The Bitter Pill

by A. Bertram Chandler

To Paul Clayton, obscure shipping clerk, his forty-fifth birthday was not an occasion for celebration. It meant the achievement of status of Senior Citizen, and with it several dubious privileges - not least of which was voluntary euthanasia, facilitated by the government issue suicide pill. Those who changed their minds, once they had broken the capsule containing the lethal pill, faced the prospect of forced labor camps in the Australian desert of the penal colony on Mars, where convicts toiled to make more space fit for Earth's over-spilling populations.

Under the supervision of the corrupt and brutal Mars Corps, Clayton crosses paths again with others he once knew on distant Earth. They find themselves caught up on a maelstrom of terror and political intrigue.

Genres: Science Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Arthur Bertram Chandler (28 March 1912–6 June 1984) was an Australian science fiction author. He also wrote under the pseudonyms George Whitley, George Whitely, Paul T. Sherman, Andrew Dunstan, and S.H.M.

He was born in Aldershot, England. He was a merchant marine officer, sailing the world in everything from tramp steamers to troopships. He emigrated to Australia in 1956 and became an Australian citizen. He commanded various ships in the Australian and New Zealand merchant navies, and was the last master of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne as the law required that it have an officer on board while it was laid up waiting to be towed to China to be broken up.

Reviews

[Jason Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another re-read, have always loved A. Bertram Chandler's stuff and it's time to revisit some of it, methinks.

(24/1/2011)
Just polished it off, great fun. The writing is definitely dated but these books are a not-so-guilty pleasure. I enjoy Chandler's habit of inserting Mary-Sue characters into just about everything he does, and they are almost always a ten-foot-tall no nonsense bulletproof ship's captain. A fun story, "The Bitter Pill" extrapolates on ideas explored in Logan's Run and Soylent Green, and while it's not exactly original it still holds up quite well.

Plus I love A Bertram Chandler's author photo, complete with captain's hat and pipe. He looks like he's about to punch Hemingway in the face.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read - dystopian novel set in Australia. Good premise, violence and rape present, and the 'good' guys all end up on Mars...