Review: "Out Like A Light" [Malone 2] by Garrett & Janifer (1960)
Posted on February 12th, 2008
My comments on the "Malone" series in general can be found here in the review of the first story of the series.
This is the novella version of the second entry rather than the novel version. Ever-lucky Agent Kenneth J. Malone begins this story with a pleasant daydream after getting coshed on the noggin while checking out a red Cadillac.
Malone was assigned the red Cadillac investigation by Director Burris because it is an odd case, and odd cases are Malone’s specialty after all. Illustration Malone is in full fashion effect with his Mohawk and furry fringed jacket, while Text Malone is again sedately dressed in more normal FBI garb.
Malone plods along as is his wont, gaining occasional help from the Queen and fellow agent Tom Boyd again, although he and Tom are not forced to wear clothes of the Court this time around. Malone finds that he is facing a gang of teleporting juvenile delinquents when one of them snaps his fingers and disappears from an interrogation room while being questioned.
Malone is rightly at a loss at that point, so he plods around a bit more until a tip falls in his lap. He eventually captures the gang after manifesting some extraordinarily strong psionic abilities of his own. Note, however, that the novel version of this story describes instead a mundane method of capture, eschewing the fantastic even though the third novel picks up assuming Malone possesses the described ability.
Garrett & Janifer kick the humor up a notch in this one, and portray Malone as more of a comedic James Bond/dime novel detective than in the first. Compared to the first and third, this middle tale is light on plot, but it does show Malone developing into a stronger, more confident character even with all the weird stuff happening around him. Just to complete that image, he of course again manages to get the girl in the end.
Recommended. You can read it online here or psionically download it from Project Gutenberg in a couple formats or Manybooks.net in more.
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Review: "That Sweet Little Old Lady" [Malone 1] by Garrett & Janifer (1959)
Posted on February 9th, 2008
The Series
This is the first novella in what I’m calling the “Malone” series. Others refer to it as the “Psi-Power” series, and Project Gutenberg even calls it “The Queen’s Own FBI” series but this is my review and that’s what I’m calling it. There were three novellas in the series: (1) “That Sweet Little Old Lady,” (2) “Out Like a Light,” and (3) “Occasion for Disaster,” which were all later expanded and published as novels under the titles (1) Brain Twister, (2) The Impossibles, and (3) Supermind.
Just to add to the confusion, the novels and novellas were all published under the “Mark Philips” pseudonym, which is the name Randall Garrett and Laurence Janifer used when they collaborated (with each other, that is, not in the war criminal sense).
The illustrations that accompany the novellas are bizarrely wonderful. The text makes clear that the main character, Kenneth J. Malone, is a suit-and-tie FBI Agent, and the most daring personal flair displayed by an agent is when one dares to sport a beard.
However, the illustrations inextricably but consistently show Malone rocking a fabulous Mohawk while dressed in an outfit that can only be described as pool hall chic. The Mohawk is carried through the illustrations in all three stories in a gloriously obstinate ignorance of the text of the stories.
The plots and the differences between the novellas and the novels are just as strange, with the second novella ending with a manifestation of psionic power that resolves the plot. The novel version of the same tale ends with a mundane explanation instead, and yet the third novel picks up where the second novella ended, assuming, contrary to the second novel, that the psionic power had manifested.
I would suggest a reading order of (1) “That Sweet Little Old Lady” novella, (2) “Out Like a Light” novella, and (3) the Supermind novel.
The Plot
The series itself begins at strange and goes to wacky. In this first story the main character, FBI Agent Kenneth Malone, comes across as a bit of a schlub, not only dimwitted, but possessed of a literalism that approaches retardation. The reader suspects it is an attempt at humor, because Garrett’s atrocious punning is present, although not as prevalent as in the third story.
Apparently the FBI was smaller in this future 1970s, because Malone is always given his assignments by FBI Director Burris. Malone has a reputation for solving difficult cases, but he personally considers it nothing more than luck. Here he is assigned the task of stopping a telepathic spy from reading the minds of the scientists on a super secret research installation in Yucca Flats.
Using the philosophy of setting a thief to catch a thief, Malone begins by rounding up all the telepaths the FBI can find. Unfortunately, they are all insane due to the early childhood stresses involved in reading the thoughts of others.
The least-insane is delusional Rose Thompson, who believes herself to be the immortal Queen Elizabeth I. With the dubious help of the Queen, Malone and fellow agent Thomas Boyd work on solving the case while dressed in courtly garb. When the resolution comes, it is through an out-of-character flash of insight from Malone.
The third story in the series is the best, but this one is solid enough to stand on its own, and you should read them in order, because many loose strands come together in the final novel. The illustrations here are done very well, so well I almost wish I could also read the story they illustrate. But regardless, this one is
Recommended. You can read it online here or find it an Project Gutenberg in a couple formats or at Manybooks.net in more.
Tags: free science fiction, free speculative fiction, public domain fiction, public domain science fiction, randall garrett, Review
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Review: “Wizard” by Laurence M. Janifer (1960)
Posted on January 25th, 2008
Longish short story about a medieval psionist confronting religious authority.
The year is 1605 and greenhorn Jonas is a hero, at least in his own mind, and being such he undertakes a mission for the local psi lodge. A small village is being terrorized by a zealous church Inquisitor and Jonas is sent to help.
Jonas arrives, eyes up the local farm girls, puts on his mystical witch act, and gets tossed into the dungeon, most of which was according to plan. Being easily bored, he quickly goes stir crazy and forces the situation rather than letting it develop per the plan. As a result he gets an up close look at the dungeon’s confessional devices.
But Jonas’ psi link with his mentor offers him cool advice and he eventually accomplishes his mission, allowing him to follow more important pursuits with the pretty farm girls.
This story remains slightly humorous as it proceeds. Jonas’ character is amusing and the author makes use of the smells ans sights of medieval times for comic effect. Again, I’m not much on psionics, but the humor goes a long way to making it enjoyable.
Recommended. Conjure up a copy in a couple formats at Project Gutenberg or at Manybooks.net in more.
Tags: free science fiction, public domain science fiction, Review, speculative fiction
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