Transit

This 50 year old novel dates to 1964. I picked this up because I remembered liking some of Edmund Cooper's books when I was young but probably hadn't read a story by him in at least 35 years. He died in 1982. I got a slight laugh because the main character introduced in the first sentence, Richard Avery, is the pen-name that Cooper used later on several novels in the mid 70's.

So, was this worth the read? It was, mostly for the positive message, although the writing gets a bit overwrought now and then. Kind of typical for older fiction of any genre. We get some angst with a capital A. Everyone sits down and has a cigarette. Beyond that, it actually holds up well after 50 years and was better than I expected. Four humans (two men, two show more women) are abducted by aliens it seems or perhaps mad scientists they wonder (what else is new) and subject to a "survivor" type test by a computer and communicating via something that sounds exactly like a Teletype Model 33 teleprinter straight out of the cutting edge of the mid 60's. It is more or less a social experiment similar to what the TV shows such as LOST or even "The Prisoner" or the "reality" types do to see who and how one will survive. The story begins with and focuses on Richard Avery who is having a somewhat early mid-life crisis.

I was slightly surprised at the bit of sex in here. Science fiction was becoming more modern that way, even back in 1964. I think readers who like philosophical science fiction and searching for the meaning of life might enjoy this more than other readers. It is also one of those "resilience of the human spirit" types where we can see someone find strength that they didn't know they had, develop skills and perhaps even thrive as they rise to a challenge. That's the positive message part that I liked. In the end all is revealed. show less

Cooper is an English author of over 20 Sci-Fi novels. He wrote during the golden years of the 1950s through the 70s.

This is the first one I had read. It is a fast and interesting, humans pulled from our world to another, story. Not deep or profound but a solid adult adventure story. Cooper knows how to write and keep a story moving. It kept me entertained. I will try other Cooper books.