All the Colors of Darkness

Jan Darzek #1

by Lloyd Biggle Jr.

Book by Biggle Jr., Lloyd

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Mystery

220 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1963

About the author

Biggle was born in 1923 in Waterloo, Iowa. He served in World War II as a communications sergeant in a rifle company of the 102nd Infantry Division; during the war, he was wounded twice. His second wound, a shrapnel wound in his leg received near the Elbe River at the end of the war, left him disabled for life.

After the war, Biggle resumed his education. He received an A.B. Degree with High Distinction from Wayne State University and M.M. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. Biggle taught at the University of Michigan and at Eastern Michigan University in the 1950s. He began writing professionally in 1955 and became a full-time writer with the publication of his novel, All the Colors of Darkness in 1963; he continued in the writing profession until his death.

Reviews

[Tim Pendry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lloyd Biggle Jnr. is not a name that jumps to mind nowadays amongst science fictions fans but he was a fairly prolific writer of science fiction and mystery stories from the 1950s to the 1960s. He was perhaps best known for his Jan Darzen series which mixed the tropes of the two genres.

'All the Colors of Darkness' (1963) is the first of the Jan Darzen novels and is a little disappointing, not because it is 'bad' (it isn't by any means) but because the central idea is so interesting and initially well handled that reducing it to an off-planet 'mystery' tale flattens early expectations.

That central idea is the invention of a technology which allows instant and safe transmission of people and eventually freight from one place to another. The early chapters explore the idea as a social and business phenomenon. The mystery seems to be one of organised sabotage.

This is very well written with interesting characters interacting in realistic ways to solve a practical problem but then the story suddenly flips into something very different - a more jocular science fiction pulp with aliens (more should not be said because of spoilers).

Biggle went for fun-pulp at this point and abandoned the more serious side of science fiction. The disappointment is only that he seemed perfectly capable of giving us something that could explore the effects of a new technology on us and then abandoned that mission.

The bulk of the book is entertaining and even sensitive. His aliens are as 'real' and rounded as his humans, while still being alien, and the interactions show us how cultural lack of understanding can be worked around with good will. We may be frustrated by the aliens but we tend to 'like' them.

However, some of the events become a little incoherent (let us call them 'the rescue mission') to the casual reader. The liking of mystery writers for complicated puzzles takes over before narrative order can be restored. I could not be bothered to make sense of it all at that point.

Biggle sets up his series to be entertainments relying on the technology of matter transmission but one senses an opportunity lost and an under-use of his talents, a sudden loss of imagination as more than just complicated story lines and aliens.

Still, it was (mostly) entertaining and (mostly) well written and I would certainly not baulk at reading others in the series in good time.

[Ricky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a series of 60's scifi novels I'm reading. Biggle, Jr. is a new author for me and I'm sorry I waited so long. Despite being a throwback to golden age scifi male-adventure novels, All the Colors of Darkness is so well-written and imaginative that you can't help but keep reading. The novel covers the development of matter-transmission (shades of Star Trek) and how it was introduced to earth. It also tells the story of alien contact and shows a great amount of empathy towards the initially hostile aliens.

This novel is also features aspects of mystery fiction with a central Holmes-like detective - Jan Darzek, a likeable and tenaciously smart private eye.

Thankfully, sexism is kept to a minimum although I would have liked to see stronger female characters. But this is 1963.

All the Colors of Darkness is not particularly deep for science fiction, but it is an exciting novel that has led me to read more of Mr. Biggle, Jr.'s work. I'm also trying to learn more about the author as well as his career looks to be quite interesting.

[Tom Britz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel harkens back to the early 1960's. The future that All The Colors of Darkness has to tell us is the year 1986, when a company called Universal Transmitting Company discovers instantaneous transportation from one locale to another. By walking into the transmitting machine a person will instantaneously be transmitted to a destination that has a receiving machine. Just as this company is about to transform the transportation industry, they are beset by sabotage and mysterious people that are transmitting out, but not being received. The company hires a detective, Jan Darzek, to look into this matter before it becomes headline news and destroying the company before they can make their march to the forefront.
Jan, discovers that the people that have "disappeared" were in fact the same people over and over, using elaborate disguises and false identifications.
As he follows one of these mysterious persons down the transmitter's walkway, he dives in at the same time the person goes through, only to find himself on the moon, and the person he followed is more than a person wearing a disguise. He finds himself confronting a small group of aliens bent on stopping mankind's discovery of transmitting matter instantaneously, as that is the first step to interstellar travel, and they have determined that mankind is too immature to join the galactic community.
That is the premise of the novel. It is well written with almost a light comedic touch and does present some interesting thought. It is a fast and enjoyable read. If you enjoy vintage science fiction that doesn't require a master's degree, only the willingness to get lost into the world of the story, then you'll enjoy this one.

[Steve Rainwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

First volume of the Jan Darzek series, set in the far flung future year of 1986.

My wife is a fan of this series, so I decided to give it a try. The first volume was published in 1963 and imagines a future 1986 in which a company has perfected a matter transmission system, allowing cheap, instant transportation to and from any point on Earth as easily as walking through a booth and exiting another booth at the destination. There's only one problem: someone doesn't want the company to succeed and they're sabotaging operations.

Jan Darzek, a New York private detective, is called in to investigate. He's their first choice for two reasons, he's friends with the chief engineer and he's a stock holder in the company. He goes to work and identifies the culprits pretty quickly. It's not the expected railroad or airline operatives but a much more mysterious group. Then Darzek vanishes without a trace while following one of them through a transmitter.

Darzek finds himself on a hidden moon base and soon learns the problem is much bigger than he thought. It involves alien saboteurs from a galactic federation of worlds who have quarantined the Earth. Jan must decide between saving the matter transmitter company or saving the alien saboteurs from certain death. Either way some complex mysteries must be solved.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy books like this: mid-century sci-fi, light on the science, playful with the fiction. The story was nothing spectacular, apart from a fun section near the beginning, where a PI has to investigate a disappearance that occurred during the first week of business for Universal Trans - a company that has finally perfected teleportation for a mass consumer market. After that subplot winds down, things are pretty slow all the way to the end. But the whole thing is full of great details that scream the sixties, like the fact that a character trapped in a bunker on the Moon never seriously considers he might want to stop smoking to preserve the oxygen.

This is the second book I’ve finished in our 2018 Chopping Block Challenge. (But the third one I’ve started.)

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm writing a novel about a detective in a sci-fi world involving teleportation. This novel is about a detective in a sci-fi world involving teleportation, so it was natural for me to have a look.

It ALMOST gets a three star rating. The prose is witty in places; Chandler influences running throughout. And that almost does the trick. But the plot itself is quite flat and for a detective novel it's more sci-fi than mystery--more maguffins than plot twists. Ultimately, a three star novel is one I recommend that someone read. I don't think you should read this book; I martyred this one for you. Go read some Greg Mandel novels. That's what you want, trust me.

[Rog Petersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This edition has possibly the dumbest, ugliest book cover I’ve ever seen. I have no idea how it happened or what it means. Penguin is generally know for classy series livery, this exception is an eyesore.
The book itself is of little note I’m afraid.

[Michail Almyros · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only found this by accident when I walked into a little bookshop in Kelinworth!!! What a story I really enjoyed.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining short novel that is largely neglected today. A company takes the world by storm by inventing matter transmitters that allow instantaneous travel around the world. All seems fine until some passengers disappear mid transmit. Jan Darzek is hired to investigate and eventually finds himself on the Moon with several unusual companions... Biggle is a competant writer, but the novel is quite pedestrian until Darzek arrives on the Moon. The novel is then compelling, and Darzek's interactions with his new friends are well developed.

[Carole-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first SCI-FI novels I read at Uni

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably less than 3 stars.

Jan Darzek is a detective. He's friends with Arnold, an engineer at the Universal Transmitting Co., which opens a teleportation business. On the second day of operation, a beautiful, annoying woman goes into one gate and disappears. The company decides to quietly hire Darzek to investigate the disappearance. Over the course of a few days, he finds that on a number of occasions there have been similar disappearances - but all by two people wearing various disguises. When Darzek recognizes one of these people about to enter a teleport gate, he quickly follows behind and disappears himself.

The rest is not so much a detective novel and more science fiction.



When Darzek exits a teleport gate at the other end, he finds himself in a low-gravity setting - and in a room with thin, wide, 8-foot-tall aliens. They want to be kept a secret and don't intend to let him leave. He destroys some of their equipment in an adjacent room - which causes a large explosion. He wakes up bandaged up all over. Initially, they won't tell him much because of their code of honor. Over time, he convinces them that their rules justify telling him more. He learns that the explosion has left them with a limited air supply and unable to send requests for more, so they have accepted that to keep to their code they must simply wait until the air runs out and die. He also learns that they are there to prevent humans from traveling to other planets because humans are "dark." Darzek eventually convinces some of them to try a plan that may save them.

The science is lacking. Some readers may like the portrayal of aliens - being neither "good guys" nor "bad guys."

[Ian Backhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel pulls readers into a retro-futuristic vision, rooted in the 1960s’ imagination of the future. In All The Colors of Darkness, it’s 1986, and the world is on the verge of a transportation revolution led by Universal Transmitting Company. Their cutting-edge technology promises near-instantaneous travel between locations, all thanks to a network of transmitter and receiver machines. Yet, just as the innovation is poised to reshape the world, the company encounters a puzzling crisis: some travelers vanish into thin air, with no trace at their destinations.
To tackle this enigma, they turn to investigator Jan Darzek, hoping he’ll get to the bottom of things before it sparks public panic and puts their ambitious vision at risk. As Darzek digs deeper, he realizes that the “missing” travelers are actually the same few individuals, resurfacing repeatedly with concealed identities and elaborate disguises.
Determined to solve the mystery, Darzek enters the transmitter himself, only to find himself on the moon, confronting an unexpected truth. He stumbles upon a group of aliens who have been trying to curb humanity’s advancement into teleportation, fearing humans are too reckless for cosmic-level exploration.
This novel mixes suspense with a touch of humor and wraps it in a nostalgic, fast-paced booked. It has a wonderful charm throughout. Loved it!

[Marcia Murphey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will need to find the other two in the series. Published in 1963, but based in 1986, this science fiction/detective story was one that I didn’t want to put down. I’m not usually a science fiction reader, but the story of transporting people instantaneously (similar to ideas put out by Star Trek), intrigued me. Science fiction writers of the 50’s and 60’s apparently had great hope for future technology in a short amount of time, and though instantaneous travel hasn’t come to fruition, it was fun to read about how it might happen. Jan Darzek is the private detective hired to discover the mystery of missing customers to this travel, and we follow him on his adventure to find an answer. The story was enjoyable, well written, and clean, so it could be recommended to young Science Fiction readers without concern.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Universal Transmitting Company finally perfected a matter transmitter capable of sending a person instantly from terminals scattered throughout the United States to any major city in foreign countries, it seemed like man's ultimate conquest of time. Opening day in New York City was a tremendous success, with throngs of travelers crowding into the terminal. But on the second day of operations, two women failed to arrive at their destinations and could not be traced. The UTC called in private detective Jan Darzek. What Darzek discovers sends him on a trail of extraterrestrial adventure and gripping suspense...on which hinges the fate of all mankind! A Science Fiction Book Club selection.

[Vincent Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old classic, and still okay.

You know that you are reading old science fiction when they talk about future technologies in... 1986. Or around that. This volume starts an entire series I was enamored of back when it was published in French translation in Editions Temps Futur. Re-reading it in the original reminds me why I liked it back then, but is also making me aware of how... basic most of the science-fiction was back then.

There's one enormous mistake that I can't forgive and give 5 stars still. It's that you don't end up floating... when you are on the moon. You might be falling a bit slower than normally, but nobody would mistake that for floating around like some zero-g. I give you a pass, Mr. Biggle, but no more than that.

[Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those unexpected gems I randomly bought in a used book store. I am often intrigued the old-school sci-fi covers. It seemed interested, but it turned out much better than some of these books often do.
This tells the story of Universal Trans, a company that just found a way to send matter from one transmitter to another. They set up a new way of world travel that is instantly popular, but a few passengers start not making it to their destinations. They hire Jan Darzek to find where these people have disappeared to.
It's a fun adventure mystery story that takes Jan to the moon to face and work with an alien species that wants to halt the progress of humans and their matter transporter.

[Mark Zodda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read though some parts are dated as this is set in the "near" future (from 1963 when it was written) of 1986. Get past the men wearing hats and smoking cigarettes, and the women as hostesses and secretaries, and there is a good story. I don't think Lloyd Biggle Jr. is a very well known science fiction writer, but he should be. "All the Colors of Darkness" is a compact and engaging science fiction mystery that doesn't need three or four hundred pages to tell a story. Science fiction the way it used to be. Recommended.

[Steve LaForest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated this novel " B " when I read it Sept. 11, 1974.

My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.

[Eleonora Pompeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non il miglior libro di fantascienza ma quello ben strutturato.
È corto ma non salta nessun passaggio importante, non è tanto difficile da comprendere e mi piace anche lo sviluppo della storia con gli “alieni”. Ti fa quasi affezionare ai personaggi.
Bellissimo anche il finale.

[Deborah Replogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably first read this way back in high school, but enjoyed reading it again. A story of inscrutable aliens and clueless earth people. A bit dated in the minor details, but still a good read.

[Avaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was astounding. It had little jokes that got a chuckle out of me, every character had some depth and the tale was intriguing. I highly recommend this title.

[Mawgojzeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid story with a smooth flow. Really enjoyable.

[Nicola Strangis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decisamente migliore degli Urania medi dell’epoca. Un libro che si legge velocemente, anche se il finale è un po’ scontato. Non un capolavoro ma una discreta lettura!

[Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biggle never received the recognition he deserved. In my opinion he was every bit as good as the big three.

[Bill Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story - enjoyed it

[GreenCoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Читала на русском.

[Stephen Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Underwhelming.

[Joe Santoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is it that I've never ever heard of Jan Darzek before? He's right up there with Elijah Bailey in future gumshoes, (now that I know he exists).

You wouldn't think an almost noir (it's a little too bright and happy for noir, but the other elements are all there) detective novel and a classic speculative fiction piece would be the same book, but here it is.

It starts out with a look at how the would would change with Transporters.. moves into a detective novel, then finishes up with a fascinating and unique take on the Prime Directive... all before Star Trek. I wonder if Mr. Roddenberry ever read this?

I'll definitely be tracking down at least the next Darzek novel.

[Michael Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

What began as a mystery surrounding sabotage of a newly created teleportation system soon becomes the tale of a private eye, Jan Darzek, who is thrust into a moral and ethical argument with a group of aliens. Survival soon becomes the question. Written ckduring the sixties this book predicts the world of the eighties. Biggle got a few things wrong but luckily he had the foresight to limit his vision of cultural change so we're able to still read this without it seeming too dated. The sudden apparent reversal of the aliens' motives at the end seemed to like Biggle was taking the 'easy' way out instead of answering the ethical delimnma that they actually faced. A quick, light, and almost whimsical read that had a main character interesting enough that I may look for more since Goodreads indicated that this was the first in a series.

[SciFiOne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series book D1 (Jan Darzak, private eye)

1977 Grade B+
2002 Grade B+
2021 Grade A-

SciFi detective story. Jan Darzak has to figure out who is trying to sabotage earth's new matter transmitter system and why. After that he has to survive and save everyone. It is fairly old and a bit out of date, but it does not show much and is not enough to break the book.

I found the first chapter a bit confusing. But once Darzak enters in chapter 2, it becomes clear and quite interesting indeed - Darzak makes interesting aliens. I think it got a slightly lower grade before because it was competing with the other great SciFi authors of the era. Now most of the new stuff I read is "cozy" style fantasy and mystery with the rare promotional SciFi thrown in. There are 5 Darzak novels that I know of.

Recommended