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Doomsday Eve
In the midst of the war -- that terrible conflict that threatened humanity's total destruction -- the "new people" suddenly appeared. Quietly performing incredible deeds, vanishing at will, they were an enigma to both sides. Kurt Zen was an American intelligence officer among the many sent to root them out.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
140 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
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12 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 10, 2021
I listened to the very well performed Librivox recording of this Robert Moore Williams short novel that originally appeared as half of an Ace Double. (The other half was a much better Eric Frank Russell, Three to Conquer.) It's a story of nationalism and nuclear paranoia that was quite typical of the mid-1950s. A new race of mutated humans shows up and tries to save the world from the old humanity. (As mutants are wont to do, as Lee & Kirby taught us in the following decade.) Williams was much better at plotting than he was at writing in a polished manner, which seemed more apparent to me as I was listening rather than reading. It has some interesting bits, but nothing profound. It's not a great story, but it was still fun to revisit it.
June 24, 2020
WERE THESE STRANGERS IMPERVIOUS TO H-BOMBS?
In the midst of the war-that terrible conflict that threatened humanity's total destruction-the "new people" suddenly appeared. Quietly performing incredible deeds, vanishing at will, they were an enigma to both sides. Kurt Zen was an American intelligence officer among the many sent to root them out.
He found them. Taken captive in their hidden lair, he waited as the enemy prepared to launch the super missile, the bomb to end all bombs-and all life.
If only he could find the source of the new people's power, Kurt alone might be able to prevent obliteration of the Earth....
Blurb from the 1957 Ace Double edition
This is a bit odd, and a tad van Vogtian in places, but we will get to that in due course.
We begin our tale in a future America, at war with The Asian Alliance. Atomic weapons have been employed and areas of the US are hot with radiation. Indeed, this is typical of those works of this period which reflect the paranoia of the time regarding communism, the all too real fears of nuclear war and the consequent effects of radiation
Recently, there have been manifestations; The New People, as they have been termed, have been appearing out of thin air at moments of crisis and providing infomation to avert imminent disasters.
American Intelligence Officer Kurt Zen becomes suspicious of a nurse, Nedra, out in the field tending to injured soldiers. She appears to be immune to radiation and he suspects her of being one of The New People. He is given orders to shadow her.
Kurt himself however, begins to experience altered states of consciousness, and learns to leave his own body and put himself in touch with the Racemind. None of this seems to bother or confuse him unduly. He also appears to forget these new powers completely at moments where one might have thought they would come in useful.
This in itself is a very van Vogtian concept, as is the existence of the Homo Superior element, and one wonders if van Vogt was an influence. There is also the esoteric mind training of the New People, akin to van Vogt's Null-A philosophy.
Williams is not van Vogt though, who could carry off such ideas. One is confused more than entertained here.
In the midst of the war-that terrible conflict that threatened humanity's total destruction-the "new people" suddenly appeared. Quietly performing incredible deeds, vanishing at will, they were an enigma to both sides. Kurt Zen was an American intelligence officer among the many sent to root them out.
He found them. Taken captive in their hidden lair, he waited as the enemy prepared to launch the super missile, the bomb to end all bombs-and all life.
If only he could find the source of the new people's power, Kurt alone might be able to prevent obliteration of the Earth....
Blurb from the 1957 Ace Double edition
This is a bit odd, and a tad van Vogtian in places, but we will get to that in due course.
We begin our tale in a future America, at war with The Asian Alliance. Atomic weapons have been employed and areas of the US are hot with radiation. Indeed, this is typical of those works of this period which reflect the paranoia of the time regarding communism, the all too real fears of nuclear war and the consequent effects of radiation
Recently, there have been manifestations; The New People, as they have been termed, have been appearing out of thin air at moments of crisis and providing infomation to avert imminent disasters.
American Intelligence Officer Kurt Zen becomes suspicious of a nurse, Nedra, out in the field tending to injured soldiers. She appears to be immune to radiation and he suspects her of being one of The New People. He is given orders to shadow her.
Kurt himself however, begins to experience altered states of consciousness, and learns to leave his own body and put himself in touch with the Racemind. None of this seems to bother or confuse him unduly. He also appears to forget these new powers completely at moments where one might have thought they would come in useful.
This in itself is a very van Vogtian concept, as is the existence of the Homo Superior element, and one wonders if van Vogt was an influence. There is also the esoteric mind training of the New People, akin to van Vogt's Null-A philosophy.
Williams is not van Vogt though, who could carry off such ideas. One is confused more than entertained here.
August 30, 2020
This story is like Fallout meets the New Mutants. Though the idea was exciting in 1957 and still is, Doomsday Eve shows its age. The inherent sexism, racism, and paranoia are enough to make this book an uncomfortable read for reasons other than exploring the mindset late 1950’s sci-fi culture. The conclusion the mutant organization came to (saving any part of humanity no matter what race) did not redeem the terrible things written about the people of east Asia - really terrible - really really terrible - inhuman monstrous stuff. The Koran War was still fresh in the mind of the author.
The book stumbled to a start, showing the author’s previous experience was with condensed short stories crammed into magazines. His skill in the writing craft could not yet deal well with the longer format of the novel. To get the setting and plot out, the author filled the first chapter with telling. There was little immersion or showing. Chapter two was blighted by overt sexism such as: A senseless nurse cowered at the feet of a strong man who could take charge, even though she possessed far greater super powers and was astonishingly brave earlier. The book overused the passive voice, even in action scenes where it became a barrier to the excitement the author wished to generate. There are instances of unnecessary nudity for the sole purpose of satisfying younger male readers. There are nude dances, nude meditation, being nude when the base was attacked, and creepy behavior with no plot value. The narrator explained that nudity was acceptable because the new mutants were not interested in sexual reproduction. That explanation was at odds with the goal of the organization to collect mutants and usher in the next wave of human evolution.
For a sci-fi book, the science of the book was weak and lacked consistency. Teleportation in the first chapter was not so easy in late chapters. Though they could teleport into a cramped, tumbling jet in an early chapter, they missed their target in late chapters. Though they did not need the skill of the teleporter to be with them for additional teleports early, he needed to be with them later. Rockets, unsuitable for human passengers, had walkways and atmospheres. Radiation was only a concern for human life; everything else would survive atomic war. At times, it seemed as if the characters forget their super powers at moments where the author desired to add tension.
Though the idea of mutants in a fallout are exciting and the book is squarely in the stereotypical mindset of the 1950s, the inexplicable events and predicaments facing the characters seemed forced and the sexism and racism were inexcusable even at that time in history. This short book grew increasingly irritating with each page.
The book stumbled to a start, showing the author’s previous experience was with condensed short stories crammed into magazines. His skill in the writing craft could not yet deal well with the longer format of the novel. To get the setting and plot out, the author filled the first chapter with telling. There was little immersion or showing. Chapter two was blighted by overt sexism such as: A senseless nurse cowered at the feet of a strong man who could take charge, even though she possessed far greater super powers and was astonishingly brave earlier. The book overused the passive voice, even in action scenes where it became a barrier to the excitement the author wished to generate. There are instances of unnecessary nudity for the sole purpose of satisfying younger male readers. There are nude dances, nude meditation, being nude when the base was attacked, and creepy behavior with no plot value. The narrator explained that nudity was acceptable because the new mutants were not interested in sexual reproduction. That explanation was at odds with the goal of the organization to collect mutants and usher in the next wave of human evolution.
For a sci-fi book, the science of the book was weak and lacked consistency. Teleportation in the first chapter was not so easy in late chapters. Though they could teleport into a cramped, tumbling jet in an early chapter, they missed their target in late chapters. Though they did not need the skill of the teleporter to be with them for additional teleports early, he needed to be with them later. Rockets, unsuitable for human passengers, had walkways and atmospheres. Radiation was only a concern for human life; everything else would survive atomic war. At times, it seemed as if the characters forget their super powers at moments where the author desired to add tension.
Though the idea of mutants in a fallout are exciting and the book is squarely in the stereotypical mindset of the 1950s, the inexplicable events and predicaments facing the characters seemed forced and the sexism and racism were inexcusable even at that time in history. This short book grew increasingly irritating with each page.
July 29, 2020
"Doomsday Eve" is half of an Ace Doubles book (the other, far, far better half being Eric Frank Russell's "Three To Conquer"). This story is set during an atomic war after the Asiatic Federation has bombed and invaded America. Kurt Zen is an intelligence agent who stumbles across a new race of humans who may be the key to winning the war.
Unfortunately, Williams is a terrible writer, who cannot clearly express his plot (if he ever worked it out properly). His style is awful - for example, one character, Sam West, is described as "the craggy man" every single time he's referred to - about 200 in all - so it becomes increasingly irritating. Events happen without any real explanations. It's just terrible. Avoid this one (but read the other half!)
Unfortunately, Williams is a terrible writer, who cannot clearly express his plot (if he ever worked it out properly). His style is awful - for example, one character, Sam West, is described as "the craggy man" every single time he's referred to - about 200 in all - so it becomes increasingly irritating. Events happen without any real explanations. It's just terrible. Avoid this one (but read the other half!)
May 5, 2017
Brilliant Science Fiction story, the world was on the edge of extinction, a major war was being fought between America and the people of Asia, in the middle of all this there is the New People who seem to have powers that your average person does not possess. Brilliant book will read again.
December 10, 2021
A very interesting read. I'm not sure why its rated so stinking low. The characters for sure aren't developed and no, your not getting a Dickens novel here. But the concepts are interesting and worthwhile. I would read it again.
October 28, 2023
I listened to this as part of The 11th Science Fiction Megapack. It was a quick interesting listen. 2023
July 12, 2025
I quite enjoyed this story. If you are preparing for Armageddon, there are some ideas for you here.
January 9, 2024
Dull, unimaginative, uninteresting.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews