Nebula Alert

Last updated

Nebula Alert
Nebula Alert.jpg
First edition
Author A. Bertram Chandler
Cover artist Kelly Freas
CountryAustralia
Language English
SeriesEmpress Irene series
Genrescience fiction
Publisher Ace Books, New York
Publication date
1967
Media typePrint
Pages121 pp
Preceded byThe Alternate Martians 
Followed bySpartan Planet 

Nebula Alert is a 1967 science fiction novel by Australian author A. Bertram Chandler. The novel forms a part of the author's "Empress Irene" series of stories and was originally released as an Ace Double (G-632), backed by The Rival Rigelians by Mack Reynolds. [1] [2]

Contents

Plot outline

The novel features the author's minor series character the ex-Empress Irene, who has by this time abdicated her throne, and Benjamin Trafford. The husband-and-wife team crew the Imperial Yacht Wanderer and are ferrying a number of ex-slave Iralians back to their home planet. But the Wanderer runs into pirates, and they are forced to escape through the Horsehead Nebula. Space inside the nebula is strange, and they emerge into an alternate timeline where they encounter the author's major series character, John Grimes.

Critical reception

Rich Horton, on SFF.net site, found the novel rather thin: "It's all pretty silly stuff -- Chandler really never seemed to care about little things like logic. That said, it's tolerable fun in its breezy way. Nothing I'd go out of my way to find, but not a story I regret reading, either." [3]

Notes

The novel is the third in the author's "Empress Irene" series, preceded by Empress of Outer Space (1965) and Space Mercenaries (1965). [2]

Dedication: "To all those excellent storytellers who, as well as affording us hours of enjoyment, have provided the inspiration for the Dream Sequence." [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

Donald A. Wollheim U.S. science fiction editor, publisher, and author

Donald Allen Wollheim was an American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell.

John Brunner (author) British science fiction author (1934–1995)

John Kilian Houston Brunner was a British author of science fiction novels and stories. His 1968 novel Stand on Zanzibar, about an overpopulated world, won the 1969 Hugo Award for best science fiction novel, and the BSFA award the same year. The Jagged Orbit won the BSFA award in 1970.

Roger Zelazny U.S. science fiction and fantasy writer and poet (1937–1995)

Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for The Chronicles of Amber. He won the Nebula Award three times and the Hugo Award six times, including two Hugos for novels: the serialized novel ...And Call Me Conrad (1965), subsequently published under the title This Immortal (1966) and then the novel Lord of Light (1967).

James White (author) Northern Irish science fiction author (1928–1999)

James White was a Northern Irish author of science fiction novellas, short stories and novels. He was born in Belfast and returned there after spending some early years in Canada. After a few years working in the clothing industry, he worked at Short Brothers Ltd., an aircraft company based in Belfast, from 1965 until taking early retirement in 1984 as a result of diabetes. White married Margaret Sarah Martin, another science fiction fan, in 1955 and the couple had three children. He died of a stroke.

Gordon R. Dickson Canadian-American science fiction writer (1923–2001)

Gordon Rupert Dickson was a Canadian-American science fiction writer. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2000.

Arthur Bertram Chandler was an Anglo-Australian merchant marine officer, sailing the world in everything from tramp steamers to troop ships, but who later turned his hand to a second career as a prolific author of pulp science fiction. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of George Whitley, Andrew Dunstan and S.H.M. Many of his short stories draw on his extensive sailing background. In 1956, he emigrated to Australia and became an Australian citizen. By 1958 he was an officer on the Sydney-Hobart route. Chandler commanded various ships in the Australian and New Zealand merchant navies, including his service as the last master of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne; by law, the ship was required to have an officer on board while awaiting its towing to China to be broken up. Chandler wrote over 40 novels and 200 works of short fiction, winning the Australian Ditmar Awards for the short story "The Bitter Pill" and for three novels: False Fatherland, The Bitter Pill, and The Big Black Mark. One of Chandler's daughters, Jenny Chandler, married British horror fiction writer Ramsey Campbell. His other children were Penelope Anne Chandler and Christopher John Chandler.

Robert Silverberg American speculative fiction writer and editor

Robert Silverberg is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand Master of SF. He has attended every Hugo Awards ceremony since the inaugural event in 1953.

Avram Davidson American writer (1923-1993)

Avram Davidson was an American writer of fantasy fiction, science fiction, and crime fiction, as well as the author of many stories that do not fit into a genre niche. He won a Hugo Award and three World Fantasy Awards in the science fiction and fantasy genre, a World Fantasy Life Achievement award, and an Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine short story award and an Edgar Award in the mystery genre. Davidson edited The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction from 1962 to 1964. His last novel The Boss in the Wall: A Treatise on the House Devil was completed by Grania Davis and was a Nebula Award finalist in 1998. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction says "he is perhaps sf's most explicitly literary author".

Ace Books American specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books

Ace Books is a publisher of science fiction and fantasy books founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn. It began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns, and soon branched out into other genres, publishing its first science fiction (SF) title in 1953. This was successful, and science fiction titles outnumbered both mysteries and westerns within a few years. Other genres also made an appearance, including nonfiction, gothic novels, media tie-in novelizations, and romances. Ace became known for the tête-bêche binding format used for many of its early books, although it did not originate the format. Most of the early titles were published in this "Ace Double" format, and Ace continued to issue books in varied genres, bound tête-bêche, until 1973.

Edwin Charles Tubb British science fiction, fantasy, and western writer

Edwin Charles Tubb was a British writer of science fiction, fantasy and western novels. The author of over 140 novels and 230 short stories and novellas, Tubb is best known for The Dumarest Saga, an epic science-fiction saga set in the far future. Michael Moorcock wrote, "His reputation for fast-moving and colourful SF writing is unmatched by anyone in Britain."

Charles Leonard Harness was an American science fiction writer.

<i>Secret Agent of Terra</i> 1962 novel by John Brunner

Secret Agent of Terra is a 1962 science fiction novel by British writer John Brunner. It is the first book of the Zarathustra Refugee Planets series; the other books are Castaways' World (1963) and The Repairmen of Cyclops (1965). Secret Agent of Terra was first published as Ace Double F-133, with The Rim of Space by A. Bertram Chandler.

<i>The Door Through Space</i>

The Door Through Space is a 1961 science fiction novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley. An expansion of Bradley's story "Bird of Prey", which first appeared in the May, 1957 issue of the magazine Venture, it is her first novel, and was published by Ace Books, bound tête-bêche with Rendezvous on a Lost World by A. Bertram Chandler.

Donald Malcolm (1930–2013) was a Scottish author of science fiction and fact who was active as a writer from the mid-1950s until the mid-1970s. Some of his nonfiction was written under the pen name Roy Malcolm.

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1967.

<i>The Rim of Space</i> 1961 novel by A. Bertram Chandler

The Rim of Space (1961) is the debut science fiction novel by Australian author A. Bertram Chandler. The novel forms a part of the author's "Rim Worlds" series of stories.

Giant Killer (story) Short story by A. Bertram Chandler

"Giant Killer" is a science fiction short story by A. Bertram Chandler. It was first published in the October 1945 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, and later included in many science fiction anthologies, including World of Wonder edited by Fletcher Pratt. In 1996 it was shortlisted for a Retro Hugo Award for Best Novella.

References

  1. Austlit - Nebula Alert by A. Bertram Chandler
  2. 1 2 3 A. Bertram Chandler - Nebula Alert
  3. "Ace Double Reviews 46". 28 January 2017. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)