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Mike Mars #6
Mike Mars, South Pole Spaceman
Book #6 in series finds Mike Mars in trouble and stranded on a polar ice cap. He mission is to prevent the Russians from discovering the secret of the Blue Scout rocket!
- GenresScience Fiction
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
14 people want to read
About the author
Donald A. Wollheim
297 books34 followersDonald Allen Wollheim was a science fiction writer, editor, publisher and fan. He published his own works under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell.
A member of the Futurians, he was one of the leading influences on the development of science fiction and science fiction fandom in the 20th century United States.
In 1937, Wollheim founded the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. The first mailing was distributed in July of that year and included this statement from Wollheim: "There are many fans desiring to put out a voice who dare not, for fear of being obliged to keep it up, and for the worry and time taken by subscriptions and advertising. It is for them and for the fan who admits it is his hobby and not his business that we formed the FAPA."
Wollheim was also a member of the New York Science Fiction League, one of the clubs established by Hugo Gernsback to promote science fiction. When Wollheim published a complaint of non-payment for stories against Gernsback, Gernsback dissolved the New York chapter of the club.
Wollheim's first story, "The Man from Ariel," was published in the January 1934 issue of Wonder Stories when Wollheim was nineteen. Wollheim was not paid for the story and when he began to look into the situation, he learned that many other authors had not been paid for their work, publishing his findings in the Bulletin of the Terrestrial Fantascience Guild. Gernsback eventually settled the case with Wollheim and other authors out of court for $75, but when Wollheim submitted another story to Gernsback, under the pseudonym "Millard Verne Gordon," he was again not paid. One of Wollheim's short stories, "Mimic" was made into the feature film of the same name, which was released in 1997.
He left Avon Books in 1952 to work for A. A. Wyn at Ace Books. In 1953 he introduced science fiction to the Ace lineup, and for 20 years edited their renowned sf list. Ace was well known for the Ace Doubles series which consisted of pairs of books, usually by different authors, bound back-to-back with two "front" covers. Because these paired books had to fit a fixed total page-length, one or both were usually heavily abridged to fit, and Wollheim often made many other editorial alterations and title changes — as witness the many differences between Poul Anderson's Ace novel War of the Wing-Men and its definitive revised edition, The Man Who Counts. It was also during the 1950s he bought the book Junk by William S. Burroughs, which, in his inimitable fashion, he retitled Junkie.
In 1965 Wollheim published an unauthorized Ace edition of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien in three volumes — the first mass-market paperback edition of Tolkien's epic. This was done because Wollheim believed the Houghton Mifflin hardcover editions failed to properly assert copyright. In a 2006 interview, Wollheim's daughter claimed that Tolkien had angered her father by saying that his magnum opus would never be published in so ‘degenerate a form’ as the paperback book. However, Tolkien had previously authorized a paperback edition of The Hobbit in 1961, and eventually supported paperback editions of The Lord of the Rings and several of his other texts. In any case, Ace was forced to cease publishing the unauthorized edition and to pay Tolkien for their sales following a grass-roots campaign and boycott by Tolkien's U.S. fans. In 1993 a court found that the copyright loophole suggested by Ace Books was incorrect and their paperback edition found to have been a violation of Tolkien's copyright under US law.
After leaving Ace he founded DAW Books in 1971, named by his initials, which can claim to be the first mass market specialist science fiction and fantasy fiction publishing house. In later years, when his distributors, New American Library, threatened to withhold distribution of Thomas Burnett Swann's Biblical fantasy How are the Mighty Fallen (1974) because of its homosexual con
A member of the Futurians, he was one of the leading influences on the development of science fiction and science fiction fandom in the 20th century United States.
In 1937, Wollheim founded the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. The first mailing was distributed in July of that year and included this statement from Wollheim: "There are many fans desiring to put out a voice who dare not, for fear of being obliged to keep it up, and for the worry and time taken by subscriptions and advertising. It is for them and for the fan who admits it is his hobby and not his business that we formed the FAPA."
Wollheim was also a member of the New York Science Fiction League, one of the clubs established by Hugo Gernsback to promote science fiction. When Wollheim published a complaint of non-payment for stories against Gernsback, Gernsback dissolved the New York chapter of the club.
Wollheim's first story, "The Man from Ariel," was published in the January 1934 issue of Wonder Stories when Wollheim was nineteen. Wollheim was not paid for the story and when he began to look into the situation, he learned that many other authors had not been paid for their work, publishing his findings in the Bulletin of the Terrestrial Fantascience Guild. Gernsback eventually settled the case with Wollheim and other authors out of court for $75, but when Wollheim submitted another story to Gernsback, under the pseudonym "Millard Verne Gordon," he was again not paid. One of Wollheim's short stories, "Mimic" was made into the feature film of the same name, which was released in 1997.
He left Avon Books in 1952 to work for A. A. Wyn at Ace Books. In 1953 he introduced science fiction to the Ace lineup, and for 20 years edited their renowned sf list. Ace was well known for the Ace Doubles series which consisted of pairs of books, usually by different authors, bound back-to-back with two "front" covers. Because these paired books had to fit a fixed total page-length, one or both were usually heavily abridged to fit, and Wollheim often made many other editorial alterations and title changes — as witness the many differences between Poul Anderson's Ace novel War of the Wing-Men and its definitive revised edition, The Man Who Counts. It was also during the 1950s he bought the book Junk by William S. Burroughs, which, in his inimitable fashion, he retitled Junkie.
In 1965 Wollheim published an unauthorized Ace edition of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien in three volumes — the first mass-market paperback edition of Tolkien's epic. This was done because Wollheim believed the Houghton Mifflin hardcover editions failed to properly assert copyright. In a 2006 interview, Wollheim's daughter claimed that Tolkien had angered her father by saying that his magnum opus would never be published in so ‘degenerate a form’ as the paperback book. However, Tolkien had previously authorized a paperback edition of The Hobbit in 1961, and eventually supported paperback editions of The Lord of the Rings and several of his other texts. In any case, Ace was forced to cease publishing the unauthorized edition and to pay Tolkien for their sales following a grass-roots campaign and boycott by Tolkien's U.S. fans. In 1993 a court found that the copyright loophole suggested by Ace Books was incorrect and their paperback edition found to have been a violation of Tolkien's copyright under US law.
After leaving Ace he founded DAW Books in 1971, named by his initials, which can claim to be the first mass market specialist science fiction and fantasy fiction publishing house. In later years, when his distributors, New American Library, threatened to withhold distribution of Thomas Burnett Swann's Biblical fantasy How are the Mighty Fallen (1974) because of its homosexual con
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 26, 2023
Mostly it has been fun reliving what was my first self-purchased, sort of adult read, The Mike Mars Books by Donald Wollheim. I got to Mike Mars South Pole Spaceman one book out of order, and this one left me a tad out of sorts. Our plot takes us to the American Station on the south Pole. We have slightly meandered off of the main theme of the books. Up to this point the plots have all been based on the American effort to make its first space flights. The apparent goal being to help what we now call the tween market to see themselves as part of the Mercury and later Gemini space projects.
Of course this is all male centric. Women, where they appear at all are very back ground. We have a potential romantic interest, but only potential and for a while an older woman , a highly respected member of the press, but she is sworn to secrecy. And secrets she keeps.
For whatever reason, South Pole Spaceman brings us into what may have been a real effort to slingshot satellites into orbit using a fitted out B52 s stage one, a slightly modified X15 rocket plane as stage 2 and a missile as the final orbital insertion device. Of course, the safest place for this operation is the south pole, where one can best avoid the Van Allen Belt. Just think of what that did to the Fantastic Four. Seriously there was a time when no one knew for sure what kind of threat the Van Allen Belt might be. That was a rather involved discussion and is only one of many. Much of this book is about dressing for the south Pole, the operation of American bases their, the semi-cooperation with the neighboring Russians, and the various aircraft and operational limits of the area. Maybe this appealed to the detail-oriented nerds, but ultimately it was a drag on the narrative.
The book has its adventures, thanks to the ever more threatening interest of the Soviet Union. It is not enough to survive the mission, it cannot be handed over to the more than a tad curious Ruskkies, but there are also diplomatic consideration as the presence of a war plane, remember the B52(?) on the South Pole is a real problem.
I shall finish out this reading memory from my youth, but only as I can find copies not priced as the treasure they are to the most appreciative.
Of course this is all male centric. Women, where they appear at all are very back ground. We have a potential romantic interest, but only potential and for a while an older woman , a highly respected member of the press, but she is sworn to secrecy. And secrets she keeps.
For whatever reason, South Pole Spaceman brings us into what may have been a real effort to slingshot satellites into orbit using a fitted out B52 s stage one, a slightly modified X15 rocket plane as stage 2 and a missile as the final orbital insertion device. Of course, the safest place for this operation is the south pole, where one can best avoid the Van Allen Belt. Just think of what that did to the Fantastic Four. Seriously there was a time when no one knew for sure what kind of threat the Van Allen Belt might be. That was a rather involved discussion and is only one of many. Much of this book is about dressing for the south Pole, the operation of American bases their, the semi-cooperation with the neighboring Russians, and the various aircraft and operational limits of the area. Maybe this appealed to the detail-oriented nerds, but ultimately it was a drag on the narrative.
The book has its adventures, thanks to the ever more threatening interest of the Soviet Union. It is not enough to survive the mission, it cannot be handed over to the more than a tad curious Ruskkies, but there are also diplomatic consideration as the presence of a war plane, remember the B52(?) on the South Pole is a real problem.
I shall finish out this reading memory from my youth, but only as I can find copies not priced as the treasure they are to the most appreciative.
November 15, 2018
possibly read in winter 1967
January 3, 2017
It is 1966 and the Communists are everywhere! Many illustrations throughout which at first seemed like a distracting way to reduce the need for actual text, but in fact some of them were helpful while reading. The "when we establish the Moon Base" comments bring back the excitement of being a kid at the right time.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews