Galaxy Mission

Captain Future #4

by Edmond Hamilton

In the fantastic city of eternal youth, captain future is trapped by the master of evil.

ELIXIR OF EVIL

They Called him the Life-Lord and the deadly milk-white elixir that his syndicate pushed was called Lifewater.

As promised, Lifewater brought youth to the old. Women who were losing their once cherished beauty, en who were losing their strength gave their life's savings for a vial of the magic substance. What they did not know was that the powerful brew could cause sudden and violent death.

As the fatal youth epidemic spreads throughout the Solar System, Captain Future battles with time and danger to save his fellow beings from doom - only to find himself trapped in a master fiend's plot to conquer the solar system.

Genres: Science Fiction

128 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Edmond Moore Hamilton was a popular author of science fiction stories and novels throughout the mid-twentieth century. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. Something of a child prodigy, he graduated high school and started college (Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania) at the age of 14--but washed out at 17. He was the Golden Age writer who worked on Batman, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and many sci-fi books.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in the fourth issue of Captain Future Magazine in 1940 with the better title of The Triumph of Captain Future. Captain Future was a pulp hero, sort of a far-future Doc Savage, who travelled about the solar system with his associates in The Comet, his super space ship, fighting crime and evil in order to make the spaceways safe for the good guys. It all sounds dreadfully silly on the surface, but they were full of good-hearted, enthusiastic fun and adventure. Kind of like Luke Skywalker without all of the angst. In this story the fountain of youth has been discovered and turns out to be much more of a curse than a blessing to those who become addicted. Good old-fashioned space opera.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A literal Fountain of Youth provides water to make one young again, but it must be taken occasionally to sustain its effects, wherein the providers hold up the partakers at no small price. Future must find its source. Predictable but fun.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juan Ponce de León becomes El Chapo, but in space.

[Alfred Lorenzo Stine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was pretty epic. I felt like scenes went too fast at times but overall great short story!

[Candyce Sweet · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cool book! Addiction, the fountain of youth, science, action, robots, a living brain in a jar—this books has it all!

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pulp era SiFi hero, Captain Future is a more scientific version of Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. He and his band of Futuremen are special criminal investigators for the Earth government and are similar to Doc Savage and his band of helpers. Great reads, recommended

[Jonathan Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one, though not one of the greatest.

[André Milewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic ScFi Adventure, pure Fun to read.