The Road to the Rim; and, The Hard Way Up

At this point I've read a lot of older sci-fi, although I'm still relatively new to the pulpy stuff. This is by far the most dated sci-fi novel I've ever read. I know the author was a sailor and was going for that vibe, but I'm pretty sure smoking pipes on a spaceship would have come off as old fashioned even back when this was written in the 60's.

Anyway, I have mixed feelings about this book. The "romance" was as terrible as you'd expect, and it drove the plot in a way that really didn't work for me. There was also a strange lack of accountability for the three main characters. They make decisions that should have some seriously long-lasting consequences or implications, and they just don't.

I did like the "seafaring" aspect of this. show more And there was a decent amount of worldbuilding for such a short book. And I was entertained when reading, which is the most important thing. show less

The Road to the Rim - Fresh out of the Academy, Ensign John Grimes is traveling to his first post aboard the civilian merchant vessel Delia O'Ryan. The ship encounters a freighter attacked by space pirates, leading the civilian captain to seek vengeance. Grimes must choose between strict Federation regulations and assisting the captain, largely influenced by the seductive purser, Jane Pentecost. The crew defeats the attackers, but the incident sets Grimes on a path away from the strict Federation toward the independent Rim.

The Hard Way Up - A collection of shorter, episodic stories featuring a more experienced John Grimes, though still early in his career as he works his way up the ranks. The stories detail his further adventures and show more confrontations while navigating the outskirts of the galaxy, strengthening his association with the fringe sectors known as the Rim Worlds. show less

Good old fashion Space Opera by one of it's early practitioners. Chandler never wrote for hard SF fans. He wrote good juvenile fiction to stir the hearts of young adventurers. I think he did it well. Sure, it's dated but it was written for the 1960's mostly male audience. The adventures are fun.

It took me some time to find a copy of A. Bertram Chandler’s “The Road to the Rim” and “The Hard Way Up” his first books in the space-faring John Grimes series. Although filled with fifties/sixties idiosyncrasies, after a launch the crews immediately light up to celebrate, the stories were rather enjoyable. On the other hand, Mr. Chandler’s novels and antagonist lack the depth and subtle nuances of his seafaring brethren such as Hornblower or Kydd. What I found most enjoyable was Mr. Chandler’s use of telepathy for faster than light communication, Mr. Chandler’s descriptions of telepaths were definitely pleasurable. If you enjoy mid-century science fiction then you will appreciate each of these novelettes.

Ensign Grimes on his way to first ship, travelling on a merchant ship, gets sidetracked into a dubious action and wins the day and ends up on probation on a Survey Ship. A good starting story that has me reaching for the next book.

Sample Chapters: http://webscriptions.net/chapters/0441731007/0441731007.htm

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