The Goblin Reservation
by Clifford D. Simak
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From science fiction Grand Master Clifford D. Simak, an interstellar adventure of aliens, fairies, and time travel. Until the day he was murdered, Professor Peter Maxwell was a respected faculty member of the College of Supernatural Phenomena. Imagine his chagrin when he turns up at a Wisconsin matter transmission station several weeks later and discovers he's not only dead but unemployed. During an interstellar mission to investigate rumors of dragon activity, this alternate Maxwell was show more intercepted by a strange alien race that wanted him to carry knowledge of a remarkable technology back to Earth, and it seems someone does not want the information shared. Suddenly, it's essential for Maxwell to find his own killer. He enlists the aid of Carol Hampton of the Time College, along with her pet saber-tooth tiger, a ghost with memory issues, and the intelligent Neanderthal Man recently rescued from a prehistoric cooking pot. But the search is pointing them toward the goblins, fairies, and assorted Little Folk living in reservations on campus, and into the dangerous heart of an interspecies blood feud that has been raging for millions of years. Ingeniously inventive and unabashedly tongue-in-cheek, this novel demonstrates multi-award-winning fantasy and science fiction favorite Clifford D. Simak operating at the imaginative peak of his considerable powers. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Some days, I need silly and yesterday, The Goblin Reservation fit the bill perfectly.
Familiar with Simak through the beautifully pastoral [b:Way Station|190999|Way Station|Clifford D. Simak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326490682l/190999._SY75_.jpg|348798], when I saw this for a mere dollar, I snapped it up. A madcap adventure set in a vibrant university setting, it echoed the feel of [b:Doorways in the Sand|61998|Doorways in the Sand|Roger Zelazny|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327915592l/61998._SY75_.jpg|759315]. While it is set on a future Earth with alien races, aircars, moving sidewalks, and the like, it is also an Earth that is home to small show more populations of The Fae.
Peter Maxwell, a professor in the College of Supernatural Phenomena, has just returned from an interplanetary journey where he was unexpectedly diverted to a mysterious planet. Charged with brokering their knowledge banks, he returns to the Earth checkpoint only to discover he had already returned and died in an unfortunate accident. When he finally reaches his apartment, he discovers his belongings destroyed and his apartment rented by an unknown attractive woman and her pet sabertooth tiger. They head to the local watering hole for a drink and meet up with Maxwell's friends, Alley Oop (only slightly dated by his inclusion) and Ghost. It gets progressively odder from there as Bill attempts to discover why he was doubled, to find a job and to convince the University that they should buy the alien knowledge. Oh, and help out his friend Goblin O'Toole with his troll problem and some excess October ale. However, the campus is in an uproar over the upcoming time-traveling visit by William Shakespeare, so Maxwell has a challenge trying to get official attention.
Nominated for a Hugo in 1969, it is a quick, fun read that remains close to timeless. Highly recommended for fans of Pratchett, or fans of Zelazny's [b:Doorways in the Sand|61998|Doorways in the Sand|Roger Zelazny|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327915592l/61998._SY75_.jpg|759315]. I will be re-reading this one. show less
Familiar with Simak through the beautifully pastoral [b:Way Station|190999|Way Station|Clifford D. Simak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326490682l/190999._SY75_.jpg|348798], when I saw this for a mere dollar, I snapped it up. A madcap adventure set in a vibrant university setting, it echoed the feel of [b:Doorways in the Sand|61998|Doorways in the Sand|Roger Zelazny|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327915592l/61998._SY75_.jpg|759315]. While it is set on a future Earth with alien races, aircars, moving sidewalks, and the like, it is also an Earth that is home to small show more populations of The Fae.
Peter Maxwell, a professor in the College of Supernatural Phenomena, has just returned from an interplanetary journey where he was unexpectedly diverted to a mysterious planet. Charged with brokering their knowledge banks, he returns to the Earth checkpoint only to discover he had already returned and died in an unfortunate accident. When he finally reaches his apartment, he discovers his belongings destroyed and his apartment rented by an unknown attractive woman and her pet sabertooth tiger. They head to the local watering hole for a drink and meet up with Maxwell's friends, Alley Oop (only slightly dated by his inclusion) and Ghost. It gets progressively odder from there as Bill attempts to discover why he was doubled, to find a job and to convince the University that they should buy the alien knowledge. Oh, and help out his friend Goblin O'Toole with his troll problem and some excess October ale. However, the campus is in an uproar over the upcoming time-traveling visit by William Shakespeare, so Maxwell has a challenge trying to get official attention.
Nominated for a Hugo in 1969, it is a quick, fun read that remains close to timeless. Highly recommended for fans of Pratchett, or fans of Zelazny's [b:Doorways in the Sand|61998|Doorways in the Sand|Roger Zelazny|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327915592l/61998._SY75_.jpg|759315]. I will be re-reading this one. show less
File this under Books I Should Have Read Already. I carried around for more than 30 years (probably lots more) a worn paperback I got from a used bookstore, and it sat on a shelf next to Clarke, Anderson, Williamson, Blish, ...unread. I started it a number of times, but never got that far and lost my well-traveled copy to a fire in 2013.
A decidedly odd book. Dated elements, but not overly so, given its oddness. I got a kick out of a subplot line involving the Goblins (actually, Little People...the traditional Irish type) and beer:
In 1969, Simak probably had no experience with Flanders ales, but then, if he'd ever had Guinness, well, that stuff is nasty sour and not in a good, intentional way.
I like Simak's language he used for his Goblins:
And a dig on fools who would chug:
Lost, for most readers I'm sure, among the narrative, Simak writes something I've been saying for much of my adult life...his main character Peter Maxwell observes:
A decidedly odd book. Dated elements, but not overly so, given its oddness. I got a kick out of a subplot line involving the Goblins (actually, Little People...the traditional Irish type) and beer:
Scuttling down the path toward them came a tiny goblin, his multicolored, too-large shirt whipping in the wind of his headlong running. "The ale!" he screamed. "The ale!" He skidded to a halt in front of theshow more
three toiling up the path. "What of the ale?" panted Mr. O'Toole. "Do you mean to confess to me that you have been the sampling of it?" "It has gone sour," wailed the little goblin. "The whole bewitched mess of it is sour." "But ale can't go sour," protested Maxwell, grasping some sense of the tragedy that had taken place. Mr. O'Toole bounced upon the path in devastating anger. His face turned from brown to red to purple. His breath came gushing out in wheezing gasps. "It can, bedamned," he shouted, "with a spell of wizardry!"
In 1969, Simak probably had no experience with Flanders ales, but then, if he'd ever had Guinness, well, that stuff is nasty sour and not in a good, intentional way.
I like Simak's language he used for his Goblins:
"But these," he said, "are dolorous topics on which to waste so glorious an autumn afternoon. So let us fasten our thoughts, rather, with great steadfastness, upon the foaming ale that awaits us on the hilltop."
And a dig on fools who would chug:
He [O'Toole] put the mug to his mouth again and emptied it in several lusty gulps. He slammed it down on the table and looked at Maxwell's mug, still full. "Drink up," he urged. "Drink up, then I fill them yet again for a further wetting of the whistle." "You go ahead," Maxwell told him. "It's a shame to drink ale the way you do. It should be tasted and appreciated." Mr. O'Toole shrugged. "A pig I am, no doubt. But this be disenchanted ale and not one to linger over."
Lost, for most readers I'm sure, among the narrative, Simak writes something I've been saying for much of my adult life...his main character Peter Maxwell observes:
"I do not like the word `intolerant,' Mr. Marmaduke, because it implies that there is ground for tolerance and there is no such thing-not for you, nor me, nor any other creature in the universe."Wisdom in classic science fiction. It is there, you know. show less
1969 Hugo nominee for best novel.
Maybe I'm a chump. I mean, I look at a title like this and I smack my lips and a slight thought drifts across my subconscious, "Satire". I remember loving [b:Way Station|190999|Way Station|Clifford D. Simak|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1326490682s/190999.jpg|348798], but not quite making the connection between that classic SF title and this. What was I expecting? A haunting exploration of old alien tech and a breath of injustice that makes me think of indigenous Americans and their troubles spiffed up in the mask of an alien? Well... yeah. Aren't assumptions fun and idiotic? Yeah!
Instead, we've got a light romp with fae, banshees, and goblins. What's the first important thing I've learned in the novel? show more That Goblins are inherently Irish and they love October Ale. I had to laugh.
I was expecting a social commentary, not a murder mystery for oneself after having been duplicated after matter transmission and showing up later only do discover that another he had kicked it. Oh yeah, and this is wide galactic society with lots of strange and familiar species, and yeah, those goblins and fae have been around a long time on earth, don't you know? Of course, they're all just people and some have extra tech and long, long lifespans, but you know how that all is. Once the cat is out of the bag and superstition gets kicked in the head, we can generally all get along, can't we?
Oops, we've got rampaging Shakespearian scholars in the pub again, still upset about learning that the good bard was actually the Earl of Oxford. And don't forget immortal ghosts who've forgotten their original life. And bug carriages. And crystal planets. And ancient genetic feuds, spanning injustice throughout multiple universes and over vast stretches of the timescape... and yeah, there is a time college. What did you expect?
This was a fun and light and wild ride of a novel, full of humor and joy and even when the topic is dark, our faithful narrator is always pretty damn level-headed and reasonable. Even when the bug cages with wheels are soooooo creepy. And pew pew. :)
I had a very good time and this is the third Simak novel that I've read. [b:City|222093|City|Clifford D. Simak|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386912951s/222093.jpg|2774993] was a deep and disturbing novel about robots and telepathic dogs discussing the eventual and complete demise of humanity. [b:Way Station|190999|Way Station|Clifford D. Simak|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1326490682s/190999.jpg|348798] was a gorgeous exploration of ancient alien tech that allows us to explore the universe... at a price. This book also had it's dark elements, but it was easily the lightest and most adventuresome of the three, full of good friends, righteous action, and crazy cool settings, aliens, and consequence. :)
What a classic SF author! So far, he's a real rocket. :) show less
Maybe I'm a chump. I mean, I look at a title like this and I smack my lips and a slight thought drifts across my subconscious, "Satire". I remember loving [b:Way Station|190999|Way Station|Clifford D. Simak|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1326490682s/190999.jpg|348798], but not quite making the connection between that classic SF title and this. What was I expecting? A haunting exploration of old alien tech and a breath of injustice that makes me think of indigenous Americans and their troubles spiffed up in the mask of an alien? Well... yeah. Aren't assumptions fun and idiotic? Yeah!
Instead, we've got a light romp with fae, banshees, and goblins. What's the first important thing I've learned in the novel? show more That Goblins are inherently Irish and they love October Ale. I had to laugh.
I was expecting a social commentary, not a murder mystery for oneself after having been duplicated after matter transmission and showing up later only do discover that another he had kicked it. Oh yeah, and this is wide galactic society with lots of strange and familiar species, and yeah, those goblins and fae have been around a long time on earth, don't you know? Of course, they're all just people and some have extra tech and long, long lifespans, but you know how that all is. Once the cat is out of the bag and superstition gets kicked in the head, we can generally all get along, can't we?
Oops, we've got rampaging Shakespearian scholars in the pub again, still upset about learning that the good bard was actually the Earl of Oxford. And don't forget immortal ghosts who've forgotten their original life. And bug carriages. And crystal planets. And ancient genetic feuds, spanning injustice throughout multiple universes and over vast stretches of the timescape... and yeah, there is a time college. What did you expect?
This was a fun and light and wild ride of a novel, full of humor and joy and even when the topic is dark, our faithful narrator is always pretty damn level-headed and reasonable. Even when the bug cages with wheels are soooooo creepy. And pew pew. :)
I had a very good time and this is the third Simak novel that I've read. [b:City|222093|City|Clifford D. Simak|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386912951s/222093.jpg|2774993] was a deep and disturbing novel about robots and telepathic dogs discussing the eventual and complete demise of humanity. [b:Way Station|190999|Way Station|Clifford D. Simak|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1326490682s/190999.jpg|348798] was a gorgeous exploration of ancient alien tech that allows us to explore the universe... at a price. This book also had it's dark elements, but it was easily the lightest and most adventuresome of the three, full of good friends, righteous action, and crazy cool settings, aliens, and consequence. :)
What a classic SF author! So far, he's a real rocket. :) show less
Professor Peter Maxwell of the College of Supernatural Phenomena has just retuned to the University in Wisconsin by means of matter transmission, but not from the planet he had planned to visit. He’d planned to visit a system to investigate rumors of a dragon, instead he found himself on what he described as a “roofed-in crystal planet.”
He’s shocked when the authorities inform him that he returned a month ago and died in an accident a week later. It’s even more upsetting when he returns to campus to discover that his home has been rented to someone with a pet saber tooth tiger that knock him over as soon as he unlocks his front door. The next day he discovers his job has been filled by someone else right after his funeral. show more What is he going to do?
This is a fast paced adventure with intrigue and puzzles aplenty. It’s also not terribly serious blend of science fiction and fantasy, complete with evil extraterrestrials, goblins, trolls, banshees, a Neanderthal that goes by the name of Alley Oop, and a time traveling William Shakespeare who did not write those plays show less
He’s shocked when the authorities inform him that he returned a month ago and died in an accident a week later. It’s even more upsetting when he returns to campus to discover that his home has been rented to someone with a pet saber tooth tiger that knock him over as soon as he unlocks his front door. The next day he discovers his job has been filled by someone else right after his funeral. show more What is he going to do?
This is a fast paced adventure with intrigue and puzzles aplenty. It’s also not terribly serious blend of science fiction and fantasy, complete with evil extraterrestrials, goblins, trolls, banshees, a Neanderthal that goes by the name of Alley Oop, and a time traveling William Shakespeare who did not write those plays show less
3.5 stars. What a ridiculous book. Simak tried to do a bit too much, in my opinion, shoving in everything but the kitchen sink — time travel, fantasy creatures, ghosts, many bizarre aliens, Shakespeare, and grand philosophies about human nature. But that is obviously the charm for this light hearted mystery. It also means you shouldn’t put too much thought into the underlying logic of the universe (like how on earth is the school of Time broke?). I like his style compared to other pulp scifi authors. Sparse and direct, but evocative. Sometimes sounds a little like the narration of an episode of the Twilight Zone.
3.5 stars. What a ridiculous book. Simak tried to do a bit too much, in my opinion, shoving in everything but the kitchen sink — time travel, fantasy creatures, ghosts, many bizarre aliens, Shakespeare, and grand philosophies about human nature. But that is obviously the charm for this light hearted mystery. It also means you shouldn’t put too much thought into the underlying logic of the universe (like how on earth is the school of Time broke?). I like his style compared to other pulp scifi authors. Sparse and direct, but evocative. Sometimes sounds a little like the narration of an episode of the Twilight Zone.
Simply a classic, and probably the best book that Clifford Simak ever wrote. It's short (particularly compared to modern novels), but fun, funny, and deeply enjoyable. The blending of fantasy and advanced science was not invented by Simak, but he handled it wonderfully well here. Not only is this a classic of fantasy and science fiction, but I consider it to be one of the funnier books in both genres as well!
I can imagine that some might find the relatively second-class status of the heroine offensive, although I would argue that Simak is not being sexist.
Charm, and ordinary human emotion; unlike many other genre writers of his day, Simak handled both well. His characters are amusing and sympathetic, but they are rarely cruel or show more unmotivated. I've often regretted that The Goblin Reservation wasn't longer (and that Simak never wrote a sequel - what a fascinating setting he created here! A modern publisher would have FORCED him to write sequels until he'd burned out completely). But at least we have this light but deeply enjoyable novel to read and re-read. show less
I can imagine that some might find the relatively second-class status of the heroine offensive, although I would argue that Simak is not being sexist.
Charm, and ordinary human emotion; unlike many other genre writers of his day, Simak handled both well. His characters are amusing and sympathetic, but they are rarely cruel or show more unmotivated. I've often regretted that The Goblin Reservation wasn't longer (and that Simak never wrote a sequel - what a fascinating setting he created here! A modern publisher would have FORCED him to write sequels until he'd burned out completely). But at least we have this light but deeply enjoyable novel to read and re-read. show less
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- Canonical title
- The Goblin Reservation
- Original title
- The Goblin Reservation
- Original publication date
- 1968
- First words*
- Inspektor Drayton saß wie festgewachsen hinter seinem Schreibtisch und wartete. Er war ein grobknochiger Mann mit einem Gesicht, das aussah, als habe es jemand mit einer stumpfen Axt aus einem knorrigen Stück Holz gehauen.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Der Drache senkte den Kopf auf dem geschmeidigen, langen Hals und sah ihn an. Dann streckte er ihm eine lange, gespaltene Zunge heraus.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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