Hijack

by Wellen Edward

Big deal at Cape Canaveral. Nobody knew what it was, but it was big- and college-trained Nick Tallant drew the assignment of finding out what was in it for the Mafia. He gathered in all the information he had, put a statistical genius to work on it, and got the answer...the end of the world. But Nick was an angle player-and he knew there must be one somewhere, if only he could find it in time...

Genres: Science Fiction

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Mark Cofta]

This 1970 novel was recommended by the late Harlan Ellison in one of his many essays, so I searched for it and found a paperback. Wellen's clipped style and outrageous plot twists remind me of Ellison. Hijack is a quick, fun read about the Mafia's attempt to steal a doomsday ship being built in orbit to take 5000 people to another star system because the sun's about to go nova. A great read for those who like their science fiction mixed with good old-fashioned hard-boiled thriller style, if you can find another copy. You can't have mine!

[Nicole Ercolini]

Il plot twist finale ci sta, ma nel complesso rimane una storia un poco frettolosa nella sua realizzazione. Apprezzo la soluzione pensata per liberarsi del problema della mafia, ma non sono convinta che sia risolutiva...e se poi decidono di tornare?

[Professor]

I received this as a birthday gift and it took me about a year and a half to read. Why? Well, partly because I kept losing it, and partly because it is really not all that good. Up until the end, the idea of the mob hijacking a desperate emergency space program designed to save the elite from a supernova is preposterous, but it might have been enjoyably so with a stronger sense of humor (there is one, of course, a character is named Al Dente for crying out loud!) or perhaps a more exciting and detailed description of how the plan comes off. Instead we get time devoted to largely unimportant mob squabbles. In the end, when it becomes apparent that this is all a plan by the government to get rid of the mob-which honestly, makes absolutely no sense and is even more unbelievable than the idea the mob could succeed and successfully start a space colony! I think a more clearly satirical take on the subject matter, or maybe one with an actual antagonist-maybe a Bond type, especially as the battle at the end comes right out of Connery era Bond-would have worked better. As it is it is still a fascinating historical artifact and will probably remain your only chance to see 60s Mafia stereotypes occupy Cape Canaveral.