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Tom Swift Jr. #20
Tom Swift and His Megascope Space Prober
Pictorial boards, decorated endpapers, a clean square unmarked copy
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
80 people want to read
About the author
Victor Appleton II
122 books22 followerssee also Victor Appleton
The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift
The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Want to read
February 3, 2017
Browsing through the stock this afternoon at Pioneer Books, I came across The Freud Reader and this book in rapid succession. Look, it's not my fault. I blame their filing system.
December 25, 2017
Kevin put down the book carefully and thought thoughtfully. This sure was a swell exciting book he thought excitedly. Maybe I can build a Megascope Space Prober he thought hopefully. But probably not he sighed resignedly. Maybe I can someday get some chums that will help me build a spaceship he hoped hopefully. And with that vision he marched determinedly into the next day.
Or... a fun somewhat silly book.
Or... a fun somewhat silly book.
April 12, 2024
The tall, dark-haired reviewer sat down to write her review on the book and considered how to begin. It was interesting, she thought, how everything in her busy, vivid life had suddenly required two adjectives. She wasn't sure if it was connected to the dynamic, beautifully designed book in front of her but she did know that it was connected to something. Something strange and mysterious. All of a sudden she heard a noise outside the window! She turned and saw a man with a ray gun! He pointed it at her window! Luckily enough, the window had been made with Antiraygun Glass, an invention that she had made somewhere in between breakfast and lunch, and the ray gun was repelled! The man put down his ray gun and shook his fist at the window. "I'll stop that review whatever the cost!"
Bit dramatic, thought the reviewer, as she sat back down at the brown, wooden desk. She began to type her review. The books, she began, were kind of like a science-fiction version of the Hardy Boys meets the Nancy Drew books with the emphasis on the science. They were a lot of fun and she had genuinely enjoyed reading them even if one had kind of seemed the same as the other. And the pace of them, she reflected in a thoughtful, considered manner, was remarkable! Things happened so swiftly! A character would go to space as nonchalantly as going to the shops! And then, all of a sudden, she felt the temperature in the room fall!
"Okay," she said. "What now?" She turned around and realised that there was a low mist coming into the room from under the thick, solid door! It was slowly turning the room cold! She wasn't quite sure about the scientific specifics of this one but knew that, in thirty seconds, her Antimysteriousgasunderthedoor extraction system would kick in! She sat back on her chair and counted to thirty. Sure enough, the fans kicked in and the silver, cold mist disappeared and the temperature in the room returned to normal. She glanced at her tall, mysteriously handsome chum who had been quietly working in the corner throughout all of this. "What do you think of that, chum?"
"I think somebody's out to stop your review!" said Chum, because that was also his nickname in a time-saving sort of manner. "I'll phone our contacts at the CIA, the BBC, the FBI, the MBA, the WWE and at the ANPR! And you just keep typing! Quickly though! I think there's a space ship about to crash on us!"
"Okay!" said the reviewer. She wrote quickly: these books are great but also deeply ridiculous, if you've read one, you know what you're getting in all of the others, the covers are outstanding, I really rather loved them, and then she paused for a brief moment. Just as she did, the space ship appeared outside of her window, just as Chum had said. It was okay though: because of the invisible web of Catchingfallingspaceshiprays she had previously installed just above street level, the space-ship came to a gentle halt. The space beings opened the door. "Thanks!" they said.
"All in a day's work!" said the reviewer. And then she pressed send.
Bit dramatic, thought the reviewer, as she sat back down at the brown, wooden desk. She began to type her review. The books, she began, were kind of like a science-fiction version of the Hardy Boys meets the Nancy Drew books with the emphasis on the science. They were a lot of fun and she had genuinely enjoyed reading them even if one had kind of seemed the same as the other. And the pace of them, she reflected in a thoughtful, considered manner, was remarkable! Things happened so swiftly! A character would go to space as nonchalantly as going to the shops! And then, all of a sudden, she felt the temperature in the room fall!
"Okay," she said. "What now?" She turned around and realised that there was a low mist coming into the room from under the thick, solid door! It was slowly turning the room cold! She wasn't quite sure about the scientific specifics of this one but knew that, in thirty seconds, her Antimysteriousgasunderthedoor extraction system would kick in! She sat back on her chair and counted to thirty. Sure enough, the fans kicked in and the silver, cold mist disappeared and the temperature in the room returned to normal. She glanced at her tall, mysteriously handsome chum who had been quietly working in the corner throughout all of this. "What do you think of that, chum?"
"I think somebody's out to stop your review!" said Chum, because that was also his nickname in a time-saving sort of manner. "I'll phone our contacts at the CIA, the BBC, the FBI, the MBA, the WWE and at the ANPR! And you just keep typing! Quickly though! I think there's a space ship about to crash on us!"
"Okay!" said the reviewer. She wrote quickly: these books are great but also deeply ridiculous, if you've read one, you know what you're getting in all of the others, the covers are outstanding, I really rather loved them, and then she paused for a brief moment. Just as she did, the space ship appeared outside of her window, just as Chum had said. It was okay though: because of the invisible web of Catchingfallingspaceshiprays she had previously installed just above street level, the space-ship came to a gentle halt. The space beings opened the door. "Thanks!" they said.
"All in a day's work!" said the reviewer. And then she pressed send.
November 8, 2022
A solid entry and a quick read. I was halfway thru before I realized it.
That's one of the fun things about this series. The house writers were good at keeping the pseudo-science at a minimum so the plot carried the day. This one relied just a bit too much on battling saboteurs though.
The cook is here. Yah. I really don't like this character, it is (for me) a drag on the story and takes time away from Tom. Still, a better read than much of what gets published today.
Find it. Buy it. Read it.
That's one of the fun things about this series. The house writers were good at keeping the pseudo-science at a minimum so the plot carried the day. This one relied just a bit too much on battling saboteurs though.
The cook is here. Yah. I really don't like this character, it is (for me) a drag on the story and takes time away from Tom. Still, a better read than much of what gets published today.
Find it. Buy it. Read it.
January 17, 2025
Is it just me, or is every Tom Swift I read a bit disjointed-feeling? Oh well, this was an interesting story (lots of Chow moments!) even if it felt just wrong having Bud absent for most of it. And the ending felt pretty abrupt and neatly wrapped up. (Which shouldn't bother me . . . I mean, I read Hardy Boys, and that happens in literally every book . . . it's just not great storytelling.)
And my brother pointed out that a few of the illustrations are inaccurate - the ship depicted isn't Tom's Challenger.
And my brother pointed out that a few of the illustrations are inaccurate - the ship depicted isn't Tom's Challenger.
August 3, 2019
I gave it 4 stars more for Bud's being selected to go to Venus on a different rocket other than Tom's. The main story line focuses on rivals for some of Tom's inventions and the means they go to in order to get them. There's a lot of jealousy and what it leads to in this one.
June 20, 2021
I can see why Steve Wosniak loved this series as a kid.
Tom Swift could solve any obstacle by developing wondrous new technology.
Tom Swift could solve any obstacle by developing wondrous new technology.
June 28, 2015
The Tom Swift, Jr., books were a fun, upbeat, and interesting adventure series published for kids from 1954 to 1971 that promoted science, fair-play, patriotism, and team-work; they were good, positive books. The series served as a sequel to the original Tom Swift series that appeared from 1910 to the beginnings of World War II; Tom and his sister, Sandy, are the children of the first Tom and his wife, Mary Nestor; Tom's girlfriend Phyllis Newton is the daughter of Tom Sr.'s sidekick Ned Newton (now Uncle Ned to Tom and Sandy); the family home is still located in Shopton along Lake Carlopa, etc. It's nice that the continuity is preserved rather than just being over-written as happened to The Hardy Boys; in the first Tom Jr., book beings make contact that were first hinted at in the final real Tom Sr., book, Planet Stone, and throughout the series references to the history are made such as naming a device the Damonscope in honor of a character from the first series, Mr. Wakefield Damon. In addition to the Swifts and Newtons, Tom Jr. has his own sidekick, Bud Barclay, and there are several interesting supporting characters such as Phil Radnor, Harlan Ames (I wonder if Harlan Ellison was the inspiration for the name?), Hank Sterling, Miss Trent (who I don't believe ever had a first name), and especially Chow Winkler, Tom's cook, a former "Texas chuck-wagon" cook who was given to a variety of wild and unlikely expressions such as, "Well, brand my space biscuits!" The earlier books had nice covers, end-papers, and illustrations: Graham Kaye and Charles Brey provided the art for the first twenty-five volumes, followed by Edward Moretz, after which the artistic (as well as the literary) quality starting going downhill. Tom invented and built many fantastic inventions (but remember it was the '50s and '60s), and had many exciting adventures along with his friends and family. They faced off against saboteurs and spies and the evil Brungarians but their good spirits and hard work and can-do attitude always paid off in the end. The continuity didn't always hold logically from book to book, and looking back it's easy to pick apart one thing or another, but they were fun and fine books in their time. This twentieth volume has an okay cover showing the a spaceship that's supposed to be the Challenger but doesn't look anything like it was described. I remember being confused. Anyway, another pretty good space Swift adventure.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews