The Mad Planet

Burl #1

by Murray Leinster

This Halcyon Classics ebook is THE MAD PLANET, an early pulp science fiction novel by acclaimed science fiction/mystery writer Murray Leinster (William Fitzgerald Jenkins). Leinster (1896-1975) was a mainstay of the pulp magazines of the 1920s and 1930s, and following World War II he broadened his audience by writing for Radio, Television, and Hollywood. Among his accomplishments, Leinster is credited with popularizing the notion of parallel universes and the concept of the internet.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Short Stories, Pulp, Science Fiction Fantasy

31 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1920

About the author

see also:
Will F. Jenkins
William Fitzgerald Jenkins

Murray Leinster was a nom de plume of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an award-winning American writer of science fiction and alternate history. He wrote and published over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.

An author whose career spanned the first six decades of the 20th Century. From mystery and adventure stories in the earliest years to science fiction in his later years, he worked steadily and at a highly professional level of craftsmanship longer than most writers of his generation. He won a Hugo Award in 1956 for his novelet “Exploration Team,” and in 1995 the Sidewise Award for Alternate History took its name from his classic story, “Sidewise in Time.” His last original work appeared in 1967.

Reviews

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rising CO2 levels in the Earth's atmosphere results in the fall of civilization, and mankind ending up as animals in a very hostile world. The story is about one man who has to fight his way through this world long after the memory of civilization is forgotten.

With a plot like this one might think this was a very early (this was published in 1920) example of climate fiction, but no, I don’t think that’s accurate. The CO2 reason for the collapse of mankind is really just a method to get back to pre-technology world, and a way to create giant insects and fungi forests.

The science behind this story so inaccurate that it’s funny, but it is still a nicely done early pulp story, with enough going on to keep one listening, and interesting enough world building. The reader does a good job at narrating.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. Leinster is far better writing action than description, but did a LOT of the latter in this book. It's rather repetitive & long, but good overall. He foresees a world where man has fallen back to the basest barbarism due to carbon dioxide caused global warming (He didn't use that phrase that I recall.) way back in 1920. Our children of 30K years in the future are living in another carboniferous age struggling against the heavy atmosphere, fungi, & huge insects. In this horrible world, he still manages some hope as Burl rediscovers weapons & travel so he can showoff for his sweetheart.

Well narrated & worth the time to listen. Thanks again to Librivox & its volunteers for the great, free entertainment.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mad Planet was originally published in in the June 12, 1920, issue of Argosy magazine, almost a full six years before Hugo Gernsback published the first issue of the first true science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. Leinster wrote two sequels to the story, Red Dust in 1921 and Nightmare Planet in 1953, and the three were published together as a fix-up novel in 1954 by Gnome Press with the title Forgotten Planet. In this original, the setting is a far-future Earth that's been catastrophically affected by climate change, but in the revised version it's a distant forgotten colony planet. It was one of the very first stories about terrestrial climate change, and I prefer this version to the latter one. The story itself isn't great; it's essentially a cave man vs. giant bugs adventure, but it's an important early piece of the genre because it paved the way for so many later works. I revisited this piece of Leinster's puzzle via the folks at LibriVox, in an unusual (because it's very slow) but effective recording.

[Tommy Verhaegen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again Murray Leinster shows the way with a story about the rebirth of mankind after the end of times. Many will follow in this entirely new genre.
When a world mostly made of mushrooms sounds familiar it is because it has been used numerously by other writers as well. This very early story excells at describing insects - of gigantic proportions - but very lifelike and clearly based on animals that live today amongst us - much smaller and hence less frightening though.
Exciting adventure of a scared and helpless man who gets lost and has ot find his way back home and to this girlfriend (in his dreams). Doing so makes him face many dangerous situations and animals which forges him into a real man that no longer can be trifled with.
A classic - as we can say of so many of Murray Leinsters' stories.

[PSXtreme · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book overall gets a 3-Star rating because of a split decision. The idea behind the story was OUTSTANDING and gets 5 stars for originality. I can easily see this being the inspiration for the movie After Earth (2013) with Will and Jaden Smith with just a few minor tweaks here and there. Mr. Leinster's writing ability, however, leaves much to be desired and that bumps the overall score down to just an average one. An example of this, just so you don't think me tainted, is the repeated descriptions of the main character's dress COMPLETELY mere paragraphs apart, as if he didn't remember writing the exact same thing a page or so earlier. Nevertheless, I'll be DEFINITELY following up on the series and will, with no doubt, finish the trilogy.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Available on Project Gutenberg and I listened to the Librivox version.

This is more like a novella in length, but it follows the typical Leinster format of a man alone against the elements and typically against alien species. This one departs from from that since in this case the planet is Earth and the species are gigantic insects because increased CO2 has raised the temperature of the planet wiping out most humans and helping out the insects.

Since this story was printed in 1920 it might be the first global warming disaster story - though I am just guessing at that.

I can get past giant insects easily, but one premise of the book that mankind had lapsed to primitive condition and no longer employed abstract thought, while the hero of the story starting using abstract thought in problem solving to save his life was a rather silly premise.

Despite that like most of Leinster's stories this isn't a great piece of work, but a solid and still enjoyable one and a nice entrance into the nostalgia of the pulp era.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old sci-fi is often the best sci-fi. This is a golden age classic. In a world where giant fungi, molds, mushrooms, toadstools, and giant insects are the dominant lifeforms one primitive man gets lost and must find his way back to his tribe. Along the way, he begins to think like no man has in 40 generations and rediscovers the use of tools. A beautiful haunting tale, like nothing out there. Short but worth every word.

[Stan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Mad Planet is an early Sci-Fi attempt to explain what would happen due to global warming. That makes it an interesting read, especially having been written in the 1920's - a century ago.

The book is set on earth, but 30,000 years into the future. Technically, I guess it would be a post-apocalyptic tale. Due to green house issues and global warming the earth experienced drastic changes. Most plant and animal life became extinct. Insects, mushrooms, and fungi survived. Somehow mankind survived - lucky us! However, while insects, plants, and such evolved into the new environment, mankind devolved into savages with limited vocabulary and minimal intelligence. (I don't recall any dialogue in the whole story).

The story describes an adventure of Burl. He has the beginnings of a few sparks of higher intelligence.

It is an easy read, but I found the world to be disgusting. Anyway, give it a try, you might like it more than I did.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is apparently the first global warming story ever published (1920). But yikes, it's mostly about horrifying giant insects and a world 30,000 years in the future bereft of plant life, save for cabbage and fungus (well mushrooms aren't technically plants but anyway). I had to skim all the parts about giant fucking spiders hunting and eating men cuz just NOPE.

It was mildly interesting seeing the first vestiges of curiosity and intelligence re-emerge in humans after millennia hiding in caves. The ending essentially made the point that getting with a woman will always be the motivation for men making progress? I dunno.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Futuristic reading 📚

Due to eye issues Alexa reads to me, a will written fantasy Sci-Fi adventure thriller novella.The character is interesting and will developed. The story line is 30,000 years in the future and a young man 🚹growing to the challenges of the world 🌎 around him. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy Sci-Fi. Enjoy reading 🔰2021 🗿😉

[Chatarrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recomend me more books like this one, please!

Me ha encantado. Me alegro mucho de haber descubierto este libro.

Respecto a su escritura: me gusta su lenguaje claro y sencillo de entender. Me suda la polla que haya repetido un par de veces las mismas descripciones.

Desde luego, odio todos esos otros libros llenos de literatura. Más como este, por favor

[Scott Gregory · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is basically a shortened version of The Forgotten Planet by the same author. I'd say 95% of this book is copied from the other. Just like The Forgotten Planet, it was odd how he got from a vibrant society to one of basically cavemen. Don't recommend.

[Wes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story with lots of detail and explanation. The story seems so believable even so long after it is written. This is a great journey to go on and find the detail of this world. It is so immersive. This is a quick read and worth the time. The follow up is good too.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt more like a science lesson very loosely wrapped in a sci-fi story. And I don't even want to get into the completely opposing back-story between this and nightmare planet.

[Donna Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally really liked this book. I would say it was futuristic fantasy. A good read to spark your imagination

[Ashlesha Jadhav · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a nice book

[Dkolacinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a greart way to learn about biology, botany the the survival of the fittest. This book used to be used in high school biology and botany classes to great effect.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyable science fiction of the past

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mad Planet is a story of survival 30,000 years in the future where the world has changed significantly due to excess carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere. Mankind had evolved but has lost much of all of its ingenuity, living as tribes with no culture or organization, and facing the dangers of giant insects and forests of mushrooms and other fungi. One individual begins to learn to find better ways to survive and begins to educate his tribe. The story is replete with scientific names for the insects and fungi and with descriptions of how the insects hunt. While this is an interesting story, it was written in 1926 or 1927 and reflects that era.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was published in June 1920 and precedes The Red Dust.

The story begins, telling how, after two hundred years of peace, the human race has slowly regressed to barbarousness, hundreds of years into the future. The land and air became an unbearable burden with noxious gasses, populated with strange plant life, and ginormous insects, both benign and threatening. In fact, the world’s population now lusted over the more livable highlands and fought angrily over it.

Throughout this story, we follow Burl and his battles with the atmosphere and vegetation, but more horrifically, his battles with the ginormous killer insects, which are reminiscent of those in the 1950s era black and white horror movies: Plump, meaty, strong, gargantuan, and predatory.

Leinster has a way of relating various emotions to the reader, of which I was happily satisfied.

💥 Recommended.

[yacoob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Your typical, solid vintage science fiction. All right, more fiction than science, but there's something charming in the world painted by this book. If you've read Space Odyssey, you'll find a lot of similarities. Bear in mind, that this book was written in 1920 - which makes it really impressive.

In short: worth reading, if you're bored, and you have a thing for vintage. Skip otherwise.

[Peter Clay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in the early 1900's(probably 20's) author Leinster writes about how too much Carbon Dioxide will change the Earth(and humanity). The setup is well done and the science seems plausible even for the time it was written. After that, well lets just say I'm not into giant insects and fungi. If you do and are fan of early science fiction you will not be disappointed!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this as a free audiobook before bed. The narrator was easy to listen to and the story was perfect for inspiring a vivid dream state.