Voyage of the Space Beagle
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4.5 • 20 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
The Voyage of the Space Beagle is one of the most influential works of Science Fiction. It is best known today as the inspiration for the motion picture Alien, but before that it inspired the "five year mission to explore new worlds..." theme of Star Trek. Beyond these two noteworthy franchises, it has influenced and molded hundreds of other works in many forms.
The novel is composed of four novellas woven together with new material to relate the voyage of a science research ship, the Space Beagle, as it encounters alien life forms that prove to be hostile to everyone on board and to virtually all life forms in the galaxy should the being reach any civilization. Fortunately, the crew of the Beagle is able to defeat the threats.
If the stories only concerned dangerous aliens bouncing off superior technology, the point of the work would be far less interesting than it is. Van Vogt adds a dramatic element that creates internal strife among the ship's scientists and crew that speaks to today's readers directly.
The central character is a young scientist, Elliott Grosvenor, the youngest scientist on board and a student of the newly formed science of Nexialism.
Like today's Millennials, Grosvenor is both widely informed and thinks differently from the gray-haired single specialists who compose the scientific teams. Rather than knowing everything about something, Grosvenor knows more than something about everything and with his Nexialism training amplified by Nexial machines, he can see patterns and interconnections that the traditional scientists cannot. In modern terms, Grosvenor, has the equivalent of Internet search, big data, and analysis tools at his fingertips; he instantly grasps what he doesn't know and quickly deduces how to learn it.
Readers who acclaimed The Voyage of the Space Beagle as "a classic of the golden age of science fiction" responded largely to the thrill of defeating alien creatures. Today's readers will more clearly see the triumph of knowledge technology.
Customer Reviews
Great First Story
This was the very first 'adult' science fiction book I've ever read. I owe my love of Science Fiction stories to my Father.
My Father would commute into Chicago, and read while on the train. My Father's vast collection of books were purchased at a book store called Kroch's and Brentano's. I remember visiting my father at his office and going to this store to pick up a book or two.
My father kept his collection on a teak shelving unit in the family room. An oppressively large shelving unit to a young child. By the age of nine, I tired of the books normally associated with one of my age, and looked forward to reading what my father read, with the exception of Playboy. Which could also be found on the teak shelving. Those magazines that would help create the person I have become, I would enjoy at a later date. After I figured out what the big deal was about girls. You may find it strange that my father kept his playboys somewhat out in the open, all I can say is it was the seventies. And as I and my brothers aged a few years, these magazines were moved to his night stand. A few minutes of searching after school while Mom and Dad were at work, helped me locate this treasure trove. I felt like Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island when I opened the door to my fathers night stand. But I digress..
The Voyage of the Space Beagle was the first 'adult' science fiction book I read. And since the age of nine, I read this book several more times. This story never grew old to me. Admittedly, the title of the book drew me in, not the author, or the subject. I do not recall what I thought this story was going be about. And I doubt any nine year old would think that the story within would think the story was influenced by Charles Darwin and his adventures aboard the Beagle.
The story is about a spaceship called the Beagle fill with scientists as the explore space. The ensuing adventures of the Beagle was just the right fodder to foster a love of science fiction for the past fourth nine years.