The Mightiest Machine

Aarn Munro #1

by John W. Campbell Jr.

A million light-years from Earth, one solitary experimental spaceship floated amidst a vast fleet of strange starships, hurtled into the unmapped void by a revolutionary new concept in space mechanics!

Genres: Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction (later called Analog Science Fiction and Fact), from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.

Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in science fiction ever, and for the first ten years of his editorship he dominated the field completely."

As a writer, Campbell published super-science space opera under his own name and moody, less pulpish stories as Don A. Stuart. He stopped writing fiction after he became editor of Astounding.

Known Pseudonyms/Alternate Names:

Don A. Stuart
Karl van Campen
John Campbell
J. W. C., Jr.
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell

Reviews

[Charles Owen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book in a used bookstore. I've seen the John W. Campbell award and knew that he is considered one of the greats of Science Fiction, but I had not read anything by him previously. So, I picked up this copy, from the 1950's, complete with a cigarette ad. I was not impressed.

On the one hand, the writing is not really that good. I'll admit it is a fun romp in many ways, but there is never a problem that can't be solved by some new technology they just pull out of nowhere on a moments notice. Unarmed spaceship confronted by highly advanced evil bad-guy (literally demons) aliens? Invent weapons on the fly (including the main weapon based on a technology they claimed earlier in the book could not be used as a weapon). Too far from the sun to use the charging beam? Invent faster than light travel. The book is full of these instant inventions that solve every problem and are much more advanced than the knowledge of a very old and advanced space-going race. Sure, it's fun, but it's often cringe-worthy.

But what really astounded me was both the blatant racism and the total acceptance of genocide as a solution to problems. Campbell indicates that the good-guy aliens actually came from Earth, as did the bad guys as well, Some that did not manage to escape into space after a war with the bad guy devil aliens crashed back onto earth. Only the ones who crashed in Europe remained pure, while those who crashed in Africa and other areas bred with the locals and were clearly inferior. It is an interesting look into the racist attitudes of the era.

There are two planets at war, our ancient relatives and the devil-appearing bad-guys. The only solution ever considered is complete annihilation of the other species. They end up using a moon to completely destroy their planet and ships to eliminate any that may try to escape. Never once is the idea of negotiations even remotely considered. Completely genocide is considered a perfectly reasonable idea with no discussion at all. It is assumed that they are evil and must be destroyed. After all, they look like devils.

[Evan Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as the Golden Age of Science Fiction is lionized, The Mightiest Machine highlights the weaknesses of Campbell's model more than its strengths. This is a work written under the assumption that science fiction readers were, by and large, science and engineering enthusiasts, and so it is the story of three intrepid scientist engineers (or perhaps engineering scientists) who create a new form of space travel which is explained in very great detail. Perhaps the majority of text in this book is in the form of technical explanations of what's happening, and it's very dry and runs together a lot if you're not really into this stuff. (And since there's obviously some handwaving and psuedo-science involved- otherwise we'd have this technology by now- it's not really educational either, since you can't tell where the hard science ends unless you already know this.)

As others have mentioned, there's also an uncomfortable subtext here. There's a casual acceptance of genocide as an acceptable solution to intergalactic war, even as one of the "good guys" suggests that both species are acting according to their natures and neither is really evil. This was written in 1935 so perhaps someone like Campbell did not understand what this kind of extermination looked like in real life, and the work has the kind of casual amorality common to adventure fiction of the time- the heroes don't so much make positive moral choices so much as go with what they think the story needs them to do. Still an opportunity was missed here, and one wonders if the author regretted some choices when this was republished in the late 1940s. One hopes, at least.

The book is quite imaginative, and there are some interesting images to be gleaned from the text. But they're presented amidst a mass of uninspired and clunky prose, and the result is slow going despite its brevity. Not a bad book, but one I was eager to be done with.

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading the biography I thought I should try one of his books. This was the only one I found in my collection. Translated and obviously shortened by Walter Ernsting. Well... 3 Earth men help a race of aliens to fight some devils.

[Reece]

Review:
(did not finish)
The Mightiest Machine was another recent pickup from John K. King Books, which I found during my last visit to Detriot. I was drawn to it by the cover art and back cover and decided to pick it up and bring it home. I can’t tell when my copy was printed, but the first copyright listed is 1935. Campbell himself seems to have gotten the copyright back in 1947. It is an old book, for sure. I ultimately couldn’t get past the first 17 pages. I tried to give it a start but got bogged down for two reasons: first, the book stuck me as very slow and mainly seemed to be a discussion between a handful of scientists of different inventions and technological development, and second, it was so old, I didn’t find the scientific discussions incredibly relevant or exciting. I suppose I could have pushed through, and maybe I’ll return to it someday, but I wanted to read something I was more excited about.

[Tex-49 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Il primo 25% tutto speso per speigare particolari tecnici di invenzioni e teorie del protagonista, poi il resto del romanzo ne è comunque infarcito; per ogni necessità in pochi minuti ecco pronta una nuova invenzione o un nuovo marchingegno o arma strabiliante. Se fosse stato ridotto a poche pagine, giusto per narrare solo gli eventi e la guerra tra i due popoli, uno o due voti in più poteva guadagarli. Mentre invece avrebbe dovuto sviluppare un po’ meglio la storia delle origini terrestri di questi alieni.

[Daniel R. Chisholm Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, John Campbell doesn't disappoint, a must read from the golden age of science fiction. If you're a fan of this genre of pulp Science Fiction, put it on your list of "want to read", the story is good, Campbell's writing is flawless as usual. I enjoy reading what science thought way back when versus what science is today. The negative aspects of the story is the blatant racism mentioned when comparing the ancient human societies along with the notion that total genocide is a functional solution.

[Jeff Greason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took several tries for me to get in to this classic Campbell space opera. Campbell’s rare fiction is very much of the period it is in — superscience heroes of the E.E. Smith mold and just enough plot to string the science together. But the science is pretty good for its day and this had merit once I got in to it. A dated but good pre-1939 read.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this early work from one of the pillars of sci-fi. Can see how he contributed to the development of the genre as a whole. Looking forward to finding some more.

[Mariia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great many details about technologies used, but not very exciting story..

[Luke Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like zany old sci-fi, you will likely enjoy this. Nothing quite like seeing how people imagined the future in the 1930’s.

[Karmakosmik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scritto nel lontano 1934, I Figli di Mu è il primo libro della trilogia dedicata al geniale scienziato gioviano ideato nella mente di Campbell. Sicuramente ad animae lo scrittore americano c'è una fede totale nei riguardi del progresso scientifico e nella razionalità umana, a cui si aggiunge un continuo dilungarsi in assurde, e spesso tediose, spiegazioni scientifiche delle invenzioni di Aarn (eh lo so, sono un chimico\fisico di professione). Ma non è quello il difetto maggiore di questo libro, quanto questa esasperata ricerca del verosimile a tutti i costi (probabilmente dettato da spinte culturali dell'epoca), che fa' a cazzotti con il fantastico e l'immaginario dettato dai classici stilemi della space opera. Quello che quindi difetta Campbell è una mancanza di equilibrio tra questi due fattori, che invece si trova in tanti altri scrittori dell'epoca (per esempio Marooned On Mars appena letto da poco, pur con i suoi difetti di trama, fa' emergere molto bene quella voglia di esplorazione e ricerca (anche ingenua per carità) tipica di quel periodo. Passando al personaggio principale, Aarn Murno è semplicemente antipatico e spocchioso, quasi un ideale di superuomo, possente fisicamente e dotato di un ingegno strabiliante, al limite del patetico, ma dotato di scarsa (anzi praticamente assente) empatia umana, e la distruzione totale dei Tefflani e della loro cultura, per una guerra scoppiata millenni e millenni prima per una causa non meglio identificata, ne è un terribile esempio. Insomma, pur non essendo un libro di qualità eccelsa, mi ha però indotto a molte riflessioni ed il motivo per cui ci metto un paio di stellette come rating...ovviamente ora si passa subito al secondo volume!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, nostalgic read (if nostalgic science fiction isn't too much of an oxymoron?). It worked for me better the other time I read it probably around 40 years ago, when I wouldn't have noticed as much such things as no female characters, the unlikely concept of one person making several major scientific and technological breakthroughs all by himself, and almost no remorse for what amounts to an act of genocide.

Still, I enjoyed it in a "guilty pleasure" sort of way, and if you enjoy "golden era" sci-fi, it might be worth a look -- plus it's not very long.

[Steven Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

John W. Campbell, Jr was a giant in the field of Science Fiction. You'll have to take that on faith, though, if this is all you've seen of his work. By the standards of any era, this is weak storytelling. The characters are flat and interchangeable, the prose has no emotional power, the plot is a jumble. It must have sold purely on its ideas, which, by 2014 standards, just ain't that interesting. And yet, within a few years of publishing this novel, this guy would be editing Heinlein. It boggles the mind.

[Edward Rosenfeld]

I remember reading this in 1972, the Ace editiion, I enjoyed it and did not really pay much attention to the bad points. It was from the 30's and showed all the bad points of 1930's scifi....It was a fun romp.
What is really important about John W. Campbell Jr. was not his writing, but his work as editor of Astonishing (later Analog) magazine and his pushing of some of the best and brightest Scifi writers of the 40's 50's and 60's...this is where JWC shined....

[Witek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first few pages are confusing because it's difficult to understand what this book is about, but when it gets going it gets really good. It's a classic old-time space war sci-fi but written in an amusing and interesting way. Very good!

[bluetyson]

isbn,original

[Federico · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Incredible Planet
The Infinite Atom

[Jonathan Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great pulp space opera. Old school hard science fiction; momentum wave packets, magnetic monopoles, etc.