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Spaceways
The book started life as a radio play. It’s also the basis for what is considered to be the first British SF film in 1953. It’s an interesting book about a rocket launch and the diappearance of a scientist and his friend’s wife.
Barry Conway is assigned to the B Research Site in Silver Falls, Nevada. His job is Adminstrator and Security Officer. The Director, Dr.Klein, is happy because that means he no longer has to be bogged down in paperwork.
The project is to fire off a satellite rocket into permanent Earth orbit. There’s trouble brewing with two rocket engineers. George Hills and Raymond Colby are best friends. Hills wife Marion is bored being in the middle of nowhere and eventually she and Colby fall for each other. Hills is so into his work he doesn’t seem to care.
Conway hears from his secretary Helen that Marion and Colby are thinking of leaving. Conway tells Marion and Colby it’s his concern about what goes on at the center.
Before the launch Hills shows up with a black eye. He says he got in a fight with Colby over Marion. The rocket is launched. It’s orbit is a lot lower than expected. What went wrong?
Colby is nowhere to be found. Neither is Marion. Hills is eventually charged with their murder. It’s all circumstansial evidence since the bodies haven’t been found. Did Hills find a unique hiding place? He declares his innocence and makes a outlandish offer.
No aliens, rogue robots or other 50′s SF staples, just a good story that’s worth reading. It does what good stories are supposed to do, keep you involved and entertained.
Barry Conway is assigned to the B Research Site in Silver Falls, Nevada. His job is Adminstrator and Security Officer. The Director, Dr.Klein, is happy because that means he no longer has to be bogged down in paperwork.
The project is to fire off a satellite rocket into permanent Earth orbit. There’s trouble brewing with two rocket engineers. George Hills and Raymond Colby are best friends. Hills wife Marion is bored being in the middle of nowhere and eventually she and Colby fall for each other. Hills is so into his work he doesn’t seem to care.
Conway hears from his secretary Helen that Marion and Colby are thinking of leaving. Conway tells Marion and Colby it’s his concern about what goes on at the center.
Before the launch Hills shows up with a black eye. He says he got in a fight with Colby over Marion. The rocket is launched. It’s orbit is a lot lower than expected. What went wrong?
Colby is nowhere to be found. Neither is Marion. Hills is eventually charged with their murder. It’s all circumstansial evidence since the bodies haven’t been found. Did Hills find a unique hiding place? He declares his innocence and makes a outlandish offer.
No aliens, rogue robots or other 50′s SF staples, just a good story that’s worth reading. It does what good stories are supposed to do, keep you involved and entertained.
190 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 22, 1953
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Charles Eric Maine
59 books12 followersCharles Eric Maine (pseudonym of David McIlwain; 21 January 1921 – 30 November 1981) was an English science fiction writer whose most prominent works were published in the 1950s and 1960s. His stories were thrillers that dealt with new scientific technology
Biography
McIlwain was born in Liverpool.
He published three issues of a science fiction magazine called The Satellite which he co-edited along with J. F. Burke. From 1940 to 1941, he published his own magazine called Gargoyle.
During World War II, he was in the Royal Air Force and served in Northern Africa in 1943.
After the war, he worked in TV engineering, and became involved in editorial work with radio and TV. During 1952, he sold his first radio play, Spaceways, to the BBC. Due to its popularity, it became a novel as well as a movie.
One of his best known stories, Timeliner, was about a scientist who experiments with a time machine, only to be maliciously thrust into the future by a fellow scientist who was having an affair with his wife. It was originally written as a radio play known as The Einstein Highway.
He died in London in 1981.
Bibliography
Spaceways (1953) (Variant Title: Spaceways Satellite)
Timeliner (1955)
Escapement (1956) (Variant Title: The Man Who Couldn't Sleep)
High Vacuum (1956)
The Tide Went Out (1958) (Revised in 1997 with Variant Title: Thirst!)
World Without Men (1958) (Revised in 1972 with Variant Title: Alph)
Count-Down (1959) (Variant Title: Fire Past the Future)
Crisis 2000 (1959)
Subterfuge (1959)
Calculated Risk (1960)
He Owned the World (1960) (Variant Title: The Man Who Owned the World)
The Mind of Mr. Soames (1961)
The Darkest of Nights (1962) (Variant Title: Survival Margin)
B.E.A.S.T. (1966)
Alph (1972)
Biography
McIlwain was born in Liverpool.
He published three issues of a science fiction magazine called The Satellite which he co-edited along with J. F. Burke. From 1940 to 1941, he published his own magazine called Gargoyle.
During World War II, he was in the Royal Air Force and served in Northern Africa in 1943.
After the war, he worked in TV engineering, and became involved in editorial work with radio and TV. During 1952, he sold his first radio play, Spaceways, to the BBC. Due to its popularity, it became a novel as well as a movie.
One of his best known stories, Timeliner, was about a scientist who experiments with a time machine, only to be maliciously thrust into the future by a fellow scientist who was having an affair with his wife. It was originally written as a radio play known as The Einstein Highway.
He died in London in 1981.
Bibliography
Spaceways (1953) (Variant Title: Spaceways Satellite)
Timeliner (1955)
Escapement (1956) (Variant Title: The Man Who Couldn't Sleep)
High Vacuum (1956)
The Tide Went Out (1958) (Revised in 1997 with Variant Title: Thirst!)
World Without Men (1958) (Revised in 1972 with Variant Title: Alph)
Count-Down (1959) (Variant Title: Fire Past the Future)
Crisis 2000 (1959)
Subterfuge (1959)
Calculated Risk (1960)
He Owned the World (1960) (Variant Title: The Man Who Owned the World)
The Mind of Mr. Soames (1961)
The Darkest of Nights (1962) (Variant Title: Survival Margin)
B.E.A.S.T. (1966)
Alph (1972)
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February 20, 2021
روايه جميله ومشيقه جدا، اجوائها لا تحتوي على ملل ففي كل الاوقات الابطال في عمل وبحث مستمر وحقيقه جديده ، الاجواء الجويه الرائعه تاخذك برحله معهم ،النهايه كعادة اجاثا لاتخطر على البال ، انصح بالقراءه🤍
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