 First edition (publ. Starblaze) | |
| Author | Randall Garrett |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction and fantasy |
Publication date | 1980 |
Takeoff! is by a 1980 collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories, pastiches, and parodies, by Randall Garrett. [1]
| First edition (publ. Starblaze) | |
| Author | Randall Garrett |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction and fantasy |
Publication date | 1980 |
Takeoff! is by a 1980 collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories, pastiches, and parodies, by Randall Garrett. [1]
The collection includes Garret's novelette Despoilers of the Golden Empire, a pulp magazine yarn mixing space travel and classic swashbuckling themes to the point where the space-travelling characters fight with swords, bringing to mind the adventures of Flash Gordon, or the Barsoom stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The story is later revealed to be a mistelling of the history of conquistador Francisco Pizarro. First published in March 1959, the story was designed as an early April Fools' Day prank. It was re-published in collections such as Takeoff! and in a later anthology entitled Analog's Lighter Side edited by Stanley Schmidt.
Thrust called Garrett "one of the more under-rated writers in the field" of science fiction, noting that the collection features "Most of the odd little bits of his humorous writing". [2]
Spider Robinson reviewed Takeoff! for Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact , and commented that "If you are a newcomer to or a very casual reader of SF, you may miss a lot of the jokes [...] but the well-read fan will find a lot of laughs here," and further noted that the illustrations by Kelly Freas are "as always, a joy." [3]
Tom Easton likewise reviewed Takeoff! for Analog, praising it as "a collection of parodies, pastiches, reviews in verse, and groaners guaranteed to rouse at least a grin." [4]
In Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine , Baird Searles noted that although "there are moments when Garrett descends to that level between freshman and junior, a lot of it is amusing even if I didn't do a lot of thigh slapping and gut busting." [5]
Amazing Stories lauded it as "a delightful collection which people who know Randall Garrett have awaited for years," [6] while Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer stated that it "provide(s) an entertaining chance to enjoy some more works of a writer whose works are beginning to gain well deserved recognition as classics." [1]