A Different Class

If you haven’t noticed, the 1950’s are through and I’ve been taking some time to think about the last 8 weeks of my life.  At least as it pertains to a certain genre of books and my nonsense on the interwebs.

Thank you to everyone who has been visiting and commenting on the blog.  I wasn’t sure how quickly this project would fail and thanks to quite a few people from all over the world, it appears I will make it some ways into the Hugos before I’ll be forced to admit defeat.  I’ve made quite an effort to step out of my comfort zone (especially with the videos) and even the pretty modest attention you all have given the ridiculous and stupid things I subject you to every week, means quite a lot to me.  Again, thank you so much.

So let’s get right into the HEP SCORES.

I was going to highlight the highest and lowest and any other interesting thing, but then…they were all pretty mediocre.  Every single one, in the teens.  What’s up with that?  Normally I’d blame user error, but my judgment is infallible so that’s not possible.

Okay, I’ll do it anway.  And I’ll take it even further.

Lowest: They’d Rather Be Right

Highest Score: 3-way tie between The Demolished Man – The Big Time – Double Star

Biggest Surprise: Farhenheit 451

Favorite Epic Quote:  Well, I wasn’t very studious about posting these, so F451 wins practically by default.

Favorite character: The Great Lorenzo - by a long shot.  I mean, no one else was even close.  He struck that perfect balance of extreme self-righteousness and ridiculously pompous.  He can and should be the long lost brother of James Bolivar DiGriz, (who is another knock out star).  Am I right?  I’m right.

Favorite random moment: Reigning supreme over the Master of the Precious Award.  Yeah, remember that?  Double Star won.  And if you think I won’t be doing the same thing this decade, you are sorely wrong my friend.

Biggest Complaint: Where are all the women?!  There were probably a total of 2 maybe 3 major women characters throughout the entire 1950’s set of Hugo Winners.  I really hope this improves in the 60’s.

Favorite Gadget: The bombs (in A Case of Conscience) that could explode entirely on a flat plane were pretty cool, but I think my very favorite was that the clay buildings built by the Lithians condensed and became stronger over the years so that old buildings could actually withstand that very same blast.

Coolest Aliens: Definitely the Martians from Double Star!  But believe me, the Lithians came in a close second.

Generally speaking, these were an entirely different class of books for me.  Before I began this project, I had certainly read some, but none of them prepared me for the Hugo Award winners of the 1950’s.  I didn’t expect quite so much doom and gloom about the human race.  It’s not really a complaint since that’s the way I like things, but what was going on in the 50’s? 

Things get a little dicey when we start to consider my reviews.  You would think that after 2 writing intensive degrees, I’d have a modicum of command over the English language.  In fact, at just about every opportunity I was eschewing even elementary rules of grammar.  Why you all continue to read these things and how these reviews were ever highlighted in the GMRC, I do not pretend to understand.  I can only imagine that despite my poor writing, I am still the most interesting person alive.  There is really no other rational explanation.  Hmm…would it be too early to make my run at metamorphosing the charismatic cult leader I’ve always dreamed of becoming?

But really, just take a look at my first 8 reviews:

When I saw this I was so thoroughly disappointed and even embarrassed.  I can only hope that I will once again regain my descriptive powers in the 1960’s.  Come to think of it, is this something I can blame on my daughter?  Yes, it must be.  My vocabulary has shrunk in proportion to the shrinkage that any fathers brain must go through to stay sane.  Bottom line: stop using the word “really” from now on.  For really.

Well, I hope at least some of you have enjoyed this first leg of this mother of all challenges as much as I have.  Don’t forget to vote for the best cover from the 1950’s and once again – Thanks.