As the year winds to an end, I’m doing a little clean-up of my TBR. After Christmas I’ll be reading through my meagre non-science fiction books (It’s mostly Stephen King), but for the past two weeks I’ve been blitzing through some vintage science fiction. Most of these books came in at around the two hundred page mark, which made for some very quick reading. rather than give each one a dedicated review, I’m going to whizz through the lot of them in one go. Let’s get started.

The Moon Maid, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Published 1923 – 3/5 stars

Finding the publication date for this one was a little tricky, because there are various books by Burroughs with the same name. As near as I can tell, this is the earliest collected version of a serialised novel. It’s the sort of early SF that veers heavily into fantasy with complex lunar societies and reincarnating immortals. It’s not as good as his Barsoom novels (to which it is tangentially linked) but it’s still a fun adventure for those who don’t mind their fiction to be as dated as it is lurid.

Skylark #2: Skylark Three, by E. E. ‘Doc’ Smith
Published 1930 – 2/5 stars

On the topic of dated, we have the original space opera, Skylark. Don’t let the title fool you, this is only the second book in the series. again, it’s a fun adventure, but it is incredibly hampered by Smith’s prose, which is in equal parts wooden and horribly overwritten. Exclamation marks abound!

The Legion of Space #2: The Cometeers, by Jack Williamson
Published 1936 – 4/5 stars

Another early space opera, the Legion of Space return in an absolutely delightful romp through lunar bases, artificial comets, interplanetary prisons, and some good old-fashioned derring-do. Williamson’s prose is clear and clean, a real notch above his contemporaries, and this is one of his best works.

Ther Legion of Space #3: One Against the Legion, by Jack Williamson
Published 1939 – 3/5 stars

The third outing for the Legion of Space is only a small step down from its predecessor. From my perspective, the most fascinating element is the inclusion of pre-Asimov robots, though a rather amusing casino heist also proves to be a highlight.

Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber
Published 1943 – 3/5 stars

In yet another post-nuclear apocalypse setting, humanity lives in yet another superstitious dark age. I’m being a little harsh there, because it was written well before other examples of the genre like A Canticle for Liebowitz or the Cloud Walker, but time has not been kind to Gather, Darkness! It deserves recognition based on its publication year rather than anything within the book itself, which is unfortunately wholly forgettable.

The Cosmic Trilogy #3: That Hideous Strength, by C. S. Lewis
Published 1945 – 2/5 stars

Wrapping up the Cosmic Trilogy comes this unfortunate slog of a novel. While the first was a great philosophical space opera, the third follows in the footsteps of the second by dumbing down the philosophy and doubling down on the Christian allegory. When a benevolent hero lectures on how a wife will now love her husband more once she has learned the importance of marital obedience, you know you’re in for a rough ride. the less said about this book the better.

Hopefully these little mini reviewlets have piqued your interest, as January looks set to include a whole lot more vintage science fiction. stick around to see what I make of those, and more.