The Forgotten Planet / Contraband Rocket

by Murray Leinster, G. Harry Stine, Lee Correy (Pseudonym)

THE FORGOTTEN PLANET is a world where the Terraforming stopped too soon. Result: insects evolved to human size plus. Non-chlorophyll plants also prospered and killed off the trees and grasses, then evolved into hugeness themselves. You would not expect a shipload of people stranded on such a world to survive, but humans are stubborn and resourceful. This is the story of their many-times descendants, and it's a great one.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

see also:
Will F. Jenkins
William Fitzgerald Jenkins

Murray Leinster was a nom de plume of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an award-winning American writer of science fiction and alternate history. He wrote and published over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.

An author whose career spanned the first six decades of the 20th Century. From mystery and adventure stories in the earliest years to science fiction in his later years, he worked steadily and at a highly professional level of craftsmanship longer than most writers of his generation. He won a Hugo Award in 1956 for his novelet “Exploration Team,” and in 1995 the Sidewise Award for Alternate History took its name from his classic story, “Sidewise in Time.” His last original work appeared in 1967.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of the fun for me in reading Ace Doubles is the pleasure of sampling science fiction written by people who had different perspectives and views from those of writers today. This is most obvious in the plot-driven nature of the novels, in which character development takes a back seat (if not escorted out of the room altogether) in favor of the premise and the resulting action. It's also interesting to read them as artifacts reflecting the concerns of their times, which may seem dated and quaint to us today but were very real to them. In that respect their very datedness can make them worthwhile reading.

This datedness emerges in ways that are not as quaint or appealing, however, as most of these novels about the future embody the social attitudes of the authors' time. This was especially evident in the latest pair I read, which offered two very different adventures. The first one was G. Harry Stine's Contraband Rocket. Published under Stine's pseudonym "Lee Corey"), it's about a group of near-future rocket enthusiasts who decide to refurbish a decommissioned rocket and travel to the moon. As a rocket engineer who played a major role in model rocketry, Stine's novel captures well the passion of a group of enthusiasts for the dream of flying in space and makes for interesting for this reason alone. Yet Stine's subplot, in which the wife of one of the central characters leaves him over his obsession with the project, absolutely grates today. What could have added a sense of emotional drama becomes instead a vehicle for taking some Scientology-esque digs at psychiatry (in Stine's future, divorce proceedings are a pretense for court-mandated brainwashing) culminating in an end in which the wife realizes that it's really her problem and not his. Once again, the Fifties-era patriarchy emerges triumphant.

Ironically, the issue of datedness was less evident in the other novel, even though it was the older of the two works. Murray Leinster's The Forgotten Planet was a fix-up of three short stories two of which were written in the early 1920s. In it a terraforming project is unintentionally abandoned midway through its centuries-long process due to a lost record, leaving a planet seeded by Terran plants and insects that without the presence of other animals grow unchecked. After a space liner crashes on the planet, the savage descendants of its survivors must cope with swarms of foot-long ants, wasps the size of sofas, and spiders that would barely fit comfortably in a garage. Like the writers of the "big-bug" movies of the 1950s Leinster glosses over the impossibility of insect physiology at that size, preferring to focus on his tale of a human (male, of course), who gradually rediscovers the value of tools and leads his tribe to survival. It's a gripping adventure (if a bit monotonous) but it ends with a casual embrace of hunting that is increasing at odds with our ethical development today. Like Stine Leinster is reflecting the attitudes of his class and time, but it's still jarring to see supposedly advanced humans embrace the slaughtering of unique species so eagerly.

[Peter Longworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Forgotten Planet" by Murray Leinster is a classic science fiction novel that was first published in 1954. The book is set in a future where humanity has spread out into the stars and encounters an abandoned planet that holds secrets from a long-forgotten civilization.

Strengths:

Leinster's writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making the book a quick and enjoyable read.

The concept of a forgotten planet and the mysteries it holds is intriguing and keeps the reader interested throughout the book.

The characters are well-developed and have unique personalities, adding depth to the story.

The themes of exploration, discovery, and the consequences of our actions are handled in a thought-provoking and relevant way, even after nearly 70 years since its initial publication.

Weaknesses:

The science and technology in the book may seem outdated to modern readers, as our understanding and advancements in science and technology have progressed significantly since the 1950s.

The pacing of the story may seem slow at times, with certain sections feeling drawn out and lacking in action.

The resolution of the story may not be to the taste of all readers, as it feels somewhat abrupt and unsatisfying.

In conclusion, "The Forgotten Planet" is a well-written science fiction novel that still holds up today. While some of its elements may seem dated, the story's themes and characterizations are timeless. Overall, this book is definitely worth reading for fans of classic science fiction and those interested in exploring the genre's roots.

[Jeff Greason · Rating 5 out of 5]

First a word of praise for the old ‘Ace Doubles” format. They provided a mass media forum for novellas, and so many good SF stories lend themselves to that length.

Forgotten Planet is a well done ‘lost colony’ adventure story. Murray Leinster is a fine author and he treats the situation ably. The resulting story is enjoyable if not especially distinguished (and Leinster seems not to have heard of the square-cube scaling relationship, so it is not especially realistic)

But ‘Contraband Rocket’ was a gem. I would have known the author’s work without a byline. In life, Harry Stine (‘Lee Correy’) was a practicing rocketeer at White Sands, and a pioneer in developing a regulatory regime allowing for model rocketry to fluorish. His lecture on the subject helped inspire my interest in space regulation and the need to tend it — because left alone it will grow without limit.

The story is realistic in the technical flavor, in the group dynamics, and in the way the regulatory interactions proceed. Outstanding even today

[Zalman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among all the F & SF books and magazines I read and accumulated as a teenager, I recall having dozens of these two-sided Ace Science Fiction editions that you could buy for, like, 35 cents at the local drug or department stores. Some of them I simply appropriated from my mom, who had lots of this stuff on her shelves as far back as I can remember. I remember Leinster's "Forgotten Planet" as one novel I particularly enjoyed reading when I was around 12 or so. Wouldn't be surprised if I still had it in a box somewhere.

[bluetyson]

The Forgotten Planet by Murray Leinster (2000)

[SciFiOne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ace Double Novel D146
Contraband Rocket by Lee Correy grade A+ 1983.
Forgotten Planet by Murray Leinster grade B 1983.

Merged review:

Grade A+
Ace Double Novel D146

Merged review:

Ace Double Novel D146
Contraband Rocket by Lee Correy grade A+ 1983.
Forgotten Planet by Murray Leinster grade B 1983.