34. The Peculiar Exploits of Brigadier Ffellowes by Sterling E. Lanier

Writer:  Sterling E. Lanier
First Publication:  1971

Back in my early days of reading the science fiction magazines, I stumbled on a copy of “The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction”.  It was the July 1974 issue.  The cover by Ron Walotsky  caught my attention.  It showed a jungle scene with an explorer hiding among the plants.  A giant rat, holding a bloody knife, was standing upright in an intimidating pose.  The cover story was called “A Father’s Tale” by Sterling Lanier.  At the time I did not realize it was part of a series. 

A few science fiction authors were using the framework of a bar or club where people told tall tales.  Larry Niven had “Draco’s Tavern”.  Spider Robinson wrote about “Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon”.  Before that Isaac Asimov wrote a series of mysteries about the Black Widowers.  Arthur C. Clarke penned “Tales from the White Heart”.  In recent years Mike Resnick has published the adventures of Lucifer Jones.  The framework goes back earlier than these stories.  

Lanier’s main character, at least on the cover, appears very similar to Sherlock Holmes.  “A Father’s Tale” was nominated for many awards but I never saw any other stories about the Brigadier.  Last year I searched for Sterling Lanier on my Kindle and discovered that he had published two collections of stories about the Brigadier.  “A Father’s Tale” is in the second collection but I wanted to try out the first.  Lanier does an excellent job of pulling you into the world of the club.  I could almost smell the smoke from their pipes.  The chair I was sitting on transformed into an old leather chair.  Lanier made me feel like part of the group.  

If classic tall tales interest you, I would recommend searching for a copy of this collection (or the second one).  Copies (digital for the Kindle or used print editions) are available through Amazon.  

Walpurgis III by Mike Resnick

When mankind spreads to the stars, various groups filed claims to settle the new worlds. Walpurgis III was one of those worlds. In this case, Satanic covens and practitioners of witchcraft were the groups that claimed this planet.

The book focuses on three characters.

Conrad Bland lives to kill. He has led massacres on many planets. Now he has been granted sanctuary on Walpurgis III. Many people on this planet think he is their Dark Messiah. Bland is planning on killing the inhabitants of this world. When he is done, he will move on to another planet.

Jericho is the best hired killer in the underworld.The Republic (the ruling government of the human worlds) has failed to kill Bland so they turn to Jericho. He is hired to journey to Walpurgis III and kill Bland.

John Sable is the chief detective of one of the largest cities on Walpurgis III. He is an honorable family man who believes in the law. Sable believes that the Republic has sent a killer to his city on a mission to take out Bland. Even though he does not agree with Bland's philosophy and prior actions, he has sworn an oath to uphold the law. He tries to warn his planet's government but they are not concerned. It becomes evident that they are collaborating with the Republic. Sable tries to warn Bland but he also is not concerned.

Jericho moves like an irresistable force towards Bland. He kills effortlessly. Sometimes he does it only to throw the police off his track. By changing identities, he is able evade the police and Bland's troops.

Bland kills everyone in various cities where he thinks Jericho is located. Sable is captured and held prisoner by Bland. The two are waiting together for Jericho to arrive for a final showdown. As Sable sees first hand what Bland has done, he starts to regret trying to stop Jericho.

The book showcases the old question, what would a moral man do when a person wants to kill the embodiment of evil? Sable faces this choice when he has a chance to stop one evil person from committing a crime. In the end, he allows one crime to happen but follows the law afterwards. His choice probably saved millions of lives. It still does not make it any better in his eyes. Sable was a very realistic character. Like many people in real life, he wants to live in a world of absolutes. Sable has to choose between evils and live with the consequences.

Two things stand out at the end of this novel. One was how constant exposure to the atrocities committed by Bland had a numbing effect on Sable. After a while, some of Bland's acts did not create the revolting feelings they initially did. And this permanently scarred Sable. Another was how when Sable returned to his normal life, he could not stop smelling the decaying corpses that he was exposed to in Bland's city. I imagine he remembered that smell for the rest of his life.

Resnick's story is fast paced. His writing style is what I would call transparent. If you are looking for a literary craftsman like Gene Wolfe, this is not the book for you. The reader will not have to ponder and try to decipher the meaning of his sentences. This keeps the story moving and focused. Sable's story will stay with you long after you finish the book.

The author does a great job of incorporating the details that develope this fictional world. Walpurgis III becomes a believable world in Resnick's hands.

It is highly recommended to fans of pulp style stories with a modern sensibility.

"All the Things You Are" by Mike Resnick

The first science fiction magazine that I subscribed to was Galaxy. At that time a new editor by the name of Jim Baen had taken charge. Jim published stories by Roger Zelazny, David Drake, Arsen Darnay and many others that became favorites of mine. Galaxy was great. Jim went on to establish his own publishing company. Last year science fiction lost one of the best when Jim died. I am happy that Jim Baen's Universe(and Baen Books) will continue the legacy that started with Jim's editorship of Galaxy. After reading Eric Flint's editorial, I am confident that Universe has a bright future.

The lineup for this issue is a good mix of classic and new writers. You know you are in for a treat when a magazine can boast authors such as Gene Wolfe, John Barnes, Gregory Benford, John Ringo, Eric Flint, and Mike Resnick.

The first story in this issue sold me on the magazine. Mike Resnick's All the Things You Are is what I would call a classic science fiction story. It starts with an unexplainable mystery, the main character pieces together part of the puzzle and goes to another planet to solve the riddle. Reading this story brought back memories of Isaac Asimov's short stories. That is one of the highest compliments I can give to a story. Mike continues to be one of my favorite authors.