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Rick Brant Science-Adventures #7
Smugglers' Reef: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story
Harold L. Goodwin was an American writer during the 20th century, with most of his works being science fiction stories based in outer space.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
About the author
Harold Leland Goodwin
35 books1 followerKnown to his friends as Hal Goodwin, Goodwin wrote popular science books, mostly about space exploration. He also wrote children's books under the names of Blake Savage and John Blaine.
Harold Goodwin died in 1990 at the age of 75. His obituary, in the Washington Post, read:
Harold Leland Goodwin, 75, a retired government official and a prolific author who wrote science adventure books for boys and several books for general readers about space exploration and other technical matters, died of cardiac arrest Feb. 18 at his home in Bethesda.
For his entry in "Contemporary Authors," Mr. Goodwin described himself as a "specialist in communicating subjects for laymen through all media. Usually a book grows out of my enthusiasm about a subject, often a spinoff from my technical work."
A scuba diver and Marine veteran of World War II who was at different times an official of the old Federal Civil Defense Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Mr. Goodwin had considerable experience on which to draw. His largest enterprise was writing 26 volumes in the "Rick Brant Science Adventure" series for boys. The first volume, "Rocket's Shadow," appeared in 1947. The most recent, "The Magic Talisman," came out this year. All were written under the pseudonym John Blaine. Mr. Goodwin's factual books included "The Science Book of Space Travel," published in 1955, "Space: Frontier Unlimited," published in 1962, and "Challege of the Seven Seas," which he wrote with Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.) and which appeared in 1966. In addition, Mr. Goodwin wrote several underwater adventures under the name of Hal Grodon and science fiction under the name of Blake Savage.
Mr. Goodwin was born in Ellenburg, N.Y. He grew up in Springfield, Mass., and attended the Elliot Radio Academy there. In 1940, he came to Washington as a correspondent for Trans Radio News Service. Following his service as a combat correspondent in the Marine Corps in the Pacific in World War II, he went to Manila as a State Department official.
In 1950, Mr. Goodwin returned to Washington. From 1951 to 1958, he was a public affairs official in the Federal Civil Defense Administration, where he worked on several nuclear tests. In 1954, he was one of 10 young men in government chosen by the Junior Chamber of Commerce for its Arthur S. Flemming Award.
In 1958, Mr. Goodwin was named science adviser to the U.S. Information Agency. In 1961, he joined NASA, and in 1967 he went to the National Science Foundation as deputy director of the National Sea Grant Program. In 1970, the program was transfered to NOAA, then a newly organized agency in the Department of Commerce, and Mr. Goodwin went with it. He retired from the government in 1974.
In 1971, he received the Commerce Department's Silver Medal.
Mr. Goodwin was a member of the National Association of Diving Instructors, the Washington Book Guild, the Antarctican Society, the American Science Film Association, and other professional groups. He also was a member of the American Littoral Society, which in 1973 gave him its James Dugan Award for his contributions to aquatic science.
Survivors include his wife of 44 years, the former Elizabeth "Libby" Swensk, of Bethesda; three sons, Alan C. Goodwin of Plymouth, Minn., Dr. R. Christopher Godwin of Newmarket, Md., and Derek V. Goodwin of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and three grandchildren.
Harold Goodwin died in 1990 at the age of 75. His obituary, in the Washington Post, read:
Harold Leland Goodwin, 75, a retired government official and a prolific author who wrote science adventure books for boys and several books for general readers about space exploration and other technical matters, died of cardiac arrest Feb. 18 at his home in Bethesda.
For his entry in "Contemporary Authors," Mr. Goodwin described himself as a "specialist in communicating subjects for laymen through all media. Usually a book grows out of my enthusiasm about a subject, often a spinoff from my technical work."
A scuba diver and Marine veteran of World War II who was at different times an official of the old Federal Civil Defense Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Mr. Goodwin had considerable experience on which to draw. His largest enterprise was writing 26 volumes in the "Rick Brant Science Adventure" series for boys. The first volume, "Rocket's Shadow," appeared in 1947. The most recent, "The Magic Talisman," came out this year. All were written under the pseudonym John Blaine. Mr. Goodwin's factual books included "The Science Book of Space Travel," published in 1955, "Space: Frontier Unlimited," published in 1962, and "Challege of the Seven Seas," which he wrote with Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.) and which appeared in 1966. In addition, Mr. Goodwin wrote several underwater adventures under the name of Hal Grodon and science fiction under the name of Blake Savage.
Mr. Goodwin was born in Ellenburg, N.Y. He grew up in Springfield, Mass., and attended the Elliot Radio Academy there. In 1940, he came to Washington as a correspondent for Trans Radio News Service. Following his service as a combat correspondent in the Marine Corps in the Pacific in World War II, he went to Manila as a State Department official.
In 1950, Mr. Goodwin returned to Washington. From 1951 to 1958, he was a public affairs official in the Federal Civil Defense Administration, where he worked on several nuclear tests. In 1954, he was one of 10 young men in government chosen by the Junior Chamber of Commerce for its Arthur S. Flemming Award.
In 1958, Mr. Goodwin was named science adviser to the U.S. Information Agency. In 1961, he joined NASA, and in 1967 he went to the National Science Foundation as deputy director of the National Sea Grant Program. In 1970, the program was transfered to NOAA, then a newly organized agency in the Department of Commerce, and Mr. Goodwin went with it. He retired from the government in 1974.
In 1971, he received the Commerce Department's Silver Medal.
Mr. Goodwin was a member of the National Association of Diving Instructors, the Washington Book Guild, the Antarctican Society, the American Science Film Association, and other professional groups. He also was a member of the American Littoral Society, which in 1973 gave him its James Dugan Award for his contributions to aquatic science.
Survivors include his wife of 44 years, the former Elizabeth "Libby" Swensk, of Bethesda; three sons, Alan C. Goodwin of Plymouth, Minn., Dr. R. Christopher Godwin of Newmarket, Md., and Derek V. Goodwin of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 26, 2018
Rick and Scotty are on their own in this adventure, without the support of any of the Spindrift scientists, though do get a hand from new friends such as the likable old salt Cap'n Mike and some familiar members of The Fourth Estate. They're trying to solve the mystery of why a fishing boat crashed on Smugglers' Reef and what's happening in the mysterious Creek House. The action is close to home this time; the action all takes place in Seaford, a town near to Spindrift. The Rick Brant books were a series of boys' (today they'd just be labeled "y.a.") scientific (originally called "electronic") adventures that were written between the late '40s and '60s. They were in many ways superior to the better-known Tom Swift, Jr. books; they were more realistic and included descriptions of projects and puzzles that engaged the reader, as well as having more down-to-earth settings and set-ups and more realistic and likable characters. Rick lived on Spindrift Island, the location of a small but superior scientific facility headed by his father, Hartson Brant, along with his friend Scotty (who was originally an ex-Marine veteran of World War Two), his younger sister Barby, his mother (who was never named other than "Mom" so far as I can recall, and a large and expanding likable cast of scientists, and including Dismal (Diz), the family dog. Spindrift was a lovely and wonderful location, as detailed by the map on the endpapers in each volume, with a farm, a rocket launcher, cliffs and woods, a pirate's field, a dock and airfield, an orchard, a large house and laboratory facility; in short, everything a right-thinking young person of the 1950's could ever need. There was a fine and ever-changing cast of supporting characters in addition to the Island residents, including Chahda (an enterprising and bright young friend from India), and Agent Steve Ames, government liaison beyond compare, whom I always believed to be related to Harlan Ames, the security chief in the Tom Swift, Jr. books. Typically the stories started at home, on Spindrift, and then took the boys to some remote and exotic location in the company of one or more of the cast of scientists, where they would have adventures, solve mysteries, and perform valuable scientific experiments and research. They're fun and exciting stories despite inevitable dating, and I am enjoying revisiting them; Smugglers' Reef is one of the best.
March 22, 2020
The Rick Brant stories are supposed to be about using science to solve mysteries. The only science in this story was the use of an infrared camera. Rick et al investigate why the best fishing boat captain in town wrecked his boat, and obviously lied about how it happened.
February 26, 2020
Great adventure and mystery. It holds up pretty well since the late 1940's.
October 8, 2015
Another exciting and tense mystery, concerning a ship's captain who refuses to explain the real reason why he ran aground, a crusty old sea-man who wants to see the man cleared, and a devious ring of smugglers. Makes for a suspenseful and climatic ending, of Rick and Scotty's seventh case!
October 6, 2011
Reminded me of the old Tom Swift stories - a fun young-adult mystery.
November 9, 2013
i like the series, but the mystery wasn't the best, i figured out what happened, but not who. but it is still a good book with action and cliffhangers.
January 6, 2014
it was so awesome! it was so much like the hardy boys books that I used to read. SPOILER ALERT! rick and scotty caught the bad guys. I loved it! 5 stars
August 8, 2016
Read my review at: http://tims-reviews.blogspot.com/2016...
November 3, 2016
possibly read in spring of 1967
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews