Thomcat
1/10/2023
Said by the author to be a reaction to the trial of Oscar Wilde, this pulp classic was released 127 years ago. It inspired countless books, films and bands, including Devo (Are we not men?).
The framing story of the shipwrecked sailor is similar to The Land That Time Forgot Collection, and was a common trope for a spectacular tale. The body horror reminds me of Dan Simmons Hyperion somehow, and is not fun to read. This was apparently the first story with the "uplift" motif. It is also most definitely pulp.
One of the common complaints is the lack of science behind the fiction - but that's the purview of pulp. Like contemporaries Burroughs and Doyle, this is a story from a certain point of view, and that works well here. This short novel has earned its place on several lists of top fiction, top science fiction, and even top horror.
This is also the first time I have read this book. Overall rating 4 of 5 stars.