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Tom Swift Jr. #6
Tom Swift and His Outpost in Space
Tom Swift, Jr., aided by his friend Bud Barclay, overcomes several sabotage attempts while trying to design and build the first solar-operated space station.
210 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
112 people want to read
About the author
Victor Appleton II
122 books22 followerssee also Victor Appleton
The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift
The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 25, 2024
The Tom Swift formula is back in action in this fun next adventure. I would have liked to have seen more of the eponymous Outpost in Space than just the last two of twenty-five chapters, but who am I to complain?
April 8, 2017
This book is really fun, classic science fiction. Yes, it's quite a bit dated, and the help from the Martians borders on being silly, but nostalgia alone makes it a fun and worthy read.
November 3, 2020
For the nostalgia of it.
March 3, 2021
This book was published in 1955, six years before Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth and 18 years before the Skylab space station was operational. When this book was published, the general principles of orbital mechanics were understood, but almost nothing was known about the effects of free fall on the human body. At the time, there were arguments that humans could not long live and work in space. There were concerns about the inability to orient oneself without gravity and how the body would react when there was no constant downward force. Some argued that humans were evolved to live in an environment with gravity and there would be dangerous side effects when people would simply float.
While most of the focus is on the standard type of adversary that Tom Swift faces, there is some occasional description of how things will operate in space. In general, the descriptions of how people have to work in space are accurate, the slightest movement can cause a person to move, using tools such as a screwdriver will cause the person to rotate rather than the screw.
The author was clearly aware of the writings of science fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke. In his 1945 paper, he described communication satellites being placed in geosynchronous orbit, so they remain stationary relative to points on Earth. In this book, Tom Swift places his outpost in such an orbit. Some of his financial backers are communications firms eager to use it as a relay point for their programs.
What I like about this science fiction story is that the writer clearly did the necessary research to create a story based on the facts as they were best known at the time. Other than that, it is the usual juvenile fiction where there is constant danger from nefarious opponents.
While most of the focus is on the standard type of adversary that Tom Swift faces, there is some occasional description of how things will operate in space. In general, the descriptions of how people have to work in space are accurate, the slightest movement can cause a person to move, using tools such as a screwdriver will cause the person to rotate rather than the screw.
The author was clearly aware of the writings of science fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke. In his 1945 paper, he described communication satellites being placed in geosynchronous orbit, so they remain stationary relative to points on Earth. In this book, Tom Swift places his outpost in such an orbit. Some of his financial backers are communications firms eager to use it as a relay point for their programs.
What I like about this science fiction story is that the writer clearly did the necessary research to create a story based on the facts as they were best known at the time. Other than that, it is the usual juvenile fiction where there is constant danger from nefarious opponents.
July 20, 2020
I'm mired with three simultaneous reads of some heavy material in Wagnerism, American Fascism, and Stephen Pinker's Enlightenment thoughts, so I took a break for ... More thrilling adventures of Tom and Bud. Wow, their enemies sure have it in for them! Pretty amazing stuff for 1955 - launch and build a complete space station in under a week. The cool thing for the young readers at the time was the concept of geosynchronous orbit(not a term used in the book.) for the station, in lieu of a satellite, for receiving and re-transmitting broadcast signals. A racist insensitivity on a couple of parts is present: Tom picks a Pacific island from which to launch the rockets and the islanders get spopked by a space suit, and are seemingly easily rewarded/distracted by baubles a shiny cloth. And, a Chinese restaurant owner has to apologize for something with a "Solly". Anyway, my copy is a jacketless original blue tweed cloth.
December 5, 2023
My book has the all blue cover, but the page count is correct.
The sixth book in the series sees Tom Swift Jr and company looking to develop a battery that will last far longer than current ones. Using solar radiation, he succeeds. However, a competitor is after his design.
The plot wasn't bad, but likely wouldn't generate much interest with children today, as the space shuttle, international space station and rockets preparing to travel beyond the moon are all current day reality.
The conflicts are a bit much and Tom narrowly avoids death at least twice.
This book is not a great one for children to read today.
The sixth book in the series sees Tom Swift Jr and company looking to develop a battery that will last far longer than current ones. Using solar radiation, he succeeds. However, a competitor is after his design.
The plot wasn't bad, but likely wouldn't generate much interest with children today, as the space shuttle, international space station and rockets preparing to travel beyond the moon are all current day reality.
The conflicts are a bit much and Tom narrowly avoids death at least twice.
This book is not a great one for children to read today.
May 5, 2019
Cute older book that I found at old library sale. I did find it amazing that even though it was written in the 50’s, it has some technology that was not invented until the 90’s and later. Drones, space stations, and space equipment were created in the mind of the author and like Jules Verne, they now exist.
February 1, 2020
Another, exciting, adventure-filled, fun story in the series, with a varied cast of characters and a story that reaches from across the world to outer space. And I like the science in each story as well.
November 27, 2021
This was a cute read. Very reminiscent of Tony Stark and Rhodey, Tom Swift and Bud are a dynamic duo! This kept my attention and was definitely in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys style of writing. A keen read from 1955!
March 27, 2023
Another trip down memory lane.
February 18, 2024
Some nostalgia (read Tom Swift Jr booking grade school) and some racism I hadn’t seen as a kid. Other parts were enjoyable and while it’s definitely YA, it was a quick and nostalgic read.
February 23, 2024
Interesting to read a story of space travel written in the mid 1950's.
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October 22, 2016probably read some time in fall 1966
June 28, 2015
The Tom Swift, Jr., books were a fun, upbeat, and interesting adventure series published for kids from 1954 to 1971 that promoted science, fair-play, patriotism, and team-work; they were good, positive books. The series served as a sequel to the original Tom Swift series that appeared from 1910 to the beginnings of World War II; Tom and his sister, Sandy, are the children of the first Tom and his wife, Mary Nestor; Tom's girlfriend Phyllis Newton is the daughter of Tom Sr.'s sidekick Ned Newton (now Uncle Ned to Tom and Sandy); the family home is still located in Shopton along Lake Carlopa, etc. It's nice that the continuity is preserved rather than just being over-written as happened to The Hardy Boys; in the first Tom Jr., book beings make contact that were first hinted at in the final real Tom Sr., book, Planet Stone, and throughout the series references to the history are made such as naming a device the Damonscope in honor of a character from the first series, Mr. Wakefield Damon. In addition to the Swifts and Newtons, Tom Jr. has his own sidekick, Bud Barclay, and there are several interesting supporting characters such as Phil Radnor, Harlan Ames (I wonder if Harlan Ellison was the inspiration for the name?), Hank Sterling, Miss Trent (who I don't believe ever had a first name), and especially Chow Winkler, Tom's cook, a former "Texas chuck-wagon" cook who was given to a variety of wild and unlikely expressions such as, "Well, brand my space biscuits!" The earlier books had nice covers, end-papers, and illustrations: Graham Kaye and Charles Brey provided the art for the first twenty-five volumes, followed by Edward Moretz, after which the artistic (as well as the literary) quality starting going downhill. Tom invented and built many fantastic inventions (but remember it was the '50s and '60s), and had many exciting adventures along with his friends and family. They faced off against saboteurs and spies and the evil Brungarians but their good spirits and hard work and can-do attitude always paid off in the end. The continuity didn't always hold logically from book to book, and looking back it's easy to pick apart one thing or another, but they were fun and fine books in their time. This sixth volume has a terrific cover, featuring the construction of the space station; the image was used on the back covers of the later editions of the series where they listed the titles. This was my favorite book in the series and I hunted for Heinlein and Leinster novels shortly after reading it.
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October 1, 2014The plot and characterizations are about what you'd expect from a book written for ten year olds in 1955. If I had found these books as a kid, I'd have loved them. Finding them as an adult, I appreciate them for what they are, but I can't view them through the same lens as people who did, in fact, love them when they were kids.
Plot and characterizations aside, the science is worth commenting on. Parts of it hold up pretty well; the idea of a geostationary orbit is used (though the term geostationary is not), and the altitude of the geostationary orbit is even correct. Clearly, someone did their homework. Or tried to.
Other scientific elements are obviously fantasy. But I speak with the perspective of time and our communal worldwide experience with Earth-orbit space travel. The specifics and techniques we now know about had mostly not been invented when this was written. It would be interesting to see what magazine articles and books said about space travel in the year or so prior to the publishing of this book. I wager many of the strange and impossible things the characters in this book do would be discussed as real possibilities in the media of the time.
In short, the science in the book has, in the main, not aged well. But I wonder how plausible it all sounded when it was published back in 1955, six years before any human went into space.
Plot and characterizations aside, the science is worth commenting on. Parts of it hold up pretty well; the idea of a geostationary orbit is used (though the term geostationary is not), and the altitude of the geostationary orbit is even correct. Clearly, someone did their homework. Or tried to.
Other scientific elements are obviously fantasy. But I speak with the perspective of time and our communal worldwide experience with Earth-orbit space travel. The specifics and techniques we now know about had mostly not been invented when this was written. It would be interesting to see what magazine articles and books said about space travel in the year or so prior to the publishing of this book. I wager many of the strange and impossible things the characters in this book do would be discussed as real possibilities in the media of the time.
In short, the science in the book has, in the main, not aged well. But I wonder how plausible it all sounded when it was published back in 1955, six years before any human went into space.
March 10, 2015
Good solid fun for what it is. Just what I was looking for.....but....I could have down without the racist bits.....not aggressively racist...but still disappointing.
And yeah...I know, "It was the time in which it was written" but I get so tired of having to put up with that stuff in the otherwise super cool old stories I like.
And yeah...I know, "It was the time in which it was written" but I get so tired of having to put up with that stuff in the otherwise super cool old stories I like.
January 23, 2016
This series was one of my childhood favorites. Rereading it is part of a literary trip down memory lane. This holds up surprisingly well. (Note: This--fifth of the paperbound reissues--is actually the sixth of the original Tom Swift, Jr. series, published in the fifties.)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews