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Rogue in Space
He had no name, no language, no friends. He had not been born and he could not multiply. He had just 'Happened' - an accidental combination of atoms that could think and learn and do a lot of incredible things. He had floated free in space for billions of years, for all he knew he was the only living thing in the Universe. So when he met three human beings wrangling and bickering in their funny-looking space ship, his whole life changed. Because he suddenly knew that he could make them do anything he wanted.
163 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
5 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Fredric Brown
807 books354 followersFredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was one of the boldest early writers in genre fiction in his use of narrative experimentation. While never in the front rank of popularity in his lifetime, Brown has developed a considerable cult following in the almost half century since he last wrote. His works have been periodically reprinted and he has a worldwide fan base, most notably in the U.S. and Europe, and especially in France, where there have been several recent movie adaptations of his work. He also remains popular in Japan.
Never financially secure, Brown - like many other pulp writers - often wrote at a furious pace in order to pay bills. This accounts, at least in part, for the uneven quality of his work. A newspaperman by profession, Brown was only able to devote 14 years of his life as a full-time fiction writer. Brown was also a heavy drinker, and this at times doubtless affected his productivity. A cultured man and omnivorous reader whose interests ranged far beyond those of most pulp writers, Brown had a lifelong interest in the flute, chess, poker, and the works of Lewis Carroll. Brown married twice and was the father of two sons.
Never financially secure, Brown - like many other pulp writers - often wrote at a furious pace in order to pay bills. This accounts, at least in part, for the uneven quality of his work. A newspaperman by profession, Brown was only able to devote 14 years of his life as a full-time fiction writer. Brown was also a heavy drinker, and this at times doubtless affected his productivity. A cultured man and omnivorous reader whose interests ranged far beyond those of most pulp writers, Brown had a lifelong interest in the flute, chess, poker, and the works of Lewis Carroll. Brown married twice and was the father of two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 28, 2021
Rogue in Space is a very entertaining and amusing science fiction novel by Brown, who was much better known for his short fiction and mystery novels. It's perhaps his most satiric work, and features a rather unlikable and perhaps untrustworthy protagonist. It's an extremely fast-paced and complexly plotted story, and features a most unusual alien creation.It's perhaps a bit dated now, but still a fun read in the context of its time.
March 3, 2018
Rogue In Space by Fredric Brown is a fairly enjoyable sci-fi adventure about a criminal involved with a politician who arranges his "escape" from prison to do a job for him on Mars.
Other reviewers have called the book sexist; I didn't see that. The protagonist is a misogynist, as well as a prude and homophobic. This is established several times and the reason given. But the main female character is intelligent, competent, and has an important role in the intrigue. Other characters are criminals and portrayed realistically for the time the book was written. The protagonist's misogyny is an important plot element to be resolved by the science fiction element introduced along the way -- and I can't say more without spoiling it.
The novel is well-written compared to other science fiction of it's time, the 1950s. The characters flaws and development, and relationships, are tied in with the fantastic elements, which is good science fiction.
Other reviewers have called the book sexist; I didn't see that. The protagonist is a misogynist, as well as a prude and homophobic. This is established several times and the reason given. But the main female character is intelligent, competent, and has an important role in the intrigue. Other characters are criminals and portrayed realistically for the time the book was written. The protagonist's misogyny is an important plot element to be resolved by the science fiction element introduced along the way -- and I can't say more without spoiling it.
The novel is well-written compared to other science fiction of it's time, the 1950s. The characters flaws and development, and relationships, are tied in with the fantastic elements, which is good science fiction.
October 17, 2024
Rating: 3.5
December 6, 2017
Crag, un incallito delinquente per vocazione, si ritrova a un bivio: sottoporsi a una tecnologia giudiziaria che lo trasformerà in un conformista rispettoso della legge o aiutare un uomo politico ambizioso a mettere a segno un’incredibile furto su Marte.
Non fatico a capire come sia possibile che Rogue in Space sia ancora portato di palmo di mano in Italia mentre altrove viene considerato quantomeno un “problematic fave”. Vagabondo dello spazio è pura fantascienza della golden age statunitense: superuomo protagonista (anche se qui in veste di super canaglia), enorme inventiva ma stile narrativo abbastanza rozzo, talvolta sbrigativo; l’incubo degli integralisti del show don’t tell.
Come protagonista Crag è tanto geniale quanto misogino, omofobo e frigido, senza che Brown o la nuova postfazione di Giuseppe Lippi suggeriscano mai non dico una critica, ma un vaga ironia nei riguardi della sua posizione estrema in materia di sesso, donne e società civile.
Il romanzo, frutto della rielaborazione di un racconto breve e del suo sequel, propone come rimedio alla sfrenata corruzione e alla cupidigia di denaro e sesso degli Stati Uniti degli anni ’50 (?) il ritorno a una vita dove nulla di ciò che è piacevole si conquista facilmente.
In questo affresco dalla morale già discutibile le donne sono un ostacolo, gli omosessuali sculettano birichini e le persone sono "disgustosamente" impegnate a soddisfare le proprie perversioni.
Possibile che non ci fossero romanzi vittima di tagli e censure nell’epoca Fruttero e Lucentini da ristampare più rilevanti per il lettore del 2017? No, non per il lettore medio di Urania che di questo tipo di romanzi e di visioni del mondo ha nostalgia .
Non fatico a capire come sia possibile che Rogue in Space sia ancora portato di palmo di mano in Italia mentre altrove viene considerato quantomeno un “problematic fave”. Vagabondo dello spazio è pura fantascienza della golden age statunitense: superuomo protagonista (anche se qui in veste di super canaglia), enorme inventiva ma stile narrativo abbastanza rozzo, talvolta sbrigativo; l’incubo degli integralisti del show don’t tell.
Come protagonista Crag è tanto geniale quanto misogino, omofobo e frigido, senza che Brown o la nuova postfazione di Giuseppe Lippi suggeriscano mai non dico una critica, ma un vaga ironia nei riguardi della sua posizione estrema in materia di sesso, donne e società civile.
Il romanzo, frutto della rielaborazione di un racconto breve e del suo sequel, propone come rimedio alla sfrenata corruzione e alla cupidigia di denaro e sesso degli Stati Uniti degli anni ’50 (?) il ritorno a una vita dove nulla di ciò che è piacevole si conquista facilmente.
In questo affresco dalla morale già discutibile le donne sono un ostacolo, gli omosessuali sculettano birichini e le persone sono "disgustosamente" impegnate a soddisfare le proprie perversioni.
Possibile che non ci fossero romanzi vittima di tagli e censure nell’epoca Fruttero e Lucentini da ristampare più rilevanti per il lettore del 2017? No, non per il lettore medio di Urania che di questo tipo di romanzi e di visioni del mondo ha nostalgia .
March 14, 2021
In the opening chapter of this quick sci-fi tale, Fredric Brown makes out like a floating space rock that developed consciousness will be the focal point of the story. He says, "He was a piece of rock a little over a mile in diameter, floating free in space . . . He was aware, and an entity." And while this particular accident of biology does play a pivotal role in the story, it's far less present than one might imagine. Nevertheless, this still might be my favorite book ever about "a thinking rock, a sentient planetoid."
For most of the book's length, the story concerns a self-destructive criminal named Crag who gets framed for possession of an illegal drug. Soon after he is taken in, he learns that the judge and the judge's wife, who is a technician for the psycher, a lobotomizing treatment for the worst criminals, want him to help them steal a disintegrator that can evaporate things. Since it only works from less than two feet away, and slowly at that, the inventor thinks it is worthless, but the judge has other plans in mind for this new invention.
There is lots of fun to be had with characters double crossing each other and the plot getting involved enough to obscure where it was going. But the fun goes beyond the plot to the details of the futuristic world, which are decently well thought out with at least some seemingly accurate predictions for the twenty-third century: people wearing almost no clothes and advertisements being blasted directly into people's ears, for instance. Still, there is that same awkward mix of twentieth century comportment and advanced technology that the original Star Trek had on display (how convenient that the beehive hairdo came back in style when the show was set). Here, phone booths and outdated phrases like "if you're on the level" (and some unfortunate homophobia) sit side by side with trips to Mars and heat rays. Fortunately, this is as endearing as it is distracting.
Built into the whole affair is a message about how to live life and that it may be different for every person. By the end, Crag discovers this for himself and begins following his own path, moving to his own beat, singing to his own tune, etc. etc. More importantly, readers discover that in Crag's finally branching out and doing what he wants, he becomes the real "rogue in space."
For most of the book's length, the story concerns a self-destructive criminal named Crag who gets framed for possession of an illegal drug. Soon after he is taken in, he learns that the judge and the judge's wife, who is a technician for the psycher, a lobotomizing treatment for the worst criminals, want him to help them steal a disintegrator that can evaporate things. Since it only works from less than two feet away, and slowly at that, the inventor thinks it is worthless, but the judge has other plans in mind for this new invention.
There is lots of fun to be had with characters double crossing each other and the plot getting involved enough to obscure where it was going. But the fun goes beyond the plot to the details of the futuristic world, which are decently well thought out with at least some seemingly accurate predictions for the twenty-third century: people wearing almost no clothes and advertisements being blasted directly into people's ears, for instance. Still, there is that same awkward mix of twentieth century comportment and advanced technology that the original Star Trek had on display (how convenient that the beehive hairdo came back in style when the show was set). Here, phone booths and outdated phrases like "if you're on the level" (and some unfortunate homophobia) sit side by side with trips to Mars and heat rays. Fortunately, this is as endearing as it is distracting.
Built into the whole affair is a message about how to live life and that it may be different for every person. By the end, Crag discovers this for himself and begins following his own path, moving to his own beat, singing to his own tune, etc. etc. More importantly, readers discover that in Crag's finally branching out and doing what he wants, he becomes the real "rogue in space."
July 9, 2025
I’ve always really like Fredric Brown, a great mystery and sci fi writer who always had a great sense of humor and a clever mind. This isn’t the best I’ve read from him, but it’s still entertaining.
The main downside might be that there’s more setup to all the space and alien stuff than there is payoff. The stuff we get in space and the concepts about it are interesting, just not enough of it. Still entertaining enough.
The main downside might be that there’s more setup to all the space and alien stuff than there is payoff. The stuff we get in space and the concepts about it are interesting, just not enough of it. Still entertaining enough.
September 8, 2024
This is a really cool sci-fi book from the 70s that I picked up from a used book store. It was really interesting to read some contemporary sci-fi from that time and see how advanced a lot of the science was even then. The book was quite dark and existential but it paired that really well with a lot of action and political espionage thriller vibes. The main character, Crag, is one of the most interesting and complex broken characters I’ve read about which kept me locked in the whole time.
3.5/5 Rogues
3.5/5 Rogues
September 15, 2024
Good solid Brown SF.
July 21, 2018
review of
Fredric Brown's Rogue in Space
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - July 21, 2018
Alright, Fredric Brown #5 for me. I love imagination. This has got it aplenty. & there's even a happy romantic ending when the turtle turns out to be cursed by the magician coffee blender & gets restored to her birthright as a rock. The PREMISE:
"Call him by no name, for he had no name. He did not know the meaning of name, or of any other word. He had no language, for he had never come into contact with any other living being in the billions of light-years of space that he had traversed from the far rim of the galaxy, in the billions of years that it had taken him to make that journey. For all he knew or had ever known he was the only living being in the universe.
"He had not been born, for there was no other like him. He was a piece of rock a little over a mile in diameter, floating free in space. There are myriads of such small worlds but they are dead rock, inanimate matter. He was aware, and an entity. An accidental combination of atoms into molecules had made him a living being. To our present knowledge such an accident has happened only twice in infinity and eternity; the other such event took place in the primeval ooze of Earth, where carbon atoms formed sentient life that multiplied and evolved." - p 1
Yes, the idea of having a rock be sentient appeals to me. Yes, I find it funny that the main humanoid character is a man named "Crag" & that he's a misogynist:
"He sat on the cot and waited. Why did it have to be a woman who'd been assigned to help him? He hated women, all women. And this one had dared to sound amused, and condescending." - p 18
Of course, this being the future n'at, advertising has gotten to be even more intrusive:
"Vocoads blared in his ears. Eat at Stacey's, wear Trylon, visit the House of Strange Pleasures, use Cobb's dentifrice, visit Madam Blaine's, drink Hotsy, use Safe and be safe, travel Panam, buy, drink, visit, use, buy." - p 23
You can tell this isn't really the future b/c an ad uses the word "dentifrice". In the real future, all ads will serve the purpose of dumbing down the population thru vocabulary reduction. All presidents will be named Rump. All musical groups will be "bands", all forms of music will be "songs", all writing will be "stories", all lies will be "news". To quote from an interview w/ ME:
"People "are what they eat" - if one is limited by a narrow nutritional range, one is also limited by a narrow vocabulary range. CONTROL, a subject long since cliché to me but still important anyway, manifests itself by the narrow nutrition of the vocabulary of its subject body. Bombard the populace with a small vocabulary & said populace will have a limited range of interpretive tools, a large private library can become "hoarding" rather than a sign of profound research. Rebels subvert the narrowness of vocabulary with meaning-reversals (bad = good), deliberate 'mispronunciations' that become signifiers of local difference (n'at), & puns.. AND, of course, a bigger, more personal, hand-picked, mind-picked vocabulary." - http://idioideo.pleintekst.nl/Intervi...
Crag doesn't want to display his family jewels to the enemy, woman — but, HEY!, this is the 23rd century & such prudishness is a thing of the past. That's how we know this is the 23rd century b/c it's definitely NOT a thing of the past here in the 21st:
"Crag growled. "If she's got to stay, give me something to put on. I won't be looked at that way."
"Oliver's face stiffened a bit but he said, "There are robes in that closet. But you're being ridiculous, Crag. These are not Victorian times. This is the twenty-third century."" - p 33
1837 to 1901 is called Victorian era b/c that was when Queen Victoria was alive. The speaker implying the prudishness of this time has obviously never read The Pearl. Crag is being ridiculous, tho. Even if he has a woody it's proof that he can be hired as a dowsing rod or match maker. All kinds of exciting things happen & the next thing you know Crag is the 1st other sentient being that the asteroid communicates w/. That's way more special than losing one's virginity:
""The gravity is artificial, Crag," said the voice inside his mind. "About the strength of that of your native planet. Would you prefer a lesser one, like that of the fourth planet, the one you think of as Mars?"" - p 88
In the future, all smart & sexy phones will be able to act like dimmer switches on local gravity. If you pay the $40,000 for the app version that just came out yesterday but is obsolete before you can even download it you can show off to the anonymous person you're having sex in the shower w/ by making the water stop falling at nipple level. Of course, the novelty will wear off before yr partner can even switch the orgasm toggle.. if they care to bother.
""The Luxor regrets that you did not care for the girls. Or for the bellboy, in the ordinary way. But we deem it a privilege to serve guests with extraordinary tastes. We can supply children of either sex, elderly people . . . If, as your treatment of the boy might indicate, you prefer your satisfaction through the infliction of pain, we have a choice selection of very special equipment. And people in all categories who are willing, at a price, to submit to—ah—whatever you prefer."
""Any category?" Crag asked.
""Any, Sir. The Luxor prides itself on being able to please."
"Crag said, "I like hotel managers. You might drop up yourself sometimes. And bring a corkscrew."" - p 106
This novel was published in 1957. "Luxor": "As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-air museum", as the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the River Nile, lie the monuments, temples and tombs of the West Bank Necropolis, which includes the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens." ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor ) Readers might think that the use of "Luxor" as a hotel name that caters to kinky tastes is inspired by the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. However, that hotel wasn't built until 25 yrs after the bk. This is PROOF that SF predicts the future:
"Ground was broken for the Luxor in March 1992 and the resort officially opened at 4 AM on October 13, 1993, to a crowd of 10,000 people. When it opened, the pyramid, which cost $375 million to build, was the tallest building on the strip and contained 2,526 rooms and a 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) casino. The resort was financed by “petty cash” earned from other Circus Circus Enterprises properties and did not include any outside financial investors. The hotel's pyramid is similar in size to the Red Pyramid and Bent Pyramid of Egypt.
"A theater and two additional towers totaling 2,000 rooms were added in 1998 for $675 million.When the resort opened, it featured the Nile River Tour which was a river ride that carried guests to different parts of the pyramid and passed by pieces of ancient artwork on a river that encircled the casino. The casino also featured King Tut’s Tomb and Museum, a duplicate of King Tutankhamen’s tomb as found in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt.
"On May 7, 2007, a vehicle exploded in a Luxor Hotel parking garage due to a home-made pipe bomb which left one dead. Local authorities believe the victim, a 24-year-old employee at Nathan's Famous hot dog restaurant in the Luxor food court, was the intended target. The hotel was not evacuated, operations continued uninterrupted, and the parking structure as well as the casino were undamaged. Two men were found guilty of the bombing, and in 2010 were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
"In July 2007, owner MGM Resorts International announced plans to thoroughly renovate the Luxor, spending $300 million to remodel 80% of Luxor's public areas, removing much of the ancient Egyptian theme and replacing it with more adult-oriented and modern lounges, restaurants and clubs."
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_L...
One doesn't have to search far in SF for imaginings of harsh drugs of the future. The question is: Who'll use them 1st? The Mafia or the government? I'd put my money on the government:
"There was no future in selling nephthin because it didn't build any repeat trade; you could sell only one dose to a customer because it killed him within twenty hours. It put him into a state of ecstacy for a while that was more intense by a hundred times than any other drug could achieve, and then put him in a berserker rage in which he went out and killed as many people as he could before being killed himself. If he wasn't killed, if he was caught and restrained instead, he died just the same—but still in ecstacy, no matter what was done to him." - p 116
I believe in a healthy drug-free lifestyle of berserkerism. Far be it from me to ask the obvious question but Why not just get the planet to do it for you?:
"["]We need living quarters. That ship's too crowded and has too little privacy for five people to live in long. It's crowded, even for four. We've got to start on some adobe huts—small ones will do at first; we can build decent ones later."" - p 158
Eventually, they'll build adobe photo shops. Then comes the money shot. Amen.
Fredric Brown's Rogue in Space
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - July 21, 2018
Alright, Fredric Brown #5 for me. I love imagination. This has got it aplenty. & there's even a happy romantic ending when the turtle turns out to be cursed by the magician coffee blender & gets restored to her birthright as a rock. The PREMISE:
"Call him by no name, for he had no name. He did not know the meaning of name, or of any other word. He had no language, for he had never come into contact with any other living being in the billions of light-years of space that he had traversed from the far rim of the galaxy, in the billions of years that it had taken him to make that journey. For all he knew or had ever known he was the only living being in the universe.
"He had not been born, for there was no other like him. He was a piece of rock a little over a mile in diameter, floating free in space. There are myriads of such small worlds but they are dead rock, inanimate matter. He was aware, and an entity. An accidental combination of atoms into molecules had made him a living being. To our present knowledge such an accident has happened only twice in infinity and eternity; the other such event took place in the primeval ooze of Earth, where carbon atoms formed sentient life that multiplied and evolved." - p 1
Yes, the idea of having a rock be sentient appeals to me. Yes, I find it funny that the main humanoid character is a man named "Crag" & that he's a misogynist:
"He sat on the cot and waited. Why did it have to be a woman who'd been assigned to help him? He hated women, all women. And this one had dared to sound amused, and condescending." - p 18
Of course, this being the future n'at, advertising has gotten to be even more intrusive:
"Vocoads blared in his ears. Eat at Stacey's, wear Trylon, visit the House of Strange Pleasures, use Cobb's dentifrice, visit Madam Blaine's, drink Hotsy, use Safe and be safe, travel Panam, buy, drink, visit, use, buy." - p 23
You can tell this isn't really the future b/c an ad uses the word "dentifrice". In the real future, all ads will serve the purpose of dumbing down the population thru vocabulary reduction. All presidents will be named Rump. All musical groups will be "bands", all forms of music will be "songs", all writing will be "stories", all lies will be "news". To quote from an interview w/ ME:
"People "are what they eat" - if one is limited by a narrow nutritional range, one is also limited by a narrow vocabulary range. CONTROL, a subject long since cliché to me but still important anyway, manifests itself by the narrow nutrition of the vocabulary of its subject body. Bombard the populace with a small vocabulary & said populace will have a limited range of interpretive tools, a large private library can become "hoarding" rather than a sign of profound research. Rebels subvert the narrowness of vocabulary with meaning-reversals (bad = good), deliberate 'mispronunciations' that become signifiers of local difference (n'at), & puns.. AND, of course, a bigger, more personal, hand-picked, mind-picked vocabulary." - http://idioideo.pleintekst.nl/Intervi...
Crag doesn't want to display his family jewels to the enemy, woman — but, HEY!, this is the 23rd century & such prudishness is a thing of the past. That's how we know this is the 23rd century b/c it's definitely NOT a thing of the past here in the 21st:
"Crag growled. "If she's got to stay, give me something to put on. I won't be looked at that way."
"Oliver's face stiffened a bit but he said, "There are robes in that closet. But you're being ridiculous, Crag. These are not Victorian times. This is the twenty-third century."" - p 33
1837 to 1901 is called Victorian era b/c that was when Queen Victoria was alive. The speaker implying the prudishness of this time has obviously never read The Pearl. Crag is being ridiculous, tho. Even if he has a woody it's proof that he can be hired as a dowsing rod or match maker. All kinds of exciting things happen & the next thing you know Crag is the 1st other sentient being that the asteroid communicates w/. That's way more special than losing one's virginity:
""The gravity is artificial, Crag," said the voice inside his mind. "About the strength of that of your native planet. Would you prefer a lesser one, like that of the fourth planet, the one you think of as Mars?"" - p 88
In the future, all smart & sexy phones will be able to act like dimmer switches on local gravity. If you pay the $40,000 for the app version that just came out yesterday but is obsolete before you can even download it you can show off to the anonymous person you're having sex in the shower w/ by making the water stop falling at nipple level. Of course, the novelty will wear off before yr partner can even switch the orgasm toggle.. if they care to bother.
""The Luxor regrets that you did not care for the girls. Or for the bellboy, in the ordinary way. But we deem it a privilege to serve guests with extraordinary tastes. We can supply children of either sex, elderly people . . . If, as your treatment of the boy might indicate, you prefer your satisfaction through the infliction of pain, we have a choice selection of very special equipment. And people in all categories who are willing, at a price, to submit to—ah—whatever you prefer."
""Any category?" Crag asked.
""Any, Sir. The Luxor prides itself on being able to please."
"Crag said, "I like hotel managers. You might drop up yourself sometimes. And bring a corkscrew."" - p 106
This novel was published in 1957. "Luxor": "As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-air museum", as the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the River Nile, lie the monuments, temples and tombs of the West Bank Necropolis, which includes the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens." ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor ) Readers might think that the use of "Luxor" as a hotel name that caters to kinky tastes is inspired by the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. However, that hotel wasn't built until 25 yrs after the bk. This is PROOF that SF predicts the future:
"Ground was broken for the Luxor in March 1992 and the resort officially opened at 4 AM on October 13, 1993, to a crowd of 10,000 people. When it opened, the pyramid, which cost $375 million to build, was the tallest building on the strip and contained 2,526 rooms and a 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) casino. The resort was financed by “petty cash” earned from other Circus Circus Enterprises properties and did not include any outside financial investors. The hotel's pyramid is similar in size to the Red Pyramid and Bent Pyramid of Egypt.
"A theater and two additional towers totaling 2,000 rooms were added in 1998 for $675 million.When the resort opened, it featured the Nile River Tour which was a river ride that carried guests to different parts of the pyramid and passed by pieces of ancient artwork on a river that encircled the casino. The casino also featured King Tut’s Tomb and Museum, a duplicate of King Tutankhamen’s tomb as found in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt.
"On May 7, 2007, a vehicle exploded in a Luxor Hotel parking garage due to a home-made pipe bomb which left one dead. Local authorities believe the victim, a 24-year-old employee at Nathan's Famous hot dog restaurant in the Luxor food court, was the intended target. The hotel was not evacuated, operations continued uninterrupted, and the parking structure as well as the casino were undamaged. Two men were found guilty of the bombing, and in 2010 were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
"In July 2007, owner MGM Resorts International announced plans to thoroughly renovate the Luxor, spending $300 million to remodel 80% of Luxor's public areas, removing much of the ancient Egyptian theme and replacing it with more adult-oriented and modern lounges, restaurants and clubs."
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_L...
One doesn't have to search far in SF for imaginings of harsh drugs of the future. The question is: Who'll use them 1st? The Mafia or the government? I'd put my money on the government:
"There was no future in selling nephthin because it didn't build any repeat trade; you could sell only one dose to a customer because it killed him within twenty hours. It put him into a state of ecstacy for a while that was more intense by a hundred times than any other drug could achieve, and then put him in a berserker rage in which he went out and killed as many people as he could before being killed himself. If he wasn't killed, if he was caught and restrained instead, he died just the same—but still in ecstacy, no matter what was done to him." - p 116
I believe in a healthy drug-free lifestyle of berserkerism. Far be it from me to ask the obvious question but Why not just get the planet to do it for you?:
"["]We need living quarters. That ship's too crowded and has too little privacy for five people to live in long. It's crowded, even for four. We've got to start on some adobe huts—small ones will do at first; we can build decent ones later."" - p 158
Eventually, they'll build adobe photo shops. Then comes the money shot. Amen.
July 11, 2015
Frederic Brown wrote some good novels, such as Martians Go Home, and some fine short stories. Unfortunately, this is not one of his best efforts, or even a very good one. Crag is a rogue human, a criminal on the run. When he is set up for transporting a dangerous drug, his judge, Olliver, offers him a deal: go into the psyched and have his memory wiped, or become Olliver's partner in crime, and venture to Mars to steal a dangerous weapon. Of course, not all is what it seems, though it's not far off, and mostly the book telegraphs what's going to happen, right down to the end. Kind of original in some ways, much of it is quite a hack -- note the names of Crag and Olliver; Brown has the annoying habit here of trying to make the world seem futuristic by using normal names, but changing their spelling by one letter; Olliver's wife's name is Judeth, for example. Still, it gets 2 stars instead of 1 because there's something energetic about the Crag character, and the nameless alien character that pulls you through the book. And: it's short, and makes me remember fondly the days of 175 page science fiction novels.
March 10, 2019
This was pure Fredric Brown. Science Fiction style. Mr. Brown was adept at both mystery and science fiction. He was a master of humor and the plot twist.
This novel involved an unknown alien life form that thought it was alone in the cosmos and had spent millenium cruising the universe. It had become sentient somehow and had never seen any other sentient beings, so had no concept of alone or birth or death. That is until he sensed Crag and two others out in the asteroid belt.
The story starts with Crag, a unrepentant criminal, already arrested awaiting trial. He was looking at death or a mindswipe. At his trial the judge, with a scheme of his own, tells Crag that he can save him if he agrees to help the judge. Crag agrees. It was the judges plan that led Crag, the judge and the judge's wife out to the asteroid belt. There they all died. This is halfway into the novel. From there, Mr. brown takes it in a completely new direction, but even there, he is in control and the story convolutes into a satisfactory resolution.
This novel involved an unknown alien life form that thought it was alone in the cosmos and had spent millenium cruising the universe. It had become sentient somehow and had never seen any other sentient beings, so had no concept of alone or birth or death. That is until he sensed Crag and two others out in the asteroid belt.
The story starts with Crag, a unrepentant criminal, already arrested awaiting trial. He was looking at death or a mindswipe. At his trial the judge, with a scheme of his own, tells Crag that he can save him if he agrees to help the judge. Crag agrees. It was the judges plan that led Crag, the judge and the judge's wife out to the asteroid belt. There they all died. This is halfway into the novel. From there, Mr. brown takes it in a completely new direction, but even there, he is in control and the story convolutes into a satisfactory resolution.
May 5, 2017
A strange alien entity enters our Solar System, and discovers the human race. Intrigued, it decides to investigate. Meanwhile, a career criminal is caught up in a life or death struggle for his life. The two of them intersect and adventure ensues. Yes, it's the usual Brown fun, and a highly entertaining tale.
April 6, 2009
Quite possibly the worst book the otherwise brilliant Brown ever published. The only redeeming feature are the dirty song lyrics sprinkled through half the book. Why does this one get reprinted while classic Brown title like Madball languish in obscurity?
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June 21, 2009Science Fiction
October 20, 2025
I enjoyed reading this. It held my interest and pulled me along, BUT, I am really beginning to wonder about this Fredric Brown guy. His Science Fiction novels really hit some 1950’s cliches, and not the fun cliches.
For almost 99% of the book, he repeatedly says he hates women. But on the very last page he gets a brand new most beautiful woman, just constructed out of available space atoms, courtesy of a magical sentient rock he met while floating in space, that can manipulate all matter, for some reason. And guess what…she comes ready and willing to please her man (Crag, the main character)
You don’t need to explain anything to her, Crag. I put knowledge in her mind of everything that has happened. And I can tell you that she is not only willing but able…Judith was in his arms by then and Crag quit thinking or hearing thoughts in his mind. Pg. 163
And kind of like in “What Mad Universe” it ends with a 14-year boy’s fantasy. This time it is a pristine planet with a hot girl that is all over you. So the main character guy always gets the good looking girl, who also adores him.
There is a bit of Ayn Rand’s Galt’s Gulch here, except he and his girl are all alone on the new planet and will have nobody to sell his wares to. Still, it is all about the man making and doing and controlling all the resources of this cool place.
Aside from hating women, Crag reminds us he all really, really, really, hates homosexuals.
…it was obvious Holzauer & Co was a pair of homosexuals. Crag did not are for lace-trimmed panties or pink tulle jackets trimmed with leopard skin. But with time to kill he, he amused himself tearing them to shreds…he contented himself with garnishing the pile of torn cloth with confetti from torn books. Crag did not like homosexuals. Pg 27
It did cross my mind that maybe, since for all his misogyny it turns out he actually really digs women, that maybe the same would happen with some dude who shows up right behind the hot chick. And all his previous hates would then turn into loves.
But that didn’t happen.
I think I will take a break from the F. Brown science fiction for a while. The thing is, I didn’t catch any misogyny in his detective novels. Maybe the murder mystery genre brings out the humanity in the man more than science fiction…?
For almost 99% of the book, he repeatedly says he hates women. But on the very last page he gets a brand new most beautiful woman, just constructed out of available space atoms, courtesy of a magical sentient rock he met while floating in space, that can manipulate all matter, for some reason. And guess what…she comes ready and willing to please her man (Crag, the main character)
You don’t need to explain anything to her, Crag. I put knowledge in her mind of everything that has happened. And I can tell you that she is not only willing but able…Judith was in his arms by then and Crag quit thinking or hearing thoughts in his mind. Pg. 163
And kind of like in “What Mad Universe” it ends with a 14-year boy’s fantasy. This time it is a pristine planet with a hot girl that is all over you. So the main character guy always gets the good looking girl, who also adores him.
There is a bit of Ayn Rand’s Galt’s Gulch here, except he and his girl are all alone on the new planet and will have nobody to sell his wares to. Still, it is all about the man making and doing and controlling all the resources of this cool place.
Aside from hating women, Crag reminds us he all really, really, really, hates homosexuals.
…it was obvious Holzauer & Co was a pair of homosexuals. Crag did not are for lace-trimmed panties or pink tulle jackets trimmed with leopard skin. But with time to kill he, he amused himself tearing them to shreds…he contented himself with garnishing the pile of torn cloth with confetti from torn books. Crag did not like homosexuals. Pg 27
It did cross my mind that maybe, since for all his misogyny it turns out he actually really digs women, that maybe the same would happen with some dude who shows up right behind the hot chick. And all his previous hates would then turn into loves.
But that didn’t happen.
I think I will take a break from the F. Brown science fiction for a while. The thing is, I didn’t catch any misogyny in his detective novels. Maybe the murder mystery genre brings out the humanity in the man more than science fiction…?
April 18, 2024
Never read anything by Frederic Brown before. From what little I know, he wrote a lot of sci fi and crime books in the 50s and 60s. This particular book is a hybrid. It is mostly a crime story with some fantastic elements and speculative science. To me, the crime stuff reads like Donald Westlake and the speculative fiction is very Arthur C. Clarke.
An immortal space entity has been floating through space for millions of years and has only just encountered conscious life when it finds Crag. Crag is a career criminal with sociopathic issues that he has not come to terms with. He is on the brink of death when the space being restores him to full health.
I don’t want to describe more, because I don’t want to give too much away. But I enjoy the human element that I have been missing from most sci fi. Characterization is the focus here. If I can fault anything, I would say that chapters could have been dedicated to the space being. That was a missed opportunity.
An immortal space entity has been floating through space for millions of years and has only just encountered conscious life when it finds Crag. Crag is a career criminal with sociopathic issues that he has not come to terms with. He is on the brink of death when the space being restores him to full health.
I don’t want to describe more, because I don’t want to give too much away. But I enjoy the human element that I have been missing from most sci fi. Characterization is the focus here. If I can fault anything, I would say that chapters could have been dedicated to the space being. That was a missed opportunity.
November 27, 2019
Interesting (but unpleasant) main character that goes through several novels of adventures in just over 150 pages. I've heard that Brown is economical with his language. In this case I think he was too economical.
September 3, 2018
+ Lovely SF
+ Plot twists a la Fredrik Brown
- The space identity should have a bigger role
- the ending is very unrealistic, even for SF
- no dragons
+ Plot twists a la Fredrik Brown
- The space identity should have a bigger role
- the ending is very unrealistic, even for SF
- no dragons
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October 15, 2025Urania # 170 Edition.
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October 15, 2025Classici Urania Edition
October 8, 2015
One of my favorite science fiction writers, William Gibson, has commented on the difficulty of staying ahead of eve more rapidly advancing technology when trying to envision an interesting and scientifically feasible future. Science fiction writers of the 19th and 20th centuries had to face this problem, and many of their predictions inevitably fell flat. This doesn't prevent their stories from being imaginative and insightful in other ways, and aside from the momentary distraction of thinking, "But it didn't turn out that way," the reader should pass over inconsistencies and appreciate the writer rather than denigrate the failed prophet.
ROGUE IN SPACE was written in 1957 and is therefore vulnerable to the Gibson Dilemma. One encounters cigarettes that light themselves without the prediction that cigarettes would become socially and medically unacceptable, hover cars that need to be "gassed up," standard landline telephones, and neolithic attitudes toward gays and women. The story itself is a sort of crime adventure in space and uses a sentient asteroid (one of two rogues in spaces, the other being the antihero protagonist Crag--an obvious pun) as an almost deus ex machina. Brown shows a mature cynicism toward politics and human institutions: The two political parties are out for themselves, the media are in on the ongoing program to confuse the masses, and when people ultimately strike it rich, they use their money to pursue forbidden pleasures that had until then beyond their means if not their consciences. Crag's experiences with the staff of the luxury hotel on Mars are a droll commentary on human foibles, as the staff automatically assume that he will be interested in pornography and prostitutes, and go out of their way to figure out which depraved taste he needs to have sated.
If you look up Fredric Brown on Wikipedia, you will see that he was a respected and influential science fiction writer. This book was probably not his best effort, but I found that its commentary on human shortcomings and corrupt institutions was enough to offset the weaker plot elements and outdated attitudes.
ROGUE IN SPACE was written in 1957 and is therefore vulnerable to the Gibson Dilemma. One encounters cigarettes that light themselves without the prediction that cigarettes would become socially and medically unacceptable, hover cars that need to be "gassed up," standard landline telephones, and neolithic attitudes toward gays and women. The story itself is a sort of crime adventure in space and uses a sentient asteroid (one of two rogues in spaces, the other being the antihero protagonist Crag--an obvious pun) as an almost deus ex machina. Brown shows a mature cynicism toward politics and human institutions: The two political parties are out for themselves, the media are in on the ongoing program to confuse the masses, and when people ultimately strike it rich, they use their money to pursue forbidden pleasures that had until then beyond their means if not their consciences. Crag's experiences with the staff of the luxury hotel on Mars are a droll commentary on human foibles, as the staff automatically assume that he will be interested in pornography and prostitutes, and go out of their way to figure out which depraved taste he needs to have sated.
If you look up Fredric Brown on Wikipedia, you will see that he was a respected and influential science fiction writer. This book was probably not his best effort, but I found that its commentary on human shortcomings and corrupt institutions was enough to offset the weaker plot elements and outdated attitudes.
June 9, 2014
Rogue in Space is a novel about Crag, a hardened criminal who is framed and jailed for a crime he actually didn't commit (the titular rogue is not Crag, though. It is actually a sentient rock in space). That's actually just the starting point of the novel rather than its plot.
The beginning is promising, but from the novel you get the impression that Crag, although a criminal, is still one of the few people of integrity in the society. That notion is effectively undermined many a time, sometimes in completely unnecessary scenes (I'm still not sure why one scene was included), so the enjoyment of the novel rests on the fast pace of it. Unfortunately, at the middle-point of the novel the pace crashlands and what follows is the tedious, inexplicable second part of the novel.
I did get some good laughs from it, though. The political system is corrupt and consists of two parties: the communists and the fascists. Democracy is a forbidden word. Unfortunately, these bits were just throwaways.
The beginning is promising, but from the novel you get the impression that Crag, although a criminal, is still one of the few people of integrity in the society. That notion is effectively undermined many a time, sometimes in completely unnecessary scenes (I'm still not sure why one scene was included), so the enjoyment of the novel rests on the fast pace of it. Unfortunately, at the middle-point of the novel the pace crashlands and what follows is the tedious, inexplicable second part of the novel.
I did get some good laughs from it, though. The political system is corrupt and consists of two parties: the communists and the fascists. Democracy is a forbidden word. Unfortunately, these bits were just throwaways.
December 3, 2019
Gelesen als Einzelgänger des Alls
Er besaß keinen Namen, keine Sprache, keine Freunde. Ein Zufall hatte ihn erschaffen und ihm Leben gegeben. Er war seit Jahrmilliarden allein und durchstreifte das Universum. Da er auf seiner langen Wanderung keine Spuren von Leben entdeckt hatte, hielt er sich für das einzige Lebewesen im Kosmos - doch dann, eines Tages, stieß er auf eine kleine Sonne mit neun Planeten. Und im Gürtel der Asteroiden entdeckte er Crag, der ein Einzelgänger des Alls war wie er selbst ...
Um sich Crags Freundschaft zu erwerben, mußte das Wesen ohne Namen etwas tun, das niemand für möglich, hielt: einen neuen Planeten erschaffen!
Ein Fix-up von zwei stark überarbeiteten und zusammengeschusterten Geschichten von Fredric Brown. Das ist ihnen auch anzumerken, da sie irgendwie nicht wirklich zusammenpassen und damit einige Plot Holes generieren. Wenn man die zwei Storys auseinandernimmt, ist die Geschichte mit Crag und dem machthungrigen Richter gut, die mit dem empfindungsfähigen Felsen eher lächerlich.
Er besaß keinen Namen, keine Sprache, keine Freunde. Ein Zufall hatte ihn erschaffen und ihm Leben gegeben. Er war seit Jahrmilliarden allein und durchstreifte das Universum. Da er auf seiner langen Wanderung keine Spuren von Leben entdeckt hatte, hielt er sich für das einzige Lebewesen im Kosmos - doch dann, eines Tages, stieß er auf eine kleine Sonne mit neun Planeten. Und im Gürtel der Asteroiden entdeckte er Crag, der ein Einzelgänger des Alls war wie er selbst ...
Um sich Crags Freundschaft zu erwerben, mußte das Wesen ohne Namen etwas tun, das niemand für möglich, hielt: einen neuen Planeten erschaffen!
Ein Fix-up von zwei stark überarbeiteten und zusammengeschusterten Geschichten von Fredric Brown. Das ist ihnen auch anzumerken, da sie irgendwie nicht wirklich zusammenpassen und damit einige Plot Holes generieren. Wenn man die zwei Storys auseinandernimmt, ist die Geschichte mit Crag und dem machthungrigen Richter gut, die mit dem empfindungsfähigen Felsen eher lächerlich.
February 23, 2014
I enjoyed this book. Sure there are stereotypes in it that I don't like but the intensity and tenacity of some of the characters is awesome. A favorite quote:
"He remembered a book, a very old one that he had read once, about the hunting of tigers in a part of Earth once known as India; it had told of a killer tiger, a man-eater, which had terrorized an Indian province for years and killed hundreds of people. To the terrified natives it had been known as "The Moaner" because of the sound it made constantly when it prowled near a village at night. When a white hunter, the author of the book, finally killed it, he had examined the tiger and found a very old and deep-seated infection; the bone was decayed and the flesh around it rotten and pulpy. For years, every step the tiger had taken had been excrutiating agony, yet he had prowled and killed and eaten. Tigers don't commit suicide, not even with nephthin."
"He remembered a book, a very old one that he had read once, about the hunting of tigers in a part of Earth once known as India; it had told of a killer tiger, a man-eater, which had terrorized an Indian province for years and killed hundreds of people. To the terrified natives it had been known as "The Moaner" because of the sound it made constantly when it prowled near a village at night. When a white hunter, the author of the book, finally killed it, he had examined the tiger and found a very old and deep-seated infection; the bone was decayed and the flesh around it rotten and pulpy. For years, every step the tiger had taken had been excrutiating agony, yet he had prowled and killed and eaten. Tigers don't commit suicide, not even with nephthin."
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June 27, 2014Apparently a bad choice for second Fred Brown ever read. I couldn't get past the sexism and flat out gay hating, and stopped reading without getting very far into the story. It's vaguely like Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia, only not thought provoking, or much else of value.
June 3, 2012
Crag is a criminal--a violent criminal. Come to that, he's a violent, misogynist criminall facing a choice between spending twenty years on a penal colony or having his mind wiped after being framed for drug running.
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July 23, 2015
Given the age of this tale, it fits into the alternate universe category. The science and technologies are based on 1950's concepts.
That being said, it is an easy read with a decent story-line that coverages a somewhat like-able criminal with an alien intelligence. The story is no to deep and not one of Frederic Brown's best.
A good read at the beach.
That being said, it is an easy read with a decent story-line that coverages a somewhat like-able criminal with an alien intelligence. The story is no to deep and not one of Frederic Brown's best.
A good read at the beach.
June 12, 2013
Brown sapeva come deliziare i suoi lettori, e vale anche per il libro in questione, però ritengo che qui ci sia troppa azione e troppa fisicità. Che dire, apprezzo di più lo smilzo protagonista di "Assurdo universo" rispetto al superuomo de "Il vagabondo dello spazio".
March 31, 2014
Good book - hey, it's Fred Brown, so it would be, and well-written, too - but not every book from the golden age of science fiction remains brilliant. The ending is pretty guessable from fairly early in in the book, too.
May 5, 2008
This is the book that helped me realize I really don't care about F.B.'s SciFi stuff. I've been told I should read Martians Go Home but it is really low on my to read pile.
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