The Evolution of Science Fiction discussion

Nominations for May 2022 BotM: 1920-39, The Pulp Era

SF novels or short story collection/anthologies that have not previously been read by the group are eligible. Please check the bookshelf & the nomination rules for further clarification before nominating a book.

Previously nominated books are on this bookshelf. More qualifying authors & books can be found here. Also, both Wells & Verne are eligible for nominations. It's been more than 5 years since we read the first of their books.

Please add your nominated book title as a clickable link directly to the goodreads' book page, with author and year, so it looks like this:
Children of Time
Adrian Tchaikovsky
2015
(If you can't create book links, please include the URL to the book.)

Tell us why you chose the book that you're nominating. Remember that books require seconding now. Each member is allowed to make one nomination & second one other book other than their own.

We'll close this nomination thread on the 15th of March, in order to have plenty of time for poll(s) and then for acquisitions of the winner(s).

Nominations


Nominated & Seconded
When Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie, nom by Leo, 2d by Rosemarie
The Metal Monster by A. Merritt, nom by mod Jim, 2d by Ed
The Jameson Satellite by Neil R. Jones, nom by Ed, 2d by Jim

I'll nominate The Metal Monster by A. Merritt (1920). It's the second of his Godwin books & is available on Gutenberg & Librivox for free. Here are the links:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3479
https://librivox.org/the-metal-monste...

The Librivox summary:
Dr. Goodwin is on a botanical expedition in the Himalayas. There he meets Dick Drake, the son of one of his old science acquaintances. They are witnesses of a strange aurora-like effect, but seemingly a deliberate one. As they go out to investigate, they meet Goodwin's old friends Martin and Ruth Ventnor, brother and sister scientists. The two are besieged by Persians as Darius III led when Alexander of Macedon conquered them more than two thousand years ago.

The group is saved by a magnificent woman they get to know as Norhala. She commands the power of lightning and controls strange metal animate Things, living, metallic, geometric forms; an entire city of sentient cubes, globes and tetrahedrons, capable of joining together and forming colossal shapes, and wielding death rays and other armaments of destruction.

They are led to a hidden valley occupied by what they name "The Metal Monster", a strange metal city occupied by the metal animate Things Norhala commands This city is governed by what they call the Metal Emperor, assisted by the Keeper of the Cones.

Ruth is slowly being converted by Norhala to become like her; her little sister. Martin, her brother, tries shooting the Metal Emperor, who retalliates with a ray blast, putting Martin in a comatose state.

Closed in between the Metal Monster and the Persians, it falls to Goodwin and Drake to find a way to escape their predicament.

I'll try again and nominate When Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie, 1932.

I'll second When Worlds Collide.

I nominate The Jameson Satellite byNeil R. Jones, 1931.

"When the hero-scientist of this story knows he must die, he conceives a brilliant idea for the preservation of his body, the result of which even exceeded his expectations"

(This is a novella or short story, not a novel. But probably was influential.)

I second the Metal Monster

I'll second "The Jameson Satellite".

Tomorrow is the last day for nominations & seconds, so get them in soon if you have a preference.

We now have 3 books available for the poll:
When Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie, nom by Leo, 2d by Rosemarie
The Metal Monster by A. Merritt, nom by mod Jim, 2d by Ed
The Jameson Satellite by Neil R. Jones, nom by Ed, 2d by Jim

Nominations are closed & the poll is up here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...