BAEN BOOKS has been reprinting classic Science Fiction for more than a decade. It was wonderful to have Keith Laumer, Andre Norton, and Christopher Anvil’s works returned to print. Now, BAEN BOOKS embarks on reprinting Australian A. Bertram Chandler’s “John Grimes Saga” in omnibus volumes. A. Bertram Chandler was a prolific SF writer for 30 years. Grimes is Chandler’s “Hornblower” character modeled after the hero of C. S. Forester’s naval adventures. Grimes has his adventures, too, only they are set at the rim of the Galaxy. This edition contains The Road to the Rim (1967), To Prime the Pump (1971), The Hard Way Up (1972), and The Broken Cycle (1979). If you’re a fan of High Adventure and Science Fiction, you’ll enjoy these classic stories.
Alas, though, Chandler grew a bit tired of Grimes by the end…too often the way with series characters. But he managed to do at least clever things with most of the stories…and sometimes much more.
Writing a couple dozen novels about the same character has to be wearing, Todd. A.C. Doyle tired of Holmes and actually tried to kill him off. Chandler didn’t go that far. He kept the Grimes series interesting right to the end.
As a ship’s captain. Chandler was certainly qualified to write sea stories set in the far reaches of space. Even his weak stories were pretty good.
You’re right about that marine experience showing through in the Grimes books, Jerry. Chandler was a real sailor and a real pro.
The Grimes series is where I lifted my pseudonym.
I like Chandler a lot, and find his various quirks interesting. You read one of his Grimes novels, and invariably cats, nudism, dirigibles, adultery, pipes, and the phrase “This is Liberty Hall. You can spit on the mat and call the cat a bastard” will appear in due course.
Chandler also wrote an entertaining Ace Double, Empress of Outer Space/Alternate Martians from the mid-60’s, and pretty decent killer rats on the loose novel called The Hamelin Plague.
I have the Empress of Outer Space series, Drongo. I have yet to read them, but they’re in the stack. I have read THE HAMELIN PLAGUE and I can’t think of a better novel about rats.
The cover alone sold me! Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words…
BAEN BOOKS have some great covers, BV. This cover should attract some readers to Chandler’s work.
Gorgeous cover is what I say when I am a fish out of water.
Gorgeous cover, indeed, Patti. If you’re read any of the Hornblower series, these space operas of Chandler’s have the same feel (except they happen in the far future).
George, you were right, I do love this selection, and need to buy it, pronto. I haven’t read any Chandler since high school, and that’s almost too far back to remember much about it. I certainly couldn’t tell you the title, plot, or even whether I liked it. I may have gotten it from the library, or maybe it was one of those books I lost or got rid of along the way.
I see this is the first of a planned three-volume set of Chandler’s Grimes novels, the 2nd one, with cover art by the same artist, is available for pre-order.
I’m pre-ordering the next Grimes omnibus now, Rick. The Science Fiction Book Club published a series of the Grimes novels about 10 years ago, too.
George, you’re a funny guy.
I’m glad Baen does the things they do.
I was worried that BAEN BOOKS might abandon their reprinting of classic SF once Jim Baen died, Drongo. But someone in their editorial structure is staying with the program. My students think I’m funny, too, but perhaps in other ways.
Boy did I get to the party late. Though I’ve known about this pending release for quite some time.
George, I maintain the Rim Worlds website, which is majorly devoted to Chandler’s Grimes/Rim Worlds works. I am, in fact, working on a Concordance of the Rim Worlds saga (30+ of 102 stories and novels cataloged so far).
Your readers might be interested to know that The Empress of Outer Space is part of a series that intersects with Grimes. It consists of the novels Empress, Space Mercenaries, Nebula Alert and The Dark Dimensions, which latter is primarily a Grimes story.
In both Nebula and Dark, Grimes & the Empress cross over into each other’s universes and venture together for a bit. Dark Dimensions goes the extra mile by also including Anderson’s Dominc Flandry character.
Finally, if you are interested, http://www.rimworlds.com (links to the Crotchety Old Fan blog there) contains the latest and most up-to-date reading order for the stories, information on characters & etc for those who really want to immerse themselves in Grimesy Goodness.
The other site (which contains THE most comprehensive bibliography) is the official unofficial author’s site – http://www.bertramchandler.com. It was recently selected by the Australian National Library for archiving.
I’d love to correspond and discuss this author with any of your readers who might be so inclined.
(Finally: Chandler wrote from 1944 through 1984 – forty years, and his 100th birthday will be next year, 2012.)
Glad to have you with us, Steve! I read all of A. Bertram Chandler’s works as they were published. I’m rereading the Grimes series as the new omnibus editions are published.