book about a plague from mars and the race to find a cure (odd how relevant the plot felt). This book has aged splendidly and could easily have been written today. One of my all time favorite SF books :-)
September 22, 2018
Slow start and I found I read half the story before I had any feel for the story.
March 27, 2024
Read this on Kindle a long time ago. I've thought about it a lot since then, relatively speaking. I should probably read it again sometime.
April 12, 2024
Interesting book. Looks at idea if government over-reach.
June 15, 2024
An interesting look the development of the medical oligarchy
June 4, 2021
Full review in this post: https://samsbookshire.blogspot.com/20...
I Am Here For:
-Ahhhh I have such a soft spot for early-ish sci-fi. Like, the absolute dedication to scientific exploration in fiction, with a much lower emphasis placed on...well, the characters. I know that sounds weird, but I read a lot of Isaac Asimov when I was younger, and it was very nostalgic.
-The medical science-y awesomeness! I am a sucker for medical sci-fi (I loved The Andromeda Strain) and this was so very medical sci-fi nerdy, with descriptions of the organisms and what they see in the microscope, and the scientific method, and just YES. (@Rebecca, how on earth did you know I like this stuff?? I am impressed.)
-The bits of philosophy around freedom and democracy. That was neat.
-The plot was honestly very well-though-out.
-And the idea of the Lobbies? Yes.
-It had that perfect old-medical-sci-fi feel that's kind of creepy and kind of alien, and has you checking yourself for symptoms of the fictional disease for several hours after reading.
Not So Here For:
-I found the relationship between Chris and Doc quite confusing at times. But oh well, that's old-ish sci-fi for you.
-I don't believe there could be an enzyme that could convert the body to functioning on a stereoisomer of its usual nutrients. I'm sorry, but I'm studying that in Chem right now, and I couldn't suspend my disbelief very well.
-I thought that perhaps parts of the setting could have been described a bit better? But that's a very minor quibble.
3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 for GR)
I Am Here For:
-Ahhhh I have such a soft spot for early-ish sci-fi. Like, the absolute dedication to scientific exploration in fiction, with a much lower emphasis placed on...well, the characters. I know that sounds weird, but I read a lot of Isaac Asimov when I was younger, and it was very nostalgic.
-The medical science-y awesomeness! I am a sucker for medical sci-fi (I loved The Andromeda Strain) and this was so very medical sci-fi nerdy, with descriptions of the organisms and what they see in the microscope, and the scientific method, and just YES. (@Rebecca, how on earth did you know I like this stuff?? I am impressed.)
-The bits of philosophy around freedom and democracy. That was neat.
-The plot was honestly very well-though-out.
-And the idea of the Lobbies? Yes.
-It had that perfect old-medical-sci-fi feel that's kind of creepy and kind of alien, and has you checking yourself for symptoms of the fictional disease for several hours after reading.
Not So Here For:
-I found the relationship between Chris and Doc quite confusing at times. But oh well, that's old-ish sci-fi for you.
-I don't believe there could be an enzyme that could convert the body to functioning on a stereoisomer of its usual nutrients. I'm sorry, but I'm studying that in Chem right now, and I couldn't suspend my disbelief very well.
-I thought that perhaps parts of the setting could have been described a bit better? But that's a very minor quibble.
3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 for GR)
June 6, 2010
Daniel Feldman is a pariah -- once a successful doctor, his lisence has been revoked after he performed a life-saving operation outside a designated hospital zone. With nothing for him on Earth but a life of poverty, Feldman stows away on a ship to Mars.
Mars is ... well, you know the deal. Colony world kept in hock to Earth, receives only the minimal resources necessary to keep it profitable, limited medical facilities, etc. The colonists, naturally, are willing to accept even a pariah doctor. And Medical Lobby tries to stop him, but legal shenanigans keep him out of jail.
In the meantime, an ancient Martian plague has been unleashed, but terrestrial authorities are slow to react and refuse to listen to Feldman's warnings. Can he find a cure before it's too late for both planets?
Is the Pope Catholic?
The story lumbers along as though blindfolded, blundering into the plot seemingly by accident. Feldman spends much of the book being acted upon instead of acting -- or even reacting. He's like Candide, minus the humor or ironic insights, which is like a pizza without any cheese, sauce or toppings.
The other characters are as much plot-puppets as Feldman. His ex-wife goes from irrationally hating him ("How dare you save a man's life! You should be cast out of society!") to realizing how wonderful he is, with no plausible reason for the change of heart. It's as though she had a switch in her brain that randomly flipped from "shrewish harridan" to "devoted love interest." But at least she had a character arc. Everyone else just serves to push Feldman where he needs to go.
About the only bit of interest in the book is the huge infodump that forms Chapter 2:
"There had been a medical lobby long before, but it had been a conservative group, mostly concerned with protecting medical autonomy and ethics. It also tried to prevent government control of treatment and payment, feeling that it couldn't trust the people to know where to stop. But its history was a long series of retreats.
It fought what it called socialized medicine. But the people wanted their troubles handled free--which meant by government spending, since that could be added to the national debt, and thus didn't seem to cost anything. It lost, and eventually the government paid most medical costs, with doctors working on a fixed fee. Then quantity of treatment paid, rather than quality. Competence no longer mattered so much. The Lobby lost, but didn't know it--because the lowered standards of competence in the profession lowered the caliber of men running the political aspects of that profession as exemplified by the Lobby."
Lester Del Rey, Republican speech writer. Who knew?
July 26, 2015
In my recent move to read science fiction classics, I finally gave Lester Del Rey's Badge of Infamy a run. It was a pleasant diversion after a month or so without reading anything. It was also a great introduction to Del Rey's writing and Steven H. Wilson's readings. Though the novel is science fiction, there is a medical thriller aspect that cannot be ignored.
I won't go over the synopsis of this story as the goodreads write-up gives a sufficient indication of what to expect, but I will add that there is plenty of bang for buck with this novel. I love the narrative style and the dialogue is solid, with a defined cast. The plot has discernible acts, giving it the feeling of a story meant for film adaptation. However, folks familiar with astrophysics will note that it was written before some popular beliefs about the surface of Mars were debunked some time after the story was first published. Some advances in microbiology have also occurred since then. If you can put aside some of the technical aspects, then you'll enjoy this story as much as I did.
I won't go over the synopsis of this story as the goodreads write-up gives a sufficient indication of what to expect, but I will add that there is plenty of bang for buck with this novel. I love the narrative style and the dialogue is solid, with a defined cast. The plot has discernible acts, giving it the feeling of a story meant for film adaptation. However, folks familiar with astrophysics will note that it was written before some popular beliefs about the surface of Mars were debunked some time after the story was first published. Some advances in microbiology have also occurred since then. If you can put aside some of the technical aspects, then you'll enjoy this story as much as I did.
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March 2, 2014
Product Description
Daniel Feldman was a doctor once. He made the mistake of saving a friend's life in violation of Medical Lobby rules. Now, he's a pariah, shunned by all, forbidden to touch another patient. But things are more loose on Mars. There, Doc Feldman is welcomed by the colonists, even as he's hunted by the authorities. But, when he discovers a Martian plague may soon wipe out humanity on two planets, Feldman finds himself a pivotal figure. War erupts. Earth is poised to wipe out the Mars colony utterly. A cure to the plague is the price of peace, and only Feldman can find it. Lester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. He is especially famous for juvenile novels, like those that comprise the Winston Science Fiction series, and for Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction part of Ballantine Books, edited by Lester del Rey.
June 10, 2010
Good, sturdy, workmanlike SF. Lester Del Ray is one of my favorite authors for a dependably good read, if not for posing earth-shaking questions.
Early in the story, Del Rey draws a straight line from America's adoption of universal suffrage to the emergence of special interest lobbies as the supreme branch of government. The rest of the book is a serviceable, if brief, adventure yarn about a doctor who ran afoul of malpractice laws and was made pariah by the medical lobby.
That Del Rey makes such a story into a page-turner is as much a testament to his imagination and story-telling skills as it is to my lack of them.
Early in the story, Del Rey draws a straight line from America's adoption of universal suffrage to the emergence of special interest lobbies as the supreme branch of government. The rest of the book is a serviceable, if brief, adventure yarn about a doctor who ran afoul of malpractice laws and was made pariah by the medical lobby.
That Del Rey makes such a story into a page-turner is as much a testament to his imagination and story-telling skills as it is to my lack of them.
May 9, 2010
This is a very old story by one of the early SF writers and although it feels old in terms of it's style and language it has some key elements that are 'eternal' i.e. good wining out over bad, Big Government trampling on the little people etc. and I am sure at the time of writing it would have been as original as Bradbury's Martian Chronicles if not so grand in it's scale. I'd only recommend it if you are feeling nostalgic for the beginnings of SF, but it's not a long book so it won't drag you away from other books for long.
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