HEDRICK@RUTGERS.ARPA (10/24/83)
From: Charles Hedrick <HEDRICK@RUTGERS.ARPA> Ben Bova and Gordon R. Dickson, "Gremlins Go Home", Tor, November, 1983. [My bookstore seems to have a time machine. I typically get new books a month or so before they are published.] This will never (I hope) be a contended for a Hugo, but it is an amusing piece of work. It seems that the Gremlins (more commonly, but incorrectly, known as leprauchauns) have gotten fed up with Earth and want to return to their native planet of Gremla. Fortunately for them, NASA is about to launch a manned mission to Mars (alas, the least plausible thing about the whole book). With a slight diversion, this will be able to take them home. They manage to convince the son of the Launch Director to help them attach their own module (fortunately invisible) to the launch vehicle. It is rather like one of the better Disney movies. The Gremlins are a delight, as is the boy's dog, Mr. Sheperton. As an example, consider O'Rigami. He is the chief engineer for the Gremlins. It seems that he may have been in Japan just a bit longer than is safe for a Gremlin: My humbre accent is that of true gremrin attempting to speak your ranguage." "It sounds Japanese." "Not so! Honorable Japanese race have acquired accent from gremrins riving amonst them." There is a bit more to the plot than the typical Disney movie. However not so much that I can say more without telling you all of it. It's nice to see Bova and Dickson having fun. Unfortunately this is a victim of the current rage for illustrated books. The illustrations may add to the bulk (it is just barely long enough to consider a novel) and undoubtably add to the price, but they are a bit on the cute side for me. I wish they could have gotten the person who did the picture on the cover to do the ones on the inside. Or better yet, forget them. I prefer to picture things myself. The whole point of reading, as opposed to movie-going, is to let me execise my imagination. grrrr.... -------