Le cirque de l'espace

Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon #3

by Con Steffanson, Ron Goulart (AKA), Guy L'Eclaire (Translator )

Flash Gordon is caught by Mesmo's blue men and sold as a human animal to the Space Circus. Only a terrible accident will offer Flash and other prisoners a chance to escape. Will they make it?
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Flash Gordon est attrapé par les hommes bleus de Mesmo et vendu comme animal humain au Space Circus. Seul un terrible accident offrira à Flash et aux autres prisonniers une chance de s'évader. Vont-ils y arriver ?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Pulp

186 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The is the third and last of the Flash Gordon prose novels that Ron Goulart, under the house pseudonym Con Stefansson, wrote in his remarkably prolific period of the 1970s. The story is based, of course, on the characters and situations created by Alex Raymond in his iconic comic strip, but this one reads more like a Goulart novel than one of Raymond's comic scripts. The majority of the action is not set on Mongo, unfortunately, but rather on the planet Mesmo, where Flash has been captured and is held as a performer in the titular space circus. Zarkov and Dale set out to rescue him for a change (how cool is that), but who is that blonde lady Flash is cuddling on the cover...? Luke Skywalker never had it so good.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this third Flash Gordon novelization of the original comic strip by Alex Raymond, Flash finds himself a victim of slave hunters who habitually capture creatures of all types from a variety of planets and then auction them off. Flash finds himself purchased by a circus on the planet Mesmo. He works with other slave circus performers to escape and ultimately is rescued by Dr Zarkov and Dale.

Con Steffanson once again adapts the comic strips to this novel format. I have not read the source material so can’t comment on how well this captures the original story. There is quite a bit of pulpy sci-fi adventure here but I can’t help wishing it was a bit more inspired. The concept of a circus that has creatures from all over the universe could be very interesting but in the end, it is pretty much like a normal Earth circus. Flash and his friends also rely on pure luck much of the time to get out of tight spots. Any time a scientific breakthrough is needed, just give Zarkov a couple of days and he builds a solution; in this case a new spaceship that can make instantaneous jumps across the universe with pinpoint accuracy.

But, after all this is Flash Gordon from the 1930’s. As long as you know what you’re signing up for, it’s all fun stuff.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm generally very patient when it comes to these old pulp sci-fi novels, but not even God could forgive THE SPACE CIRCUS its sheer laziness and dearth of creativity. Not only is it written at the level of a Saturday morning cartoon, the space circus itself is just your everyday earth circus, only with alien creatures instead of elephants, lions, and bears. No real attempt is made to make this alien culture feel truly alien. Flash Gordon never seems the least bit concerned about the danger he's in, and his enormous good luck can always be counted on to resolve any problems that cannot be overcome by brain and brawn alone.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just glad to be done, really.

I bought the first three novels online about 4 years ago. I was curious about the old-timey pulp fiction of Flash Gordon. I wasn't expecting much, and yet I still overestimated the quality of these books.

I finished the first, gave it a compassionate 3 stars when it really was about a 1-1.5, then for some reason read the second a few months later. Not any better. I get it; the novels are based on actual comics, the type found in the newspaper, which meander in weird ways and have very different expectations from most novels. You hope there'll be some other charm to make up for the really terrible plot, but nope. Nope.

After 4 years, I finally decided to finish the third book (so that I can sell them or give them away as a starter set for someone else) and I have to admit it deserves, or nearly deserves, the 3 stars I gave all of them. It's still a terrible plot, but it's at least moderately entertaining. Reads quick. The good guys win. The plot holes are so thick on the ground they aren't worth thinking about, in any of these books, and the character development is so rudimentary that it doesn't deserve the term, but at least this felt more like an action story. Or maybe my expectations had just been lowered enough. I dunno.

All of these books have one of my top 3 (or bottom 3, I guess) least favorite tropes--where the very capable, brilliant, amazing main characters get caught over and over and then escape (or are rescued) over and over. They are in the hands of their enemies most of the book, completely at their mercy, and probably should be dead many times over. (Doc Savage uses this same trope, and it always makes me sigh.)

I guess Star Trek does it, too. Getting caught flat-footed so often takes a lot of the shine off of the super-capable characters, making them seem like just regular joes getting fumbled around by fate. I don't like it.

I won't read any more of these, but I still like pulp, for some reason, and I want to find more good stuff. I'll read a few more Doc Savage books, probably. I'll read a few more Tarzans and Princess of Mars type books by Burroughs. I'll track down some more of Howard's Solomon Kane and El Borak. And I'll read a few more Rogue Angel books, which are actually pretty well done. Probably find some other interesting pulp novels.

But Flash Gordon, for me, is all done.

Unless I find a collection of the actual comics, because that sounds pretty cool...... :-)

[Czarina Charters · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's mass-produced Pulp Sci-Fi. It is exactly what I expected it to be. Not Great but also not awful. The pacing is fine, the ending is rushed, the two plotlines work well together. If you're familiar with Flash, You can predict how it's going to end.

[John Peel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an adaptation of an early Alex Raymond strip. It's written by Ron Goulart (as "Con Steffanson"), and is filled with Goulart's usual goofiness. That works for his original novels, but it's jarringly out of place here. Flash is an action hero, not a comedian.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe my least favorite of the Flash Gordon books I've read so far. Almost didn't finish! Boring and confusing plot, just trudged along.

[Joan Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun. Right out of the thirties' comic books. No need to think. The good guys are good and the bad ones horrible. No doubts.

[Michael Hanscom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This kind of three-star rating is very different from a more modern book's three-star rating. This is a 1960s adaptation of a story that was originally a comic strip…so we're not exactly talking award-caliber story crafting here. However, it is what it is, and if this is the kind of silliness you're looking for, it's a great little diversion.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the pulp nature of this novel, it was much as I'd expect really. Characters are a little one-dimensional, and the plot is a bit too obvious and plodding but all in all it wasn't a terrible read. just not terribly good either.

I've still given 3 stars though because I'm reading it based on it's age, and the fact that I knew what I was going to get before I started it.

[Leila Anani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flash Gordon is driving to a meeting when he is abducted by aliens and taken to perform as an aerial stuntman in an intergalactic circus. He escapes and goes on the run in an alien jungle hunted by the local militia, as well as trying to evade bands of slave traders. Zarkov tracks flash and builds a ship to mount a rescue mission with Dale.

Paper thin characters and plot. Perfect pulp fiction.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read January 1977.

[Ronald · Rating 2 out of 5]

author was con steffanson; read during summer 1974