Koan and bigpike you would enjoy this book a lot and an easy read first a review and then the Wikipedia piece:
< Slan is one of those Golden Age sci fi novels that while being dated, in terms of scientific jargon and ideas, is far more relevant than much of the hamhanded writing published in science fiction, or even literary fiction, these days. Given the civil rights issues involved in the ceaseless War On Terror, and things such as gay rights, the right to die, etc., Slan is as relevant as it was in the days leading up to World War Two, given its many and manifest Nazi parallels.
Slan is the legendary first novel, first serially published in four parts in 1940, by Astounding Magazine, and in book form in 1946, by Arkham House, of Canadian science fiction titan A. E. Van Vogt (1912-2000), who was a master of the sort of science fiction short stories that a couple of decades later would play weekly on such early television science fiction shows as The Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond, and The Outer Limits, as well as later derivative work such as Marvel comics’ X-Men.
The fast-paced and straightforward tale is almost pedestrian, at first glance, yet is really a classic bildungsroman with many symbolic characters and plot points. John Thomas ‘Jommy’ Cross is a young slan, a genetically bred type of superhuman- with telepathic powers to read minds, whose race was created by a doctor named Samuel Lann, long in the earth’s hazy past, which is the still to come 2070s, to aid humanity, but is now despised by normal humans. The precise dates the tale takes place in is never specified, for it could be six hundred years after the 2070s, or fifteen hundred years. Van Vogt is a bit sloppy in such lesser details. This is a typical cross to bear for serial novels- even the form’s master, Charles Dickens, suffered from it, for a naturalistic narrative flow always gives way to the tides of serial needs: chapters ending with flashes of insight, spectacular events, and details that are rarely cohesive, and always fuzzy. Yet the tale moves quickly, right from the book’s start>
< ‘Yes, I said ‘mob’. That’s all people are these days. A mob, a beast we’ve helped build up with our propaganda. They’re afraid, mortally afraid for their babies, and we haven’t got a scientist who can think objectively on the matter. In fact, we haven’t got a scientist worthy of the name. What incentive is there for a human being to spend a lifetime in research when in his mind is the deadening knowledge that all the discoveries he can hope to make have long since been perfected by the Slans? That they’re waiting out there somewhere in secret caves or written out on paper, ready for the day when the slans make their next attempt to take over the world?’
Substitute slans for terrorists or jihadists and no more need be said on why this book still has import. Because of this, one can overlook its flaws, and take it for the pulse-pounding adventure it is, birthed from an era when serial fiction dominated writing and films. And, as long as one bears those things in mind, the tale will draw you in.>>
yetanotherbookreview.com
Slan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Author A. E. van Vogt
Cover Artist Robert E. Hubbell
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Science fiction novel
Publisher Arkham House
Released 1946
Media Type Print (Hardback)
Pages 216 pp
ISBN NA
"Slan is also the name of a character in Berserk (manga).
Slan is the name of a type of fictional race of superbeings in the 1946 novel of the same name by A. E. van Vogt. They are named after their alleged creator, Samuel Lann. The protagonist of the novel is a Slan named Jommy Cross.
The novel was originally serialized in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction in 1940 before being published by Arkham House in an edition of 4,051 copies."
en.wikipedia.org
Slans are the product of human evolution and have the psychic abilities to read minds and are super-intelligent. They possess near limitless stamina, "nerves of steel", and superior strength and speed. When Slans are ill or seriously injured, they go into a healing trance automatically.
There are two kinds of Slans. One has tendrils and can read the minds of ordinary humans and telepathically communicate with other Slans. The tendrils are hidden but rise when the Slan is engaged in telepathic activity. These Slans are hunted to near extinction. The other type of Slan is tendrilless. They are still super intelligent but do not have psychic capabilities, only the ability to hide their thoughts from the first type of Slan. Kier Gray is the leader of the human society and promises to exterminate the Slans. As the novel begins, Jommy Cross (a telepathic Slan of the first type) is brought with his mother to the capital, Centropolis. They are both discovered, and Jommy's mother is killed before his eyes. Jommy is only 9 years old and manages to escape. Jommy Cross is not only the heir to the brilliant inventions of his father, but he represents the last hope of his race to save it from genocide. Because of the importance of his mission, he is opposed by various enemies. Jommy seeks to destroy Kier and in confronting him discovers a terrible secret.>>>> |
