Customer Reviews (3)

Companion piece to Piper's _Federation_
The "Terro-Human Future History Chronology" is not a story, but rather a timeline with approximate dates derived from Piper's stories, starting with the year 1 Atomic Era (A.E.) = 1942 A.D./C.E. - the calendar dates from the year the first atomic pile went into operation, and ending with a date from "Ministry of Disturbance".

John F. Carr's "Introduction" is interesting; among other things, he laments the third, lost Fuzzy novel, which was found after _Empire_'s release and published as _Fuzzies and Other People_, I'm thankful to say. For a discussion of other Piper material that went missing after his death in 1963, see Pournelle's introduction to the paperback edition of the Piper collection _Federation_. Piper's death at his own hand, believing (wrongly) that his career was finished and thus could no longer meet his obligations, left his estate in a tremendous tangle, hence the decades when his works were out of print. I can only hope that more "lost" drafts of Piper's work move into the "found" category. After a brief lament on Piper's death, Carr moves on to present an overview of Piper's Terro-Human Future History, of which the Fuzzy novels were only the best-known part, not the whole.

On to the 5 Piper stories comprising this book. Each is prefaced by a paragraph or two by Carr, clarifying where it falls in the timeline and providing a little commentary.

"The Edge of the Knife" predates the founding of the Federation, let alone the First Empire, but fits into this collection quite nicely. Professor Chalmers' memory occasionally works both ways; teaching his Modern History IV class in 1973, he begins drawing a comparison to an assassination that will not happen for another two months. (He once tried to get a copy of _Rise and Decline of the System States_ from the college library before remembering that it wouldn't be published until the 28th century.) He always meticulously records his memories of the future, but can't control when they'll crop up, something that's beginning to endanger him.

I wish I'd had a history teacher like him, with or without the two-way memory. He's neither a fool nor detached from reality; he became convinced of his future memories' reality only when those of the near-future passed under the knife-edge of the present to be verified in detail. When the college president tries to stampede him into resigning, Chalmers promptly invokes his tenure, then explains the situation to his lawyer over lunch. While Whitburn can't break him over a slip of the tongue, unfitness to teach - as in, "proving" Chalmers insane - *would* give Whitburn leverage.

"A Slave Is a Slave" takes place during the early years of the first Empire: the annexation of Aditya, a culture in which everyone is either a Lord-Master, or a slave. Into this society, the Empire has sent Count Erskyll, a young radical who for his first proconsulate assignment was sent to this backwater, where he couldn't possibly do much harm.

Right.

For an Aditya-like alien society - or is it? - read James White's _Federation World_. For a fuller treatment of some of Piper's relevant ideas, study Marduk in _Space Viking_.

"Ministry of Disturbance" follows His Imperial Majesty, Paul XXII through what, at first, appears to be a typical, mind-bogglingly dull day of routine reigning. (His consort has a day full of recording greetings for flower festivals across the galaxy to get through, and crazy old Harv Dorflay has uncovered yet another imaginary conspiracy against Paul's life.) "Routine", in fact, is the watchword for the empire of 2936 A.E.: all threats to the Empire's security are from within rather than without. Paul, in fact, is delighted at any sparks of energy and interest in his apathetic subjects. But what can he do? And is he as safe as he believes?

"The Return" was co-written by John J. McGuire. Like Burroughs' _Lost Continent_, this is a tale of civilized men exploring a continent ruined by war 200 years before - but this continent is North America, not Europe. This story focuses on the Fort Ridgeway team's first contact with the people of the Toon while seeking the microfilm records of the Carnegie Library, and like other Piper first contact stories, the mystery is to find out what makes these people tick - but here, both sides of that problem are presented.

"The Keeper", like uncounted generations before him, lives in a small house on a backwater planet where an ice age is coming on, protecting the Crown whose history none now remember. (He's a poor man - the Crown is his trust, not his treasury.) To him, the days when there were no woods but great buildings and many starships is almost a fairy tale - he and his people have forgotten that Earth was the first of humanity's worlds. But others remember, and have at last sought him out.

IRRELEVANT NOTE: Michael Whelan's cover painting _Empire_ for the 1981 Ace paperback edition reminds me of "The Gifts of Asti" in _The Book of Andre Norton_. The image is metaphorical rather than being taken from any scene in _Empire_.

These stories are all excellent
H. Beam Piper was one of the premier science-fiction authors of the 1960s, and should rightly be considered one of the all-time greats in that field. This book is a collection of his short stories, all but one set in his Terro-Human Future History. The edition I have (1981 Ace) starts out with a very nice chronology, and then continues with an excellent introduction by John F. Carr.

The following five stories are included in this book. 1) Edge of the Knife is chronologically the earliest of the Terro-Human Future History stories, and is set in 1973. It tells the story of Edward Chalmers, an American history professor who finds future history invading his consciousness. 2) A Slave is a Slave tells the story of the planet Aditya's absorption by the First Empire, and the path a planet of slaves and masters takes can be quite surprising. 3) Ministry of Disturbance is of Mr. Piper's greatest works. It tells the story of an ossified Empire, and the "great and dreadful changes" that are headed for it. 4) The Return is not actually part of the Terro-Human Future History, but is an excellent story. In the aftermath of the atomic wars, a group of scientists begin to reach out to fellow survivors, but what they find is full of surprises. 5) The final story is The Keeper, and it tells a story set during the Fifth Empire(!), when Terra is nearly forgotten and slipping into a new ice age. And in a small backwater village, a treasure is protected by its keeper, a man who doesn't even know what its significance is.

These stories are all excellent, and keep you on the edge of your seat. Piper took a somewhat Toynbean view of history, that is that civilizations rise, stagnate and fall, and then new civilizations rise from their ashes. It is this dynamic unfolding of his history that makes Piper's works so very fascinating.

I really enjoyed these stories, and recommend this book to you!

Anthology ofthe distant period of Piper' s future history
Not Piper's best, these stories carry a sort of gloominess.The feeling is that humanity is on the decline and decandence prevails at the center of human civilization, while decay has already claimed the less important worlds.An interesting story about a nearly forgotten Earth in a future Ice Age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Why do libertarians like Piper's assassination fantasy?
"Lone Star Planet" postulates that in a rational society, to the extent that you can call Texas "rational," private individuals can legally murder politicians who exert power in ways they don't like. How does this differ from kook hate literature like "The Turner Diaries"? Would we feel somewhat differently about Piper now if Lee Harvey Oswald had a copy of "Lone Star Planet" in his possession during his arrest for shooting President Kennedy -- in Texas?

Absolutely great
This exciting book is really two novellas published as one, fat paperback book! The first story is Four Day Planet, which is set in Piper's Terro-Human Future History. Fenris is an unusual world; one that's year is about the same as Earth's, but it only has four days per year! With blazing hot days and nights that are colder than cold, it is a world of tough individuals who don't like being cheated. Well, they are being cheated, and as Walter Boyd, star reported for the Port Sandor Times, watches, the whole world prepares to go up in flames.

The second story stands alone, which is to say that is it is not in Piper's Terro-Human Future History or Paratime milieus. New Texas was founded when the whole ornery state of Texas built themselves spaceships and headed out to the new frontier - space. But now, these rugged and independent New Texans are the target of an expansive race of extraterrestrials, and it's up to the Solar League's ambassador to guide them back into Earth's embrace. Well, mister, it's going to take one tough and wily ambassador to steer the New Texans - but is Stephen Silk that tough and that wily?

These two stories are absolutely great! H. Beam Piper (1904-64) is one of the little recognized greats of science fiction. He was an expert at creating fascinating worlds that were both fantastic and yet utterly believable, and these stories show his writing ability off to great effect. If you like good sci-fi, then you will like this book. If you are a fan of H. Beam Piper, then it is a must-have!

Read it 20 years ago and never forgot it.
This review is focused more toward the Lone Star Planet half of this double book.As a fan of H. Beam Piper, I bought the book because I liked him (and I am a Texan).The premise was funny and I couldn't resist the image of the entire state of Texas emmigrating to another planet (taking the Alamo with them, of course).The plot was not only funny, it was well put together and insightful regarding the "Texan" mentality, which I might add, is as much a product of how other regions perceive us as it is how we present ourselves to the world.I often cite this book as something fun to read whether you like Science Fiction or not, because it is first and foremost a parody of people and politics and the difference between politicians and diplomats.

Just this week I purchased another copy of it from a used book dealer.I can't wait to read it again!

One book, Two great stories
Have you ever considered the role of government in our lives? In Four Day Planet-Lone Star Planet H. Beam Piper does just that. In Four Day Planet, we visit the planet Fenris, a near Hell-world that turns only four times in a year, but that is not the important part. You see, the people who live there are the decendants of colonists who stayed when the company who set up the colony collapsed. Left to their own devices the struggle aginst the lawless brigands who have set themsleves as rulers.

Lone-Star Planet, ( A planet for Texas ) takes us to the world of New Texas. A lovely little planet, with a government much like our own, with one little exception, Killing a member of the government is only illegial if a jury thinks it was more than he deserved. Think about it!!! This little oddity suited New Taxans just fine until somebody killed the Solar League Ambassador now a lot of people think New Texas needs a new government. Not well know anymore H. Beam Piper was one of the finest authors of his day, and this was one of his finest works.

Vintage Piper.
Four-Day Planet is the only Piper book set on Fenris, which rotates so slowly that it only has 4 days in a year, and a sunset is 100 hours long. Fenris survives by trading tallow-wax, produced from sea monsters. The monster hunters have been ripped off for years by trading agreements, and they're not going to take it anymore...

Lone Star Planet is set on New Texas -- the whole state migrated (they took the Alamo with them, of course). Politicians on New Texas are *really* accountable to the people, as the new Federation ambassador finds out... ... Read more

Product Description
Space Viking is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by H. Beam Piper is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of H. Beam Piper then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

I'll have a Heinlein instead, please
We all have fond memories of some books read in youth, and many people seem devoted to this book.Reading it for the first time as an adult, I do not find that Space Viking translates well into the 21st century.

Lucas Trask is a nobleman living on an "outer" world in the days after the collapse of the Earth space federation."Space Vikings" have arisen to prey on the formerly civilizedcore of the galaxy.Trask's bride is murdered on their wedding day by a madman who escapes into space; Trask therefore decides to become a Space Viking and take vengeance.

Even if revenge on an insane person makes sense (or did when the book was written), it is something of a leap to suggest that such retribution makes it necessary or acceptable to raid and loot other planets, with great loss of life and property.Trask nonetheless proceeds to do so.He turns away from mayhem and violence a bit as the book progresses, but returns to espouse authoritarian rule, held by force if necessary.For example, Trask criticizes a planetary ruler for not wanting to kill his own countrymen and for sending unarmed police to deal with an advancing mob.Trask suggests instead that the ruler should have "Put up about fifty combat cars.Drawn a deadline, and opened machine-gun fire as soon as the mob crossed it, and kept on firing till the survivors turned tail and ran.Then sent out more cars and shot everybody wearing a People's Watchmen uniform . . . ."

The tale is reasonably well told if you can get past the plot.Characterization is minimal.The Kindle edition has been proofread (thank you!), but could use a cover and table of contents.

A great book
A great adventure book with quite a few things to think about hidden within it. This is one of the books that made me start to love classic sci-fi, and appreciate H. Beam Piper's work. I am now officially a fan!

Great Space Epic
This story is in the genre of Space Opera, or even what is now called YA, though when Piper wrote it was most likely called Juvenile Fiction. It stays in print, people buy it, people reread it. I have read it virtually every other year for nearly thirty years. Not that it is great literature, but that it is a fun read. There are bad guys and good guys, quests, and evil deeds.

Along the way we are treated to what piper often does in the Terro-Human Federation stories, and that is get a glimpse of great political and economic theories at work. That the story spans many years shows how these forces work within the context so that gives us more than the hero who just swashbuckles through a story of derringdo. Our hero witnesses and influences the end of a the galactic dark ages and a new renaissance.

Piper committed suicide and left us without more. This book has always been in search of a sequel for though complete, Piper has left us wanting so much more. Recommending this book, I have read it fifteen to twenty times. I think it is good and always worth returning too.

One of the Best from One of the Best
This is classic sci-fi in its space opera format. I read this when I was a teenager because I'd read Lord Kalvan (Paratime series) serialized in Analog. It's quintessential escapist fiction--one of the most popular sub-genres in sci-fi. Taken as part of Piper's grand Future History saga, this is one of the best.

juvenile at best
This novel reads like an adolescent fantasy.What would I do if my new bride were murdered?Become a space viking of course!And start an empire, and then everyone would respect me!

I found the messages disturbing as well.A couple that come across include the idea that stealing from and killing those weaker than you is OK, and the concept that those in power shouldn't tolerate lower classes working toward equality.

For the price of the Kindle edition, it wasn't awful, but I'll take an early Heinlein any day.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
The Paratime Police have a tougher job than The Time Patrol types in other books, in that there are other realities they have to worry about, as well as other times.

Chasing down miscreants into other possible pasts is just a bit more problematic.Here, the Paratime Police are given their reason for being, as they have to solve a case.




... Read more

Product Description
Day of the Moron

It's natural to trust the unproven word of the fellow who's "on my side"--but the emotional moron is on no one's side, not even his own. Once, such an emotional moron could, at worst, hurt a few. But with the mighty, leashed forces Man employs now. . . .

*

Police Operation

Hunting down the beast, under the best of circumstances, was dangerous. But in this little police operation, the conditions required the use of inadequate means!

*

Naudsonce

Bishop Berkeley's famous question about the sound of a falling tree may have no standing in Science. But there is a highly interesting question about "sound" that Science needs to consider. . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Naudsonce or Nonsense?
With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Aegypan Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude. But this short collection is an odd choice.The title yarn is a story of "first contact" from Piper's Terrohuman Future History in which humans visit the world of a primitive sentient race that has an inscrutable way to communicate."Police Operation" is Piper's first published tale of the Paratime Police, a cross-time agency that patrols a multitude of parallel worlds."Day of the Moron" is Piper at his political worst, an anti-union screed masquerading as a cautionary tale about scientific sophistication and technological safety.

Also recommended by Piper are Uller Uprising, Murder in the Gunroom, Time Crime,Four-Day Planet, Little Fuzzy, Space Viking, and The Cosmic Computer.

So, Piper Returns!
Another re-issue of the H. Beam Piper stories. If you have the Ace versions from the early '80's, be careful as these stories are in Empire, Paratime & Federation (edited by John F. Carr). If you don't have any of the old collections, or don't care about overlaps in your collection, buy & enjoy. Oh, and curse the idiot agent who didn't bother to get word to Piper that he'd sold several items, leading to Piper's suicide.
... Read more

Product Description
Included in this volume are five novelettes from the last decade of Piper's career. The title story, "Ministry of Disturbance," appeared in the December 1958 issue of Astounding, (where Cambpell blurbed it, "Sometimes getting a job is harder than the job after you get it -- and sometimes getting out of a job is harder than either!"). Also included are "A Slave is a Slave," from the April 1962 issue of Analog ("There has always been strong sympathy for the poor," said JWC, "meek, downtrodden slave -- the kindly little man, oppressed by cruel and overbearing masters. Could it possibly have been misplaced. . . ?"); "Oomphel in the Sky," from Analog, November 1960 ("Since Logic derives from postulates, it never has, and never will, change a postulate. And a religious belief is a system of postulates . . . so how can a man fight a native superstition with logic? Or anything else. . . ?"); "Omnilingual" from the February 1957 issue of Astounding, ("To translate writings, you need a key to the code -- and if the last writer of Martian died forty thousand years before the first writer of Earth was born . . . how could the Martian be translated. . . ?"); and last though hardly least, "The Keeper," from Venture Science Fiction, July 1957 ("Evil men had stolen his treasure, and Raud set out with his deer rifle and his great dog Brave to catch the thieves before they could reach the Starfolk. That the men had negatron pistols meant little -- Raud was the Keeper. . . .") ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Finally a series-based Piper collection!
With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Aegypan Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude.This collection is an excellent introduction to Piper's Terrohuman Future History (TFH) series.The title yarn tells of a time when the first Galactic Empire has reconquered all of the worlds of the collapsed Terran Federation as well as the Sword Worlds which were introduced in Space Viking."A Slave is a Slave" is based in the early days of the Empire, when its naval forces are reconquering the worlds of the Old Federation."Oomphel in the Sky" is a tale of Federation-era human settlers threatened by mass uprisings among the local natives who believe their world is about to come to an end."Omnilingual" chronicles the first expedition to Mars and the clever "bilingual" they discover to enable them to read the language of the ancient, extinct Martians."The Keeper" is this reviewer's favorite TFH yarn, set in the distant future where a lone man on a backwater, glaciated planet guards an ancient and forgotten treasure.

Other works in Piper's Terrohuman Future History include Uller Uprising, Four-Day Planet, Little Fuzzy, and The Cosmic Computer. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Science Fiction / General; Fiction / General; ... Read more

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Ullr Uprising is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by H. Beam Piper is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of H. Beam Piper then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Science Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / Adventure; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great young adult book
I have to give Four Day Planet a lower rating as it leaves out the prelude of how Fenris came to be or anything about the future planet.The story as told through the eyes of a 17-year old "reporter" is sorely lacking.You never really get a true feel of Fenris.And, there is never any mention of women until the story is nearly 90% complete.

Not a good book for adults, but more for teenage sci-fi enthusiasts.Had I known that, I would not have read it at all.

Absolutely great!
Four Day Planet set in H. Beam Piper's Terro-Human Future History. Fenris is an unusual world; one that's year is about the same as Earth's, but it only has four days per year! With blazing hot days and nights that are colder than cold, it is a world of tough individuals who don't like being cheated. Well, they are being cheated, and as Walter Boyd, star reported for the Port Sandor Times, watches, the whole world prepares to go up in flames.

This story is absolutely great! H. Beam Piper (1904-64) is one of the little recognized greats of science fiction. He was an expert at creating fascinating worlds that were both fantastic and yet utterly believable, and this story shows his writing ability off to great effect. If you like good sci-fi, then you will like this book. If you are a fan of H. Beam Piper, then it is a must-have!

Cub reporter is witness to revolution
With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Wildside Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude.This novel, set in Piper's Terrohuman Future History, takes place on Fenris, an unusual colony world that rotates only four times in its circuit of its sun.With each "day" lasting for an entire season Fenris suffers from harsh storms forcing settlement underground and underwater.The novel follows teenage newsman Walt Boyd as be becomes involved in the efforts of the local Monster Hunters--fishermen of a sort who make their living hunting Fenris' large sea creatures--to break free from the monopolist who controls the planetary market.In the course of his adventure Walt discovers a deeper plot that has interstellar dimensions.An exciting story for readers of all ages.

Also recommended from Piper's Terrohuman Future History are his novels Uller Uprising, Little Fuzzy, Junkyard Planet, and Space Viking, and the anthologies Federation and Empire edited by John F. Carr.

Piper's attempt at a Heinleinian "juvenile"
H. Beam Piper apparently wrote this novel in imitation of Robert Heinlein's "juvenile" novels from the same period, in that it features a teenaged boy as the narrator of a crisis on the stereotypical misgoverned "colony planet." It works okay for a quick read, but like Heinlein's similar efforts it hasn't aged all that well. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / General; ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / General; Fiction / Mystery ... Read more

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Free SF Reader
A couple of the Paratime top guys have to go back to track down a Venusian Nighthound. The beast has escaped to a timeline that seems quite suspiciously like our own, and the mystery carnage it has caused leaves local law enforcement perplexed.


3.5 out of 5 ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. ... Read more

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Operation R.S.V.P. is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by H. Beam Piper is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of H. Beam Piper then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Science Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / Short Stories; ... Read more

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When they published the title story of this collection in April 1947, Astounding Science Fiction said, "To upset the stable, mighty stream of time would probably take an enormous concentration of energy. And it's not to be expected that a man would get a second chance at life. But an atomic might accomplish both --" John W. Campbell was a man who really knew what makes SF the appealing thing it is; it's no wonder that he published the story. Also included in this volume are "The Mercenaries" (Astounding Science Fiction, March, 1950), "He Walked Around the Horses" (Astounding Science Fiction, April 1948), "The Return" (Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1954 -- a collaboration with John J. McGuire), and "Temple Trouble" (Astounding Science Fiction, April, 1951). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Yet another odd collection of Piper yarns
With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Aegypan Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude.This collection is a mishmash of Piper yarns.The title piece, Piper's first published story, is about a man who is apparently killed in World War III only to "reawaken" in the body of his thirteen year old self with full knowledge of the future!"The Mercenaries," about an extra-national band of "scientists for hire" is one of Piper's most interesting stories that is as compelling today as it was when it first appeared in print over half a century ago."He Walked Around the Horses" illustrates the parallel worlds idea upon which Piper's Paratime setting is based without any appearances by the Paratime Police who are central to the yarns contained in The Complete Paratime."The Return," co-authored with John J. McGuire, chronicles the encounter of survivors of a nuclear war with an isolated community that has chosen a rather intriguing pre-war fictional character as their moral compass.Finally, "Temple Trouble" is a tale of the Paratime Police, a cross-time force that patrols a multitude of parallel worlds.

Also recommended by Piper are Uller Uprising, Murder in the Gunroom, Time Crime, Four-Day Planet, Little Fuzzy, Space Viking, and The Cosmic Computer. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / Short Stories; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Free SF Reader
Archaelogists working on the extinct Martian civilisation discover a different sort of Rosetta stone.


4.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. ... Read more