I read something a bit ago, and I don't remember what caught my interest exactly, but I gathered I'd enjoy reading his story story "Proxima Centauri"
I found the file online, here:
http://filelex.com/f5weiblt0hsf/Murray_Leinster_-_Proxima_Centauri.pdf.html
He's (not suprisingly, considering my interests) a sci-fi writer of the old school. He wrote in say the 50s or thereabouts. He won a Hugo, as I recall. I remember reading his short stories and being impressed. Not simply impressed, but left with an lasting impression. I still remember Semper the trained eagle and the Sphex menace from the first story of his I read, and it dealt in part with animal psychology.
His science isn't spot-on, but it shows a flare that I am glad to see.
I recall a title of a story of his, "Runaway Skyscraper," which serves well to illustate his novelty of thought. Especially, that thought extends beyond mere science-fiction standbys to other settings and dynamics. Considering the era, that alone is impressive. In "Skyscraper" he deals with a pre-Columbian American setting, besides the SF elements such as the 4th dimension.
Another story also unconventional is his "The Swamp was Upside Down" in which the so-called Hard SF dealt largely with soil and geology and related physics.
I haven't read "Proxima" yet. I'll be in touch.
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I don't read short stories any more but did read some of his long years ago. I've never read any of his novels that i remember. i have gaping holes in my reading
ReplyDeleteUpdate: I have seen many scientific innaccuracies that even I noticed. Also, the transposition to Internet form is a bit sloppy. Third, and on a positive note, I am pleased to again see many untraditional (for sci-fi) plot points.
ReplyDelete@Divers: You may consider yourself to have gaping holes, but I think you are suprisingly well-read from the posts you have made. This is a lesser-known author, anyway. When I think of my enormous ignorance when it comes to non-Western literature, I am humbled, The Rubaiyat aside.