Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1955


At best average issue. Sheckley’s story was good, but the others were pretty mediocre.

The Servant Problem • novelette by William Tenn
A dictator of the Earth has finally achieved the total control of the people of the Earth. After through psychological conditioning 100% of the younger generations are totally loyal to him. He is very happy of that achievement. But his main aide is the person who really is in control. But he is controlled by his psychiatrist. But he is totally controlled by a young assistant, who has perfected hypnotic techniques. But the aide is totally controlled by the dictator - or at least he is totally loyal to him. A fairly nice, but badly overlong story. ***
Don't Shoot • shortstory by Robert Zacks
An inventor tries to invent a 3d movie camera and ends up inventing a matter transporter/size changer. A ruthless movie producer tries to benefit from it and ends up as an abominable snowman at the Himalayas. About as stupid and bad it sounds. **-
The Lifeboat Mutiny • [AAA Ace] • shortstory by Robert Sheckley
AA interplanetary service has acquired a new life boat for their terraforming activities. It was a war surplus bought at very affordable price. It turns out to be a very efficient and protective ship with effective AI, who is ready to protect all members of the Drome war fleet at any cost. Even those who are apparently mentally unbalanced and claim to be some strange beings called humans, and turn the temperature of the ship up to unhealthily warm temperatures. A fun and amusing little tale. ****
Target One • shortstory by Frederik Pohl
A group murders Einstein with a time machine of sorts and hope to prevent a nuclear war. And someone else makes all the same inventions less surprisingly. Simple and short. **½
Man's Best Friend • shortstory by Evelyn E. Smith
A man is told that he has been elected as the dictator. As the custom is, he is supposed to assassinate his predecessor. He is more than a little dumbfounded, but he decides to talk with the former dictator, who seems pretty calm about it all. A pretty talky and overlong story without any major surprises. The writing was average. **½
Hurricane Trio • novelette by Theodore Sturgeon
A man has been rescued by aliens and rebuild as something similar but better. We learn that after several pages of description of pretty pedestrian vacation where there is some sort of disconnect between the husband and wife. Fairly little happens and the husband seems more than a little stupid even when he was supposed to be "enhanced ". The writing was ok. **½

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