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The Humanoids A Novel Jack Williamson 9780312852535 Books

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The Humanoids A Novel Jack Williamson 9780312852535 Books

This is maybe one of the most poignant and elegiac pieces of science fiction I've ever read. In terms of its power as an allegory for what humanity may be facing, in the present and in the future, it's just a step behind maybe "1984" and "Brave New World." The only reason I would rate it as four instead of five stars is that in the last act there's a bit too much quantum mysticism (Williamson lays it on incredibly thick with the exposition and "rhodomagnetics") and there's also a lot of Deus ex Machina when the characters rather than the attempt to solve an unsolvable problem should be the center of the narrative. The science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon once said words to the effect that "Fiction is about people." That's true, even with Science Fiction, where the ideas are in many respects the star of the show. Jack Williamson knows this, demonstrates it, and then forgets it occasionally in the course of "The Humanoids."

That's my quibble. The good news is that the central story, about a scientist named Dr. Clay Forester, has not dated a day since the book was written (though the used copy I got my hands on is on the verge of crumbling and required a bit of patching with Scotch tape). Dr. Forester is working on a top-secret weapons project on a planet far from Earth, in the distant future. His relationship with his wife is strained, and he finds one of his coworkers to be equal parts enigmatic and annoying. What is young Dr. Ironside up to?

Soon, a little girl shows up at the good doctor's installation, bringing news of grave danger, as well as demonstrating an uncanny ability for teleportation and telepathy. The "Humanoids" arrive shortly thereafter, promising to follow the prime directive of protecting humanity from harm, and even solving the problem of unhappiness with constant doses of a drug called "Euphoride" whose effects are described to resemble a cross between Prozac and an ice pick through the frontal lobe.

The struggle between Dr. Forester and the Humanoids is the centerpiece of the book. I won't spoil its details for you here. I'll just close by saying that Jack Williamson uses his story to explore the big problems and ask the big questions that have been dogging Western man at least since Goethe wrote about Faustus bemoaning his fate.

A good short book, with some great characters, and occasional prose passages that read more like poetry than science fiction. Recommended.


Tags : The Humanoids: A Novel [Jack Williamson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. On the far planet Wing IV, a brilliant scientist creates the humanoids--sleek black androids programmed to serve humanity. But are they perfect servants--or perfect masters? Slowly the humanoids spread throughout the galaxy,Jack Williamson,The Humanoids: A Novel,Orb Books,0312852533,Science fiction,Science fiction.,FICTION Science Fiction General,Fiction,Fiction - Science Fiction,Science Fiction - General,Science Fiction Space Opera,Williamson, Jack - Prose & Criticism

The Humanoids A Novel Jack Williamson 9780312852535 Books Reviews

Jack Williamson was one of the most important science fiction writers in the 20th century, so after reading a few of his short stories I purchased this book. The story describes how humanoids take over planets with the Prime Directive to protect humans, but they don't allow anything that might harm humans such as driving, shaving, etc. In effect they become the masters. A small group of rebels tries to stop the humanoids. Read the book to see how it ends!

Mr. Williamson introduced a number of words to science fiction that have been used by later authors. Some parts of the story are outdated (remember that it was written in 1949!) but much is realistic enough for a good read. I felt that some parts were pretty technical, but this did little to get in the way of the overall plot. If you are a science fiction reader, Jack Williamson is one author that you should add to your reading list.
I read this book in 1967 and decided to get it again (for ) and try it again. I'm always fascinating when I read a story that I've read a long time ago because I discover that I didn't remember it correctly.
When I read this story before I saw it as portraying a terrible future with no redeemable qualities whatsoever. All I saw back then were monsters from outer space who came to Earth with the intention of taking away human freedom.
However, as I go back and read it today I discover that the Humanoids were built by a human who wanted to help humans survive in a hostile world.
And then I realized that these Humanoids actually tell us how an authoritarian government would control everybody's lives.
Now, as I read the story I can easily make a direct correlation to such things as the removal of dangerous things from our lives and the many health and safety warnings which we have become accustomed to seeing every day.
As it turns out, Jack Williamson wrote a story which has a very important message.
You decide whether the message is good or bad.
Jack Williamson had the longest career of any writer in the history of Science Fiction; he published his first story in 1927 and his last novel in 2005. This novel is one of the highlights of his career, and a true classic of the genre.

I have little to add to the numerous favorable reviews already posted of this book. But it is important to note what is, and what isn't, in this edition.

Williamson dealt with the Humanoids in two works-- a 1947 novelette in Astounding called "With Folded Hands," and a 1948 novel, originally serialized in Astounding under the title "And Searching Mind," later published in book form as "The Humanoids." Still later, the two works were published as one book, again under the title of "The Humanoids."

This e-book includes ONLY the 1948 novel; "With Folded Hands" is NOT here.

The 1948 novel holds up very well on its own; you don't need the earlier novelette to undestand it. But if you want both pieces of the saga, you will have to either go for the old-fashioned book form The Humanoids A Novel, or buy With Folded Hands separately.
This is maybe one of the most poignant and elegiac pieces of science fiction I've ever read. In terms of its power as an allegory for what humanity may be facing, in the present and in the future, it's just a step behind maybe "1984" and "Brave New World." The only reason I would rate it as four instead of five stars is that in the last act there's a bit too much quantum mysticism (Williamson lays it on incredibly thick with the exposition and "rhodomagnetics") and there's also a lot of Deus ex Machina when the characters rather than the attempt to solve an unsolvable problem should be the center of the narrative. The science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon once said words to the effect that "Fiction is about people." That's true, even with Science Fiction, where the ideas are in many respects the star of the show. Jack Williamson knows this, demonstrates it, and then forgets it occasionally in the course of "The Humanoids."

That's my quibble. The good news is that the central story, about a scientist named Dr. Clay Forester, has not dated a day since the book was written (though the used copy I got my hands on is on the verge of crumbling and required a bit of patching with Scotch tape). Dr. Forester is working on a top-secret weapons project on a planet far from Earth, in the distant future. His relationship with his wife is strained, and he finds one of his coworkers to be equal parts enigmatic and annoying. What is young Dr. Ironside up to?

Soon, a little girl shows up at the good doctor's installation, bringing news of grave danger, as well as demonstrating an uncanny ability for teleportation and telepathy. The "Humanoids" arrive shortly thereafter, promising to follow the prime directive of protecting humanity from harm, and even solving the problem of unhappiness with constant doses of a drug called "Euphoride" whose effects are described to resemble a cross between Prozac and an ice pick through the frontal lobe.

The struggle between Dr. Forester and the Humanoids is the centerpiece of the book. I won't spoil its details for you here. I'll just close by saying that Jack Williamson uses his story to explore the big problems and ask the big questions that have been dogging Western man at least since Goethe wrote about Faustus bemoaning his fate.

A good short book, with some great characters, and occasional prose passages that read more like poetry than science fiction. Recommended.