You Sane Men

by Laurence M. Janifer

A science fiction novel of a world where sadists are allowed to fulfill their urges, & where suffering & torture are essential to the maintenance of civilization, a world dedicated to pain & those who enjoy it. Also released as Bloodworld (1969). A "sane" ruling class of men on a colonized planet torture the underclass women of their world. This is seen as normal until one of the men develops feelings for one of the subjugated.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Laurence M. Janifer (born Laurence M. Harris) was an American science fiction author, with a career spanning over 50 years.

Janifer was born in Brooklyn, New York with the surname of Harris, but in 1963 took the original surname of his Polish grandfather. Many of his early stories appeared under the "Larry M. Harris" byline.

Though his first published work was a short story in Cosmos magazine in 1953, his career as a writer can be said to have started in 1959 when he began writing for Astounding and Galaxy Science Fiction. He co-wrote the first novel in the "Psi-Power" series: Brain Twister, written with Randall Garrett under the joint pseudonym Mark Phillips. The novel was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960, and published in book form in 1962. Janifer's best known work is the "Survivor" series, comprising five novels and many short stories. The series follows the career of Gerald Knave as he visits (and survives to tell the tale of) planets on the outskirts of the civilized galaxy.

In addition to his career as a novelist and short story author, Janifer was an editor for Scott Meredith Literary Agency; editor/managing editor of various detective and science fiction publications; film reviewer for several magazines; and a talented pianist.

Laurence Mark Janifer's pseudonyms include: Alfred Blake, Andrew Blake, Larry M. Harris, Mark Phillips (with Randall Garrett), Barbara Wilson, Tom Beach, Robert J. Cassiday, Robert Cassiday, Lorens M. Dženifer, Renee St. Hahn, Laurance Janifer, Sir David Leeds, William Logan, Siral

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurenc...]

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yes, that just about sums up this literary "accident." However, I have more to say as I’m feeling rather rage-filled and need the catharsis of spewing a nice, venomous rant. So here goes….

For years this deceitful, liar of a book has teased me with its scandalous cover of a naked man whipping a prone, naked woman and its back cover blurb that entices with promises of avant-garde, sensibilities-shocking SF within. Lies, all lies and prevarications to suck in the gullible. Plus, I originally came upon this little known work when it was included on 10 Obscure but Superb SF Novels and so I figured it had all the tell-tales of a hidden gem. Thus, I was intrigued; I was excited; I was hopeful…

...I was really, really stupid.

With all the unhinged excitement of a fanboy about to glimpse the wonders of the next big thing, I opened the aging, but well preserved pages of this slim paperback and...plop, plop, kerplunk...was dismayed as it proceeded to shat shit all over me with the casual abandon of an overfed Clydesdale. It shat on my expectations, on my hopes and dreams, on my very will to live.

This book soiled me and made me feel unclean.

Before I continue my therapeutic venting of pent up fury, here’s the low down on this underachieving, “little engine that couldn’t” that so wanted to be admired for its shocking premise.

PLOT SUMMARY

On a secluded colony world broken away from the Comity of Worlds, a society has developed where the ruling class is encouraged to act out their primitive, violent urges by beating, torturing and raping members of the “bonded” class. This activity is conducted at special “houses” where the ruling Lords and Ladies go to expunge the inner need for bloodshed and domination that allows them to conduct the rest of their lives “violence free.”

The story is told in the form of a first person, flashback by the "Lord" who was instrumental in the destruction of his society after he falls in love with on of the Bonded.

THOUGHTS

Sounds intriguing does it not? It could have been an interesting exploration of humanity’s genetic predisposition toward violence and the effect of succumbing to such actions on both the perpetrator and the victim. I would love to see this kind of set up thoughtfully explored by a quality writer with a strong sense of emotive characterization (Harlan Ellison and Robert Silverberg come to mind). That might be very interesting indeed.

Unfortunately, Janifer was a hackney-writing hack and couldn’t develop a character to save his life. He miraculously managed to take a highly charged, taboo premise and turn it into literary Ambien. The characters were cardboard and monotone and the writing was scattered and unfocused.

Even the torture scenes were pedestrian and uninspired. I wanted to be shocked and to have my horizons stretched and challenged. Didn’t happen. I did cringe a little but it was of the variety that is accompanied by eye-rolls and yawns.

This was a bitter disappointment that has left me enveloped in sadness for what could have been.

1.0 stars. Shame on you.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

You Sane Men was published in 1965 and was rather graphic and shocking at that time, as it was designed to be. It's not so much erotic as dominantly violent... I didn't care for it, but perhaps it serves as a forerunner of the fifty shades of Gor genre, and fans of those might appreciate this one. The book was not published as a science fiction novel, but as a mainstream title with a white cover that's blank except for a blood stain. Lancer reissued it a couple of years later under a different imprint (Lodestone) and a different title (Bloodworld) with a science fictional cover and this time the book is labeled science fiction on the front and back, with no acknowledgment of the previous edition (leading one to suspect they were trying to sell the same thing twice), but it didn't really help. It's an unpleasant book that perhaps tries too hard.

[Marc Goldstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is reminiscent of a Barry Malzberg story in that the narrator/protagonist is insane. The protagonist, named Jo, recounts his story to a committee of intergalactic scientists and government officials. He comes from a world where the ruling Lords and Ladies have instituted the ritual torture of a slave class, known as the Bound. The plot is typical caste system dystopia where true love destabilizes an inequitable society. Jo falls in love with a Bound woman and he fights to overthrow the government to free her. But he has internalized the propaganda and feels the need to justify his culture to his interrogators. He struggles with cognitive dissonance as he grieves for a culture he sought to destroy. Janifer expresses Jo's frantic desperation with breathless run-on sentences and mantra-like repetition. I get it, but it isn't always a joy to read. The benefits of this society are that there is no violence between members of the ruling class. Until there is. A Lady is murdered, the Bound are accounted for, and the rulers find it incomprehensible that a another aristocrat could be responsible. That's a bit too naive to credit and I didn't buy it. But it is thematically and metaphorically rich, and worth reading.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover art shows a naked green man whipping a naked green girl. This is exactly what Lancer was known for back in the day. When I read this in ’68, I noted that it had previously been published as “You Sane Men” and that the author’s name was a pseudonym. I thought it had pretensions as a psychological novel that it did not live up to, and which the folks at Lancer wouldn’t have cared about anyway.

[Shakila · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is kind of a catfish!!!!! 2 stars is literally for the premise. It entices you in as sounding like a really cool sci fi concept but then it was left very hard to read and follow. I had to force myself to read this and it’s less than 200 pages. FORCE myself! To read it! And the big spoiler at the end (the literal last sentence) is not very satisfying bc it doesn’t explain anything!

[Rob-rush · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because of the recent popularity of "50 shades of gray". Good suspense. If you are reading this book for cheap thrills forget it not soft-porn. But chilling and gripping with compelling characters/plot.
While the violence and sex are limited the scenes are shocking, cold and provoking. Evil joy in torture.

[Erik Graff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though billed as being racy, an unmemorable science fiction novel also published as Bloodworld by the multi-pseudonymous Laurence Mark Janifer.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

The original title "You Sane Men" is much better, but this pulp edition with lurid cover is the one I read.