chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach) (03/05/84)
In an unending search for funny SF, I picked up a copy of 'Star Smashers of
the Galaxy Rangers (hence SSotGR)' by Harry Harrison (Ace, $2.50). Harrison
has written a number of humourous (depending upon your taste, of course)
books, including the classic 'Bill, the Galactic Hero' and the Stainless
Steel Rat series. The book, to put it mildly, it terrible. Now, from
reading other HH I have learned to expect to give up things like plot and
characterization for the sake of his humour, but this book makes 'The
Flying Sorcerors' read like Tolstoy. The plot is so stupendously
non-existant that I found I didn't mind when the cardboard characters stood
up and postured (Example: the heros are about to be killed by a KGB agent.
In a last ditch attempt to save their skin, they say 'Sure, you were
brought up as a socialist, but your father was an american (true
assumption) and that makes you an american as well!' This moved this highly
trained and motivated KGB agent so much that he changed sides ('Gee, I
never thought of that!', he mutters as he drops the gun...). Guess what?
This is the highlight of the books intelligence.
Enough said. This is not a book for reading, this is a book for throwing as
far away for you as you can. If you are ever lost, all alone on a desert
isle, with only this book for company, I suggest you seriously consider
suicide instead of reading this book. On a scale of 1-5, I can't rate it
because I'm not sure if I can give it a negative number.
q
--
From the Citadel of the Autarch: Chuqui the Plaid
{fortune,menlo70}!nsc!chuqui P.S. Nuke Wobegon!
A relationship is like a shark. It has to keep moving forward or it dies.
What we have here is definitely a dead shark.perelgut@utcsrgv.UUCP (Stephen Perelgut) (03/06/84)
On the other hand, SSotGR is one of the funniest books written by Harry
Harrison. Everyone walks off into the sunset with a partner. The
intergalactic 747 works fine. And the KGB agent is a nice guy.
Don't listen to this person. Just go out and buy the book. It rates a
solid 3.5 (maybe even 4 if you are a Harrison fan) out of 5.
--
Stephen Perelgut
Computer Systems Research Group University of Toronto
Usenet: {linus, ihnp4, allegra, decvax, floyd}!utcsrgv!perelgut
CSNET: perelgut@Torontoandrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (03/07/84)
"In an unending search for funny SF, I picked up a copy of
'Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers' by Harry Harrison ... The
book, to put it mildly, it terrible. ... The plot is so
stupendously non-existant that I found I didn't mind when the
cardboard characters stood up and postured (Example: the heros
are about to be killed by a KGB agent. In a last ditch attempt
to save their skin, they say 'Sure, you were brought up as a
socialist, but your father was an american (true assumption)
and that makes you an american as well!' This moved this highly
trained and motivated KGB agent so much that he changed sides
..."
Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers is meant, not as a "straight"
humorous book to read out of context, but a parody of the classic SF
styles and subgenres. In particular, most of Heinlein's works were
well and excellently lampooned. As such, I found it to be about the
funniest book I ever read.
But don't read it unless you have already read quite a bit of
conventional SF, or you won't find it to be very funny.
-- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP]
(orca!andrew.tektronix@rand-relay) [ARPA]taw%S1-C@sri-unix.UUCP (03/15/84)
From: Tom Wadlow <taw at S1-C> Date: 6 Mar 84 19:14:10-PST (Tue) Message excerpts from: hplabs!zehntel!tektronix!orca!andrew @ Ucb-Vax . . . . In particular, most of Heinlein's works were well and excellently lampooned. Oh, come on now!! SSotGR is clearly recognizable as a parody of the old space opera genre, most notably E.E. "Doc" Smith's Skylark and Lensmen series. The poor boy genius from the backwoods, and the rich cheese heir (the cheese absorbs water from the air, so if you don't eat it fast enough, you end up with more cheese than you started out with), converting the football team's 747 for interplanetary, and later interstellar flight...... . . . . As such, I found it to be about the funniest book I ever read. -- Andrew Klossner I heartily concur. But you *do* have to read a lot of the right SF to understand whatinhell is going on. -- Tom Wadlow
warwick@blott.DEC (06/13/85)
I bought this book for 20p in a sale at my local library, and as
such it rates as one of the best bargains I've ever bought. I thought that
it was extremely funny - especially the poke at E.E.Smith, cos you've got
to admit, that some of his stuff was a little corny in places.
"It was a kosher garlic salami !!!"
trevor warwick
--------------
Engineering Division, Digital Equipment Corporation, Reading, England.
UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-tron!warwick
ARPA: warwick%tron.DEC@decwrl.ARPApsc@lzwi.UUCP (Paul S. R. Chisholm) (07/08/85)
< I can use my magic to change the color to red -- but I don't do windows. > > >Try reading some E.E "Doc" Smith ... You'll notice some resemblance. > Only if Star Smashers is awfully good satire. It is. -- -Paul S. R. Chisholm The above opinions are my own, {pegasus,vax135}!lzwi!psc not necessarily those of any {mtgzz,ihnp4}!lznv!psc telecommunications company. "It must be fast, and it must be red, and it must have windows."
JAFFE@RUTGERS.ARPA (07/09/85)
From: lzwi!psc (Paul S. R. Chisholm) < I can use my magic to change the color to red -- but I don't do windows. > > >Try reading some E.E "Doc" Smith ... You'll notice some resemblance. > Only if Star Smashers is awfully good satire. It is. -- -Paul S. R. Chisholm The above opinions are my own, {pegasus,vax135}!lzwi!psc not necessarily those of any {mtgzz,ihnp4}!lznv!psc telecommunications company. "It must be fast, and it must be red, and it must have windows."