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The Micronauts #3
Revolt of the Micronauts
THE MICRONAUTS -- legacy of the desperate experiment of a world ravaged by war, fear and famine. Forgotten by their creators, they have struggled to survive in a miniature world where even the smallest creature can be a deadly menace. Now the microcolony, ripped apart by a bloody civil war, is threatened by an intruder from the world they left behind. Only by joining forces can they save themselves from total destruction.
- GenresScience Fiction
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
1 person is currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Gordon M. Williams
22 books17 followersAka P.B. Yuill, joint pseudonym with Terry Venables.
Gordon Maclean Williams was a Scottish author. Born in Paisley, he moved to London to work as a journalist. He has written for television and is the author of over twenty novels including From Scenes Like These (1968), shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1969, Walk Don't Walk (1972) and Big Morning Blues (1974). Other novels include The Camp (1966), The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1967) and The Upper Pleasure Garden (1970).
He ghosted the autobiographies of association footballers Bobby Moore, Terry Venables and manager Tommy Docherty.
In 1971, his novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm was controversially filmed as Straw Dogs. Sam Peckinpah's cinematic treatment marked a watershed in the depiction of sexual violence in the cinema though the most controversial scenes are absent from the book. Other film work includes The Man Who Had Power Over Women, from his own novel, and Tree of Hands, as scriptwriter from a Ruth Rendell novel. Williams also wrote the book of Ridley Scott's film The Duellists.
While working as commercial manager of association football club Chelsea, he renewed his collaboration with Venables, resulting in four co-written novels. From the novels grew the 1978 TV series Hazell, which the pair co-wrote under the shared pseudonym P. B. Yuill. Under the name "Jack Lang", Williams also wrote paperbacks "for £300 a time."
Gordon Maclean Williams was a Scottish author. Born in Paisley, he moved to London to work as a journalist. He has written for television and is the author of over twenty novels including From Scenes Like These (1968), shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1969, Walk Don't Walk (1972) and Big Morning Blues (1974). Other novels include The Camp (1966), The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1967) and The Upper Pleasure Garden (1970).
He ghosted the autobiographies of association footballers Bobby Moore, Terry Venables and manager Tommy Docherty.
In 1971, his novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm was controversially filmed as Straw Dogs. Sam Peckinpah's cinematic treatment marked a watershed in the depiction of sexual violence in the cinema though the most controversial scenes are absent from the book. Other film work includes The Man Who Had Power Over Women, from his own novel, and Tree of Hands, as scriptwriter from a Ruth Rendell novel. Williams also wrote the book of Ridley Scott's film The Duellists.
While working as commercial manager of association football club Chelsea, he renewed his collaboration with Venables, resulting in four co-written novels. From the novels grew the 1978 TV series Hazell, which the pair co-wrote under the shared pseudonym P. B. Yuill. Under the name "Jack Lang", Williams also wrote paperbacks "for £300 a time."
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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January 11, 2023I haven't been writing many full reviews because I often feel there is little I need to add to what others have already said. But, in the case of the Micronauts trilogy, there are not many reviews. Especially for the second and third books! This is not surprising for an old and inconsequential novel. But since I grabbed them off the shelf of a local used book store and enjoyed them enough to finish them, perhaps my thoughts might be useful to others. I'm covering all three books in this review and crossposting it under each.
I enjoy novels about the exploration of frontiers and also tiny people dealing with massively oversized everyday objects. I picked these books up assuming they would cover those interests, based on their titles and cover art. There is some of that but not nearly asuch as I expected. Instead, in the way that sci-fi uses it's imagined future as a tool to discuss the issues of the present, Micronauts is actually about the intersection of governent and science as well as the struggle between control and freedom.
The novel's micro-sized characters spend most of their time in settings that are engineered to be proportionate to themselves. They are isolated from the fact that they are tiny (until something unforseen happens and they must deal with the chaos of nature).
The first book, Micronauts took a very long time to get going. It may be easier to think of it as a prolonged introduction for the second and third books. It also is very tropey, with a main character who is the cliche Science Hero. But don't worry about it too much, he gets better.
The sequel, The Microcolony, is where the real story starts. It feels more complex and compelling. I knows what it wants to be. It is probably the best book of the three.
The final book, Revolt of the Micronauts, is kind of just The Microcolony Pt 2. It works hard to tie narrative threads up into a satisfying climax. Also, some micro-folks are apparently developing psychic abilities now for some reason? The writing feels a bit rushed but if you enjoyed The Microcolony, it's worth reading this one too.
Is this trilogy a hidden gem or must-read for every sci-fi fan? Absolutely not. But they're fast easy reads and enjoyable enough. I don't regret the time I spent in the microworld of Arcadia.
I enjoy novels about the exploration of frontiers and also tiny people dealing with massively oversized everyday objects. I picked these books up assuming they would cover those interests, based on their titles and cover art. There is some of that but not nearly asuch as I expected. Instead, in the way that sci-fi uses it's imagined future as a tool to discuss the issues of the present, Micronauts is actually about the intersection of governent and science as well as the struggle between control and freedom.
The novel's micro-sized characters spend most of their time in settings that are engineered to be proportionate to themselves. They are isolated from the fact that they are tiny (until something unforseen happens and they must deal with the chaos of nature).
The first book, Micronauts took a very long time to get going. It may be easier to think of it as a prolonged introduction for the second and third books. It also is very tropey, with a main character who is the cliche Science Hero. But don't worry about it too much, he gets better.
The sequel, The Microcolony, is where the real story starts. It feels more complex and compelling. I knows what it wants to be. It is probably the best book of the three.
The final book, Revolt of the Micronauts, is kind of just The Microcolony Pt 2. It works hard to tie narrative threads up into a satisfying climax. Also, some micro-folks are apparently developing psychic abilities now for some reason? The writing feels a bit rushed but if you enjoyed The Microcolony, it's worth reading this one too.
Is this trilogy a hidden gem or must-read for every sci-fi fan? Absolutely not. But they're fast easy reads and enjoyable enough. I don't regret the time I spent in the microworld of Arcadia.
July 28, 2008
Solid work with a very cool concept.
July 31, 2024
Involuto e scoordinato rispetto i precedenti. Un personaggio morto ritorna senza spiegazioni.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2016
Interesting premise. Poorly written.
To be fair, I read this not realizing it was the second act of a trilogy. However, that notwithstanding, still not a great read. Perhaps if I read the full trilogy and digest it in the broader context I'll revise my rating.
To be fair, I read this not realizing it was the second act of a trilogy. However, that notwithstanding, still not a great read. Perhaps if I read the full trilogy and digest it in the broader context I'll revise my rating.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews