The works of A. Bertram Chandler

[Viktor Kuprin]

Yesterday I was walking past a bookstore and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a spaceman. In the shop's window was a copy of John Grimes, Lieutenant of the Survey Service by A. Bertram Chandler. It was a clearance display; the book cost $2.98. I bought it on the spot.

I had read some of Chandler's stories as a kid, and enjoyed them very much. Later I learned that some were autobiographical, from his experiences in the merchant marine service.

From Wikipedia: Chandler's descriptions of life aboard spaceships and the relationships between members of the crew en route carry a feeling of realism rarely found in other writers, and obviously derive from his experience on board sea-going ships. Chandler's descriptions of life aboard spaceships and the relationships between members of the crew en route carry a feeling of realism rarely found in other writers, and obviously derive from his experience on board sea-going ships.

The stories in my newly-acquired volume are:

* The Road to the Rim - The series introduction, with Ensign John Grimes of the Federation Survey Service Academy headed to his first posting.
* To Prime the Pump
* The Hard Way Up - A collection of related short stories published in the late 60's/early 70's.
* Spartan Planet
* The Inheritors

I know some were published as individual paperback novels.

Yes, Chandler is "Old School" and his work is becoming increasingly hard to find in print, except maybe in for-sale .pdf files online.

Any other fans of the Rim series out there?

 

[rimworlder]

Y E S!

Take a look at my nickname - lol.

I've been enjoying his works since the 60's and have been avidly collecting everything he has ever written, although David Kelleher, of A Bertram Chandler - Science Fiction Author and Master of the Rim Worlds, has got me beat there.

I enjoy his stuff so much, and so strongly do not want it to get lost in the mists of time that I've started my own site devoted to his works - Rim Worlds The View From Navarre Station - which chronicles my creation of a concordance of the rim worlds - based stories.

The SFBC editions are an attempt at publishing his John Grimes (rim worlds) stories in their proper sequence, which they've done with minor exception.

Still missing from recent reprints are the Empress Irene - based stories of the rim worlds and the independent tales, such as Gift Horse or Rimghost.

All of the novels collected in that omnibus were individually published by Ace (as doubles) or by Daw during the 60's, 70's and 80's, with the exception of Spartan Planet, which was published by Dell in the 60's (that's in the US - most of them were also published by various UK firms at the same time).

 

[rimworlder]

sent you an email on the subject