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The Blue Atom / The Void Beyond
Ace Double D-322, containing the novel THE BLUE ATOM and a short story collection, THE VOID BEYOND, by the same author. Stories The Void Beyond;
Refuge For Tonight;
The Challenge;
The Weapon;
The Stubborn Men;
The Final Frontier
Refuge For Tonight;
The Challenge;
The Weapon;
The Stubborn Men;
The Final Frontier
- GenresScience Fiction
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
14 people want to read
About the author
Robert Moore Williams
225 books10 followersThe prolific author Robert Moore Williams published more than 150 novels and short stories under his given name as well as a variety of pseudonyms including John S. Browning, H.H. Harmon, Robert Moore, Russell Storm and E.K. Jarvis.
Williams was born in Farmington, Missouri and earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He had a full-time writing career from 1937 through 1972 and cut his teeth on such publications as Amazing Stories, Fantastic Adventures, Astounding, Thrilling Wonder and Startling.
In 1955 Williams cranked out The Chaos Fighters, the first of 30 novels he would write over the next 15 years. These novels include the Jongor and ,Zanthar series. His most unusual book, however, is one that is labeled as fiction, but is actually an autobiography: Love is Forever - We Are for Tonight (Curtis 06101, 1970). In this short, 141-page work Williams presents a description of his childhood and then discusses his experimentation with hallucinogenic gasses, Dianetics and 1950s-era communes.
Williams married Margaret Jelley in 1938 and they had one child. The couple divorced in 1958. According to the Social Security Death Index, Williams died in May of 1977 in Dateland, Arizona.
Williams was born in Farmington, Missouri and earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He had a full-time writing career from 1937 through 1972 and cut his teeth on such publications as Amazing Stories, Fantastic Adventures, Astounding, Thrilling Wonder and Startling.
In 1955 Williams cranked out The Chaos Fighters, the first of 30 novels he would write over the next 15 years. These novels include the Jongor and ,Zanthar series. His most unusual book, however, is one that is labeled as fiction, but is actually an autobiography: Love is Forever - We Are for Tonight (Curtis 06101, 1970). In this short, 141-page work Williams presents a description of his childhood and then discusses his experimentation with hallucinogenic gasses, Dianetics and 1950s-era communes.
Williams married Margaret Jelley in 1938 and they had one child. The couple divorced in 1958. According to the Social Security Death Index, Williams died in May of 1977 in Dateland, Arizona.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 10, 2017
This is one of the old Ace Double books published near the dawn of the science fiction book age. Most of the Ace books had two different, but similar-in-style authors contributing a novella or short novel each. In a departure from formula, Robert Moore Williams is here the only featured author. Provided is one new novel, and for the second half a reprint of six of his better short stories.
Williams was a reasonably prolific author. In a 35-year career spanning 1937 (the date of his first short story) to 1972 (the date of his last novel), he published 19 novels and approximately 170 short stories, about 90 percent of which were science fiction. From reading descriptions and reviews of his work, and as my own reading confirms, it is possible to make a general statement about Williams' writing. He was a better short story than novel writer, and his earlier stories are better than his later ones. This 1958 book is the first of only three story collections Williams published during his lifetime, unusual for so voluminous a short story writer.
** The Blue Atom (1958) 124 pages
The novel was written for the book and in conformance with the above-stated rule is the weakest story. It starts out well enough. Someone is abducting solar system citizens. A blue light appears, people are grabbed, and the blue light disappears. It's as if they're being teleported through a hole by unknown people or aliens for reasons unknown. The de facto human leader (and protagonist) Jarr Rahmer investigates; he and his men's mission: 1) Find out who is behind the kidnappings and why. 2) Stop them and effect the return of the citizens.
Had Williams confined his story to the above mission, it would have made for a good novel. However, Williams could not be boxed in to so mundane a plot with so little at stake. the story has become so jumbled it hardly matters.
**** The Void Beyond (1951) 34 pages
Women don't go on spaceships. Some unexplained feature of their anatomy causes them to lose their sanity if they try. However, one women insists. The story recounts the result of her failure to accept no for an answer.
Many people, women in particular, I imagine, will find this tale misogynistic and hopelessly outdated. I suppose it is, but I suspended disbelief, granted the author his premises, and watched with interest to see where he would take it. The ending really worked for me.
*** Refuge for Tonight (1949) 31 pages
Set in the near future, this story is a derivation of the alien invasion and takeover of Earth story except there are no aliens and only North America is taken over by united Europeans of all people. Americans are about to develop space travel and Europeans are concerned Americans will then become too dominant. So they launch a pre-emptive strike and conquer America. Now it's up to the Resistance.
This is a familiar trope to we SF readers of the 21st century, but was fairly original for a 1949 audience. I marveled at Williams' range--this story was nothing like the other two so far--and was prepared to enjoy this take on a classic theme, but then as he did in The Blue Atom, Williams lost the thread of his story and made it about more and more people with hidden, irrelevant agendas. The scale broadened, the number of characters increased, and what was really being fought for became fuzzy. The ending was more like a beginning and answered none of the questions the story raised. It read like the first two chapters in a novel that stopped suddenly.
*** The Challenge (1950) 17 pages
This story reads a lot like a Star Trek Original Series episode, which I love. An Earth spaceship visits an alien planet, sustains damage it must fix before it can depart, but natives with superior technology insist the ship depart before repairs are made or face destruction. If the ship departs too early the crew will be exposed to the vacuum of space.
I like the set-up premise of the problem, but then it's as though Williams attaches a different story altogether into this story and goes in an entirely different direction relating to time travel conundrums. The switch and resolution to the premise don't work for me.
*** The Weapon (1947) 26 pages
Set 500 years in the future, all of which were peaceful for the world, a real alien invasion is attempted this time. The main problem is we have forgotten how to wage war or fight as a civilization. We're ripe for the plucking unless a certain group of men remember how to fight.
This is an excellent premise for a science fiction story and the story is told tightly. Williams knew where he was going from beginning to end and stays on course. The story gets 3 stars from me rather than 4 only because I find the solution implausible and scientifically speaking completely unbelievable.
** The Stubborn Men (1948) 5 pages
Nuclear weapons research is dangerous, too dangerous for two brothers in the same family to conduct. If the research kills both, who will there be to continue the family name? The story got two stars from me because it didn't achieve much.
***** The Final Frontier (1950) 14 pages
This story is about a friendship between two men of different planets, Elso, the Martian, and John Barnett, the human. Elso is committing suicide because it's his time and Barnett is being pursued by ruthless criminals who want to steal his intellectual property. Elso finishes suiciding, the criminals apprehend Barnett, and all appears lost.
Williams saved the best story for last in his collection. I like how alien Williams portrays Elso by simply, and without editorial comment, showing us Elso's actions through Barnett's eyes. We are never given a description of Elso and we have no idea of his thought processes, nevertheless Elso is depicted as very alien, but with one exception: the concept of friendship loyalty, which transcends everything no matter who or what in this universe you are. I loved this message!
Williams was a reasonably prolific author. In a 35-year career spanning 1937 (the date of his first short story) to 1972 (the date of his last novel), he published 19 novels and approximately 170 short stories, about 90 percent of which were science fiction. From reading descriptions and reviews of his work, and as my own reading confirms, it is possible to make a general statement about Williams' writing. He was a better short story than novel writer, and his earlier stories are better than his later ones. This 1958 book is the first of only three story collections Williams published during his lifetime, unusual for so voluminous a short story writer.
** The Blue Atom (1958) 124 pages
The novel was written for the book and in conformance with the above-stated rule is the weakest story. It starts out well enough. Someone is abducting solar system citizens. A blue light appears, people are grabbed, and the blue light disappears. It's as if they're being teleported through a hole by unknown people or aliens for reasons unknown. The de facto human leader (and protagonist) Jarr Rahmer investigates; he and his men's mission: 1) Find out who is behind the kidnappings and why. 2) Stop them and effect the return of the citizens.
Had Williams confined his story to the above mission, it would have made for a good novel. However, Williams could not be boxed in to so mundane a plot with so little at stake. the story has become so jumbled it hardly matters.
**** The Void Beyond (1951) 34 pages
Women don't go on spaceships. Some unexplained feature of their anatomy causes them to lose their sanity if they try. However, one women insists. The story recounts the result of her failure to accept no for an answer.
Many people, women in particular, I imagine, will find this tale misogynistic and hopelessly outdated. I suppose it is, but I suspended disbelief, granted the author his premises, and watched with interest to see where he would take it. The ending really worked for me.
*** Refuge for Tonight (1949) 31 pages
Set in the near future, this story is a derivation of the alien invasion and takeover of Earth story except there are no aliens and only North America is taken over by united Europeans of all people. Americans are about to develop space travel and Europeans are concerned Americans will then become too dominant. So they launch a pre-emptive strike and conquer America. Now it's up to the Resistance.
This is a familiar trope to we SF readers of the 21st century, but was fairly original for a 1949 audience. I marveled at Williams' range--this story was nothing like the other two so far--and was prepared to enjoy this take on a classic theme, but then as he did in The Blue Atom, Williams lost the thread of his story and made it about more and more people with hidden, irrelevant agendas. The scale broadened, the number of characters increased, and what was really being fought for became fuzzy. The ending was more like a beginning and answered none of the questions the story raised. It read like the first two chapters in a novel that stopped suddenly.
*** The Challenge (1950) 17 pages
This story reads a lot like a Star Trek Original Series episode, which I love. An Earth spaceship visits an alien planet, sustains damage it must fix before it can depart, but natives with superior technology insist the ship depart before repairs are made or face destruction. If the ship departs too early the crew will be exposed to the vacuum of space.
I like the set-up premise of the problem, but then it's as though Williams attaches a different story altogether into this story and goes in an entirely different direction relating to time travel conundrums. The switch and resolution to the premise don't work for me.
*** The Weapon (1947) 26 pages
Set 500 years in the future, all of which were peaceful for the world, a real alien invasion is attempted this time. The main problem is we have forgotten how to wage war or fight as a civilization. We're ripe for the plucking unless a certain group of men remember how to fight.
This is an excellent premise for a science fiction story and the story is told tightly. Williams knew where he was going from beginning to end and stays on course. The story gets 3 stars from me rather than 4 only because I find the solution implausible and scientifically speaking completely unbelievable.
** The Stubborn Men (1948) 5 pages
Nuclear weapons research is dangerous, too dangerous for two brothers in the same family to conduct. If the research kills both, who will there be to continue the family name? The story got two stars from me because it didn't achieve much.
***** The Final Frontier (1950) 14 pages
This story is about a friendship between two men of different planets, Elso, the Martian, and John Barnett, the human. Elso is committing suicide because it's his time and Barnett is being pursued by ruthless criminals who want to steal his intellectual property. Elso finishes suiciding, the criminals apprehend Barnett, and all appears lost.
Williams saved the best story for last in his collection. I like how alien Williams portrays Elso by simply, and without editorial comment, showing us Elso's actions through Barnett's eyes. We are never given a description of Elso and we have no idea of his thought processes, nevertheless Elso is depicted as very alien, but with one exception: the concept of friendship loyalty, which transcends everything no matter who or what in this universe you are. I loved this message!
Displaying 1 of 1 review