Thom reviewed The Moon Is Hell! by John W. Campbell
Review of 'The Moon Is Hell!' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Stranded on the moon, a team of men have to survive and eke out an existence. Originally published in 1950, some of the science is a bit off, but overall this collection of diary entries reminds me of The Martian and Apollo 13 - but without the potatoes.
Being about a collection of men, some interpersonal stories can and do evolve - from someone stealing food to others wanting to work alone on secret projects. These latter become the key ingredients for survival. The group dynamics really made this story for me, and this is a hallmark of author and amateur radio aficionado John W. Campbell Jr.
Curiously, his wikipedia entry says he stopped writing fiction when he took over as editor of Astounding in October of 1937. I was unable to determine if this novel was written before or after that time.
This "collection" also contains a novella titled …
Stranded on the moon, a team of men have to survive and eke out an existence. Originally published in 1950, some of the science is a bit off, but overall this collection of diary entries reminds me of The Martian and Apollo 13 - but without the potatoes.
Being about a collection of men, some interpersonal stories can and do evolve - from someone stealing food to others wanting to work alone on secret projects. These latter become the key ingredients for survival. The group dynamics really made this story for me, and this is a hallmark of author and amateur radio aficionado John W. Campbell Jr.
Curiously, his wikipedia entry says he stopped writing fiction when he took over as editor of Astounding in October of 1937. I was unable to determine if this novel was written before or after that time.
This "collection" also contains a novella titled The Elder Gods. This was written early in the author's career, and was a fun story in line with many Greek myths and legends.