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Checkpoint Lambda
COLLISION COURSE
As soon as he arrived to take over his command, Scott knew that something was wrong on Checkpoint Lambda.
His first sight was of a beautiful girl with empty eyes, whose vacant stare testified to her terror. Who was she and what was she doing there?
He was taken in charge by a man who knew nothing about the running of the Lambda - and yet pretended he did...
Scott realized that not only his life, but the existence of the Lambda depended upon his finding out what was wrong...for the charts indicated that it was headed on a collision course, and would be totally destroyed unless immediate measures were taken. But would he be able to act in time?
Here is an exciting, action-filled science-fiction novel from the pen of one of the most popular and distinguished science-fiction writers in the field.
As soon as he arrived to take over his command, Scott knew that something was wrong on Checkpoint Lambda.
His first sight was of a beautiful girl with empty eyes, whose vacant stare testified to her terror. Who was she and what was she doing there?
He was taken in charge by a man who knew nothing about the running of the Lambda - and yet pretended he did...
Scott realized that not only his life, but the existence of the Lambda depended upon his finding out what was wrong...for the charts indicated that it was headed on a collision course, and would be totally destroyed unless immediate measures were taken. But would he be able to act in time?
Here is an exciting, action-filled science-fiction novel from the pen of one of the most popular and distinguished science-fiction writers in the field.
- GenresScience Fiction
143 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1966
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Murray Leinster
907 books122 followerssee 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 9, 2025
This is a fun space opera thriller about a new Space Patrol officer, Scott, who goes to take his first command and finds that the station has been taken over by criminals. (The leader is named Bugsy?!) He meets a beautiful terrified young woman named Janet, encounters the Five Comets of Canis Lambda, and has some nice adventures on his way to restoring peace and order. One has to wonder if Leinster just recycled one of his pulp Will F. Jenkins Westerns into a science fiction adventure, but it all works out just fine, nonetheless. Some of the narrative is a little repetitive; remember he got his start in the days when a quarter of a cent per word was pretty standard. Amazing Stories magazine serialized the novel in their June and August issues in 1966 under the title of Stopover in Space. The Berkley paperback was published in July of that year as Checkpoint Lambda, so the same new novel was on the newsstands under two different titles at the same time, which surely annoyed the readers who purchased them both.
December 29, 2021
Leinster pulp adventure.
This is a really old pulp story with out-dated science and a ridiculous plot involving space-gangsters and a lone space-patrol agent fighting over space-treasure. It's also written in Leinster's idiosyncratic writing style where he tells you what the character has to do, then the character thinks about what he has to do, then the character starts doing what he has to do, and finally Leinster narrates the action as the character does what he's going to do, so by the time it's done you've read the same thing four times in a row. There's also a little sexism typical of the era (e.g. women are too dumb to fly a space ship, follow technical directions accurately, and need to be protected at all times by the men). Despite all that, it's still a moderately entertaining read with quick pacing. It's not worth going to any trouble to look for this book, Leinster has written much better ones.
This is a really old pulp story with out-dated science and a ridiculous plot involving space-gangsters and a lone space-patrol agent fighting over space-treasure. It's also written in Leinster's idiosyncratic writing style where he tells you what the character has to do, then the character thinks about what he has to do, then the character starts doing what he has to do, and finally Leinster narrates the action as the character does what he's going to do, so by the time it's done you've read the same thing four times in a row. There's also a little sexism typical of the era (e.g. women are too dumb to fly a space ship, follow technical directions accurately, and need to be protected at all times by the men). Despite all that, it's still a moderately entertaining read with quick pacing. It's not worth going to any trouble to look for this book, Leinster has written much better ones.
August 18, 2022
This is a fun thriller-in-space. Leinster’s Space Patrol appears to have a few things in common with the Texas Rangers, mainly the one riot-one ranger. Lieutenant Scott of the Space Patrol (he either has no first name, or never goes by it even when introducing himself) has been assigned to Checkpoint Lambda, a remote signal buoy in an otherwise worthless solar system. Two previous unmanned buoys both vanished for no apparent reason.
As he nears his post, however, he discovers that Lambda has been refusing permission for any ship to dock, deliver cargo, or take on ticketed passengers.
It’s no surprise to him when it turns out the station has been overtaken by criminals and he’s the only representative of the law. Heavily outnumbered but armed with a knowledge of the station and interstellar protocol that the criminals lack, he must stay alive long enough to save the buoy from the threat that destroyed the first two and also keep the non-criminals aboard and about to board safe.
The criminals aren’t crazed, but they are amoral, and their ignorance makes it difficult to convince them he’s necessary to save the station from the external threat.
Staying alive until help can arrive is what we would now call a stretch goal, and the odds are very unfavorable.
As he nears his post, however, he discovers that Lambda has been refusing permission for any ship to dock, deliver cargo, or take on ticketed passengers.
It’s no surprise to him when it turns out the station has been overtaken by criminals and he’s the only representative of the law. Heavily outnumbered but armed with a knowledge of the station and interstellar protocol that the criminals lack, he must stay alive long enough to save the buoy from the threat that destroyed the first two and also keep the non-criminals aboard and about to board safe.
The criminals aren’t crazed, but they are amoral, and their ignorance makes it difficult to convince them he’s necessary to save the station from the external threat.
Staying alive until help can arrive is what we would now call a stretch goal, and the odds are very unfavorable.
December 7, 2025
How fun! Our hero just wants to do his job. If only those thieves would leave the fabulously wealthy treasure hunters alone, this would be simple. But nothing is simple here in the void of space. First, the hostage, general ignorance, and a strong streak of malevolence complicate everything. Second, those comets are coming. How can he save everyone from imminent doom in the face of such disasters?
It was a fun bit of sci-fi pulp. The only downside was the repetition. But if you can read fast, or even skip a few sentences here and there, that's not even too bad. There were a couple of "mild" curse words. And every scene with the heroine is written quite chivalrously. So I would recommend it if you are in the mood for pure action adventure.
It was a fun bit of sci-fi pulp. The only downside was the repetition. But if you can read fast, or even skip a few sentences here and there, that's not even too bad. There were a couple of "mild" curse words. And every scene with the heroine is written quite chivalrously. So I would recommend it if you are in the mood for pure action adventure.
December 9, 2020
Finally got around to finishing this book. Basically a space station taken over by some bad guys in attempt to hijack an incoming ship loaded with treasure and the space ranger who foils their plan manages to overcome all odds and take over the space station. The plot is typical and the action is about the only thing that drives the narrative forward. The language is 30's, 40's gangster, including the names of some of the antagonist "Bugsy" and takes away from the story line. Unusual for a book written in the 1966, when by then most writers have dropped the underworld slang of the pulp detective novels so popular in the 1900's.
December 23, 2018
6/10. Media de los 14 libros leídos del autor : 6/10
Otro de los autores clásicos "de ideas". en general se deja leer pero los que más me gustaron suyos son "Un lógico llamado Joe" o "El señor de los Uffis"
Otro de los autores clásicos "de ideas". en general se deja leer pero los que más me gustaron suyos son "Un lógico llamado Joe" o "El señor de los Uffis"
August 7, 2022
A potboiler, but for 1966, it was solid. Not one of Leinster's best, and the ending is a bit rushed, but still a good distraction.
October 26, 2014
Lieutenant Scott is going on his first assigned, to man Checkpoint Lambda, where the fabled and mysterious Galcondo ship is due home from it's mysterious trip to once again bring fabulous treasure to the known galaxy.... only this time a gang of thugs is trying to steal it! Scott needs all his abilities and training in the Galactic Patrol to say this distant and lonely outpost from disaster.
OK, so this EASILY could have been a western if you swap the ship with a stage coach, the station with a boom town, and the comets with a tornado. In fact, I suspect it IS a western (which the author wrote quite a few of) slightly re-purposed. It's also a short story lengthened out, and it shows... at least a 1/4 of the book is spent stating, re-stating, and re-restating, how hard it'll be to save the day (which happens, of course). Also, the author has a weird impression that comets are made up of lots of tiny bits of stuff, and that they collect more bits as they go... almost like they are roving moons or something. I guess you could sorta interpret the coma like that, but it seems really odd.
I'd give the author another shot, but this was not a stellar read.
OK, so this EASILY could have been a western if you swap the ship with a stage coach, the station with a boom town, and the comets with a tornado. In fact, I suspect it IS a western (which the author wrote quite a few of) slightly re-purposed. It's also a short story lengthened out, and it shows... at least a 1/4 of the book is spent stating, re-stating, and re-restating, how hard it'll be to save the day (which happens, of course). Also, the author has a weird impression that comets are made up of lots of tiny bits of stuff, and that they collect more bits as they go... almost like they are roving moons or something. I guess you could sorta interpret the coma like that, but it seems really odd.
I'd give the author another shot, but this was not a stellar read.
February 21, 2015
1988 grade C-
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews