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The "Lomokome" Papers
As in the Caine Mutiny, which won him the Pulitzer Prize, Herman Wouk again writes of the Navy--but in a startling new way
Here is the eerily realistic account of a naval lieutenant's expedition to the moon -- and his strange encounter with its inhabitants.
But more than a "log" of life on the moon, this fantastic tale of space travel reads today like a dramatic prophecy of things about to happen -- not only out in space, but also here on Earth!
(back cover March 1968 edition)
Here is the eerily realistic account of a naval lieutenant's expedition to the moon -- and his strange encounter with its inhabitants.
But more than a "log" of life on the moon, this fantastic tale of space travel reads today like a dramatic prophecy of things about to happen -- not only out in space, but also here on Earth!
(back cover March 1968 edition)
113 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
About the author
Herman Wouk
241 books971 followersHerman Wouk was a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish American author with a number of notable novels to his credit, including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.
Herman Wouk was born in New York City into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Russia. After a childhood and adolescence in the Bronx and a high school diploma from Townsend Harris High School, he earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and studied under philosopher Irwin Edman. Soon thereafter, he became a radio dramatist, working in David Freedman's "Joke Factory" and later with Fred Allen for five years and then, in 1941, for the United States government, writing radio spots to sell war bonds. He lived a fairly secular lifestyle in his early 20s before deciding to return to a more traditional Jewish way of life, modeled after that of his grandfather, in his mid-20s.
Wouk joined the United States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, an experience he later characterized as educational; "I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans." Wouk served as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers (DMS), the USS Zane and USS Southard, becoming executive officer of the latter. He started writing a novel, Aurora Dawn, during off-duty hours aboard ship. Wouk sent a copy of the opening chapters to Irwin Edman who quoted a few pages verbatim to a New York editor. The result was a publisher's contract sent to Wouk's ship, then off the coast of Okinawa. The novel was published in 1947 and became a Book of the Month Club main selection. His second novel, City Boy, proved to be a commercial disappointment at the time of its initial publication in 1948.
While writing his next novel, Wouk read each chapter as it was completed to his wife, who remarked at one point that if they didn't like this one, he'd better take up another line of work (a line he would give to the character of the editor Jeannie Fry in his 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke). The novel, The Caine Mutiny (1951), went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A huge best-seller, drawing from his wartime experiences aboard minesweepers during World War II, The Caine Mutiny was adapted by the author into a Broadway play called The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and was later made into a film, with Humphrey Bogart portraying Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg, captain of the fictional USS Caine. Some Navy personnel complained at the time that Wouk had taken every twitch of every commanding officer in the Navy and put them all into one character, but Captain Queeg has endured as one of the great characters in American fiction.
He married Betty Sarah Brown in 1945, with whom he had three sons: Abraham, Nathanial, and Joseph. He became a fulltime writer in 1946 to support his growing family. His first-born son, Abraham Isaac Wouk, died in a tragic accident as a child; Wouk later dedicated War and Remembrance (1978) to him with the Biblical words, "He will destroy death forever."
In 1998, Wouk received the Guardian of Zion Award.
Herman Wouk died in his sleep in his home in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103, ten days before his 104th birthday.
Herman Wouk was born in New York City into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Russia. After a childhood and adolescence in the Bronx and a high school diploma from Townsend Harris High School, he earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and studied under philosopher Irwin Edman. Soon thereafter, he became a radio dramatist, working in David Freedman's "Joke Factory" and later with Fred Allen for five years and then, in 1941, for the United States government, writing radio spots to sell war bonds. He lived a fairly secular lifestyle in his early 20s before deciding to return to a more traditional Jewish way of life, modeled after that of his grandfather, in his mid-20s.
Wouk joined the United States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, an experience he later characterized as educational; "I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans." Wouk served as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers (DMS), the USS Zane and USS Southard, becoming executive officer of the latter. He started writing a novel, Aurora Dawn, during off-duty hours aboard ship. Wouk sent a copy of the opening chapters to Irwin Edman who quoted a few pages verbatim to a New York editor. The result was a publisher's contract sent to Wouk's ship, then off the coast of Okinawa. The novel was published in 1947 and became a Book of the Month Club main selection. His second novel, City Boy, proved to be a commercial disappointment at the time of its initial publication in 1948.
While writing his next novel, Wouk read each chapter as it was completed to his wife, who remarked at one point that if they didn't like this one, he'd better take up another line of work (a line he would give to the character of the editor Jeannie Fry in his 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke). The novel, The Caine Mutiny (1951), went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A huge best-seller, drawing from his wartime experiences aboard minesweepers during World War II, The Caine Mutiny was adapted by the author into a Broadway play called The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and was later made into a film, with Humphrey Bogart portraying Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg, captain of the fictional USS Caine. Some Navy personnel complained at the time that Wouk had taken every twitch of every commanding officer in the Navy and put them all into one character, but Captain Queeg has endured as one of the great characters in American fiction.
He married Betty Sarah Brown in 1945, with whom he had three sons: Abraham, Nathanial, and Joseph. He became a fulltime writer in 1946 to support his growing family. His first-born son, Abraham Isaac Wouk, died in a tragic accident as a child; Wouk later dedicated War and Remembrance (1978) to him with the Biblical words, "He will destroy death forever."
In 1998, Wouk received the Guardian of Zion Award.
Herman Wouk died in his sleep in his home in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103, ten days before his 104th birthday.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 1, 2021
Decent concept, flawed execution.
2.5
2.5
September 28, 2012
I gave a three and that might have been generous. It has a number of issues that could be associated with the state of SF at the time it was written, but I did NOT factor that in. Rather, I found it to be a bit superficial and simplistic even given its date. It's weak in a number of ways - -lot, action, story-telling, etc. I don;t know why Wouk chose to write a SF story but it is obvious why he didn't continue. I'd be curious to know if he managed to sell this before getting more fame from his other works. I don't think this stands on its own merit. Very short - I read it in about 2 hours without straining myself. The one redeeming idea in it is that of fighting combat free wars where casualties are calculat and then people willingly go off to be killed in an assembly line kind of situation. The original Star Trek did something similar in one episode decades later. So good for Herman if it was his idea first.
June 2, 2022
It's hard to like and hard to dislike this book. I love the style, it felt very much like H G Wells or H P Lovecraft. There's a certain level of that if-I-don't-explain-it-it-will-be-scarier stuff, but that seems to be part and parcel of Sci-Fi.
It doesn't read like any other Wouk novel, but it'll hold a special place in his body of work because of that. The bulk of the narrative, the "Book of Chubby-Wubby" (or whatever his dumb name was) got old about halfway through the bit, but the premise as a whole is fantastic. Who wouldn't love a good story about Commies on the Moon?
It doesn't read like any other Wouk novel, but it'll hold a special place in his body of work because of that. The bulk of the narrative, the "Book of Chubby-Wubby" (or whatever his dumb name was) got old about halfway through the bit, but the premise as a whole is fantastic. Who wouldn't love a good story about Commies on the Moon?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2012
6 star book.
the rules of reasonable war are given here. Herman Wouk's science fiction novel, the war on the moon has become bloodless, scientific logical and just as deadly and stupid as most wars. this book shaped how i think about war more than any other i've read.
read several times
the rules of reasonable war are given here. Herman Wouk's science fiction novel, the war on the moon has become bloodless, scientific logical and just as deadly and stupid as most wars. this book shaped how i think about war more than any other i've read.
read several times
March 27, 2017
Gave it two stars for the fact it was written before any man made object made it to space. Story is about a Navy Pilot who crashes on the moon and writes of his life after meeting the inhabitants of the moon. Just not a very good or well written story. Do not suggest anyone read it.
March 3, 2018
Somewhat apocalyptic. A moon shot or two, declassified. Is there such a thing as a reasonable war? Even on the moon?
A very short read, too.
A very short read, too.
October 29, 2018
The first half is fascinating, the 2nd half is a boring satire on a Utopian solution to war. The illustrations in this edition are awful.
March 24, 2013
This is classic sci-fi; an attempt by a writer to work out human flaws and events using an alien race. Unfortunately, the appeal and momentum of this book is lost on me because of its age. Written in 1949 it is Wouk's "one effort at science fiction". It is heavily inspired by the events of World War II and everything in history that followed. Being far removed from the threat of nuclear war and having always known that men have walked on the moon, diminishes my appreciation of this book. However Wouk's ideas on Reasonable War from the “Book of Ctuzelawis” were interesting and gave me pause to consider what IS the inherent nature of man.
January 19, 2010
Swiftian satire about the Cold War set on the moon. Written not long after WWII, it provides a fairly interesting take on the real differences between Democracy and Communism as well as a strange reading of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Ultimately, it's clever.
December 24, 2020
This Book was very intriguing and fun too read. I highly suggest reading this book if you are a fan of space-fi novels.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews