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Available
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Library's review
Rummet, engang i fremtiden
Rumskibet, Space Beagle, er på ekspeditionstogt i galaksen. Første stop (kapitel 1-6) er på en planet, der er helt alene omkring dens stjerne. På planeten huserer en Coeurl, et kattelignende, men meget stort rovdyr. Den lusker rundt, da Space Beagle lander, men er klog
Anden episode (kapitel 7-??) foregår i rummet, hvor skibet bliver angrebet af hypnotiske billeder. Det sker mens Grosvenor er midt i en mindre krig med Gregory Kent, som vil vælges som administrator og altså vippe Morton af pinden. Kent forsøger at genere Grosvenor, fordi han har udtalt sig negativt og tryk avler modtryk. Grosvenor får telepatisk kontakt tilbage til Riim planeten, der ikke havde fjendtlige hensigter, men prøvede helt venligt at kommunikere med skibet.
Tredje episode er i intergalaktisk rum, hvor skibet bliver stoppet af en lille rød djævel, Ixtl, der ???
En sammenkædning af tre noveller til romanstørrelse. En pudsig forældet fremtid, hvor man kan indstille tyngdekraften indeni en rumdragt, men hverken har mobiltelefoner eller overvågningskameraer eller computere.
???
Rumskibet, Space Beagle, er på ekspeditionstogt i galaksen. Første stop (kapitel 1-6) er på en planet, der er helt alene omkring dens stjerne. På planeten huserer en Coeurl, et kattelignende, men meget stort rovdyr. Den lusker rundt, da Space Beagle lander, men er klog
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nok til at spille venlig, så de lukker den ind i rumskibet. Det viser sig hurtigt at være en fejl, for den kan åbne elektriske døre og i det hele taget omdirigere skibets energiforsyning til dens eget formål. Den er under normale omstændigheder udødelig, så den forsøger at tage kontrol over rumskibet og komme til en planet med liv på, for den har næsten udryddet alt liv på denne planet. En lidt miskendt ekspert, Elliott Grosvenor, er Nexialist, hvilket er et fint ord for en uddannelse, der spænder meget vidt og kæder mange af videnskaberne sammen. Gregory Kent er chef for kemiafdelingen, Hal Morton er leder, psykologen Siedel, kommunikationsmanden Gourley, astronomen Gunlie Lester, biologen Smith. En af kemikerne Jarvey dør som den første, da han uforsigtigt går rundt alene. Coeurl er både klog og offer for sin egen sult på en gang, så den slår lidt klodset først 7 ihjel en ad gangen og så 24 og bliver opdaget, så to vagter ryger også. Den bryder ud af sit fængsel og overtager maskinrummet og sætter rumskibet i fart med 5g. Besætningen sunder sig og giver kontrollen til den militære leder kaptajn Leeth. Et angreb på maskinrummet slår fejl. Grosvenor er for meget teoretiker til at blive taget med på råd af lederen Morton, men det havde han regnet ud på forhånd. Han er også kun 31, så de andre synes også at han er for grøn. I sin egen opfattelse er han dog den eneste, der kan løse problemet. Han laver en opsummering af fakta, han får fra de andre afdelinger ved at bruge sit netværk og får faktisk de andre til at lytte til ham. De sørger for at Coeurl har en flugtvej og stresser den nok til at den flygter fra rumskibet i en slags redningsbåd. Den er imidlertid nem at indhente og tilintetgøre. Grosvenor foreslår at man bare lader planeten, hvor Coeurl kom fra, være i fred til alle af dens race er døde af sult, for det ser ud til at en økologisk katastrofe har ødelagt livsgrundlaget for først planter og så de dyr, der levede af planterne og så for den race, der havde bygget en civilisation og skabt Coeurl som modificerede rovdyr.Anden episode (kapitel 7-??) foregår i rummet, hvor skibet bliver angrebet af hypnotiske billeder. Det sker mens Grosvenor er midt i en mindre krig med Gregory Kent, som vil vælges som administrator og altså vippe Morton af pinden. Kent forsøger at genere Grosvenor, fordi han har udtalt sig negativt og tryk avler modtryk. Grosvenor får telepatisk kontakt tilbage til Riim planeten, der ikke havde fjendtlige hensigter, men prøvede helt venligt at kommunikere med skibet.
Tredje episode er i intergalaktisk rum, hvor skibet bliver stoppet af en lille rød djævel, Ixtl, der ???
En sammenkædning af tre noveller til romanstørrelse. En pudsig forældet fremtid, hvor man kan indstille tyngdekraften indeni en rumdragt, men hverken har mobiltelefoner eller overvågningskameraer eller computere.
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Collection
Publication
Panther Books, (1968), Paperback
Description
One of the great original classics of modern SF returns! An all-time classic space saga,The Voyage of the Space Beagle is one of the pinnacles of Golden Age SF, an influence on generations of stories. An episodic novel filled with surprises and provocative ideas, this is the story of a great exploration ship sent out into the unknown reaches of space on a long mission of discovery. They encounter several terrifying alien species, including the Ix, who lay their eggs in human bodies, which then devour the humans from within when they hatch. This is one of the most entertaining and gripping stories in all ofclassic SF.
User reviews
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
I have just started reading old, classic science fiction, going through a list that I found on this website . I think I own all of them but haven't really read a lot of the older stuff. So far, what I have read on this list I have truly enjoyed immensely, and this was no exception. I have an old
So here's what I didn't like about these stories: if you have absolutely no clue who Oswald Spengler was (and luckily, I'm a history major so in graduate school this crap was forced down my throat in historiography), you will so not understand how nexialism relies on inferences from Spengler's theories. I'll leave it to you to do the research, but Spengler wrote in his Decline of the West that every culture passes a through a cycle of life going through youth into maturity, old age and finally into death. He said that western culture is pretty well doomed according to this theory and that while he was living, it had already gone into its slide toward death. But my point is, that if you don't know who he is, then understanding Korita's and Grovesnor's discussions of Spenglerian cycles may throw you off. Anyway...that's my only caveat for this book. If you want some really fine classic sci-fi, then you may enjoy this one. It is dated, for sure, but still fun.
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pretty well beat up 1970 version (so old that it still has an ad for Kent cigarettes in the middle of it). I also have a thing for really cool sci-fi cover art, so when I'm buying these things, I look for the cover art to see if it's entertaining. Anyway...back to what I was saying, this book, I was surprised to find out, was very likely the basis for one of my favorite movies ever, Alien, starring Sigourney Weaver. It is divided up into four stories, all of them tied together by the fact that they all happened on this particular voyage of the Space Beagle -- a craft and crew which was put together to explore new worlds & galaxies. The stories are as follows: the first one about an encounter with a cat-like creature with tentacles who feeds on "id" on a desolate planet who threatens the ship & its crew (and possibly humanity); the second one about an attack through psychic means by a bird-like population of aliens living in an outer galaxy; third (and probably the best) the discovery of a bizarre creature who has no home except in space, pulled and pushed by the cosmic forces, and as you might guess, starving -- this one is outstanding. The final story is of course, based on another encounter with an attacking alien creature as well. Another factor that ties all of these stories together is one Dr. Elliott Grosvenor, who was the first person to have graduated from "the Nexial Foundation." Grovesnor has been taken on board as a scientist (this expedition is filled with scientists) representing the field of nexialism -- a sort of integration of thought and science combined with mind and body control techniques. Where other scientists had problems trying to figure out what to do during each crisis listed above, Grovesnor could step back and use his education to solve the problems. Not everyone agrees with nexialism, nor do they particularly like Grovesnor even though he's saved their butts each time. But think about it -- when you have several disciplines of science represented in one crew, you're bound to have some scientific rivalry going on. It's true on Earth; scientists all compete to find the answers in different fields -- and it's no less true in this book, out in the middle of space.So here's what I didn't like about these stories: if you have absolutely no clue who Oswald Spengler was (and luckily, I'm a history major so in graduate school this crap was forced down my throat in historiography), you will so not understand how nexialism relies on inferences from Spengler's theories. I'll leave it to you to do the research, but Spengler wrote in his Decline of the West that every culture passes a through a cycle of life going through youth into maturity, old age and finally into death. He said that western culture is pretty well doomed according to this theory and that while he was living, it had already gone into its slide toward death. But my point is, that if you don't know who he is, then understanding Korita's and Grovesnor's discussions of Spenglerian cycles may throw you off. Anyway...that's my only caveat for this book. If you want some really fine classic sci-fi, then you may enjoy this one. It is dated, for sure, but still fun.
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LibraryThing member pussreboots
The Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt is a novel comprised of four related short stories, woven together by some connecting text. As the title implies, the novel is about a futuristic ship of explorer-scientists who hope revolutionize mankind's scientific understanding in the same way
Van Vogt includes multiple points of view to sell his idea of Nexialism (a unifying theory for all fields of scientific study). He gets into the heads of the various scientists and crew as well as the super intelligent, incredibly alien, and of course, predatory and dangerous creatures the Beagle picks up for study.
And that's where things fell apart for me. The monster of the story isn't a sympathetic glimpse into understanding the Other. Instead it's the prototype for any number of B movies — the one who will invariably hunt down the crew and either kill them, mutate them, or impregnate them one at a time.
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that Darwin's observations on the Beagle did.Van Vogt includes multiple points of view to sell his idea of Nexialism (a unifying theory for all fields of scientific study). He gets into the heads of the various scientists and crew as well as the super intelligent, incredibly alien, and of course, predatory and dangerous creatures the Beagle picks up for study.
And that's where things fell apart for me. The monster of the story isn't a sympathetic glimpse into understanding the Other. Instead it's the prototype for any number of B movies — the one who will invariably hunt down the crew and either kill them, mutate them, or impregnate them one at a time.
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LibraryThing member Lyndatrue
It's one of my favorites, but I believe you must be a van Vogt aficionado to enjoy it, or at least very fond of the old days of science fiction, when men were men, and aliens were bug-eyed monsters.
LibraryThing member gothamajp
The influence on the Space Beagle concepts and stories on later iconic SF fare such as Star Trek and Alien is undeniable and it’s an interesting read from that perspective. But as a piece of engaging entertainment on its own merits it failed to engage me. Vogt’s prose style is inelegant, the
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main protagonist not particularly likeable and prone to some some questionable moral tactics. This collection of short stories reworked into a single novel also lacks a through-line and suffers from inconsistent character actions and an increasing reliance of “super-science” as a plot device. Show Less
LibraryThing member neontapir
It almost bogs down in psychology and philosophy. Almost.
LibraryThing member ragwaine
I was in a used bookstore today and saw some vintage sci-fi so I got in the mood for some. I've had this book forever so it's about time I got to it.
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This was my first book from Van Vogt and it turned out to be exactly what I needed to scratch my vintage sci-fi itch. Aliens, spaceships,
Dialoge and attitudes were definitely a bit dated but overall I really enjoyed it (maybe partially because of this). My biggest problem with the book is the infallability of the main character. Everything just seems to easy for him. If the nexalists are that powerful why aren't they already in control of everything?
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This was my first book from Van Vogt and it turned out to be exactly what I needed to scratch my vintage sci-fi itch. Aliens, spaceships,
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science, technology, space exploration. It had everything. It is a bit unfortunate that the "phasers" in this story happen to be called vibrators - gave it a kind of a homoerotic feel - a ship full of men all with vibrators strapped to their belts.Dialoge and attitudes were definitely a bit dated but overall I really enjoyed it (maybe partially because of this). My biggest problem with the book is the infallability of the main character. Everything just seems to easy for him. If the nexalists are that powerful why aren't they already in control of everything?
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LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
Van Vogt collected three short stories together into a novel. It reads well, though. As you'd suspect, the Space Beagle is an exploratory space ship that runs into several different first contact scenarios. One is a very interesting failure to communicate. The other two have a lot in common;
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extreme power, immortality, war & stagnation. All have a lot of action & are tied together by a new breed of scientist, one who ties together the various specialties. There is a strong theme of 'the left hand not knowing what the right is doing' among the various scientific specialties. Very well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member malcrf
Yes it's little dated. Yes it's written in a slightly naive style. But it's also a cracking, classic Sci-Fi story that much belies its age. I rarely re-read books (too many books, too little time), but this was a re-read and worth it. Might even warrant another re-read in 20 years!
LibraryThing member Lyndatrue
I couldn't help picking this book up. My favorite bookstore knows my fondness for van Vogt (just as much for the covers, and for his constant republication under new titles, such as this example). It's an acquired taste, but space opera doesn't get any better.
The book was in fair condition, and
For van Vogt aficionados, and collectors.
The book was in fair condition, and
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they just set it aside until I came in, and then gave it to me. Life is good.For van Vogt aficionados, and collectors.
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LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
Classic, by a master, but somehow didn't quite click" with me. And since I read it pre-goodreads, I didn't pay enough attention to say more."
LibraryThing member baswood
[The Voyage of the Space Beagle] by A. E. Van Vogt
Science fiction from 1950. I have recently read [The World of Null-A] by Van Vogt which had been published two years earlier and I had not been impressed; it was a number of shorter stories cobbled together into a novel which proved to be fairly
The four stories are all excellent, each one setting the crew against formidable odds. In the story formerly known as The Black Destroyer a large cat like creature (a coeurl) is encountered on a ruined planet and behaves in a neutral way when accosted, however it has an alien intelligence and it is hungry for living flesh, The crew take it on board the Space Beagle with disastrous results. In the War of Nerves members of the crew suffer hallucinations and they are pinpointed as coming from a nearby planet. Grosvenor realises that the only way of fighting the menace is to mind-meld with the alien race. Discord in Scarlet is a prototype story that predates “The Alien” films. A super powerful alien creature who can change its molecular structure tricks its way aboard the spaceship in its search for living material into which it will plant its eggs. Ixtl is the creature which appears to be indestructible, selecting its victims and carrying them off to the ship’s hold to foster its offspring. In the final story M33 in Andromeda the crew face an entire galaxy that has been taken over by a dominant life form which needs to expand.
In both The Black Destroyer and Discord in Scarlet, Van Vogt tells some of the story from the aliens point of view, inviting his readers to feel the hunger and desire of the Coeurl and Ixtl. This has the effect of lessening the mystery and perhaps the tension, but effectively ratchets up the horror and desperation facing the crew. Most of the action takes place on board the spaceship. War of Nerves strikes me as quite an original story and with the mind-melding aspect; Van Vogt is again able to describe an alien presence. The overarching story of the interdepartmental faction fighting develops into all out war in the final story and is a bigger threat to the mission than the alien menace. Grosvenor’s Nexial Department (there are only four of them) are intent in forging an holistic approach and Van Vogt’s big idea is that lives will be in danger if people do not work together. It is an effective way of binding the stories together with the same characters appearing in each story, learning or not learning from previous experiences.
This is excellent 1950’s science fiction, with enough science to make the stories plausible and enough psychology to make them believable. There is very little evidence of sexism with all the characters being men (apart from the obvious) and these men have left their sex drive back on earth. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and so 5 stars for the genre.
Science fiction from 1950. I have recently read [The World of Null-A] by Van Vogt which had been published two years earlier and I had not been impressed; it was a number of shorter stories cobbled together into a novel which proved to be fairly
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incoherent. A similar approach had been taken with The Space Beagle, but obviously lessons had been learnt because it is a great success. Two interplanetary magazine stories from 1939, one from 1943 and one from 1950 are linked with an overarching story of the voyage of the Space Beagle. It is the first intergalactic expedition taking 1000 men of different professional fields in search of whatever lies out there. The men who have all been chemically altered to stop their sex drive are nevertheless competing on an interdepartmental basis, with the chemists and the mathematicians in the forefront, both trying to establish their control over the mission. In each of the stories this faction fighting crew face four life and death struggles with alien life forms, but it is Elliott Grosvenor of the newly formed Nexial department who is the only man who can analyse the problems effectively.The four stories are all excellent, each one setting the crew against formidable odds. In the story formerly known as The Black Destroyer a large cat like creature (a coeurl) is encountered on a ruined planet and behaves in a neutral way when accosted, however it has an alien intelligence and it is hungry for living flesh, The crew take it on board the Space Beagle with disastrous results. In the War of Nerves members of the crew suffer hallucinations and they are pinpointed as coming from a nearby planet. Grosvenor realises that the only way of fighting the menace is to mind-meld with the alien race. Discord in Scarlet is a prototype story that predates “The Alien” films. A super powerful alien creature who can change its molecular structure tricks its way aboard the spaceship in its search for living material into which it will plant its eggs. Ixtl is the creature which appears to be indestructible, selecting its victims and carrying them off to the ship’s hold to foster its offspring. In the final story M33 in Andromeda the crew face an entire galaxy that has been taken over by a dominant life form which needs to expand.
In both The Black Destroyer and Discord in Scarlet, Van Vogt tells some of the story from the aliens point of view, inviting his readers to feel the hunger and desire of the Coeurl and Ixtl. This has the effect of lessening the mystery and perhaps the tension, but effectively ratchets up the horror and desperation facing the crew. Most of the action takes place on board the spaceship. War of Nerves strikes me as quite an original story and with the mind-melding aspect; Van Vogt is again able to describe an alien presence. The overarching story of the interdepartmental faction fighting develops into all out war in the final story and is a bigger threat to the mission than the alien menace. Grosvenor’s Nexial Department (there are only four of them) are intent in forging an holistic approach and Van Vogt’s big idea is that lives will be in danger if people do not work together. It is an effective way of binding the stories together with the same characters appearing in each story, learning or not learning from previous experiences.
This is excellent 1950’s science fiction, with enough science to make the stories plausible and enough psychology to make them believable. There is very little evidence of sexism with all the characters being men (apart from the obvious) and these men have left their sex drive back on earth. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and so 5 stars for the genre.
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LibraryThing member AZBob1951
Alien the movie came from this book
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
From my preteen years onward I have enjoyed reading speculative fiction of many kinds. This is one of my favorite from one of my favorite authors. As the name suggests the book is about a voyage of discovery, but in addition it centers on one scientist in particular who is a type of super hero. Van
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Vogt had created similar heroes before in "The World of Null-A" and elsewhere. Long before I read Darwin's famous book I was entranced by the encounters with alien space creatures that filled this book. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1950
Physical description
191 p.; 17.6 cm
Local notes
Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser et eller andet, måske kloakdæksler med indlagt lys?
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Side 23: He had recognized an emotional crisis, and he had spoken the necessary words in the right tone of peremptory command. The fact that those who had obeyed him now questioned his authority to give the command was unimportant. The crisis was over.
Omslaget viser et eller andet, måske kloakdæksler med indlagt lys?
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Side 23: He had recognized an emotional crisis, and he had spoken the necessary words in the right tone of peremptory command. The fact that those who had obeyed him now questioned his authority to give the command was unimportant. The crisis was over.
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Pages
191
DDC/MDS
| 813.54 |