What do you think?
Rate this book
Ο φτερωτός άνθρωπος
Γιά τόν Γουίλλιαμ Κένλον αύτό τό ταξίδι μέ τό «Θαλασσινό φίδι» ήταν μιά άνεπανάληπτη έμπειρία. "Ενα γιγαντιαίο φτερωτό πλάσμα θά ξεχυνόταν μέσα άπό τά σκοτάδια καί θά έζωνε τό ύποβρύχιο μπροστά στά κατάπληκτα καί έντρομα μάτια του. Τό πιό άπίστευτο ήταν πώς έπρόκειτο γιά άνθρώπινο πλάσμα πού είχε μάλιστα καί κάποιο συγκεκριμένο σκοπό- ένα σκοπό πού θά έβαζε σέ μεγάλες περιπέτειες τό ύποβρύχιο καί τό πλήρωμά του. "Επειτα, τό τρομακτικό αύτό «πλάσμα» πέταξε καί, ξαφνικά, τό «Θαλασσινό Φίδι» βρέθηκε, σάν άπό μαγεία, σέ έναν άλλο κόσμο, ένα κόσμο μέσα στό μακρινό μέλλον όπου ή Γή ήταν άκατοίκητη καί ή άνθρωπότητα τόσο άλλόκοτη πού κι ό πιό εύφάνταστος νούς δέν θά μπορούσε νά πιστέψει.
"Ενα κόσμο όπου οί παράξενοι άνθρωποι-πουλιά τού άέρα πολεμούσαν μέ τούς άκόμα πιό παράξενους κατοίκους τής Θάλασσας σ' έναν άγριο καί Φριχτό πόλεμο γιά τήν τελική έπικράτηση. Καί σ' αύτή τή φοβερή καί φονική μάχη γιά έπιβίωση, οί άνθρωποι τού 20ου αίώνα — άλοίμονο — ό ζωτικός παράγοντας!
"Ενα κόσμο όπου οί παράξενοι άνθρωποι-πουλιά τού άέρα πολεμούσαν μέ τούς άκόμα πιό παράξενους κατοίκους τής Θάλασσας σ' έναν άγριο καί Φριχτό πόλεμο γιά τήν τελική έπικράτηση. Καί σ' αύτή τή φοβερή καί φονική μάχη γιά έπιβίωση, οί άνθρωποι τού 20ου αίώνα — άλοίμονο — ό ζωτικός παράγοντας!
155 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
5 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
A.E. van Vogt
648 books457 followersAlfred Elton van Vogt was a Canadian-born science fiction author regarded by some as one of the most popular and complex science fiction writers of the mid-twentieth century—the "Golden Age" of the genre.
van Vogt was born to Russian Mennonite family. Until he was four years old, van Vogt and his family spoke only a dialect of Low German in the home.
He began his writing career with 'true story' romances, but then moved to writing science fiction, a field he identified with. His first story was Black Destroyer, that appeared as the front cover story for the July 1939 edtion of the popular "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine.
van Vogt was born to Russian Mennonite family. Until he was four years old, van Vogt and his family spoke only a dialect of Low German in the home.
He began his writing career with 'true story' romances, but then moved to writing science fiction, a field he identified with. His first story was Black Destroyer, that appeared as the front cover story for the July 1939 edtion of the popular "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 1, 2011
A 20th century submarine is mysteriously transported into the far future, where it plays a vital role in the ongoing war between the Winged Men and their loathsome marine enemies. I do hope that the doughty submariners joined the right side; as Harry Harrison's
Star Smashers Of The Galaxy Rangers
wittily points out, identifying the good guys is not always as straightforward as you first think.
One memorable peculiarity of the Winged Men is that their counting system is oriented towards the number 9, so they for example say "999" where we would say "1000". My personal theory is that they are the flying descendents of supermarket checkout clerks, though I am forced to admit that there is little direct support for it in the text.
One memorable peculiarity of the Winged Men is that their counting system is oriented towards the number 9, so they for example say "999" where we would say "1000". My personal theory is that they are the flying descendents of supermarket checkout clerks, though I am forced to admit that there is little direct support for it in the text.
July 27, 2019
This book is credited to both A.E. van Vogt and his first wife, E. Mayne Hull. There are two copyright dates: 1944 and 1966 (the 1944 version appears in two parts credited to E.M. Hull: Astounding May '44 Vol.33 No.3 and June '44 Vol.33 No.4 - According to the Icshi.net site.) The 1966 date must be van Vogt's novelization of those earlier published works.
There are questions as to whether Hull actually authored to any of the works she is credited for, though this has never been confirmed to my knowledge - it remains a mystery. Prolific Campbell Jr. stable writers during the 40's and 50's did commonly use pseudonyms and such to vary names to the titles in tables of contents of Astounding.
I felt while reading the 1966 version, that it was a simple story told in a complicated fashion (typical of van Vogt's work). I would have probably preferred this in the form of a novella (even though it was not a long book - 160 pages or so). Overall, it is rather clumsily written and has the constant reflective introspective speed bumps that are typical of van Vogt's works, however, it moves along quickly and is rather enjoyable in spite of said clumsiness.
A submarine (the Sea Serpent) and its crew are abducted (along with a few other vessels from various time periods) by folks from the far distant future (when all of the landmass has since been flooded somehow by some means). By this time, there are two types of human beings: Bird-men who dwell in a hovering sky-city, and fish-men who live in a city located beneath the sea. One people aims to eradicate the other. As the bird-men have no weapons or means to build them (though they do manage to have the ability of plucking folks and heavy equipment from the past) they chose the Sea Serpent which appears to be a well armoured WWII vessel.
Lt. William Kenlon of the Sea Serpent is put in the complex position of deciding which of the peoples to side with.
And that is only the beginning.
There are questions as to whether Hull actually authored to any of the works she is credited for, though this has never been confirmed to my knowledge - it remains a mystery. Prolific Campbell Jr. stable writers during the 40's and 50's did commonly use pseudonyms and such to vary names to the titles in tables of contents of Astounding.
I felt while reading the 1966 version, that it was a simple story told in a complicated fashion (typical of van Vogt's work). I would have probably preferred this in the form of a novella (even though it was not a long book - 160 pages or so). Overall, it is rather clumsily written and has the constant reflective introspective speed bumps that are typical of van Vogt's works, however, it moves along quickly and is rather enjoyable in spite of said clumsiness.
A submarine (the Sea Serpent) and its crew are abducted (along with a few other vessels from various time periods) by folks from the far distant future (when all of the landmass has since been flooded somehow by some means). By this time, there are two types of human beings: Bird-men who dwell in a hovering sky-city, and fish-men who live in a city located beneath the sea. One people aims to eradicate the other. As the bird-men have no weapons or means to build them (though they do manage to have the ability of plucking folks and heavy equipment from the past) they chose the Sea Serpent which appears to be a well armoured WWII vessel.
Lt. William Kenlon of the Sea Serpent is put in the complex position of deciding which of the peoples to side with.
And that is only the beginning.
July 9, 2022
Dobre odcipajici knizka, zalozena na premise " clovek ze soucasnosti ( 1985 ) jakozto jediny mozny faktor k vyreseni krize budocnosti.
V tomto pripade je onim rozhodujicim faktorem nuklearni ponorka americkeho namornictva a arenou je budoucnost sveta o nejakych 3000 let pozdeji.
Jenomze Americani v Tom epickem zapase nejsou Sami. Novy obyvatele planety Zeme Rasa ptacich lidi zijicich ve vznasenicim se meste bojujicich proti rase rybich lidi zijicich v podmorskem meste spolu bojuji o nadvladu nas svou planetou, ktera je bez kontinentu.
Ptaci Rasa ovlada technologii cestovani v case !!! A pritahla proto z nejruznejsich casu dalsi Lode, (tady je duvod, proc knizce nedavam zadnych pet hvezdicek nybrz ctyri ) civilizace ovladajici cestovani v case, nedchpna sebrat v Tom spravnem case to spravne plavidlo ??!
Skrze nejruznejsi plavidla a jejich posadky ma hlavni hrdina moznost seznamit se s nejruznejsimi budoucimi filosofiemi i vyvojem lidstva / lidstvi v budoucnu stejne tak JAKO s (Ne ) sympatickymi emzaky.
Nejvice sympatickymi mi byli Cessa klan ( lod plna zen Amazonek ) a Milo muz z budoucnosti ovladajici telepaticke a telekineticke schopnosti.
Cely zapas,cela kniha by se dala shrnout do okridleneho vyroku Harryho Kissingera " totalni bezpeci jednoho naroda znamena neustale nebezpeci vsech ostatnich"
V tomto pripade je onim rozhodujicim faktorem nuklearni ponorka americkeho namornictva a arenou je budoucnost sveta o nejakych 3000 let pozdeji.
Jenomze Americani v Tom epickem zapase nejsou Sami. Novy obyvatele planety Zeme Rasa ptacich lidi zijicich ve vznasenicim se meste bojujicich proti rase rybich lidi zijicich v podmorskem meste spolu bojuji o nadvladu nas svou planetou, ktera je bez kontinentu.
Ptaci Rasa ovlada technologii cestovani v case !!! A pritahla proto z nejruznejsich casu dalsi Lode, (tady je duvod, proc knizce nedavam zadnych pet hvezdicek nybrz ctyri ) civilizace ovladajici cestovani v case, nedchpna sebrat v Tom spravnem case to spravne plavidlo ??!
Skrze nejruznejsi plavidla a jejich posadky ma hlavni hrdina moznost seznamit se s nejruznejsimi budoucimi filosofiemi i vyvojem lidstva / lidstvi v budoucnu stejne tak JAKO s (Ne ) sympatickymi emzaky.
Nejvice sympatickymi mi byli Cessa klan ( lod plna zen Amazonek ) a Milo muz z budoucnosti ovladajici telepaticke a telekineticke schopnosti.
Cely zapas,cela kniha by se dala shrnout do okridleneho vyroku Harryho Kissingera " totalni bezpeci jednoho naroda znamena neustale nebezpeci vsech ostatnich"
April 8, 2021
Hmm...reviews on here surprisingly trend lukewarm. While I won't claim that this is a great book, it's certainly an enjoyable one with a great story.
There's a deluge of painfully mediocre sci fi novellas from this era which fail miserably; the Winged Man bucks the norm.
Strong ethical/moral/philosophical undertones without being preachy or obtuse.
Nicely-paced, with a good balance of exposition and narrative.
Sound character development.
Imaginative.
There's a deluge of painfully mediocre sci fi novellas from this era which fail miserably; the Winged Man bucks the norm.
Strong ethical/moral/philosophical undertones without being preachy or obtuse.
Nicely-paced, with a good balance of exposition and narrative.
Sound character development.
Imaginative.
June 3, 2023
This short little book was a nice surprise – I found it in the antique store for just a few crowns. It was an easy summer reading, even though it’s not summer yet (already getting in the mood). Nothing complicated, an old-school classic sci-fi with aliens, other human races, time travel, technologies, and fighting.
However, the "old-schoolness" of this book didn’t come just with nostalgia. I was a bit disappointed with the stereotypical mindset towards women and machoism. Let’s say it's to be expected – the book was written in the 20th century. And it kind of fits in the story, at least for the main character who comes from the 20th century. For the other ones – could the characters from the distant future be more progressive? There is a ship with only women passengers, and we’ll find out later that in the time they come from, their men are weak and sensitive, so we can see the big change throughout the alternative future human history, but I wouldn’t call this progressive thinking. Again, the book is older, but on the other hand – not every older book is this stereotypical and uncomfortably binary-minded.
The other disturbing subject was a genocide of the race and how lightly the characters (especially) from future talked about it, like it was nothing. In fact, they talked about it just like a mere means to an end, which was, of couse, far more important than a tiny, insignificant genocide.
Also, the ending was rather too fast and too ideal to fully enjoy the climax. Overall, I enjoyed it and it was fine, it was worth the few hours of reading even despite the obvious issues, but it wasn’t anything world-beating either.
However, the "old-schoolness" of this book didn’t come just with nostalgia. I was a bit disappointed with the stereotypical mindset towards women and machoism. Let’s say it's to be expected – the book was written in the 20th century. And it kind of fits in the story, at least for the main character who comes from the 20th century. For the other ones – could the characters from the distant future be more progressive? There is a ship with only women passengers, and we’ll find out later that in the time they come from, their men are weak and sensitive, so we can see the big change throughout the alternative future human history, but I wouldn’t call this progressive thinking. Again, the book is older, but on the other hand – not every older book is this stereotypical and uncomfortably binary-minded.
The other disturbing subject was a genocide of the race and how lightly the characters (especially) from future talked about it, like it was nothing. In fact, they talked about it just like a mere means to an end, which was, of couse, far more important than a tiny, insignificant genocide.
Also, the ending was rather too fast and too ideal to fully enjoy the climax. Overall, I enjoyed it and it was fine, it was worth the few hours of reading even despite the obvious issues, but it wasn’t anything world-beating either.
July 18, 2017
Nuclear hybrid sub (has a diesel engine as well) and its crew is shanghaied into the 320th century (30 thousand years from now) by some flying humans that want them to destroy an enemy race of humans who live under water. They're not alone. A number of other vessels from other Earth eras are floating around the home of the winged humans, which floats in the air above the ocean.
There's a lot more to this, but I don't want to give away the whole plot or you won't have fun reading it.
Yes, I enjoyed reading it. And it's going back into my library to be read again sometime in the future.
There's a lot more to this, but I don't want to give away the whole plot or you won't have fun reading it.
Yes, I enjoyed reading it. And it's going back into my library to be read again sometime in the future.
October 3, 2020
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3424586.html
A WW2 submarine is brought millennia into the future to become part of a war between bird-men and fish-men (and they are mostly men, though a vessel crewed entirely by women does turn up three-quarters of the way in). The twentieth-century hero saves the day, but it's really not all that exciting.
A WW2 submarine is brought millennia into the future to become part of a war between bird-men and fish-men (and they are mostly men, though a vessel crewed entirely by women does turn up three-quarters of the way in). The twentieth-century hero saves the day, but it's really not all that exciting.
December 7, 2013
‘IT WASN’T A BIRD – BUT IT COULDN’T BE A MAN
Lt William Kenlon had watched the incredible creature circling the submarine Sea Serpent in the darkness of the night, and he could barely believe what he saw. The giant winged monster was human – and it was intent on some purpose that involved the sub and its crew.
Then the creature landed – and suddenly, impossibly, the Sea Serpent was in another world. A world of the far future, where the land was uninhabitable and humanity as Kenlon knew it had died out. A world in which the strange bird-men of the air warred with the even stranger denizens of the sea for domination. And in that bizarre battle for survival, the men from the 20th century were the vital factor!’
Blurb from the 1977 Sphere paperback edition
van Vogt’s collaboration with his wife, E Mayne Hull, is rather more successful than some of his later novels. Originally published in 1944 in a shorter form by EMH, this expanded version (set during the Korean War, rather than presumably WWII in the original) was published in 1966.
Sailors on a military sub see a winged man attaching unknown devices to their ship. The winged man is captured, but the sub is taken twenty-five thousand years into the future to help the winged humans in their war against the gilled humans who live in the ocean.
It’s never as simple as that with van Vogt though. Several other ships from various times in Earth’s history have been summoned to the future, and most of them want the sub to kill the sea-people so that they can all be on their way.
Thrown into the plot is a ship full of alligator people who planned to take over the Earth before the Winged Men hoiked their craft into the future.
Kenyon, thrown into command of the ship after the Captain is kidnapped by sea-men, is pressured from all sides to take action of some sort.
However, being one of van Vogt’s logical heroes, Kenyon manages to deal with various crises and eventually solve the problem to everyone’s satisfaction (apart from the alligator people who, being alligator people, were just begging to be exterminated.)
Far more accessible than some of his solo work, this is a very interesting piece, although it is hard to determine how much of this is pure E Mayne Hull without reading the original short.
Psychologists will no doubt rejoice in the news that van Vogt’s penchant for phallic symbolism remains unabated, with the submarine itself, the cigar-shaped vessel of the Yaz (the alligator people) and a plethora of cylindrical objects and weapons throughout the narrative. This is in contrast to the domes and pyramid shapes of the cities of the sea-men and bird-men. The Dome of the sea-men is the city which everyone (except the council of the bird-men) is begging Kenyon to penetrate with his big torpedoes.
At one point the submarine is taken over by a group of Amazons who are protected from a neural comatising effect by nullifiers in their clothes, Thus Kenyon has to strip them all naked after they were rendered unconscious by a chance lack of oxygen.
Am I reading too much into the text? I suspect not. van Vogt makes an interesting study in terms of gender issues in the mid Twentieth century, maintaining until the last a conviction of the alien nature of female thinking.
Lt William Kenlon had watched the incredible creature circling the submarine Sea Serpent in the darkness of the night, and he could barely believe what he saw. The giant winged monster was human – and it was intent on some purpose that involved the sub and its crew.
Then the creature landed – and suddenly, impossibly, the Sea Serpent was in another world. A world of the far future, where the land was uninhabitable and humanity as Kenlon knew it had died out. A world in which the strange bird-men of the air warred with the even stranger denizens of the sea for domination. And in that bizarre battle for survival, the men from the 20th century were the vital factor!’
Blurb from the 1977 Sphere paperback edition
van Vogt’s collaboration with his wife, E Mayne Hull, is rather more successful than some of his later novels. Originally published in 1944 in a shorter form by EMH, this expanded version (set during the Korean War, rather than presumably WWII in the original) was published in 1966.
Sailors on a military sub see a winged man attaching unknown devices to their ship. The winged man is captured, but the sub is taken twenty-five thousand years into the future to help the winged humans in their war against the gilled humans who live in the ocean.
It’s never as simple as that with van Vogt though. Several other ships from various times in Earth’s history have been summoned to the future, and most of them want the sub to kill the sea-people so that they can all be on their way.
Thrown into the plot is a ship full of alligator people who planned to take over the Earth before the Winged Men hoiked their craft into the future.
Kenyon, thrown into command of the ship after the Captain is kidnapped by sea-men, is pressured from all sides to take action of some sort.
However, being one of van Vogt’s logical heroes, Kenyon manages to deal with various crises and eventually solve the problem to everyone’s satisfaction (apart from the alligator people who, being alligator people, were just begging to be exterminated.)
Far more accessible than some of his solo work, this is a very interesting piece, although it is hard to determine how much of this is pure E Mayne Hull without reading the original short.
Psychologists will no doubt rejoice in the news that van Vogt’s penchant for phallic symbolism remains unabated, with the submarine itself, the cigar-shaped vessel of the Yaz (the alligator people) and a plethora of cylindrical objects and weapons throughout the narrative. This is in contrast to the domes and pyramid shapes of the cities of the sea-men and bird-men. The Dome of the sea-men is the city which everyone (except the council of the bird-men) is begging Kenyon to penetrate with his big torpedoes.
At one point the submarine is taken over by a group of Amazons who are protected from a neural comatising effect by nullifiers in their clothes, Thus Kenyon has to strip them all naked after they were rendered unconscious by a chance lack of oxygen.
Am I reading too much into the text? I suspect not. van Vogt makes an interesting study in terms of gender issues in the mid Twentieth century, maintaining until the last a conviction of the alien nature of female thinking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2015
Το πρώτο βιβλίο του Α. Ε. Βαν Βογκτ που περνάει στη λίστα με τα διαβασμένα, και μπορώ να πω ότι σε γενικές γραμμές μου άρεσε. Σίγουρα έχει μια πρωτότυπη ιδέα, αν και θα μπορούσε να εκτελεστεί λίγο καλύτερα.
Ένα αμερικάνικο ατομικό υποβρύχιο του 20ου αιώνα, μεταφέρεται στο 24.999 μ.Χ. με κάτι μηχανισμούς ενός φτερωτού ανθρώπου! Η Γη έχει αλλάξει τελείως. Υπάρχουν οι φτερωτοί άνθρωποι που ζουν σε μια πόλη σε σχήμα πυραμίδας στον αέρα, και υπάρχουν και οι άνθρωποι - ψάρια, που ζουν σε μια πόλη μέσα στο βυθό της θάλασσας. Λοιπόν, το ατομικό υποβρύχιο του 20ου αιώνα δεν είναι το μόνο σκάφος που μεταφέρθηκε στο μέλλον. Υπάρχουν και άλλα σκάφη, από άλλες εποχές και άλλους πολιτισμούς, που μεταφέρθηκαν στο μέλλον, σε εκείνο το σημείο του πλανήτη, για τον ίδιο σκοπό. Όμως μόνο το ατομικό υποβρύχιο ήταν ικανό για τον σκοπό που ήθελαν οι φτερωτοί άνθρωποι, τελικά. Ή οι άνθρωποι - ψάρια...
Τέλος πάντων, πολύ ενδιαφέρον θέμα, ωραίες σκηνές, ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες και πολύ καλή γραφή.
Ένα αμερικάνικο ατομικό υποβρύχιο του 20ου αιώνα, μεταφέρεται στο 24.999 μ.Χ. με κάτι μηχανισμούς ενός φτερωτού ανθρώπου! Η Γη έχει αλλάξει τελείως. Υπάρχουν οι φτερωτοί άνθρωποι που ζουν σε μια πόλη σε σχήμα πυραμίδας στον αέρα, και υπάρχουν και οι άνθρωποι - ψάρια, που ζουν σε μια πόλη μέσα στο βυθό της θάλασσας. Λοιπόν, το ατομικό υποβρύχιο του 20ου αιώνα δεν είναι το μόνο σκάφος που μεταφέρθηκε στο μέλλον. Υπάρχουν και άλλα σκάφη, από άλλες εποχές και άλλους πολιτισμούς, που μεταφέρθηκαν στο μέλλον, σε εκείνο το σημείο του πλανήτη, για τον ίδιο σκοπό. Όμως μόνο το ατομικό υποβρύχιο ήταν ικανό για τον σκοπό που ήθελαν οι φτερωτοί άνθρωποι, τελικά. Ή οι άνθρωποι - ψάρια...
Τέλος πάντων, πολύ ενδιαφέρον θέμα, ωραίες σκηνές, ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες και πολύ καλή γραφή.
August 7, 2023
Aug 06, 2023
The Winged Man
by A.E van Vogt and E. Mayne Hull
1980 Grade A
2023 Grade A-
This has a rather good SciFi story but has become a little dated in technology and prose. It was written in 1944 by Hull for the periodical 'Astounding Science Fiction.' The story was expanded by van Vogt for novelization in 1966. I doubt the expansion helped a lot except to provide a new audience and more income to the copyright holders. The prose became a little too internalized and repetitive at the end, and I used light speed reading. But I did enjoy the story and it is still on my OK to read again list.
Ships from various eras are transported to 25000 AD to solve the battle between the remaining two factions of humans on a damaged earth. Only the XO of the 1950s era earth submarine can solve the problem.
The Winged Man
by A.E van Vogt and E. Mayne Hull
1980 Grade A
2023 Grade A-
This has a rather good SciFi story but has become a little dated in technology and prose. It was written in 1944 by Hull for the periodical 'Astounding Science Fiction.' The story was expanded by van Vogt for novelization in 1966. I doubt the expansion helped a lot except to provide a new audience and more income to the copyright holders. The prose became a little too internalized and repetitive at the end, and I used light speed reading. But I did enjoy the story and it is still on my OK to read again list.
Ships from various eras are transported to 25000 AD to solve the battle between the remaining two factions of humans on a damaged earth. Only the XO of the 1950s era earth submarine can solve the problem.
June 7, 2018
Starts slow but then has some of teh awesomest scenes later on I have ever read. The dude from liek 12,000 years in the future who takes on was it croodile aliens with mad forces n pwoers u cant understand si outa control awesome one of my fav characters now. I think overall plot was kinda backdrop for some awesome fights.....coulda been a bit tighter and definitly not at the silie or battle fo forever or isher level but medium vogt is 1000 mile sboave all other scifi outside fo jack vance michael moorcock robert e howard or steve perry conan really maybe bacl company 1-4 come close
July 16, 2017
https://searchtheskyblog.wordpress.co...
The Winged Man is an expanded version of Edna Mayne Hull’s short story of the same name, published back in ‘Astounding Science Fiction’ during 1944.
The book begins with Lieutenant Kenlon of the nuclear submarine USS Sea Serpent spotting a giant bird miles from the land out in the pacific. It soon turns out not to be a bird, but a winged man who affixes a device to the hull that catapults the submarine and its crew 25,000 years into the future. The continents have been turned into a gooey mush and the world is now populated by the winged men, who live in a floating city above the sea, and the mermen, who live in an undersea dome.
The two species are at war and the mermen are winning. Using a tractor beam recovered from a sunken city they are (for no obvious reason, except perhaps to salvage it for parts) slowly dragging the floating city down toward the sea. Terrified, the winged men have used technology provided to them by their ‘council’ to bring back seven oceangoing craft from the past that may be able to destroy the mermen. The USS Sea Serpent is the oldest of these craft, and only when the mermen are destroyed will they be allowed home.
Is this a stretched interpretation? Probably. But I’d be interested to read the original E. Mayne Hull short story which is probably more parable and less cavorting between ships. The book has been justly criticised by others for its late climax and it is worth saying that I was definitely expecting more than I got from all the inter-ship action. Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading some of this, and there is much to be said for expectatory pleasure. Even if I do expect that the ‘original’ will probably turn out to be better.
Over at my blog I gave it 3.25/5.00
The Winged Man is an expanded version of Edna Mayne Hull’s short story of the same name, published back in ‘Astounding Science Fiction’ during 1944.
The book begins with Lieutenant Kenlon of the nuclear submarine USS Sea Serpent spotting a giant bird miles from the land out in the pacific. It soon turns out not to be a bird, but a winged man who affixes a device to the hull that catapults the submarine and its crew 25,000 years into the future. The continents have been turned into a gooey mush and the world is now populated by the winged men, who live in a floating city above the sea, and the mermen, who live in an undersea dome.
The two species are at war and the mermen are winning. Using a tractor beam recovered from a sunken city they are (for no obvious reason, except perhaps to salvage it for parts) slowly dragging the floating city down toward the sea. Terrified, the winged men have used technology provided to them by their ‘council’ to bring back seven oceangoing craft from the past that may be able to destroy the mermen. The USS Sea Serpent is the oldest of these craft, and only when the mermen are destroyed will they be allowed home.
Is this a stretched interpretation? Probably. But I’d be interested to read the original E. Mayne Hull short story which is probably more parable and less cavorting between ships. The book has been justly criticised by others for its late climax and it is worth saying that I was definitely expecting more than I got from all the inter-ship action. Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading some of this, and there is much to be said for expectatory pleasure. Even if I do expect that the ‘original’ will probably turn out to be better.
Over at my blog I gave it 3.25/5.00
January 2, 2024
This is a wildly wacky setting: a mixed-up war in which several water vessels from various widely disparate times have been transported to the future by a race of winged subhumans looking for someone to fight their war for them, because they really suck at it.
This is the kind of weirdness that van Vogt normally excels at, but he barely scratches the surface of the possibilities here. This should be a lot more fun than it is.
It doesn’t help that protagonist Lt. William Kenlon (I’m not sure anything other than “Mr. Kenlon” appears in the text; I got “Lt. William” from the back-cover blurb), second-in-command of the Korean-war era nuclear submarine The Sea Serpent, spends most of his time thinking about the implications of everything he’s surprised about, which, in a situation as strange as this, takes up most of the book. In other books, Kenlon’s thoughts would be merely an excuse to data dump to the reader and get us to the action more quickly, but in Kenlon’s case his silent reveries are always used advantageously by the other people he encounters. Usually, this means that the only “action” that takes place is Kenlon being captured, giving up, or letting opportunities pass until it’s too late. It rapidly becomes very frustrating, especially once Kenlon takes command.
The Sea Serpent is heavily in demand because the winged men really didn’t know what they were doing: the rest of the vessels they stole from the past weren’t designed for war. There’s a royal transport, an industrial repair and demolition ship (the next closest to a war vessel, but not designed for things that fight back), a sportsman’s fishing ship, and various others that would be spoilers. Which means that despite being the least technologically advanced vessel, The Sea Serpent stands the best chance of helping the winged men—and thus allowing everyone else to go back home. No one else seems to care about being shanghaid into killing a whole bunch of people.
That, also, is never really developed, despite being a pretty cool set up.
When Kenlon does finally come up with a solution, it is handled as quickly as possible, probably to hide the fact that if you think too much about it it is profoundly barbaric in the long run, ostensibly in order to not be barbaric in the short run. That, too, could have been developed a lot more.
This is the kind of weirdness that van Vogt normally excels at, but he barely scratches the surface of the possibilities here. This should be a lot more fun than it is.
It doesn’t help that protagonist Lt. William Kenlon (I’m not sure anything other than “Mr. Kenlon” appears in the text; I got “Lt. William” from the back-cover blurb), second-in-command of the Korean-war era nuclear submarine The Sea Serpent, spends most of his time thinking about the implications of everything he’s surprised about, which, in a situation as strange as this, takes up most of the book. In other books, Kenlon’s thoughts would be merely an excuse to data dump to the reader and get us to the action more quickly, but in Kenlon’s case his silent reveries are always used advantageously by the other people he encounters. Usually, this means that the only “action” that takes place is Kenlon being captured, giving up, or letting opportunities pass until it’s too late. It rapidly becomes very frustrating, especially once Kenlon takes command.
The Sea Serpent is heavily in demand because the winged men really didn’t know what they were doing: the rest of the vessels they stole from the past weren’t designed for war. There’s a royal transport, an industrial repair and demolition ship (the next closest to a war vessel, but not designed for things that fight back), a sportsman’s fishing ship, and various others that would be spoilers. Which means that despite being the least technologically advanced vessel, The Sea Serpent stands the best chance of helping the winged men—and thus allowing everyone else to go back home. No one else seems to care about being shanghaid into killing a whole bunch of people.
“The United States Navy does not engage in private wars regardless of inducement. It obeys orders and defends itself when attacked.”
That, also, is never really developed, despite being a pretty cool set up.
When Kenlon does finally come up with a solution, it is handled as quickly as possible, probably to hide the fact that if you think too much about it it is profoundly barbaric in the long run, ostensibly in order to not be barbaric in the short run. That, too, could have been developed a lot more.
April 6, 2021
La adăpostul întunericului, pasărea trecu rapid pe lângă submarin de la un capăt la altul al acestuia, zburând razant aproape la nivelul punţii şi la aproximativ zece metri spre babord. Era uriaşă, iar Kenlon, care îi zări înaintarea pe fundalul cerului înnorat, întoarse capul şi o urmări cum se îndepărta, schimbându-şi traiectoria, în zborul ei rapid spre nord-vest.
Kenlon îl privi întrebător pe maistrul timonier Reichert, care era ocupat cu aparatura electronică de direcţionare. Însă acesta nu părea să fi observat ciudata pasăre care trecuse pe lângă ei. Kenlon îşi îndreptă din nou privirea spre direcţia în care se dusese pasărea. Spuse, abia şoptit:
— Nu-i bună direcţia, păsărico! Dacă vrei să supravieţuieşti, nu spre Tokyo trebuie să zbori. De fapt…
Se opri încruntat. Ce ciudat, îşi spuse. Scoase telefonul din cutia lui impermeabilă.
— Aici Tedders, se auzi vocea locotenentului Tedders.
— Eu joc un joc, spuse Kenlon, şi nu mai pot ţine socoteală ca lumea. La ce distanţă ne aflăm de uscat?
— M-aţi trezit din somn, domnule, din cel mai adânc somn de care am avut parte de câteva săptămâni, spuse Tedders pe un ton plin de indignare.
Kenlon zâmbi satisfăcut. Între membrii echipajului se instituise un pariu, care urma să fie câştigat de acela dintre ei care, atunci când avea să fie trimis să-l trezească pe Tedders pentru ceva important, avea să-l găsească dormind. Ofiţerul de pe submarinul Sea Serpent avea incredibila aptitudine de a se trezi cu câteva secunde înainte de a fi sunat.
Kenlon îl privi întrebător pe maistrul timonier Reichert, care era ocupat cu aparatura electronică de direcţionare. Însă acesta nu părea să fi observat ciudata pasăre care trecuse pe lângă ei. Kenlon îşi îndreptă din nou privirea spre direcţia în care se dusese pasărea. Spuse, abia şoptit:
— Nu-i bună direcţia, păsărico! Dacă vrei să supravieţuieşti, nu spre Tokyo trebuie să zbori. De fapt…
Se opri încruntat. Ce ciudat, îşi spuse. Scoase telefonul din cutia lui impermeabilă.
— Aici Tedders, se auzi vocea locotenentului Tedders.
— Eu joc un joc, spuse Kenlon, şi nu mai pot ţine socoteală ca lumea. La ce distanţă ne aflăm de uscat?
— M-aţi trezit din somn, domnule, din cel mai adânc somn de care am avut parte de câteva săptămâni, spuse Tedders pe un ton plin de indignare.
Kenlon zâmbi satisfăcut. Între membrii echipajului se instituise un pariu, care urma să fie câştigat de acela dintre ei care, atunci când avea să fie trimis să-l trezească pe Tedders pentru ceva important, avea să-l găsească dormind. Ofiţerul de pe submarinul Sea Serpent avea incredibila aptitudine de a se trezi cu câteva secunde înainte de a fi sunat.
July 25, 2017
This was first published in 1967 - when I was a lot younger than I now am! - and it shows. Not so much in the story, as in the attitudes and assumptions of the writer(s) (A.E. van Vogt, from an original short story by E Mayne Hull).
The attitude towards women for example seems almost medieval, which shows how much things have changed in my lifetime. But you could argue that it was entirely in keeping for the characters!
Strangely, while speculating on the possibilities of science thousands of years in the future, the author didn't seem to have much idea about how things worked in his own time. Or did the earliest atomic submarines really have auxiliary diesel engines? They do turn out to be an essential part of the plot, so perhaps Van Vogt just skipped a few awkward details at that point!
And, in spite of the imperfections, it is a great story, with some wonderfully visualised future worlds and civilisations. It also has a very serious ethical dilemma at its heart: the atomic submarine USS Sea Serpent is kidnapped into the far future, where its 20th century weapons can effect the balance of power in a war between two species of human beings. But should they take sides - and if so, which one?
A short but absorbing read from one of the masters of science fiction's golden age.
The attitude towards women for example seems almost medieval, which shows how much things have changed in my lifetime. But you could argue that it was entirely in keeping for the characters!
Strangely, while speculating on the possibilities of science thousands of years in the future, the author didn't seem to have much idea about how things worked in his own time. Or did the earliest atomic submarines really have auxiliary diesel engines? They do turn out to be an essential part of the plot, so perhaps Van Vogt just skipped a few awkward details at that point!
And, in spite of the imperfections, it is a great story, with some wonderfully visualised future worlds and civilisations. It also has a very serious ethical dilemma at its heart: the atomic submarine USS Sea Serpent is kidnapped into the far future, where its 20th century weapons can effect the balance of power in a war between two species of human beings. But should they take sides - and if so, which one?
A short but absorbing read from one of the masters of science fiction's golden age.
June 10, 2020
3.5-4 stars. The earlier version published in Astounding Science Fiction 1944 has van Vogt's wife, E. Mayne Hull as the co-author - there are very some changes between this and the original (the sub is now atomic and updated to the Korean era, the other out-of-time ships are different and have roles to play, etc.). This is an ingenious timey wimey space opera. An American submarine is patrolling (skulking) about the Pacific, when the watch officer, Kenlon, spots what looks like a large bird. He reports it to his commanding officer, who comes topside in time for the arrival of a winged man who has affixed devices on the bow and stern. And lo, the submarine is transported thirty thousand years into the future to a world without land where there is a conflict between the winged men and the fishmen (descendants of the humans). The sub isn't the only vessel out of time. The winged men have visited multiple timelines in search of a vessel that can attack the fishmen's underwater city. After the sub's commander is kidnapped by the fishmen, Kenlon is in charge and must make the decisions whether to ally with the other vessels and do the winged men's bidding. Interestingly, one of the vessels is from the Clen period when women ruled; Kenlon's reactions to the women's strength makes it perfectly clear that van Vogt/Hull is not a feminist. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (52 in 2020 "set in the future") and the 2020 Hugo nomination (Retro Best Novel 1944).
June 27, 2019
Van Vogt is a frequently fascinating golden age author. He is at his best in shorter forms, and his novels can be problematic. The Winged Man is problematic. The central idea is vintage Van Vogt. Potential warships from various eras of mankind are hijacked by winged descendant of mankind in a far future era where all landmasses are uninhabitable mud. The winged men are under attack by the fishmen, descendants of mankind engineered to live in the oceans, and the winged men need a submarine to destroy the city of the fishmen. In addition, a massive enigmatic ship may be crewed by aliens intend on colonizing the Earth. A WWII era submarine seems to be the solution to the problem. The scenario is full of potential that is only partially realized--the plot seems to limp along. However, this is still an entertaining and quick read. I suspect that the shorter magazine version was better paced.
January 15, 2020
The Winged Man was serialized in Astounding Science Fiction, May-June 1944, with the byline E. Mayne Hull. There's some debate as to how much of it was actually written by A.E. van Vogt. He is credited as the co-writer on this first hardback edition from Doubleday in 1966. This edition is clearly a revision of the original serial; for example, it contains a reference to the Korean War. Unfortunately, it doesn't update the inherent sexism of the serial.
The story itself meanders around with unmemorable characters. The protagonist is a typical John Campbell, Jr. super-competent military man who finds himself entangled in a war between super-advanced aliens but manages to save the day anyway. There are a few good ideas buried in the book, but they aren't enough to make it very interesting.
The story itself meanders around with unmemorable characters. The protagonist is a typical John Campbell, Jr. super-competent military man who finds himself entangled in a war between super-advanced aliens but manages to save the day anyway. There are a few good ideas buried in the book, but they aren't enough to make it very interesting.
February 12, 2023
A winged man sends a whole submarine of navy soldiers forward into the future to help them with their war. The story’s main character Kenlon is thrust in a leadership role after his commander is taken by sea while in the future. So we follow Kenlon through his investigation process of trying to figure out how the future ended up the way it did and whether he should help out these winged men with their war or find a more reasonable solution. I really thought this book was very well written. The main character was likable and it was easy to read.
August 17, 2017
The bizarre situation this submarine crew finds itself in had me interested for a while, but that didn't last. The end battle became too much magic and not enough science.
It was also very disappointing that the elephant in the room was never even addressed:
It was also very disappointing that the elephant in the room was never even addressed:
June 19, 2020
Really quick read that was like watching a long episode of the Twilight Zone mixed with season one of Star Trek. Interesting what-if future scenario of Earth through the ages to come. Heavy with 60's American sitcom English and pretty blatantly sexist. If you can stomach that then at the very least it won't take up too much of your time. Mainly wanted to see why Philip K Dick was inspired by this guy.
October 12, 2023
A. E. Van Vogt is both an imaginative writer, and a writer who can quickly make a simple scenario gripping. The basic premise of the book is quite far-fetched. While this isn't my favourite book of his, it is nonetheless entertaining.
December 28, 2018
A submarine crew,time travel,alien races at war
September 4, 2019
Perhaps my favorite of A.E.'s works, it is imaginative, and is both of and free of the 1940s which spawned all of A.E.'s ideas.
September 16, 2019
This book is a lot, in spite of being only 150 pages it keeps throwing concepts and ideas at you. It ends being a mess but a readable one and I appreciate the ambition that went into.
May 15, 2009
I read the first couple chapters of this, and wasn't really impressed with where it was going. It wasn't that it was bad, it wasn't. But it wasn't particularly good either. Definitely not one of Vogt's better works.
Read
December 13, 2007N/A
February 12, 2023
A US submarine get transferred to a future world. The crew gets involved into a local war. Some good twists, just an OK story.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews