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barryhaworth's review
4.0
This book is one my guilty pleasures - one of my comfort books when I want something light and familiar to read which doesn't stretch my mind a lot.
Let me first say, Philip E High is not a particularly good writer. I've read a half dozen or so of his books, and while many of them have a lot of good content the finished product is never quite as well finished as it might be. This one is no exception.
I first came across this book many years ago when I was in primary school. At that time I was avidly reading any science fiction I could get my hands on, and this book, with it's intriguing cover and interesting premise, definitely fit the bill.
The story (written in 1968) concerns the captain and crew of the RN submarine Euphrates, which is accidentally sunk during a training exercise. Their vessel is salvaged much later, perfectly preserved, and the crew find themselves revived in the far future, when the human race (which has suppressed all violent instincts) finds itself under attack by a savage alien foe and must draw on any help it can - even help a thousand years out of date. How the crew of the Euphrates does this, turning the desperate battle for survival into victory, forms the meat of the story.
As mentioned, the story is a little uneven. The central premise of the story is a very clever one, and the fish-out-of-water experiences of Captain Randall and his crew are for the most part well imagined. There are some very well written combat sequences, and interesting future technologies also. The first time I reread this book as an adult (many years after reading it in school) I enjoyed revisiting a childhood favourite, an enjoyment I have revisited many times since. I found that much of the book had stuck in my mind, though one part - the ending - had not. On reread, I discovered why; the ending, though satisfactory enough, is a little boring - once the humans get their act together the aliens are quickly defeated, so that the final victory is something of an anticlimax.
However - this book has, and will retain, a special place in my library, and I fully expect to enjoy it again many times in the future.
Let me first say, Philip E High is not a particularly good writer. I've read a half dozen or so of his books, and while many of them have a lot of good content the finished product is never quite as well finished as it might be. This one is no exception.
I first came across this book many years ago when I was in primary school. At that time I was avidly reading any science fiction I could get my hands on, and this book, with it's intriguing cover and interesting premise, definitely fit the bill.
The story (written in 1968) concerns the captain and crew of the RN submarine Euphrates, which is accidentally sunk during a training exercise. Their vessel is salvaged much later, perfectly preserved, and the crew find themselves revived in the far future, when the human race (which has suppressed all violent instincts) finds itself under attack by a savage alien foe and must draw on any help it can - even help a thousand years out of date. How the crew of the Euphrates does this, turning the desperate battle for survival into victory, forms the meat of the story.
As mentioned, the story is a little uneven. The central premise of the story is a very clever one, and the fish-out-of-water experiences of Captain Randall and his crew are for the most part well imagined. There are some very well written combat sequences, and interesting future technologies also. The first time I reread this book as an adult (many years after reading it in school) I enjoyed revisiting a childhood favourite, an enjoyment I have revisited many times since. I found that much of the book had stuck in my mind, though one part - the ending - had not. On reread, I discovered why; the ending, though satisfactory enough, is a little boring - once the humans get their act together the aliens are quickly defeated, so that the final victory is something of an anticlimax.
However - this book has, and will retain, a special place in my library, and I fully expect to enjoy it again many times in the future.
drkeith's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
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