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Captain Future #1
Captain Future and the Space Emperor
Will Murray's Pulp Classics
Captain Future eBook
#1 Winter 1940
Captain Future… the Ace of Space! Born and raised on the moon, Curt Newton survived the murder of his scientist parents to become the protector of the galaxy known as Captain Future. With his Futuremen, Grag the giant robot, Otho, the shape-shifting android and Simon Wright, the Living Brain, he patrols the solar system in the fastest space ship ever constructed, the Comet, pursuing human monsters and alien threats to Earth and her neighbor planets. The exploits of Captain Future, Wizard of Science, originally appeared in the pages of Captain Future and Startling Stories magazines back in the days before NASA’s manned space program. Captain Future returns in these vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
A Complete Book-Length Scientifiction Novel
Captain Future and the Space Emperor
by Edmond Hamilton
Follow the quest of Curtis Newton, wizardman of science, as he scours the worlds of tomorrow in the hunt for the greatest interplanetary outlaw of all time! A creeping menace invades the galaxy in a sweep of interplanetary conquest— and Captain Future meets his most powerful enemy... the Space Emperor!
These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook. Will Murray’s Pulp Classics line of eBooks are of the highest quality and feature the great Pulp Fiction stories of the 1930s-1950s.
Captain Future eBook
#1 Winter 1940
Captain Future… the Ace of Space! Born and raised on the moon, Curt Newton survived the murder of his scientist parents to become the protector of the galaxy known as Captain Future. With his Futuremen, Grag the giant robot, Otho, the shape-shifting android and Simon Wright, the Living Brain, he patrols the solar system in the fastest space ship ever constructed, the Comet, pursuing human monsters and alien threats to Earth and her neighbor planets. The exploits of Captain Future, Wizard of Science, originally appeared in the pages of Captain Future and Startling Stories magazines back in the days before NASA’s manned space program. Captain Future returns in these vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
A Complete Book-Length Scientifiction Novel
Captain Future and the Space Emperor
by Edmond Hamilton
Follow the quest of Curtis Newton, wizardman of science, as he scours the worlds of tomorrow in the hunt for the greatest interplanetary outlaw of all time! A creeping menace invades the galaxy in a sweep of interplanetary conquest— and Captain Future meets his most powerful enemy... the Space Emperor!
These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook. Will Murray’s Pulp Classics line of eBooks are of the highest quality and feature the great Pulp Fiction stories of the 1930s-1950s.
167 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1940
14 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Edmond Hamilton
1,040 books137 followersEdmond Moore Hamilton was a popular author of science fiction stories and novels throughout the mid-twentieth century. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. Something of a child prodigy, he graduated high school and started college (Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania) at the age of 14--but washed out at 17. He was the Golden Age writer who worked on Batman, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and many sci-fi books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 17, 2024
20 Jahre vor Perry Rhodan gab es Captain Future, eine der frühesten Space Operas. Schon auf den ersten Seiten liest man, wie Hamilton Ideen aus der Popkultur, insbesondere den Comics, übernimmt (Batsignal), zugleich aber Material liefert, das in künftige Comics auch Jahrzehnte später noch eingehen wird (das Gehirn ohne Körper, der Atavismus-Strahl).
"Grundlegend" ist die CF-Reihe fraglos und für SF-Nostalgiker und Eskapisten bestens geeignet.
Andererseits lässt CF kein Klischee aus und verzichtet komplett auf auch nur annähernd glaubwürdige Charaktere. Mitfiebern muss der Leser nicht, denn das bei allen Gefahren doch das Gute dank CF siegen wird, steht außer Frage. Man muss schon einige Gänge zurückschalten und sich gänzlich dem kindlichen Sense of Wonder überlassen, um Freude an CF zu haben.
Dietmar Daths "Grußwort" hat mich mit seiner rückhaltlosen Begeisterung ein wenig erstaunt und liest sich eher wie Werbung als wie ein typisch kritischer DD-Text.
Golkondas Ausgabe ist nur zu loben, eine ordentliche Übersetzung sowie Illustrationen und Bonusmaterial aus den Originalveröffentlichungen werden allen Wünschen gerecht.
2,5 Sterne
"Grundlegend" ist die CF-Reihe fraglos und für SF-Nostalgiker und Eskapisten bestens geeignet.
Andererseits lässt CF kein Klischee aus und verzichtet komplett auf auch nur annähernd glaubwürdige Charaktere. Mitfiebern muss der Leser nicht, denn das bei allen Gefahren doch das Gute dank CF siegen wird, steht außer Frage. Man muss schon einige Gänge zurückschalten und sich gänzlich dem kindlichen Sense of Wonder überlassen, um Freude an CF zu haben.
Dietmar Daths "Grußwort" hat mich mit seiner rückhaltlosen Begeisterung ein wenig erstaunt und liest sich eher wie Werbung als wie ein typisch kritischer DD-Text.
Golkondas Ausgabe ist nur zu loben, eine ordentliche Übersetzung sowie Illustrationen und Bonusmaterial aus den Originalveröffentlichungen werden allen Wünschen gerecht.
2,5 Sterne
May 9, 2016
This is a pulp magazine space-opera adventure from the 1930's, so it can't be rated with the same standard that would be used with a contemporary novel. The Captain Future tales were among the best of their type and time. This the first in the series, and I couldn't help but notice that contemporary superhero film makers would be well advised to check out how Hamilton handled the origin story: one chapter, here we go, done! I thought it was interesting to note that the book was reprinted in 1967 pretty much as a nostalgia piece, and now that edition is a nostalgic in itself. A nice paperback novel for sixty-cents, and a bizarre cover with cape-wearing gorilla monsters attacking a spaceman rendered in the most colorful rainbow of pastel hues one could imagine. (I'm not sure who the artist is.) Captain Future and his aides defeat the evil space emperor of Jupiter and keep the spaceways safe... not really a spoiler. Here's a good sample of the action:
" Joan had gained her feet. But the girl had not tried to make an escape.
"I'll not leave you, Captain Future!" she cried pluckily.
"Don't be a fool!" Curt cried, his gray eyes blazing. "You can't..."
"Captain Future!" screamed the girl. "Behind you-"
Curt whirled. But too late. Jovians who had rushed around to get at him from behind now leaped up upon him. "
They just don't write 'em like that anymore!
" Joan had gained her feet. But the girl had not tried to make an escape.
"I'll not leave you, Captain Future!" she cried pluckily.
"Don't be a fool!" Curt cried, his gray eyes blazing. "You can't..."
"Captain Future!" screamed the girl. "Behind you-"
Curt whirled. But too late. Jovians who had rushed around to get at him from behind now leaped up upon him. "
They just don't write 'em like that anymore!
March 30, 2017
Captain Future will never be mistaken for great literature, but as a campy piece of adventure, it was pretty damn good. Of course, you'd have to understand that in the late thirties and early forties, the solar system was not that well understood, so in the galaxy of Captain Future all of the planets and some of the moons were inhabited and had their own inhabitants alongside the earthmen that colonized and worked the planets.
This tale takes Captain Future out to Jupiter, where the Great Red Spot is in fact a vast lava pool, and the natives are squat humanoids that are green and have flippers instead of hands and feet. There has been an outbreak among the human inhabitants of avatism, suddenly humans were becoming ape-like creatures, so Captain Future was summoned to figure out this vast mystery.
This tale was a quick and fun read, if you like the Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon type of adventure. This was intended as pure escapism and fun for the imagination. My mind movie screen was in gear throughout. There really was a mystery to solve and that aspect did keep me reading. And besides, I do get a kick out of ray guns blasting and spaceships that can turn on a dime and land pretty much anywhere. If you like a fun and entertaining read occasionally, then I'd recommend this. But be warned: Keep your imagination open and kick out your critical editor!
This tale takes Captain Future out to Jupiter, where the Great Red Spot is in fact a vast lava pool, and the natives are squat humanoids that are green and have flippers instead of hands and feet. There has been an outbreak among the human inhabitants of avatism, suddenly humans were becoming ape-like creatures, so Captain Future was summoned to figure out this vast mystery.
This tale was a quick and fun read, if you like the Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon type of adventure. This was intended as pure escapism and fun for the imagination. My mind movie screen was in gear throughout. There really was a mystery to solve and that aspect did keep me reading. And besides, I do get a kick out of ray guns blasting and spaceships that can turn on a dime and land pretty much anywhere. If you like a fun and entertaining read occasionally, then I'd recommend this. But be warned: Keep your imagination open and kick out your critical editor!
November 16, 2018
https://delivreenlivres.blogspot.com/...
Si vous aimez les récits d'aventures à l'ancienne ou on rigole parce que c'est très kitsch mais ou on apprécie tout de même l'intrigue, ce livre est pour vous.
Un nouvelle effrayante vient d'arriver : certains humains commencent à régresser et à se transformer en singes ! Capitaine futur est tout de suite envoyé sur Jupiter, la ou l'épidémie à commencer et il va avoir fort à faire ...
C'est sur qu'on est loin de la vrai Littérature avec un L majuscule. Le style est simple mais fluide.
Après nous avoir narré la naissance et les origines de Capitaine Futur, on part directement dans le vif du sujet. Comme tout pulp qui se respecte les événements s’enchaînent de chapitre en chapitre avec à chaque fois une grosse avancée. Pas le temps de s'ennuyer.
Mais pour autant on n'est pas dans l'action en permanence, il y a aussi une part d'infiltration, d'enquête et même de réflexion.
Bien sur je savais plus ou moins dans quoi je m'embarquais, mais des fois c'est difficile de vraiment se faire une idée précise de ce que ça va être. Le seul livre du genre que j'ai lu récemment était un tome du Saint de Leslie Charteris (1928), et je dois dire que j'ai vraiment vu les similitudes que ça soit dans le rythme ou dans le personnage limite invincible quoi qu'il arrive. Mais pourtant L'empereur de l'espace a réussi la ou Le Saint et Patricia avait échoué.
Il m'a offert une aventure variée et fun, ou les femmes ne sont pas toutes juste des accessoires. Bon certes il faut se mettre dans l'époque, on ne trouvera pas le genre d’héroïne actuelle, mais pour un livre du genre et de l'époque j'ai été agréablement surprise.
Un fois que j'ai réussi à accepter les pouvoirs super-scientifiques, et autres termes tout aussi kitsch, ainsi que le coté totalement invraisemblance et limite comique de la technologie imaginée. Je me suis mise dans l'ambiance et j'ai passé un bon moment en lisant ce livre.
En fait l'intrigue s’apparente limite à une enquête, certains personnages s'infiltrent dans la population tandis que d'autres font des recherches. Et au milieu on a bien sur le Capitaine, qui prend des risques et se met en premier ligne car c'est bien lui le Heros. Il a toujours la bonne idée au bon moment et de bons réflexes qui les sauvent tous.
Au final, oui c'est totalement dépassé dans les idées et les technologies imaginées, oui on est très loin du genre d'intrigue fouillée et complexe qu'on aime actuellement, mais pour un livre de son époque j'ai trouvé qu'il passait bien. Je me suis même bien prise au jeu sur la seconde moitié et je l'ai terminé sans aucun problème.
Si vous aimez les récits d'aventures à l'ancienne ou on rigole parce que c'est très kitsch mais ou on apprécie tout de même l'intrigue, ce livre est pour vous.
Un nouvelle effrayante vient d'arriver : certains humains commencent à régresser et à se transformer en singes ! Capitaine futur est tout de suite envoyé sur Jupiter, la ou l'épidémie à commencer et il va avoir fort à faire ...
C'est sur qu'on est loin de la vrai Littérature avec un L majuscule. Le style est simple mais fluide.
Après nous avoir narré la naissance et les origines de Capitaine Futur, on part directement dans le vif du sujet. Comme tout pulp qui se respecte les événements s’enchaînent de chapitre en chapitre avec à chaque fois une grosse avancée. Pas le temps de s'ennuyer.
Mais pour autant on n'est pas dans l'action en permanence, il y a aussi une part d'infiltration, d'enquête et même de réflexion.
Bien sur je savais plus ou moins dans quoi je m'embarquais, mais des fois c'est difficile de vraiment se faire une idée précise de ce que ça va être. Le seul livre du genre que j'ai lu récemment était un tome du Saint de Leslie Charteris (1928), et je dois dire que j'ai vraiment vu les similitudes que ça soit dans le rythme ou dans le personnage limite invincible quoi qu'il arrive. Mais pourtant L'empereur de l'espace a réussi la ou Le Saint et Patricia avait échoué.
Il m'a offert une aventure variée et fun, ou les femmes ne sont pas toutes juste des accessoires. Bon certes il faut se mettre dans l'époque, on ne trouvera pas le genre d’héroïne actuelle, mais pour un livre du genre et de l'époque j'ai été agréablement surprise.
Un fois que j'ai réussi à accepter les pouvoirs super-scientifiques, et autres termes tout aussi kitsch, ainsi que le coté totalement invraisemblance et limite comique de la technologie imaginée. Je me suis mise dans l'ambiance et j'ai passé un bon moment en lisant ce livre.
En fait l'intrigue s’apparente limite à une enquête, certains personnages s'infiltrent dans la population tandis que d'autres font des recherches. Et au milieu on a bien sur le Capitaine, qui prend des risques et se met en premier ligne car c'est bien lui le Heros. Il a toujours la bonne idée au bon moment et de bons réflexes qui les sauvent tous.
Au final, oui c'est totalement dépassé dans les idées et les technologies imaginées, oui on est très loin du genre d'intrigue fouillée et complexe qu'on aime actuellement, mais pour un livre de son époque j'ai trouvé qu'il passait bien. Je me suis même bien prise au jeu sur la seconde moitié et je l'ai terminé sans aucun problème.
March 11, 2020
En algún capítulo de "El Capitán Futuro y el Emperador del Espacio", como el del origen del personaje, esta novela es lo más 100% pulp que he leído. Tanto es así que me ha arrancado una sonrisa y me ha hecho recordar al Radiactivo Man de los Simpson.
Esto no quiere decir que sea el mejor ejemplo del género, pues hay verdaderas maravillas que dejan esta muy atrás, pero sí que garantiza la diversión. Nos encontramos al héroe perfecto con sus compañeros el robot, el androide y el cerebro en un tarro (como suena). También hay un villano misterioso con aires de grandeza y una amenaza original en la forma de una enfermedad que produce recesión evolutiva.
La parte buena es que no deja un momento de respiro; la parte mala es que se trata de una novela de blanco o negro, con poco trasfondo (aunque tampoco lo necesita). En resumen, voy a seguir con la saga encantado, la edición fascímil de Barsoom es perfecta y te sumerge en otra época más sencilla. Lo recomiendo como lectura de evasión.
Esto no quiere decir que sea el mejor ejemplo del género, pues hay verdaderas maravillas que dejan esta muy atrás, pero sí que garantiza la diversión. Nos encontramos al héroe perfecto con sus compañeros el robot, el androide y el cerebro en un tarro (como suena). También hay un villano misterioso con aires de grandeza y una amenaza original en la forma de una enfermedad que produce recesión evolutiva.
La parte buena es que no deja un momento de respiro; la parte mala es que se trata de una novela de blanco o negro, con poco trasfondo (aunque tampoco lo necesita). En resumen, voy a seguir con la saga encantado, la edición fascímil de Barsoom es perfecta y te sumerge en otra época más sencilla. Lo recomiendo como lectura de evasión.
August 3, 2020
I do like classic SF stories, even most bad ones. But Captain Future and the Space Emperor was quite horrible. It was a bad book when it was written, and is has not aged well at all.
The writing is uneven at best, with the hero alternatively called Curt, Curtis, and Captain Future in what appears to be a semi-random rotation to avoid repetition. But as the terms all have quite different registers, this throws the reader off over and over again. The plotting is unremarkable. There are occasional dire threats to the protagonists, but they are all resolved very quickly by some deus-ex-machina (or rather some device fromBatman's Captain Future's utility belt or the magical zipper of his uniform). Even the central scare of the novel, the "atavism" (humans devolving back into earlier live forms) is soon uncovered to be non-contagious, and easily curable by a chemical mixture developed by Simon Wright. It reads a bit like a young adult novel - but even Heinlein's juveniles have much better characters and plotting.
I was surprised how much the back story fits with Bruce Wayne/Batman. Both Bruce and Curtis have their parents murdered, both dedicate their live for fight evil and right wrongs, both are called by the authorities via an optical signal (the bat signal in one case, a north pole magnesium flare in the other case), both are scientists and athletes of the highest degree, and both have utility belts which provide whatever helps the story along at any given moment. The first Batman comic appeared a year before this novel, but apparently the character of Captain Future was already created in 1939. So the idea of a semi-superhuman fighter for justice may just have been in the air.
Some of the descriptions are decently colourful, in a 1940s pulp era kind of way. The solar system and Jupiter as a giant world with 50 continents and 30 vast oceans (I'm a bit unsure about the geometry here), with timber and mining as the industries, is anachronistic. But what is more anachronistic is the world view, with Jupiter as an Earth colony - not in the Greek daughter city sense, but as in the worst kind of 19th century colonialism. Humans from earth create boom towns, and the native Jovians are treated as second-class citizens and paid in "trade goods". It's only mildly surprising that Grag and Otho, both beings created by Roger Newton (the father) explicitly as the first members of servant "races", address Captain Future as "Master". I was about to laude the author for including a female character, Joan Randall, but, thinking about it: She is the only woman, apart from an off-screen "girl clerk" providing a hysteric scream, mentioned in the main timeline (Captain Future's mother is mentioned in the flashback explaining his back story).
Overall, a book I can only recommend to people interested in the history of the genre.
The writing is uneven at best, with the hero alternatively called Curt, Curtis, and Captain Future in what appears to be a semi-random rotation to avoid repetition. But as the terms all have quite different registers, this throws the reader off over and over again. The plotting is unremarkable. There are occasional dire threats to the protagonists, but they are all resolved very quickly by some deus-ex-machina (or rather some device from
I was surprised how much the back story fits with Bruce Wayne/Batman. Both Bruce and Curtis have their parents murdered, both dedicate their live for fight evil and right wrongs, both are called by the authorities via an optical signal (the bat signal in one case, a north pole magnesium flare in the other case), both are scientists and athletes of the highest degree, and both have utility belts which provide whatever helps the story along at any given moment. The first Batman comic appeared a year before this novel, but apparently the character of Captain Future was already created in 1939. So the idea of a semi-superhuman fighter for justice may just have been in the air.
Some of the descriptions are decently colourful, in a 1940s pulp era kind of way. The solar system and Jupiter as a giant world with 50 continents and 30 vast oceans (I'm a bit unsure about the geometry here), with timber and mining as the industries, is anachronistic. But what is more anachronistic is the world view, with Jupiter as an Earth colony - not in the Greek daughter city sense, but as in the worst kind of 19th century colonialism. Humans from earth create boom towns, and the native Jovians are treated as second-class citizens and paid in "trade goods". It's only mildly surprising that Grag and Otho, both beings created by Roger Newton (the father) explicitly as the first members of servant "races", address Captain Future as "Master". I was about to laude the author for including a female character, Joan Randall, but, thinking about it: She is the only woman, apart from an off-screen "girl clerk" providing a hysteric scream, mentioned in the main timeline (Captain Future's mother is mentioned in the flashback explaining his back story).
Overall, a book I can only recommend to people interested in the history of the genre.
January 5, 2014
Good, solid 1940s pulp magazine fiction. Reads like a "boys' adventure" story.... like Hardy Boys but with more robots and aliens. Good fun vintage stuff to rot your mind with. It is exactly as you would expect, clear-cut heroes and villains, and a tidy ending. Recommended for those pulp fans and vintage fans.
March 15, 2018
A fun read. Haven’t read a Captain Future novel in decades.
July 8, 2020
Un classique. Bien entendu le texte est aujourd'hui un cliché ambulant en terme d'histoire, de personnages ou de répliques. Mais ça reste une lecture intéressante pour mieux comprendre l'evolution de la SF. Après il vaut mieux s'y attaquer avec un petit bagage sinon on peut s'ennuyer, mais là encore le texte est court. C'est un peu le Conan de la SF, sympa mais vieillot.
June 20, 2023
A typical superhero sci-fi planetary adventure featuring Curt Newton (Captain Future) and his three nonhuman assistants: Otho the Android -synthetic man or rubbery android; Grag, metal robot, and Simon Wright, the living Brain. They all reside on the moon and whenever the Earth government needs their help the flare is set off on the North Pole to notify them of an emergency. 🤗 This time they will face the deadliest foe yet. His name is the Space Emperor and he is bent on destroying the human colony on Jupiter by turning Earthmen into deformed beasts. The primary goal of the Captain Future is to stop this plague and capture the Space Emperor. However, it's not an easy task. Nobody knows who the Space Emperor is and what his ultimate goal is. Is he an Earthman, or a Jovian native ?
Also, the Space Emperor can make himself immaterial (invisible) which nobody, not even the Captain Future, can achieve. Also, the Captain Future is secretly gathering forces of the Jovian native population against the Earthlings (collonizators).
Luckily, Captain Future and his team are up to the task. Their scientific knowledge and bravery have prevailed in the end. The Space Emperor’ schemes have failed.
Also, the Space Emperor can make himself immaterial (invisible) which nobody, not even the Captain Future, can achieve. Also, the Captain Future is secretly gathering forces of the Jovian native population against the Earthlings (collonizators).
Luckily, Captain Future and his team are up to the task. Their scientific knowledge and bravery have prevailed in the end. The Space Emperor’ schemes have failed.
June 29, 2018
I mean, this was very silly, but fun! I haven’t really read much full-pulp sci-fi before, mostly stuff that has at least a sheen of critical acclaim. But I have to say that some of the world building was very cool! I liked the descriptions of some of the creatures, and the overall plot with some modification could easily be made into an actual movie... I wonder how much the rights are...
August 21, 2020
I've wanted to read a Captain Future pulp for a long time, having heard that it was created to be "Doc Savage in space". When a scanned copy of the original pulp came into my hands, I was eager to read it. Of the three stories in the magazine that I read (I doubt I'll read "The Human Termites" serial), "Captain Future and the Space Emperor" was probably the weakest, not that it wasn't fun.
It does, in fact read just like The Man of Bronze: A Doc Savage Adventure. The introduction of the characters and the problem, the racing around trying to get clues, one or another of the main characters getting kidnapped, rescued, or escaped, and the final showdown with the masked villain at the end. I'm sure the young me who loved the Doc Savage paperbacks would have been thrilled with this, but older me was only amused, and also noticed a lot of the terrible things young me would have zoomed past in the hurry to reach the end.
I can't fault Edmond Hamilton's science, this was written before much was known about the solar system, and to his credit, he quickly moved things away from our nine planets so new discoveries wouldn't mess with his story lines. The biggest problem most people will find with this story is the racism and promotion of colonialism. Earthmen have spread to every world and seem to have taken control of them. Like early America, the natives are marginalized, it's a major crime to sell weapons to them. Garg, the robot calls Captain Future "master" and takes a subservient role even though all the main characters are nominally equals. Although our captain seems more enlightened, he still sticks to the status quo and mostly ignores the Jovians and repeatedly calls the main villain a "black devil".
Some old-timey pulp fun, but I don't think I'll read another.
It does, in fact read just like The Man of Bronze: A Doc Savage Adventure. The introduction of the characters and the problem, the racing around trying to get clues, one or another of the main characters getting kidnapped, rescued, or escaped, and the final showdown with the masked villain at the end. I'm sure the young me who loved the Doc Savage paperbacks would have been thrilled with this, but older me was only amused, and also noticed a lot of the terrible things young me would have zoomed past in the hurry to reach the end.
I can't fault Edmond Hamilton's science, this was written before much was known about the solar system, and to his credit, he quickly moved things away from our nine planets so new discoveries wouldn't mess with his story lines. The biggest problem most people will find with this story is the racism and promotion of colonialism. Earthmen have spread to every world and seem to have taken control of them. Like early America, the natives are marginalized, it's a major crime to sell weapons to them. Garg, the robot calls Captain Future "master" and takes a subservient role even though all the main characters are nominally equals. Although our captain seems more enlightened, he still sticks to the status quo and mostly ignores the Jovians and repeatedly calls the main villain a "black devil".
Some old-timey pulp fun, but I don't think I'll read another.
February 4, 2025
There is something special about sci-fi golden age pulp. Captain Future and the Space Emperor is a great example of these types of stories. It has a near-perfect hero, delightful side characters and a dastardly villain. Has this aged well? Not in the slightest. Is it a blast? One-hundred percent.
The plot itself was very creative: there is a plague that is "de-evolving" people and turning them into apes. Captain Future is assigned by Earth's president to travel to Jupiter and save the day. It's pretty straightforward, but there is a fun (albeit predictable) who-done-it that kept me turning the pages to find out who the Space Emperor was.
The character were pretty fun too. Everyone had a distinct personality, and each were pretty memorable. I especially liked the dynamic between the android and robot, Otho and Grag. The protagonist himself is about as predictable as they come for this era, but I personally think there is something about idealistic, overtly/unrealistically good characters.
For a story of this era, the prose actually isn't too bad! Not that it's anything to write home about, but usually stories of this sub-genre didn't even try. It's a little stiff here and there, but that's to be expected with a story like this.
I am a sucker for pre-space age science fiction, so I am definitely biased here, but I really love visions of the future and our solar system of this era of the genre. In this story, Hamilton lets his imagination run wild. It takes place on the surface of Jupiter where there are green aliens with webbed feet, jungles, and fascinating fauna. I miss the sense of wonder that pre-space age science fiction held.
If you're an old soul who likes imaginative science fiction and a fun adventure, I highly recommend joining Captain Future and friends on this adventure.
The plot itself was very creative: there is a plague that is "de-evolving" people and turning them into apes. Captain Future is assigned by Earth's president to travel to Jupiter and save the day. It's pretty straightforward, but there is a fun (albeit predictable) who-done-it that kept me turning the pages to find out who the Space Emperor was.
The character were pretty fun too. Everyone had a distinct personality, and each were pretty memorable. I especially liked the dynamic between the android and robot, Otho and Grag. The protagonist himself is about as predictable as they come for this era, but I personally think there is something about idealistic, overtly/unrealistically good characters.
For a story of this era, the prose actually isn't too bad! Not that it's anything to write home about, but usually stories of this sub-genre didn't even try. It's a little stiff here and there, but that's to be expected with a story like this.
I am a sucker for pre-space age science fiction, so I am definitely biased here, but I really love visions of the future and our solar system of this era of the genre. In this story, Hamilton lets his imagination run wild. It takes place on the surface of Jupiter where there are green aliens with webbed feet, jungles, and fascinating fauna. I miss the sense of wonder that pre-space age science fiction held.
If you're an old soul who likes imaginative science fiction and a fun adventure, I highly recommend joining Captain Future and friends on this adventure.
June 20, 2025
Curt Newton, also known as Captain Future, was born on the Moon, which also serves as his headquarters, along with his stellar team:
- Simon Wright, nicknamed the Brain, a scientist whose mind has been transferred into a glass container.
- Grag, a massive and loyal robot.
- Otho, a shapeshifting android, agile and cunning.
Together, they form the Futurians, a team dedicated to protecting the solar system.
The plot propels them toward Jupiter, where a mysterious and formidable enemy—the Emperor of Space—threatens the Earth colonies. This tyrant possesses technology capable of triggering atavism in humans, turning them into primitive apes.
Many judge this 1940s work as if it had been written yesterday, forgetting the historical, literary, and cultural context in which it emerged. Captain Future is an epic born in the golden age of the pulps. Its conventions, sometimes naïve dialogue, and black-and-white villains are not flaws: they are the foundational marks of a genre still in its infancy, the early steps of a growing imagination.
Hamilton wrote to inspire wonder, to awaken the imagination—not to deconstruct narratives. Captain Future is not an outdated relic, but a living testimony to a pioneering era. It’s a story that paved the way for countless science fiction authors and adventures that followed.
The novel is short and easy to read—perfect for a break between longer books. That said, I personally preferred Hamilton’s later series : Star Kings and Starwolf, which I found much more accomplished. I definitely recommend them if you haven’t read them yet. Happy reading!
- Simon Wright, nicknamed the Brain, a scientist whose mind has been transferred into a glass container.
- Grag, a massive and loyal robot.
- Otho, a shapeshifting android, agile and cunning.
Together, they form the Futurians, a team dedicated to protecting the solar system.
The plot propels them toward Jupiter, where a mysterious and formidable enemy—the Emperor of Space—threatens the Earth colonies. This tyrant possesses technology capable of triggering atavism in humans, turning them into primitive apes.
Many judge this 1940s work as if it had been written yesterday, forgetting the historical, literary, and cultural context in which it emerged. Captain Future is an epic born in the golden age of the pulps. Its conventions, sometimes naïve dialogue, and black-and-white villains are not flaws: they are the foundational marks of a genre still in its infancy, the early steps of a growing imagination.
Hamilton wrote to inspire wonder, to awaken the imagination—not to deconstruct narratives. Captain Future is not an outdated relic, but a living testimony to a pioneering era. It’s a story that paved the way for countless science fiction authors and adventures that followed.
The novel is short and easy to read—perfect for a break between longer books. That said, I personally preferred Hamilton’s later series : Star Kings and Starwolf, which I found much more accomplished. I definitely recommend them if you haven’t read them yet. Happy reading!
January 1, 2023
This was written by Edmond Hamilton in 1939, a time when not that much was known about the other planets in our solar system. So I can accept that the author imagined steamy jungles, molten lava seas, flippered Jovian inhabitants, and ancient alien technology that reverts humans to an earlier evolutionary form. It's science FICTION.
And since this is Captain Future #1, there is, of course, a lot of backstory that provides us with our hero's origin (Is there a hero whose parent's weren't killed by the bad guys? I'm thinking Batman, Spiderman, and of course, Superman (the whole planet of Krypton blew up, for cripe's sake! The Kryptonian SCIENTISTS wouldn't listen to Jor-El, remember?).
Back to Captain Future. By the end of the book, we are absolutely clear that he has RED HAIR! He is TALL. He is STRONG. He is SMART. He is physically PERFECT. He is an ADVENTURER. So yeah, he's a HERO! I'm sure he is also Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
I did find it annoying that Crag, the giant robot, calls Captain Future "Master." Isn't that a bit demeaning for a smart, strong, and sentient AI? Also, since I've already read Captain Future #9, I can happily report that in the later stories Simon Wright, The Living Brain, advances from being carried around like a piece of luggage by Crag to zooming around on invisible traction beams!
Again, suspension of disbelief is required! I look forward to the further adventures of Captain Future.
And since this is Captain Future #1, there is, of course, a lot of backstory that provides us with our hero's origin (Is there a hero whose parent's weren't killed by the bad guys? I'm thinking Batman, Spiderman, and of course, Superman (the whole planet of Krypton blew up, for cripe's sake! The Kryptonian SCIENTISTS wouldn't listen to Jor-El, remember?).
Back to Captain Future. By the end of the book, we are absolutely clear that he has RED HAIR! He is TALL. He is STRONG. He is SMART. He is physically PERFECT. He is an ADVENTURER. So yeah, he's a HERO! I'm sure he is also Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
I did find it annoying that Crag, the giant robot, calls Captain Future "Master." Isn't that a bit demeaning for a smart, strong, and sentient AI? Also, since I've already read Captain Future #9, I can happily report that in the later stories Simon Wright, The Living Brain, advances from being carried around like a piece of luggage by Crag to zooming around on invisible traction beams!
Again, suspension of disbelief is required! I look forward to the further adventures of Captain Future.
March 12, 2021
"El Capitán Futuro permanecía inmóvil, bañado en la cálida luz del sol, junto a la puerta del Cometa, con Grag, Otho y Simon Wright. La pequeña nave se hallaba posada en la explanada, al borde de la espesura (...)"
Obvio que leería este titulo, cuando era pequeño pasé muchas, muchas tardes viendo la Nave Cometa llevando a la tripulación de un lugar a otro... yo iba con ellos. Acción en el espacio, ciencia ficción en dibujos animados. Mis expectativas eran muy altas. En general: el libro entretiene, el libro no pretende ser algo que no es, el libro es aventura y acción superficial, y ya. Tienes muchos errores en cuanto a ciencia, muchos... no sé si el autor no hizo la tarea, o simplemente transformó el sistema solar y algunas leyes científicas en el escenario necesario para su super personaje. Debo decirlo, me cansó que una y otra y otra vez insistiera en lo "perfecto" que es Futuro... pero bueno, los recuerdos infantiles no se borrarán, de momento. 2*
Obvio que leería este titulo, cuando era pequeño pasé muchas, muchas tardes viendo la Nave Cometa llevando a la tripulación de un lugar a otro... yo iba con ellos. Acción en el espacio, ciencia ficción en dibujos animados. Mis expectativas eran muy altas. En general: el libro entretiene, el libro no pretende ser algo que no es, el libro es aventura y acción superficial, y ya. Tienes muchos errores en cuanto a ciencia, muchos... no sé si el autor no hizo la tarea, o simplemente transformó el sistema solar y algunas leyes científicas en el escenario necesario para su super personaje. Debo decirlo, me cansó que una y otra y otra vez insistiera en lo "perfecto" que es Futuro... pero bueno, los recuerdos infantiles no se borrarán, de momento. 2*
January 18, 2020
C'est assez daté. Il faut donc aborder cette lecture et ce héros trop parfait, trop intelligent, trop fort, trop rapide et à l’ouïe trop fine avec une certaine indulgence (et là, je fait abstraction de la silhouette athlétique, du teint halé, du profil de héros grec, du regard gris pénétrant et de la voix d'airain). Mais il faut avouer que vers la fin, le ton toujours dithyrambique et emphatique fatigue.
il est toutefois intéressant de noter pour nous qui avons vu la série, étant gosse, que le dessin animé est assez fidèle à l'histoire du roman. Même le vaisseau (le Comet/Cyberlab) de la série respecte la forme imaginée par Hamilton.
à lire donc plus comme une sorte de document. Et si je ne regrette pas du tout ces deux cent pages, je ne suis pas sûr d'avoir la patience d'ouvrir un autre opus.
il est toutefois intéressant de noter pour nous qui avons vu la série, étant gosse, que le dessin animé est assez fidèle à l'histoire du roman. Même le vaisseau (le Comet/Cyberlab) de la série respecte la forme imaginée par Hamilton.
à lire donc plus comme une sorte de document. Et si je ne regrette pas du tout ces deux cent pages, je ne suis pas sûr d'avoir la patience d'ouvrir un autre opus.
August 23, 2022
A book containing three stories from Edmond Hamilton.
- Captain Future and the Space Emperor
The first story of the Captain Future series. What it lacks in writing and style, due to it being an obvious multi-part continuation in a magazine in the early '40s, it makes up in pure adventure.
- The Man who Evolved
I'd say this one reminded me a lot of Lovecraft. Narrated in first person well after the fact, Arthur Wright tells the story of his fateful visit alongside a friend to the third friend who wants to tell them about a scientific breakthrough he made concerning human evolution.
- The Island of Unreason
An interesting take on an extremely "reasonable" society and how inhumanely "unreasonable" it may seem by "normal" standards.
All in all an interesting read but they show their age. 3/5
- Captain Future and the Space Emperor
The first story of the Captain Future series. What it lacks in writing and style, due to it being an obvious multi-part continuation in a magazine in the early '40s, it makes up in pure adventure.
- The Man who Evolved
I'd say this one reminded me a lot of Lovecraft. Narrated in first person well after the fact, Arthur Wright tells the story of his fateful visit alongside a friend to the third friend who wants to tell them about a scientific breakthrough he made concerning human evolution.
- The Island of Unreason
An interesting take on an extremely "reasonable" society and how inhumanely "unreasonable" it may seem by "normal" standards.
All in all an interesting read but they show their age. 3/5
April 19, 2018
Even by pulp standards, this was awful. The only two believable characters were the robot and the Android. Captain Future is too flat, one-dimensional, barely an archetype. He’s just what propels the unreal plot along.
Also, this naked racism apparent by calling the Bad Guy “The Black Devil” repeatedly, and much of the action taking place in “Jungletown” is not just indicative of the times, but disgusting.
I can only think that anyone enjoying this does so for nostalgia, because this is seriously bad.
Also, this naked racism apparent by calling the Bad Guy “The Black Devil” repeatedly, and much of the action taking place in “Jungletown” is not just indicative of the times, but disgusting.
I can only think that anyone enjoying this does so for nostalgia, because this is seriously bad.
November 15, 2018
As long as you know what you're getting into, this is a perfect atompunk adventure. Don't expect hard scifi, you're really going to have to put in some willing suspension of disbelief. But this fun, light space adventure may be just what you're looking for.
September 6, 2017
Epatant !
June 21, 2018
It was what I needed to read, especially by audiobook. Highly recommended for anyone feeling overwhelmed by reality.
May 16, 2023
🙋🏻♀️#mayoscifi
🤖🚀i🛸🪐🖖🏻🔬🥼🔭🚀🛰️🧑🏽🚀📡
3,5 ☆ Me ha gustado el recordar mi infancia cuando llegando del colegio veía estos monitos. 😆
🤖🚀i🛸🪐🖖🏻🔬🥼🔭🚀🛰️🧑🏽🚀📡
3,5 ☆ Me ha gustado el recordar mi infancia cuando llegando del colegio veía estos monitos. 😆
August 27, 2023
Pulp goofiness
This was so much fun though I didn't remember who the space emperor was. I can never remember the sudpectd in these pulp novels
This was so much fun though I didn't remember who the space emperor was. I can never remember the sudpectd in these pulp novels
July 22, 2020
Por fin el clásico de la ciencia ficción en una edición fiel y cuidada, con una excelente traducción y alguna errata más que perdonable.
Read
March 2, 2017 I came across Captain Future like many people of my age group when it was shown on TV Saturday in the afternoon. As a young kid and a die hard science fiction fan I loved the show right from the beginning. When I grew older I just went back to some of the memories that I had of the show reading about the author Edmund Hamilton and all sorts of things that are on the internet. For sure I started reading some of the books too. E bay and Amazon offered and still do to get hand on some of the originals so I could read a second print of the pulp classic from the 40s.
If you like pulp fiction and science fiction than probably this is good for you. The book is written in an easy flowing writing style and keeps going keeping it interesting till the end. The stories are some how a little different than in the TV show displayed and that's what I found very enjoyable. You come across further differences as the books are older American style but again you either Love it or hate it. I find it quiet amusing. The book is also not too long, more the size of a novel. So you can get through quickly. If you like classic science fiction, pulp fiction than this is the book as it is written by a master. If you somehow know about Captain Future as he was quiet popular around the world for a long time than I would recommend reading this book too.
If you like pulp fiction and science fiction than probably this is good for you. The book is written in an easy flowing writing style and keeps going keeping it interesting till the end. The stories are some how a little different than in the TV show displayed and that's what I found very enjoyable. You come across further differences as the books are older American style but again you either Love it or hate it. I find it quiet amusing. The book is also not too long, more the size of a novel. So you can get through quickly. If you like classic science fiction, pulp fiction than this is the book as it is written by a master. If you somehow know about Captain Future as he was quiet popular around the world for a long time than I would recommend reading this book too.
February 25, 2024
Full video review can be found here: https://youtu.be/r81ytOlWX8o?si=cVjyi...
In the early days of the science fiction pulp magazines there were a lot of heroes invented: The Shadow, Doc Savage, etc., but none of them were truly science fiction characters. There were comic strips of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon but these were in the newspapers. Captain Future filled that void. While reading this I kept having the feeling that this had to be a major influence on Star Wars. The story definitely could be turned into a movie, with a bit of updating and a little more sophistication to the story and dialog and characters. At any rate, this was meant for teenagers in 1940, so you have to take it like that. If you can step back in your mind to that time and that point in life, this story really comes alive and is a rousing adventure. I could nitpick the science, the way the woman is just there to swoon over Captain Future and some plot points that were a stretch, but that takes the innocent fun out of these stories. I could nitpick Star Wars and Star Trek also. So I just sat back and let the adventure be fun.
In the early days of the science fiction pulp magazines there were a lot of heroes invented: The Shadow, Doc Savage, etc., but none of them were truly science fiction characters. There were comic strips of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon but these were in the newspapers. Captain Future filled that void. While reading this I kept having the feeling that this had to be a major influence on Star Wars. The story definitely could be turned into a movie, with a bit of updating and a little more sophistication to the story and dialog and characters. At any rate, this was meant for teenagers in 1940, so you have to take it like that. If you can step back in your mind to that time and that point in life, this story really comes alive and is a rousing adventure. I could nitpick the science, the way the woman is just there to swoon over Captain Future and some plot points that were a stretch, but that takes the innocent fun out of these stories. I could nitpick Star Wars and Star Trek also. So I just sat back and let the adventure be fun.
December 30, 2014
I really liked it. While a lot of reviews are perfectly on the mark concerning the black and white characterization of the characters, I would consider this par for the pulp fiction genre and especially the early science fiction novels.
Edmond Hamilton writes a faced paced action rich story, full of wonderful optimism on what the human scientific mind can achieve. His Captain Future is the ultimate scientific hero, but reads a good deal more realistic than the Doc Savage Novels. The medium of science fiction allows him a cast of trusty comrades, as unlikely as a huge robot a shape shifting android and a living brain.
I must admit that a lot of my feelings for this book are colored by very happy childhood memories of the anime television program that very faithfully used Hamilton's story for it's content. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Edmond Hamilton writes a faced paced action rich story, full of wonderful optimism on what the human scientific mind can achieve. His Captain Future is the ultimate scientific hero, but reads a good deal more realistic than the Doc Savage Novels. The medium of science fiction allows him a cast of trusty comrades, as unlikely as a huge robot a shape shifting android and a living brain.
I must admit that a lot of my feelings for this book are colored by very happy childhood memories of the anime television program that very faithfully used Hamilton's story for it's content. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
July 3, 2016
This is such amazing cheese from a time when pulp was already well past its peak. A great heroic man feared by evil-doers throughout the galaxy, a talking brain, a robot and an android. Together they must go the Jungles of Jupiter to rescue a woman from the clutches of the evil self-styled space emperor. Even by matinee audience sensibilities it's so unashamedly cheesy and, as such a lot of fun. However, as with all cheese there is a stink. It also has a lot of the problems we associate with pulp, in particular the stupid native trope. If you can switch your brain off, however, you could probably enjoy it.
December 31, 2015
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2573352.html
This was the first of a couple of dozen stories featuring the eponymous Captain, who goes around the solar system righting wrongs - in this case, liberating the grateful natives of Jupiter from the evil Space Emperor - with his allies, a brain in a box formerly known as Simon Wright, a robot called Grag, and Android called Otho, and a spunky gal from the Planetary Police called Joan. It's pretty formulaic but done with great enthusiasm.
This was the first of a couple of dozen stories featuring the eponymous Captain, who goes around the solar system righting wrongs - in this case, liberating the grateful natives of Jupiter from the evil Space Emperor - with his allies, a brain in a box formerly known as Simon Wright, a robot called Grag, and Android called Otho, and a spunky gal from the Planetary Police called Joan. It's pretty formulaic but done with great enthusiasm.
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