Hugo Gernsback (1884–1967)

Arguably, Hugo Gernsback is more famous than he ought to be. Compared with some speculative fiction writers of the previous generation--such as Edward Bellamy, Samuel Butler, H. G. Wells, and Jules Verne--Gernsback is laughably amateurish. So, why do we enshrine his name in Awards and credit him with somehow starting science fiction as a genre? Rereading Ralph124C41+, I have decided it must be because no one else has his gushing, almost religious enthusiasm for technology with scientist-engineers as the new clergy. Consider this early description of Ralph: “His physical superiority, however, was nothing compared to his gigantic mind. He was Ralph 124C 41+, one of the greatest living scientists and one of the ten men on the whole planet earth permitted to use the Plus sign after his name.”
Clunky though his style may be, you can’t beat Gernsback for sheer fecundity. From color television to electric vehicles and beamed power, Ralph creates a new gadget to solve every problem. He is the prototype of what editor John Campbell would call the ideal of the “competent man,” one able to use a rational imagination to face whatever life throws his way.… (more)

My son loved this book, even though it was written nearly a hundred years ago and that shows in the style and vocabulary. Gernsback was totally caught up in the wonders of the year 2660 and that somehow connected. I have a soft spot for visions of the future written in the past, and this one is from 1911, so it is even more fun. It is mostly a travelogue of the future, but there is enough plot to keep it moving.

Be sure to get the edition from the Bison Books Frontiers of Imagination series because it has the cool illustrations. Sigh, that web site is a disaster, but the books are really nice. But if they could reissue the catalog of Sam Moskowitz’s Hyperion Press, I wouldn’t care if they wrote their whole site in PDF.… (more)

A pulpy sci-fi romance. The first half is really just a tour of New York circa 2660 and a chance to show off various sci-fi inventions. Its quite interesting if a little dry at times. The second-half is more devoted to the romance adventure, as Ralph has to deal with two rivals who are in love with his girlfriend. Its surprisingly gripping and with a real sense of danger.
The sci-fi stuff is mostly based on outmoded scientific principals but that didn't bother me. A small complaint, it would have been nice to have more info on the Martians. In addition the world doesn't seem to have advanced socially nearly as much as it has technologically. Overall though really good pulp.… (more)

A somewhat unsatisfactory read at the present time given that this book was written in 1911. Nevertheless, it remains important for historical reasons. The Hugo Award in science fiction is named after the author of this book. The narrative is very basic and bare with hardly any nuance introduced in matters of psychological makeup of characters. Descriptions remain technical as matter-of-fact explanations of how devices, methods or procedures work or are used in what purports to be the world in the year 2660. Certainly, things have changed, yet politically the situation and outlook of international relations don't appear to have radically moved from well-established patterns of the past. Perhaps the most notable innovation is the way that space travel has developed, and galactic would be the adjective to use for world relations. Mars and Martians have become principal characters, the latter exhibiting very Earth-inhabitant features insofar emotions are concerned. In spite of all the technological advances achieved, the plot hinges on an error in communications.… (more)