The Tsaddik of the Seven Wonders

by Isidore Haiblum, David McCall Johnston (Illustrator)

No. 02445-1. Paperback original. Cover art by David Johnston. "The first Yiddish science fiction novel ever."

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Judaism, Jewish

185 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

A quintessential New Yorker, Isidore Haiblum grew up a Yiddish-speaker in a home that was filled with music, books and the sounds of Eastern European languages.

As a young man, Izzy, as he was known to his friends, showed the sharp intellect, boundless curiosity and vivid wit that characterized him as a person and as a writer. He delved into politics and was a champion of civil rights and social justice. He also developed a lifetime passion for music.

At City College of New York, he earned an honors degree for his knowledge of English literature and Yiddish, as well as his gifts as a writer. Despite an affinity for teaching, he chose the more difficult path of becoming an independent author. His 18 published novels carry the unmistakable mark of his quirky sense of humor and fine-tuned ear for languages. They also reflect his love for New York City and the miles walked as he worked out plots. His books have been translated into eight languages.

Reviews

[Steven Drachman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time travelers from what seems to be the 1970s team up with a magical Jewish wise man of the middle ages to plug a leak in the universe. I first read this in 1975 or 1976, I guess because it was the only book in my synagogue's library that as a kid I didn't think was boring (Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, MD). I appreciated its humor back then, and I still think this has some laughs, and its cheerful chaos is a good thing, but it's not as good as I remembered. The first person POV switches from character to character, but the voice is so similar its hard to remember without checking which character is talking. And I really don't understand it! Still, it was groundbreaking at the time, it really had some high profile admirers back then (it was published in 1971), and I really am grateful that Beth El bought it. It's an interesting curio today that must have been audacious 41 years ago but doesn't really hold up.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to be honest, there wasn't a single thing that I liked about this. I think it's supposed to be funny? (The inside back cover claims the author is a humorist.) But it's not funny, it's just bizarre, and not in a good way. I think the best description of it is extended flippancy, perhaps. I don't know, perhaps I'm just tired, but I get the same feeling reading this as I suspect I would if a distant elderly relative were to drink themselves silly and start trying to tell an interminable rambling story while politeness continually sabotaged any attempt of mine to escape.

I'm not sure even alcohol could make this amusing.

[Michael Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book. Whimsical with some big, crazy cosmic / time-travel ideas. Interesting twist setting the whole thing on a timeline of Jewish history and mixing magic and technology in it. Reminded me a bit of Michael Moorcock and I'm sure Piers Anthony got a little inspiration from this book as well. Recommend primarily for readers of classic sci-fi and fantasy with a sense of humor.

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The first Yiddish science fantasy novel ever," the cover claims, and my idiot mind thought that meant it was WRITTEN in Yiddish and translated to English. That's not the case. This is a bizarre and actually very amusing "science fantasy" take on Jewish history. It's as if a Mel Brooks movie decided to become a book. It's a little lowbrow for my tastes but most things are. I found it one of those "Little Free Library" boxes scattered among the streets of Alameda, CA and it's probably the best thing I've ever pulled out of one those.

[Jessica Russak-Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally kooky and bizarre. Almost Hitchhiker's Guide but the worldbuilding never really fills out which was frustrating. I had fun reading it and laughed a lot, and it's a rare read that's worth trying.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very creative and innovative trip.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you are a tsaddik living in a model shtetel, it can be confusing when suddenly things CHANGE, and you can travel in time. If you aren’t careful, little things can go wrong. Like becoming part of the picture. Or the end of the world. (“Yes, that would count as little things going wrong.”) You might even end up stuck in Jewish history. Oy gewalt.
Fortunately this edition comes with a glossary.

[Puppet · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very much a product of it's era ( early 70s), with self-referential sci-fi inspirations, namely comic books. It's a bit hard to review this book, and that's not a bad thing. Haiblum threw a lot of things in a blender, poured them out onto the pages, and published it. So it's a little messy, sometimes the textures, in this case the first-person narratives of several different narrators, are very hard to separate, but in all, a drinkable shake.

In many ways, this book will be much more accessible to the current generation than any before it. With the internet to provide answers, history lessons, and Yiddish translations, though context provides the general meanings.

An interesting read, overall.

[Invadozer Misothorax Circular-thallus Popewaffensquat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Striving towards a sort of Fredric Brown humor mess, ends up with a few good parts.