Sold-for a Spaceship

by Philip E. High

They had slept in safety while destruction raged above them. When they awoke and emerged from their places of refuge, the world had changed - totally.For man soon discovered that he was no longer the dominant species on Earth. Now there were other creatures, not only ready to dispute the point but well prepared to prove it.It was later, much later, that the bulk of mankind discovered they had forfeited their birthright, traded their home, the planet Earth - for a spaceship.(from philipehigh.com)

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Christian Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

At only 49 ratings and 3 reviews, this is by far the most under the radar sci-fi book I've read. It's plausible that just the sheer shock at the quality of such an uncelebrated work contributed to giving it 5 stars, but I'm confident it would have landed there regardless.

It's the story of a doomed Earth and the need for mankind to put their technology to the test and hibernate until it's safe to come out again. When they do wake up, the world is more alien than even the most distant planet. The story does get a bit fantastical around the halfway point, but as things progress, it all becomes a matter of course.

This book is a gem. Even prior to finishing it, I'd already snagged several other Philip E. High books so I could experience more of this author's creative imagination when it was over. If the Kindle samples are any indication, I'm in for a few good reads.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

High deploys his customary optimism in having the remnants of the human race awake from suspended animation to reclaim their much-changed planet. An enjoyable helter-skelter hodgepodge of pulp SF ideas, characters and landscapes, marred by male-female interactions that are early Hollywood cringeworthy.

[Darren Goossens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Venture SF #7. The second High novel in the Venture SF series, and perhaps an improvement over the dire Come, Hunt an Earthman .

Perhaps.



A comet (or something; can't recall) was going to wipe out Earth. The elites went off in spaceships, and the rest were left to die on the surface, except for a relative few (still millions) who were put in deep sleep in underground caverns and vaults.

They wake up and emerge onto a surface that is radically changed and almost entirely hostile, including being inhabited by small but intelligent creatures that fly around in very fast fighter planes about the size of a shoebox. At the same time, some kind of strange radiation starts to gift them powers like telepathy. Why? Was it the comet? Maybe it's just plotology.

The story is about how they come to first survive and then (relatively speaking) flourish. Near the end the meaning of the title becomes clear. Or you could read the back cover, which gives it away.

It is very imaginative, and includes some vibrant images and left-field ideas that are quite nifty. The story is somewhat fragmentary and schematic in places, and as a result the cast is large and in general never becomes very interesting. We skip between people rather frequently.

In summary, interesting but not engaging, if that makes sense, but mysterious enough that it remains moderately interesting to the end, so is not the slog that Earthman became near the end.

Venture

[Simon Boettcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

The sort of writing you'd expect to find in a 90's monthly Sci-Fi magazine. Short and something to pickup with no intention more than filling the time. Having said this, if you start it - finish it. The beginning is slow and bogged down, no plot hooks leaves you with little other than amateurish imagery to keep you entertained. The latter half of the novel, however, becomes much more interesting - still with gaping plot holes mind you - but discusses themes of politics, development and alien intrigue.