Επιχείρηση Αφροδίτη

Lucky Starr #3

by Paul French, Isaac Asimov, Δέσποινα Μαυρογένη (Translator)

Άνθρωποι γεννημένοι στον Άρη κατευθύνονται προς την Αφροδίτη. Στο βάθος του διαστήματος –και στο τέλος της αφήγησης– η μητρόπολη Γη. Περιπέτεια επιστημονικής φαντασίας και μαζί κοινωνικός στοχασμός.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure, Space Opera, Ebooks

197 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Librarian note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Pen name of Isaac Asimov for the Lucky Starr books.

Reviews

[Francisca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is YA Sci-Fi at its best, so... just awesome!

If you, like me, love Sci Fi since a young age and later become a proper science geek, you'll find this book is kind of a dream come true. Lucky Starr is a highly trained sort of space special forces dedicated to protect humans living in other planets. The best thing is that he's not only athletic and brilliant, he's a scientist, because in the future imagined by Asimov (which I think is the best future anyone can imagine) scientist are the ones in charge of protecting humanity.

I read this book first at the age of 12 and I loved it. I re-read it recently, with mi niece and she loved it too, as any girl or boy with at least some sort of scientific curiosity will.

Asimov wastes no words to introduce us to this Venus-working environment where strange psychic attacks have been plaguing the working force delaying projects that are instrumental for human development. Can Lucky Starr find the culprit? I bet you can't imagine the answer.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the third novel in a series of six that Asimov wrote under the pseudonym of Paul French featuring David "Lucky" Starr. The books were intended to be the basis for a television series but when that fell through Doubleday was happy to keep publishing them and Asimov was happy to keep writing them. They were aimed for young readers and blended a strong action/adventure content with accurate (for the time) scientific concepts. This one appeared in 1954 and does not hold up as well scientifically as many of the other books; Venus was found to be far different than what the best science of the time postulated. It's still enjoyable, though; just pretend it's an alternate world story. One has to remember that the social conventions of the story were conceived in the early 1950s, not just the science, and that Asimov was writing for twelve-year-old boys of the time. The Tom Corbett series by "Carey Rockwell" that Grosset & Dunlap published are similar, and I think David "Lucky" Starr and his feisty sidekick John Bigman Jones may have been influenced by Hamilton's Captain Future books, and perhaps even Superman. I didn't think the Starr books were as good as Heinlein's juveniles, but I thought they were at least as good as Andre Norton's, Donald Wolheim's, or Lester del Rey's juveniles of the time. Still fun stuff if you know what to expect.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πάνω από δυόμιση χρόνια πέρασαν από την τελευταία φορά που διάβασα βιβλίο του Ισαάκ Ασίμοφ και η αλήθεια είναι ότι μου έλειψε. Αυτό είναι το όγδοο βιβλίο του συγγραφέα που διαβάζω, το οποίο διαφέρει αρκετά σε σχέση με τα προηγούμενα. Πρώτα-πρώτα είναι πιο μικρό σε μέγεθος -μην κοιτάτε που η ελληνική έκδοση πλησιάζει τις διακόσιες σελίδες, μεταξύ των δεκαέξι κεφαλαίων υπάρχουν δυο-τρεις λευκές σελίδες. Δεύτερον, η ιστορία είναι κάπως πιο απλοϊκή, με περισσότερη δράση, ενώ οι ιδέες ούτε πολυσύνθετες είναι ούτε ιδιαίτερα πρωτότυπες. Άλλωστε, ο συγγραφέας έγραψε την σειρά "Lucky Starr" με ψευδώνυμο, απευθυνόμενος σε νεανικό κοινό.

Πρωταγωνιστές της ιστορίας είναι ο επιστήμονας/ειδικός πράκτορας Λάκυ Σταρ, που εργάζεται για το Επιστημονικό Συμβούλιο της Ηλιακής Συνομοσπονδίας, και ο κοντός Αρειανός συνεργάτης του, ονόματι Μπίγκμαν. Καλούνται να ταξιδέψουν στον πλανήτη της Αφροδίτης και να μάθουν ποιος προξενεί τα διάφορα ενοχλητικά περιστατικά που μπορεί να κρύβουν μια συνωμοσία, τι συνέβη σ'έναν ειδικό πράκτορα που είχε ήδη σταλεί λίγες μέρες πριν, και πως ο εγκέφαλος της πιθανής συνωμοσίας υπνωτίζει και ελέγχει το μυαλό πολιτών και αξιωματούχων της Αφροδίτης.

Το βιβλίο αυτό είναι το μοναδικό της σειράς με ήρωα τον Λάκι Σταρ που έχει μεταφραστεί στα ελληνικά, αν και χρονολογικά είναι το τρίτο. Δεν μπορώ να καταλάβω γιατί δεν μεταφράστηκαν και τα άλλα δυο πρώτα. Πάντως διαβάζεται μια χαρά και ανεξάρτητα, απλά μου φάνηκε πολύ ευκολοδιάβαστο, ενδιαφέρον και ψυχαγωγικό, και οι δυο πρωταγωνιστές σίγουρα συμπαθητικοί, που θα ήθελα να διαβάσω και προηγούμενες περιπέτειες με αυτούς τους τύπους. Όπως και να'χει, με αυτό το μικρό βιβλίο πέρασα πολύ καλά, ευχαριστήθηκα δράση, όμορφες εικόνες και επιστημονική φαντασία, χωρίς να κουραστεί και πολύ το μυαλό μου. Μην περιμένετε, δηλαδή, το επίπεδο σε πλοκή, ιδέες και γραφή να είναι ίδιο με αυτό των μεγάλων αριστουργημάτων του συγγραφέα, όμως πιστεύω ότι θα περάσετε ευχάριστα την ώρα σας διαβάζοντας το βιβλίο αυτό. Αν τύχει και βρω στ'αγγλικά άλλα βιβλία της νεανικής αυτής σειράς, σίγουρα θα τα τιμήσω.

[Robu-sensei · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secret agents and protectors of the weak are...scientists! —Who don't mind showing off what they know!

Dr. Asimov often lamented the pernicious and ever-growing current of anti-intellectualism in American society. Was his series of young-adult Lucky Starr novels merely the public expression of an escapist fantasy universe, or did he intend to win young, intelligent minds to scientific inquiry by showing just how cool science could be?

For his third adventure, Council of Science hero Lucky Starr turns to the ocean planet of Venus, lured by mysterious and contradictory messages from a fellow Councilman turned criminal. There he encounters Venus's strange, telepathic inhabitants, who seem to have taken a particular dislike to human invasion of their watery world.

This episode is definitely my favorite in the series, although the tales of Jupiter and Saturn follow not too distantly. The storyline is compelling, but takes a back seat to Dr. Asimov's Venerean biology: bizarre, alien and fascinating, even to a Ph.D. scientist. Paradoxically, the most inventive of extraterrestrial settings in the Lucky Starr series is also the least accurate, scientifically: the real surface of Venus is dry, pitch-dark and far too hot for carbon-based life.

[Petros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Isaac Asimov’s way of telling his stories hasn’t aged well at all. For starters, they all play out in the exact same way. The topic in question may differ considerably, but it always comes down to people mostly talking about it, not much action or plot, and the solution being something that came with information hidden from the reader, so he would never be able to see it coming.

All his characters are plot devices and the stories are so concept-based, you are left with nothing besides a purely theoretical theme exploration. The protagonist is also always a super genius who jumps to conclusions with pure speculations that conveniently are always proven right, as if the world works in no more than 3 or 4 variants. Everyone else besides him is a mindless idiot, there just to constantly ask questions and gasp at how he never thought of the answer, although he is supposed to be living in the far future and be way more intelligent that the average Joe of today.

In this book in particular, everybody is unable to figure out how people are mind controlled into doing things they don’t want to. The protagonist jumps to conclusion that it has to be someone present in every case, with an ability to control the thoughts of people. Okay so far, but then he jumps to the conclusion it was a bunch of pet frogs, just because they were the only other creatures in a room when an incident happened. Why not a device that can remotely control people? Why not a hidden camera that informs the bad guy from afar?

Then the protagonist figures out the frogs are not the real perpetrators by the way they behave and act. That would be smart if it didn’t happen by complete accident after he dropped a jar of vaseline and assumed stuff about what the animals want. Sure, an animal would never mention fire in a world of water, but then again why would the guilty guy use such a convoluted metaphor to begin with? “I will burn your life like a candle”? Nobody talks like that. He then compares the frogs to trained dogs, although in reality trained dogs can withhold their urge to eat pretty well if ordered to stand still.

And then he again assumes the real perpetrator was a guy with a custom made computer, which he smashes and has him arrested, as if he is certain he did it. What’s stupid here is how he had no evidence to support his claims by destroying the computer, and his only proof was because that guy didn’t phone his wife to get to a shelter. What if the guy didn’t love his wife that much or was too confused to think about it at that time? Also, the protagonist never established a motive for why the guy did it. “He probably wanted to take over the world or something” he assumes and everyone believes him. Yeah, that’s how profiling works…

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10. Juvenil y tontorrona toda la saga de Lucky Starr...pero Asimov. De esta misma saga los hay mejores.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

reading these books is rather addictive and as I catch myself sneaking a look around at lunch time I realised that its almost furtive and clandestine in my reading of them. There is no shame I am quite open about about my reading at work and although my colleagues makes fun about how much I read they accept it and know I will tear a shred off them if them say a bad word about my reading although there have been some fascinating and lively conversations as a result. Anyway I think from this one rather than the boys adventures in space and time - I think what I realised was that if you enjoy a book once then you will again and that there is neither shame or regret in reading it even if it is years later.

[Axl Oswaldo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siendo honesto, no suelo leer ciencia ficción porque no es muy de mi estilo, pero este libro me gustó, a secas.
La lectura se me hizo amena, sencilla y en ocasiones me atrapó, aunque también tenía sus partes lentas que me aburrieron un poco.
En general, y si te gusta el género, lo recomiendo.

[Lilirose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I romanzi di Lucky Starr sono lavori minori di Asimov, chiaramente destinati ad un pubblico di ragazzi: vengono accantonate le riflessioni sociologiche e l'introspezione dei personaggi per concentrarsi su una trama avventurosa in luoghi futuristici ed esotici.
Pur cambiando la location, la struttura resta invariata da un libro all'altro ed anche questo non fa eccezione: il protagonista viene chiamato ad indagare su un mistero, e tra mille peripezie riuscirà a venirne a capo. La parte migliore del romanzo è proprio il giallo, che terrà desto il nostro interesse e ci soprenderà con qualche colpo di scena spiazzante, in puro stile Asimov. Anche la descrizione di Venere, dei suoi oceani sterminati e delle sue creature leggendarie è abbastanza affascinante (benché scientificamente superata, come chiarisce lo stesso autore in una prefazione successiva), ma la trama è troppo ingenua, perfino scontata in alcuni punti. I personaggi poi sono stereotipati da morire: abbiamo Lucky bello, intelligente e coraggioso, accompagnato dal suo amico buffo e rissoso che sembra sempre la caricatura di se stesso.
Ovviamente trattandosi di un romanzo di Asimov lo stile mantiene la piacevolezza e la chiarezza cristallina che lo contraddistinguono, però non ne consiglio la lettura se non ai fan più accaniti. Tutti gli altri hanno opere di ben altro pregio a cui approcciarsi.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of the entries in Asimov’s Lucky Starr series, which he wrote under the name Paul French. I’m not sure why he used a pseudonym for them though, because they really are fantastic. In fact, I think the Lucky Starr books rank amongst my favourites of Asimov’s, and I prefer them to his Foundation series even though that’s the one that’s the most critically acclaimed.

The good thing about these books is that they don’t have to be read in order, so if you see a copy of this going spare then I’d recommend picking it up. I also like the way that they have mysteries at the heart of them, making them an interesting mix between science fiction and cosy detective stories.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Lucky Starr book. I don't remember which one I read before, that was over 30 years ago, but I wasn't very impressed with it; as a science fiction juvenile it was comparable to Tom Swift. But this one was much better. Still not quite up to the quality of my favorites, Robert Heinlein's juvenile novels including Space Cadet, Citizen of The Galaxy, Starman Jones, etc., but closer. The characters are mostly undeveloped, but the story interesting.

[Stifynsemons · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.9 stars, will continue with the series...

Lucky Starr is an amazing hero, combining mad pilot skills with deductions worthy of Sherlock Holmes, but is amazingly constructed. Asimov combines mediocre personae with excellent plots to make books worth reading ... even after scientific discoveries derail future history.

This is the first in this series I have read, and I can say these books stand on their own.

[Katia Bou · Rating 3 out of 5]

μια υπόθεση μυστηρίου σε μια υποθαλάσσια πολιτεία στον πλανήτη της Αφροδίτης.. ενδιαφέρον ο τρόπος που παρουσιάζει την ζωή κάτω από την θάλασσα.. κυλάει γρήγορα..

[Phil Giunta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with his diminutive but dauntless sidekick, Bigman Jones, David “Lucky” Starr travels from Earth to Venus when fellow Council of Science member and longtime friend, Lou Evans, is charged with corruption and theft of an experimental yeast formula.

During their flight to Venus, a message from Evans warns Starr to stay away from the planet. This of course only entices Starr to press onward. As they approach Venus, Starr and Bigman discover that their pilot and navigator have succumbed to mind control and turned against them, sending the vessel crashing into the ocean.

After a brief scuffle, the pilot and navigator regain control of themselves, but recall nothing of the incident. Starr and Bigman repair the vessel and dock in the underwater dome city of Aphrodite. There, Starr and Bigman meet with senior council member, Doctor Mel Morriss, only to learn that previous incidents of mental aberrations have occurred in the recent past—and Lou Evans might himself be a victim.

Starr requests an interview with Evans, but his fellow councilman is reluctant to explain his actions. Their conversation is then interrupted by an emergency—a junior engineer has fallen victim to mind control and is threatening to open one of the airlocks and flood the entire city! Worse, Lou Evans takes advantage of the distraction to escape in a personal submarine into the oceans of Venus.

Can Lucky Starr save the underwater town of Aphrodite from destruction, recapture his fellow councilman, and solve the mystery behind the mind control before the next incident destroys every living human on Venus?

Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus is the third book in the series and is just as entertaining as the previous entries. Asimov creates a clever and plausible mechanism by which the mind control is executed.

The feisty Bigman is noticeably more subdued than in the first two volumes. His most heroic moment is hustling through the city’s ventilation shafts in an effort to cut off power to the airlock before the engineer can flood the city. After that, Bigman is reduced to steering a ship and asking Lucky for clarification about certain scientific concepts during their adventures.

In the 1972 Signet editions of the series that I’m reading, Asimov added a disclaimer regarding the inaccurate descriptions of the planets when this series was originally published in 1954. Such details as the existence of an ocean on Venus, for example, were merely speculation prior to the images sent by the Mariner II probe, launched in 1962, that debunked the theory.

[Ana Mardoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus / 1421049260

I enjoy Asimov's Lucky Starr series very much, but this novel is definitely my favorite. I particularly love the "Sherlock Holmes meets Space Opera" feel of the series, right down to tall, wiry Starr/Holmes and his beefy, obtuse sidekick Jones/Watson.

The plot of "Oceans of Venus" follows the usual-yet-delightful Lucky Starr mystery format. Something is quite wrong at the lovely underwater station on Venus -- Lucky Starr's friend and fellow councilman has been accused of serious crimes, and the Venusian settlers are behaving very oddly. Can Starr solve this mystery under the sea without being drowned or crushed to death by the ocean's immense pressure?

The details of Venus, though in retrospect wrong, are delightful to see here in Asimov's vivid writing; it's extremely interesting to see how science has marched on and what it has learned in the meantime about Venus' surface and climate. The fictional Venusian ocean is beautiful and exotic, and will draw the reader in instantly with its rich, vibrant life -- it's almost a shame, really, that Asimov's original vision didn't pan out to fit with the facts as we know them now.

I truly love this novel as a wonderful nostalgic treat on a rainy day. If you like scifi and Sherlock Holmes and haven't been introduced to the beauty of Lucky Starr, definitely check this novel out. I only wish it were available in eBook form.

~ Ana Mardoll

[Nina · Rating 2 out of 5]

«It was ok». Ni más ni menos, la verdad. Me esperaba algo más de este autor que ya me había sorprendido hace bastantes años con El viaje alucinante . Pero será que es el tercer libro de una saga de la que no he leído los primeros, o que hace mucho que no pruebo la ciencia ficción.

Sea lo que fuera, no me terminó de gustar. Me daba la sensación de que la historia carecía de intensidad, de que no acababa de despegar y todo lo que pasaba, que no era poco, era frío, indiferente, sin sentir yo ningún tipo de implicación en ningún momento. La pareja de personajes protagonistas son la viva imagen del típico par: tío alto y guapo y listo + tipo bajito, más torpe e impulsivo; el primero tira del segundo y así. Lucky, el agente espacial guay, me parece un personaje demasiado perfecto, no tiene ninguna traba, apenas comete un error y siempre se las apaña para salir de forma brillante de cualquier situación. Del marciano (el segundo) que tiene como camarada, Bigman, no hablemos, aunque es un gracioso que me ha animado en cada capítulo, no deja de interpretar su rol de escudero a la perfección.

En cuanto a la historia no voy a ahondar mucho ya que, al ser tan corta, os haría spoiler. Le ha faltado profundizar, tenía puntos muy buenos, pero ha sido efímero y frío, un volumen más bien flojo, que me ha desalentado un poco con respecto al autor. No obstante, es una lectura corta y entretenida, aunque no la mejor de Asimov, aún así seguiré probando con más obras suyas.

[M. Malmierca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leyendo Lucky Starr: Los océanos de Venus (1954) de I. Asimov te trasportas a la infancia. Además de cumplir con las premisas del género en su Época dorada, nos encontramos con un argumento sencillo, héroes salvadores, un gran despliegue de datos del universo (verdaderos o falsos) y un tratamiento positivo de los seres extraterrestres. Evasión para un par de horas conseguida.

[Gortius Octavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es menos entretenido que el libro anterior, menos acción, pero la historia es mucho más interesante, y los plot twists no podrían ser mejores.

Como no, Asimov mete por aquí y por ahí sus toques de divulgador, explicándote las cosas que suceden en el libro desde un punto de vista científico, pero de nuevo, sucede menos que en el libro anterior.

Ya puestos, léetelo.

[Mohey · Rating 5 out of 5]

•جنگ در جبهه‌ی ذهن و اراده•

این جلد رو یکم کمتر از جلد قبلی دوست داشتم ولی بازم خیلی ازش لذت بردم و جذاب بود. معمای جالبی داشت که با جلو رفتن داستان، پیچش خوبی هم گرفت.
جذاب‌ترین چیز تو این جلد برای من این بود که وقتی ذهن تبدیل میشه به زمینی که دشمنت توش بهت شبیخون میزنه، برای مقاومت چه کار میکنی؟ به نظرم ایده‌ی علمی-تخیلی جالبی بود و آسیموف هم به بهترین شکل بسط و توسعه‌ش داد. به قول آسیموف کار زیادی در برابر موجوداتی با توانایی های تلپاتی-گون، که مستقیم ذهن ما رو مورد حمله قرار میدن نمیشه انجام داد، چون جلوگیری از ورودشون به ذهن یک عمل ارادی نیست؛ ماهیچه ای وجود نداره که بتونی منقبض کنی و راه رو براشون سد کنی. پس تو این شرایط چه کار میشه کرد؟ دفاع و حمله‌ی متقابل لاکی در برابر همچین مسئله‌ای که نژاد بشر هیچگونه تجربه و درنتیجه محافظتی دربرابرش نداره فقط به اراده‌ی فولادی دیوانه‌وار‌ و نبوغ علمی و منطقی آنی خلاصه شد. من هیچ چیز رو به اندازه‌ی اراده تو انسان‌ها دوست ندارم (حتی کمی بیشتر از نبوغ چون نبوغ به تنهایی راهگشا نیست) و کاراکترهای موردعلاقه‌م از بین همه‌ی کتابایی که خوندم اونایی هستن که اراده و عزمی شکست ناپذیر دارن و آسیموف هم به زیبایی این عزم راسخ و روح شکست ناپذیر انسان رو ترسیم کرده.
کل این قضیه‌ی آسیب پذیر بودن ذهن انسان در برابر تهاجم هم برام خیلی جالب بود و منو به فکر فرو برد. چقدر طول میکشه تا ما از خودآگاهی‌ای که نژادمون بهش دست پیدا کرد و باعث شد بشر به گونه‌ای هوشمند تبدیل بشه یه قدم فراتر بریم و کاملا ذهن-خودآگاه بشیم؟ یعنی به صورت ارادی و حتی میشه گفت فیزیکی روی ذهنمون کنترل داشته باشیم و ذهن دیگه یه مقوله‌ی انتزاعی برامون نباشه. روی تک تک پیچ و خم‌هاش تسلط پیدا کنیم و مثل یک نقشه بتونیم راحت بخونیمش و درکش کنیم. بتونیم بازش کنیم، ببنیدیمش و بهش شکل بدیم. حتی فکر کردن بهش هم سخت و گیج کننده‌س ولی همچنان موضوع خیلی جذابی برای تفکره. یعنی در آینده و بعد از میلیون‌ها سال تکامل، ما هم به این ویژگی غورباقه های z میرسیم؟ البته این غورباقه‌ها راهشون بر��کس بود؛ اول کنترل ارادی روی ذهن پیدا کردن بدون اینکه هوشمند بشن. فکر کنم دیگه نوشتن کافیه و خیلی از مسیر بحث اصلی راجع به کتاب فاصله گرفتم.

[Stefano Amadei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarà che è un po' di tempo che non leggo Asimov, sarà che non avevo mai letto nulla di Lucky Starr, ma non mi è particolarmente piaciuto questo terzo capitolo della saga.
Il libro può essere letto anche indipendentemente dagli altri due precedenti e devo dire che mi è sembrato troppo volutamente scritto per un pubblico giovane. Ammiccante, semplicistico, con una trama forse troppo lineare.
Simpatico l'escamotage finale per far quadrare la trama, ma rispetto a uno qualsiasi della saga di Tshai di Vance non regge il confronto.
Per ora tre stelle anche solo per la prefazione dell'autore che si scusa di aver scritto nel libro (fatto negli anni 50) inesattezze scientifiche sul pianeta Venere, prima tra tutti la presenza di oceani d'acqua, in linea però con le convinzioni di quel tempo.
D'altra parte non è che per questo libro ci si sia sforzati, come invece Asimov ci aveva altrimenti abituato, a quella ricercatezza nello strano e imponderabile che caratterizza quasi sempre i suoi scritti.
Da rivedere con la lettura dell'intera saga, prima o poi.

[Gianni Costanzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dopo Marte e la fascia di Asteroidi, Lucky Starr e l'amico marziano Bigman affrontano un'avventura negli Oceani di Venere.. devo dire che questo terzo capitolo inizialmente mi è sembrato molto meglio del precedente, nonostante rimanga sempre un'avventura semplice più adatta ad un pubblico giovanile.. verso la fine però non ho apprezzato il modo banale e frettoloso in cui la vicenda si è risolta. Se siete degli adolescenti, considerate sicuramente una stella in più.

Raccomandazione: se siete un lettore adulto e vi accostate per la prima volta ad Asimov, non iniziate da questo ciclo, incominciate dal [[ASIN:8804664991 Ciclo delle Fondazioni]], l'opera migliore a parer mio da lui scritta. Quest'opera la consiglio ad un appassionato che come me vuole leggere tutti i 4 cicli principali (Fondazioni, Spaziali, Robot, Lucky Starr) di Asimov riguardanti lo Spazio oppure ad un lettore giovane che si avvicina alla Fantascienza con la F maiuscola e cerca una lettura avvincente e non troppo impegnativa.

[Jaxon Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Asimov! I am giving this one 4 stars because I found the premise a little too unbelievable. That sounds ridiculous for a book about Mr. Starr and his interstellar adventures but I guarantee if you read the book you’ll agree. Nonetheless it was a ton of fun. The big reveal at the end didn’t hit quite as hard given what I mentioned about the premise but it was still quite satisfying. Worth mentioning that while Venus may not be an oceanic planet as Asimov was taught in his day (he clarifies that in the foreword), I’m glad that was the thought of the time. Made for a really fun “ocean” adventure. Lucky Starr continues to firmly plant himself in my favorite character list!

There was some brief confusion with read order considering my copies of the books have “Oceans of Venus” labeled as the 4th book in the series. I’m glad I checked with Goodreads first. Pretty neat to discover such a considerable misprint!

[Hugo Cervantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far my favourite book of the series so far. Much closer to the Asimov I know and love, let’s hope the rest of the books follow suit.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Even if the premise takes place in the water world of Venus (which we now know is no possible), I found it very enjoyable.

Lucky deals with the coming issues without the aid of his Ranger persona or his conveniently well equipped batmobile, sorry Shooting Starr space ship. This I find quite refreshing when compared with the previous two books.

Also the now common themes of mind control and galaxy wellness, for the greater good approach, take place, but in a slightly different way.

How we have two mind controlling, yet peaceful species within the solar system, I hope these are retaken in the following books.

Overall highly recommended

[Remo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tercera entrega de las aventuras de Lucky Starr, en un universo en el que la Tierra tiene un único gobierno ¡de científicos! En la serie de Lucky Starr, escrita durante los años 50, Asimov intentó meter toda la divulgación que le cupo sobre el Sistema Solar, a la vez que contaba aventuras de luchas, trampas, venganzas y dobleces. La serie merece la pena para jóvenes lectores. En esta entrega, por ejemplo, Asimov supone, partiendo de los -pocos- datos que por aquel entonces había disponibles, que Venus está cubierta por océanos, y que la presión atmosférica no es aplastante y corrosiva. Así, imagina ciudades submarinas. El propio autor añadiría en ediciones posteriores un prólogo en el que explicaba que aunque la ciencia era parte de las novelas, las malditas sondas de la NASA habían dejado algunas de sus novelas anticuadas. Lectura entretenida y didáctica.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third in Asimov's series for younger readers (written under the pseudonym "Paul French"), here the author largely abandons his allusions to the Lone Ranger, but delivers a novel more or less on par with the two which preceded it, combining speculative fiction, mystery, and action. This one is, arguably, a tad weaker due to a few more holes in the plotline, and, obviously, the vision of Venus as a planet completely covered in ocean and teeming with life has not held up. But for tried and true Asimov fans who want to take in his lesser works, this has plenty to recommend it, not the least of which are an ending with multiple twists, and some fascinating descriptions of extraterrestrial life forms. Fluff, but tasty!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say this one was much better than the previous Space Ranger novel Pirates of the Asteroids for almost all the reasons I complained about in my review.
1. The sidekick, Bigman, played a much more prominent role.
2. There was no meaningless use of the glimmer shield.
3. The storyline and the antagonist were not predictable from their first introduction.
I would have to say that this novel was closer to the 1st book in the series, more interesting alien life and challenges. I would say the book was good but not great, this is probably my bias for longer more in-depth books which I am used to from writers today.
So I continue with my Asimov binge with The End of Eternity, which comes highly recommended and touted as one of his best, so let us see.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Havia deixat els llibres d'en Lucky Starr penjats fa un temps, i la veritat és que no sé per què, perquè són molt bons. Són per un públic infantil, sí, però jo m'ho passo molt bé llegint-los.

Sí que és veritat que en Lucky fa una mica de ràbia, perquè ho descobreix tot, ho sap tot, i ho fa tot bé. Però ja és el personatge.

L'única pena d'aquest llibre és que quan l'Asimov el va escriure, no es sabia massa com era Venus i ell s'ho va inventar amb les dades que tenien, i el Venus del llibre és molt diferent del que és en realitat. M'hagués agradat veure què hagués fet amb un Venus com sabem que és ara.

[Simon Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asimov's disclaimers at the start of these books about how the planet they take place on has since been discovered to be completely different are an unintentional but comically quaint theme. The idea of oceans on Venus teeming with strange and intelligent life seem crazy now, and this particular novel, while certainly not lacking in examples of the author's brilliant imagination, is particularly off the wall. Still, as Asimov intones in his foreword, the reader should enjoy the story for what it is, in this case, a hugely creative work of space fantasy. With clever frogs.

[Alex Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third instalment and despite the increasing predictability of who the bad guy is going to be, Asimov still makes for a good story.
Some of the sci-fi advances are great in these stories and some of them are way behind what we had twenty years ago. It’s funny to see old technology being used and shows that regardless of Asimov’s brilliant imagination, sometimes it’s difficult to envisage anything more advanced than the best technology we currently use.
Good fun re-reading them with my nearly teenage son who seems to be enjoying getting into science fiction.

[яσвεят · Rating 3 out of 5]

جلد سوم ماجراجویی دیوید استار با همان لاکی استار اینبار با ماموریتی روی سیاره زهره و اقیانوس خیالی آن
خب باید فارغ از بحث نجوم و سیارات این فاکتور را در نظر گرفت که سطح علمی تخیلی مورد استفاده شده برای این مجموعه کتابها همگی در حد زمانی است که بشر امروزی اون زمان قادر به سفر به کرات مختلف نبوده و آیزاک آسیموف به عنوان نویسنده کاراکتر ها را در کنار یکدیگر طی یک سناریو پیش فرض در این محیط شبیه سازی کرده و داستان را به تصویر کشیده