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Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet
Young adult science fiction novel written by Harold L. Goodwin under the pseudonym Blake Savage. Illustrated.
252 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
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About the author
Blake Savage
8 books3 followersOne of the several pen names of Harold Leland Goodman.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 22, 2021
There's a story that goes with this story... I got this book at a school book fair some 48 years ago when I was 10. Many years later (~43) I was Nostalgically Re-reading some of my childhood books and tried to remember the title of this one, to no avail. I even posted in the Goodreads group What's the Name of that Book, with as much as I could remember: I thought it was a "Scholastic paperback edition of a juvenile science fiction most likely from the 1960s, possibly early 1970s. The plot revolved around two rival (Cold war similar) space powers that were trying to claim a metallic asteroid and bring it back to Earth. I seem to remember one of the powers being "The Confederation" or something similar. A main character was probably a young adult/teen male. Something happened that required the two enemies to work together. Reluctant friendship ensued. Moral lesson/political melodrama imparted on the young readers." Sadly, no one could help and I tried different search terms over the years with nothing to show. Fast forward to a few weeks ago (2019) when I was reading The Disappearing Spoon, a wonderful book about the periodic table and when the author talked about thorium...ding!...quick check and...voila! Found! But...I had to search for different covers to confirm with my memory and this is the one. Internet order to the rescue and nostalgic re-read checked off!
This was high adventure for a ten year old in 1971! And the actual science was pretty good, which is to be expected because Hal Goodwin wrote it (and the Rick Brant series as John Blaine). The science fiction was pulpish (Venusian silicon armadillos, Martians and even Mercurian creatures). The world outlook was rather forward thinking to cooperation beyond our time with multinationals in the space fleet, and also contemporary with a Cold War-like adversary. And, given that it was published in 1952 for one assumes to be a boy audience, there is the period sexism - one character piloting a (space) boat "balanced the opposite thrusts " with "the delicacy of a woman threading a needle." As to some of the science, either Goodwin/Savage was visionary- his clear bubble helmets could be darkened electronically (electrochromic devices were still relatively theoretical in 1953)
Okay, so my fuzzy memory wasn't quite right - there was no cooperation (maybe there's another book hidden away in my memory closet), Rip Foster was a young adult, and it was a Golden Griffon paperback, but five stars for high adventure!
This was high adventure for a ten year old in 1971! And the actual science was pretty good, which is to be expected because Hal Goodwin wrote it (and the Rick Brant series as John Blaine). The science fiction was pulpish (Venusian silicon armadillos, Martians and even Mercurian creatures). The world outlook was rather forward thinking to cooperation beyond our time with multinationals in the space fleet, and also contemporary with a Cold War-like adversary. And, given that it was published in 1952 for one assumes to be a boy audience, there is the period sexism - one character piloting a (space) boat "balanced the opposite thrusts " with "the delicacy of a woman threading a needle." As to some of the science, either Goodwin/Savage was visionary- his clear bubble helmets could be darkened electronically (electrochromic devices were still relatively theoretical in 1953)
Okay, so my fuzzy memory wasn't quite right - there was no cooperation (maybe there's another book hidden away in my memory closet), Rip Foster was a young adult, and it was a Golden Griffon paperback, but five stars for high adventure!
July 29, 2017
This is a fine boys' space opera adventure from 1952, long before there was such a category as YA. I was surprised to see that the author also wrote the Rick Brant adventures under a different pseudonym; they were favorites of mine back in the day. The cast of characters in this book is surprisingly culturally diverse for its time, though there are of course no female characters. The science is interesting, though they do seem to play pretty fast and loose with radiation. The way they calculate complex mathematical problems without computers while running across the spinning asteroid to stay in front of the rising sun is utterly charming. Lots of fun!
June 3, 2018
In this story from 1952, Rip Foster graduates from the Space Academy, becoming a Planeteer lieutenant in the SOS (Space Operations Service) and getting an assignment that is has challenges that require experience well above his pay grade. He must overcome challenges of with the Spacers (the crew of space ship), the suspicions of the ship's captain, the loyalty of his team, and science necessary to complete his mission. Throw in an adversary and Rip has to use all his wits to succeed. This is a nice little story that has a good guy-bad guy conflict and enough slightly dated science to make for a good listen. It is not a great story, but it should be intriguing for a young adult. The LibriVox reader, Mark Nelson, does a credible job of making the story interesting.
May 21, 2022
A rather enjoyable story, although I kept falling asleep and so missed a few things. Many thanks to the librivox narrator for a great read and help in nodding off.
October 31, 2019
An enjoyable older sci-fi read with a definite cold-war feel to it. The kind of story where you know the hero has to find his way through the challenges, but you're not at all sure how he's going to do it. The antagonism between the spacemen and planeteers (kind of like a Navy-Marine rivalry) made for some smile-worthy moments, while the threats posed by the dangerous "Connies" kept the atmosphere appropriately tense. I also appreciated the way that Rip asked for and took advice, even from those lower than him in rank. My only real complaint would be that sometimes there was a lot more scientific/terminology explanation than seemed necessary, while other things that I wondered about weren't explained at all.
Content--mentions of swearing by stars, constellations, etc.; mentions of superstitions and asking the stars for luck; mentions of cursing; mentions of alien life; fighting and threats; mentions of wounds and blood (not graphic)
Content--mentions of swearing by stars, constellations, etc.; mentions of superstitions and asking the stars for luck; mentions of cursing; mentions of alien life; fighting and threats; mentions of wounds and blood (not graphic)
March 31, 2020
I remember reading this in grade school (over 40 years ago!), and I still recall several incidents from the book. I had hoped that this would be a "lost" classic of juvenile SF, on par with Heinlein or Norton. Unfortunately, this is simply a solidly written book for young boys (not a single woman appears as a character). The plot recalls Asimov's "The Martian Way" in that the Planeteers of the book must herd an asteroid rich in thorium from the belt to Earth orbit. In execution, the book is simply average. I might still give it to my 10--year old son, but maybe he should just skip to Heinlein and Norton instead.
September 11, 2020
1952 space opera which holds up surprisingly well decades later. The author must have had a physics background.
A delightful surprise was what they grey planet was... a chunk of naturally furtile thorium (!!!) which could power a solar system for several months or maybe a couple years. This fits in with both the small reactor renaissance & the space force formation of the 2020s.
A highly recommended book.
A delightful surprise was what they grey planet was... a chunk of naturally furtile thorium (!!!) which could power a solar system for several months or maybe a couple years. This fits in with both the small reactor renaissance & the space force formation of the 2020s.
A highly recommended book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2021
This was such a fun read for our bedtime story time! My husband even sat in to learn how Rip Foster saved the day!
A fun vintage book that was published in the 50s is so fun and imaginative for its time. It’s also really cool to see what the author thought space and exploration would look like before we set foot on the moon!
Best part?? There’s a sequel and we’re starting it tonight 🤩 I hope it’s just as fun of an adventure!
A fun vintage book that was published in the 50s is so fun and imaginative for its time. It’s also really cool to see what the author thought space and exploration would look like before we set foot on the moon!
Best part?? There’s a sequel and we’re starting it tonight 🤩 I hope it’s just as fun of an adventure!
July 21, 2018
Granted, I read this when I was teeny-tiny, and it was one of my first sci-fi's; so probably an extra star for nostalgia and not remembering it really well. But I definitely thoroughly enjoyed it back then.
February 14, 2024
Cold War-era space adventures haven't aged well, nor do they translate well into 21st century bedtime stories.
August 6, 2014
One of my favorite subgenres of science fiction is space/space opera. Probably because growing up I caught just about every Gemini and Apollo launch/spacewalk/moon landing/splashdown that I could (and I have now dated myself). I pulled this from the TBR pile, a book I picked up sometime back from the now closed Know New Books in Palo Alto.
Some facts. The book is aimed at a YA audience and published in 1952, and that does make it dated in some aspects (finding life on other planets in the solar system). Blake Savage is a pseudonym used by Harold Goodwin a writer of popular science books (per my quick research). Under another pseudonym he wrote the Rick Brant science adventures a competitor of the less scientific accurate Tom Swift Jr. books.
With the background out of the way the book's biggest minus is that there are no female characters. That could be a plus when you think about the standard portrayal of female characters in most of the YA science fiction I was able to find growing up (at least I think the sexism is reduced in the 2000s). Yes, science he references is outdated at time, but that is always the risk in reading science fiction (I laughed while reading Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon when one character was inserting a floppy disk into his laptop). That doesn't mean this book isn't enjoyable (as was Cryptonomicon).
The book's strengths are when it tries to stay close to science fact. While not handled in detail there is acceleration, deceleration, course corrections, ship design, etc. talked about in a way that I don't would have been condescending to the kids of the 1950s, and from working as a library volunteer at a hospital possibly over the head of some of today's children. An attempt is made to have a diverse cast, slightly stereotypical, but diverse. Our characters includes Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, Scots, and one of the last 17 pure blood Hawaiians left on Earth.
Another plus is that the lead character Foster, combines the supreme confidence of youth, as in being a recent academy graduate, and some signs of growing up. He doubts that he has made the right decision at times (of course he gets away with all of his decisions), and he realizes that people's lives rest of his making the correct call.
The plot is pretty basic. Get an asteroid made of Thorium from the asteroid belt to the Earth's orbit. Of course they manage it, but the methods used are reasonable for the time period the book was written,
Some facts. The book is aimed at a YA audience and published in 1952, and that does make it dated in some aspects (finding life on other planets in the solar system). Blake Savage is a pseudonym used by Harold Goodwin a writer of popular science books (per my quick research). Under another pseudonym he wrote the Rick Brant science adventures a competitor of the less scientific accurate Tom Swift Jr. books.
With the background out of the way the book's biggest minus is that there are no female characters. That could be a plus when you think about the standard portrayal of female characters in most of the YA science fiction I was able to find growing up (at least I think the sexism is reduced in the 2000s). Yes, science he references is outdated at time, but that is always the risk in reading science fiction (I laughed while reading Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon when one character was inserting a floppy disk into his laptop). That doesn't mean this book isn't enjoyable (as was Cryptonomicon).
The book's strengths are when it tries to stay close to science fact. While not handled in detail there is acceleration, deceleration, course corrections, ship design, etc. talked about in a way that I don't would have been condescending to the kids of the 1950s, and from working as a library volunteer at a hospital possibly over the head of some of today's children. An attempt is made to have a diverse cast, slightly stereotypical, but diverse. Our characters includes Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, Scots, and one of the last 17 pure blood Hawaiians left on Earth.
Another plus is that the lead character Foster, combines the supreme confidence of youth, as in being a recent academy graduate, and some signs of growing up. He doubts that he has made the right decision at times (of course he gets away with all of his decisions), and he realizes that people's lives rest of his making the correct call.
The plot is pretty basic. Get an asteroid made of Thorium from the asteroid belt to the Earth's orbit. Of course they manage it, but the methods used are reasonable for the time period the book was written,
February 3, 2015
In this story, humans have moved out to explore and establish colonies throughout the Solar System, although the rivalry between the two superpowers remains. The two sides are the Federation and the Connies and Rip Foster is a newly commissioned officer in the Planeteer corps, the elite interplanetary forces for the Federation.
Rip receives his commission and is about to depart for Earth on leave when he is suddenly ordered off the ship. His new orders are to take command of a detachment that is to track down an asteroid made of the radioactive metal Thorium and alter its orbit so that it will rendezvous with Earth. Once there, the Thorium can then easily be mined.
Rip’s tasks are two-fold; the first is to plant nuclear bombs on the asteroid that will alter its orbit so that it passes close to the sun and emerges on a path that will intersect Earth. The second is to fight off a Connie ship that is trying to take control of the asteroid.
While small combat operations between the two forces are possible, both sides are careful not to go across an ill-defined line. If one side engages in an action considered too aggressive, there could be an escalation into an all-out war that neither side wants.
The story is more cerebral and less “shoot-em-up” than many of the science fiction stories of the fifties. Furthermore, even though it was published during the height of the Red Scare and there are references to the Connie troops wanting to defect, they are generally depicted as rational rather than ruthless. There is some mention of Venus being habitable and other outdated references to incorrect understanding of surfaces of the planets, but overall this story has worn well in the over half-century since it was published.
This review appears on Amazon
Rip receives his commission and is about to depart for Earth on leave when he is suddenly ordered off the ship. His new orders are to take command of a detachment that is to track down an asteroid made of the radioactive metal Thorium and alter its orbit so that it will rendezvous with Earth. Once there, the Thorium can then easily be mined.
Rip’s tasks are two-fold; the first is to plant nuclear bombs on the asteroid that will alter its orbit so that it passes close to the sun and emerges on a path that will intersect Earth. The second is to fight off a Connie ship that is trying to take control of the asteroid.
While small combat operations between the two forces are possible, both sides are careful not to go across an ill-defined line. If one side engages in an action considered too aggressive, there could be an escalation into an all-out war that neither side wants.
The story is more cerebral and less “shoot-em-up” than many of the science fiction stories of the fifties. Furthermore, even though it was published during the height of the Red Scare and there are references to the Connie troops wanting to defect, they are generally depicted as rational rather than ruthless. There is some mention of Venus being habitable and other outdated references to incorrect understanding of surfaces of the planets, but overall this story has worn well in the over half-century since it was published.
This review appears on Amazon
August 30, 2016
Young adult SF from the 50's (which at that time would be only boys) and it's brilliant with better real science (physics and physics and physics) than you find in adult movies today. Lots of basic stuff is covered here, even instructions on nuclear weapon building as all young boys needed to know in the pre-paranoia days. But at it's heart it is the very definition of space opera, a real adventure story here with rocket ships and real bad dirty commies. So much better than todays ant-like terrorist opponents. Inter-service military rivalries too. Lots of old fashioned shooting with minimal casualties as was done in that era of fiction with basic human psychology lessons mixed in. This is really good I read this as a youngster and it made an impression. Finding it on-line as an audio feed I listened in again.
August 6, 2010
An enjoyable 1950 SF novel with cold war overtones. The science referenced is pretty accurate for the time, though the long range communicator with not time lag at planetary distances was not explained at all.
Even though this was certainly a cold war story with obvious references to the Communists it was interesting in that the enemy soldiers were not dehumanized and seen more as victims of their government.
The story keeps moving you along and there is not a boring moment in the whole book. Plus it is available on Project Gutenberg for download.
Even though this was certainly a cold war story with obvious references to the Communists it was interesting in that the enemy soldiers were not dehumanized and seen more as victims of their government.
The story keeps moving you along and there is not a boring moment in the whole book. Plus it is available on Project Gutenberg for download.
January 18, 2020
A classic of Space adventure, as good as the best Heinlein juvenile.
One of the first science fiction novels I have read, and still one of the best.
A great coming of age story that gets the science right. It's a golden age of sci-fi solar system, mars a desert planet, Venus a jungle world. Humanity is spreading out into the Jovian satellites.
I just finished reading this again for the fourth time.
Highly recommended.
One of the first science fiction novels I have read, and still one of the best.
A great coming of age story that gets the science right. It's a golden age of sci-fi solar system, mars a desert planet, Venus a jungle world. Humanity is spreading out into the Jovian satellites.
I just finished reading this again for the fourth time.
Highly recommended.
April 3, 2011
Classic 1950's boy's adventure space patrol fiction, with all that entails. It was awfully cavalier about the effects of radiation, and I don't think there was a single female character to be found in the entire book, but it was fast-paced, reasonably well-written, and on the whole an enjoyable diversion.
October 29, 2014
I love finding and reading old sci-fi novels. Reading the science "facts" of the time period and comparing them to the facts of today.
The science is definitely outdated, but that does not diminish the enjoyment you can get from reading this space opera.
The science is definitely outdated, but that does not diminish the enjoyment you can get from reading this space opera.
November 25, 2012
Ignoring the dated science concepts, I found the whole book quite charming. Even the science lingo used added a certain appeal and frame to the story.
July 7, 2016
Ignoring the way out-of-date science, it's a good pulp SciFi yarn.
July 28, 2011
science is terrible, characterization is Space opera special....
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews