During the 1960s, I read many stories by Hayden Howard (aka, John Hayden Howard). Howard had 73 stories published and a Science Fiction novel, The Eskimo Invasion, was nominated for the 1968 Nebula Award for Best Novel. The novel is based on “Arctic Invasion”–included in this collection–and the short story “Arctic Invasion” was nominated for the 1967 Hugo Award for Best Novelette and the 1967 Nebula Award for Best Novelette.
Hayden Howard wrote a variety of stories in different styles with different themes. He explores the life-altering choices and dark surprises that confront a professor in “The Tragedy of Henry Diddoh.”
Hayden Howard blends a 1940s prize-fighter and time-traveler in “Ten Rounds for the All-Time Champ.” The dangers of becoming too reliant on narrow rules show up in “We Specialists.”
A Canadian Arctic researcher is baffled by the bizarre villagers in “Arctic Invasion.” Hayden Howard could write classic SF action stories, too. I loved the wild anti-gravity battle in space between rival spaceship crews in “Mutiny in the Orbit of Uranus.”
Hayden Howard’s fine stories have been pretty much forgotten, but this wonderful collection may attract a whole new audience. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword By Laurie Winslow Sargent — 11
PART 1: WHAT IF — 17
The Tragedy of Henry Diddoh — 19
Ten Rounds From the All-Time Champ — 45
We Specialists — 60
PART 2: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS ON EARTH — 65
Gremmie’s Reef — 67
The Butcher — 86
Arctic Invasion — 95
PART 3: INTERPLANETARY TALES — 127
Haranu –129
Mutiny in the Orbit of Uranus — 146
AFTERWORD: HIDDEN FACTS ABOUT HAYDEN — 174
Have to admit I’ve never heard of him – or maybe I forgot …
Did his stories appear in the SF magazines?
Wolf, Hayden Howard stories were in GALAXY, ANALOG, WORLDS OF IF, and THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION.
I read THE ESKIMO INVASION and for whatever reasons I was not impressed at the time; I then avoided reading anything with his byline. I now believe that is one of many mistakes I have made. I’m an idiot. I’ll try to redeem myself with this book.
Jerry, I revisit authors that I initially snubbed all the time. Sometimes the reassessment changes my opinion…sometimes not.
I’m like Wolf – never heard of him. But it sounds like something I would try.
Jeff, I’d be happy to send you a copy of REAWAKEN WORLDS.
Wolf, his “Eskimo Invasion” stories were a mainstay of late ’60s GALAXY magazine, and they were Curious…if, like Jerry, they didn’t hit you the right way, it was entirely too easy to miss his other work at the time.
With this generation reading so much less, I wonder if they even look for these books of years ago. Is the science part of it too dated compared to what’s produced now?
Has there ever been a bigger generation gap than what the Internet has caused?
Patti, yes, there is a generational divide between pre-Internet folks and post-Internet youth. My students got their news–almost 100%–from the Internet. They didn’t read newspapers (which is one reason why they’re failing), didn’t watch news on TV (one reason Norah O’Donnell is living her anchor chair at CBS EVENING NEWS), and seldom read magazines/books. Everything the present generation values is on their smart phone.
Patti, the speculative science part usually isn’t as dated in older sf as blithe assumptions about how Things Will Continue To Be…whether sociologically or otherwise.
Like Patti, I wonder how many kids (=anyone under 30) read the old stuff now. There’s another problem too with SF/fantasy from generations past, besides outdated science. The social attitudes and characterisations generally sit uneasily with today’s conventions, although Frank Herbert, Tolkien, and HP Lovecraft have squeaked by. I suppose there’s an audience, since a surprising amount of vintage and pulp SF, fantasy, detective, and Western fiction continues to be reprinted. Given the reprints are mostly through specialty houses like Steeger and Haffner, I imagine it’s a limited readership skewed toward oldsters.
Fred, you’re right. Outside the world of publishing, companies like HARLEY DAVIDSON are watching their sales sink as the older generation stops driving and the younger generation has very little interest in motorcycles or cars.
It might be a cliche, but I can attest that middle aged (or older) guys with grey hair are still buying Midlife Crisis Corvettes in b ig numbers in Florida, mostly convertibles. We saw them everywhere again this winter.
Jeff, I when I was working for General Motors as a consultant/trainer I was in a meeting with GM Marketing. The Marketing guy told Management: “We have a Big Problem. The average age of a buyer of Corvettes is 60 years old. The average age of a Cadillac buyer is 67. At those ages, you can forget about repeat buying.”
John Hayden Howard is new to me also, but I would not mind giving those stories a try someday. Very interesting discussion here about how the internet has changed things.
Tracy, not only the Internet but cell phones, too!