A. Betram Chandler and the Alien Encounter

I just finished the short story collection, The Hard Way Up (Ace 1972), by A. Bertram Chandler. I really enjoyed it. I had pigeonholed Chandler as a military space opera writer who was using the back drop of outer space to tell military and political stories of intrigue and adventure; however, after having read this short story collection, I admit he is more than this. He is a genuine Science Fiction writer with a capital S and F who doesn't just use the stereotypical tropes of the genre--spaceships, laser guns, robots, aliens-- to spin yarns. He also utilizes science fiction's speculative and extrapolative philosophical structure to engage in rich "thought experiments."

A story that illustrates this point, I think, is "The Wandering Buoy," which was originally published in Analog in September of 1970. The story is very intriguing, very suggestive. It concerns a strange encounter John Grimes has as he and his crew are wandering through interstellar space in their Adder class space ship on a routine mail courier mission in which they encounter a strange, unidentifiable sphere. The source of the drama in the story is the struggle of the crew and Grimes to "domesticate" the strangeness of this sphere. They launch various probes at the sphere, and these are repelled by an unknown force. They then try to communicate with the sphere, thinking it a kind of ship, through electronic and psionic means, but they fail to make contact. Eventually they come to understand the nature of the repellent force that keeps them at a distance from the sphere, and they suceed in exploring it. I don't want to give away what they discover in the sphere, but suffice it to say it's very interesting.

On the surface, this story seems to be re-telling of Arthur C. Clarke's famous short story, "The Sentinel," which was published in the Avon Science Fiction and Fantasy Reader in 1951. In Clarke's story a space survey crew discover a strange pyramid on the moon which turns out to be the herald of an alien race who nurtured humanity in its youth. Famously, Clarke expanded this story into 2001: A Space Odyssey with Stanley Kubrick. But in some very distinct parts, Chandler puts unique "spins" on this narrative. The Sphere is distinct from the pyramid in Clarke's story and the Monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey in some very important points.

And yet, I'm less concerned with their differences than their similarities. I find it so intriguing that science fiction narratives gravitate toward this interesting "encounter" plot. It's as if a major cognitive affordance offered by science fiction is that it allows us to imagine encounters with strange, Alien entities that challenge our notions of who we are and where we came from.

A. Betram Chandler's *The Subtractor*: The Cozy Interior of a Star Ship

Last night I had trouble falling asleep and so I picked up some light literature, a series of short stories by military space opera writer, A. Bertram Chandler. Recently I re-read Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, and so that put me in the mood for some more "military themed" space opera, i.e. starships, galactic empires, cloak and dagger conspiracy on an outer space canvas. I have an Ace Double edition of two of Chandler's famous John Grimes stories, The Road to the Rim (a novel), and The Hard Way Up (short story collection). I read the second short story in The Hard Way Up, titled, "The Subtractor," and I wanted to comment on it.

First, some brief summary. The story relates the first command of John Grimes, a member of the Federation Science Survey, the military of a futuristic intergalactic union of humanity. He gets command of a small but fast ship that functions as a V.I.P. courier for the military. The narrative of this story is pretty straightforward. Grimes and company pick up a suspicious V.I.P. by the name of Alberto, a clean-cut yet mysterious official sort of person. He couriers the V.I.P. to a planet on the border between the Federation and two other alien empires, and then conspiracy and espionage ensue. I don't want to give about the interesting plot twist at the end, but I do want to comment on the effect of the story.

For me, the most interesting element of this story was the atmosphere of the interior of spaceship flying through space. The majority of the story relates scenes that take place within the tiny ship as it hurtles through space to its destination. Not much happens on the ship in terms of plot progress, but the atmosphere is vivid and satisfying. You get that since of intimate isolation among the crew members who find themselves in this small environment in the middle of the vast emptiness that is outer space. Because of this isolation and monotony, they are realistically concerned about minor things, like their meals and how to pass the time, e.g. drinking cocktails and playing chess. To an extent, the environment related is, cozy, fundamentally social, and in spite of the fact that very few things happen on the ship, a sense of adventure is nevertheless palpable. In terms of tone, the story relates the destination-focused experience of sailors on a great journey, or of submariners doing a long tour underwater, but the context has been switched to outer space.

I haven't read much of A. Bertram Chandler, but my recent re-read of Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy inspired me to stick with space opera a little bit longer. I think I may review one or two of his stories in the following days. In any case, this one was great!

A. Bertram Chandler's *The Road to the Rim*: Affect and Inverse Space Opera

I recently started reading science fiction writer A. Bertram Chandler. The novel I read was The Road to the Rim (1967). It was an interesting read. What I found most interesting about it was how it seemed to participate in a particular science fiction genre. My reflex is to call it "space opera," but further meditation makes me realize how incorrect that is. Why? My general impression/definition of space opera tends to sync with the one on Wikipedia:

"Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities."

This definition emphasizes the emotional element of space opera--melodrama, romance, adventure! This feels right for me. Of all the texts I've read or watched that folks have labeled "space opera," this intensity of emotion seems to be present. I'm particularly thinking of--of course---the original Star Wars Trilogy. Consider the bombastic music; the revenge plot; the love triangle; the epic military struggles. These are occasions for showcasing great emotional outpourings.

Disclaimer: I know "space opera" is just a useful categorizing tool and that we should use it loosely, as a kind of heuristic device for throwing into focus elements of certain science fiction narratives that we may or may not see; and so, I'm in no way trying to put forward an argument for a "definitve" definition of space opera. But, for me, it feels correct to associate space opera was an intensity of emotion.

This intensity of emotion is definitely not present in A. Bertram Chandler's The Road to the Rim. Indeed, it can be defined by a lack of emotion. Sometimes this lack of emotion, I'd say, borders on the pathological. There is a notable lack of affect in both the narration and in the characters's behaviors.

I find this so intriguing. I can see why folks would be inclined to describe this novel as a "space opera," considering it takes place completely in outer space. Also, there are space pirates, battling starships, love affairs, etc.. But the world is presented in what I would suggest is almost in "greyscale." The human emotion seems to be quite absent.

I get the sense there is a conformity in tone between the narrative as such and the military lifestyle / scenarios depicted in the novel. The protagonist is one soldier in a great space fleet and a major theme is his relationship to procedure, policy, protocol, etc.. The meticulousness of the narrative style mirrors the meticulousness of the protagonist's behavior and thought patterns.

The term "hard science fiction" might apply. "Hard" might refer to the novel's inherent masculinity, it's emotionless element; and yet, "hard" is generally used to refer to the way scientific theory in framed in a science ficiton narrative. This novel, I'm convinced, is decidedly not faithful to scientific theory.

And so, considering how I've set space opera up here--a science fiction narrative set completely in outer space that showcases great human emotional outpourings--I've decided to call A. Bertram Chandler's The Road to the Rim an example of inverse space opera. Hmm... Does this label fit?