A little while back, I created a post about five amazing science fiction books from the Radium Age. Today, I thought I would create another! In this post, I’ll talk about five other Radium Age books that deserve a mention. This time, I also included links to where you can find the books to purchase, as well as the Goodreads link. Happy reading!
The Napoleon of Notting Hill (G. K. Chesterton -1904)
Chesterton, known for his apologistic writing as well as his fiction, created this alternate history of England that’s set in 1984. In this version of the world, the country chooses monarchs rather than passing down the title through one family. One of the monarchs chosen decides to create independent states throughout England, but one man takes matters into his own hands, becoming the “Napoleon of Notting Hill.”
If you want to find more information about the book, check out the Goodreads link for it.
Here’s also a copy of the book for purchase.
Le Prisonnier de la Planète Mars (Gustave le Rouge – 1908)
This one’s a wild one, so bear with me while I explain the plot. A guy propels himself to Mars in a capsule with the help of thousands of Indian yogis using psychic power. When he gets to Mars, he finds humanoids that are controlled by creatures that resemble vampires. And those vampires are controlled by invisible squids. AND SOMEHOW England controls the squids? In all honesty, I think I need to add this book to my TBR, then write a review on it.
Surprisingly, I couldn’t find a Goodreads page for this one, so I don’t know what other people think of it.
Also, here’s the book if you want to purchase it.
The Iron Heel (Jack London – 1908)
Written by Jack London, who I remember as a kid with his books White Fang and Call of the Wild, this story follows a fascist oligarchy that appears in the United States and rules for three hundred years before a socialist revolution takes over. During that time, the oligarchy, known as the Iron Heel, destroys the middle class, creates a serfdom for farmers, and controls nearly every market and trade. George Orwell may or may not have based his novel 1984 on this book.
Find the Goodreads reviews for it through this link.
Also, find this book on Amazon through this link.
The Blue Peril (Maurice Renard – 1910)
This book was a little trippy for me to read up on. A group of advanced alien creatures known as Savants appears on a planet that is mostly made up of oceans. They begin examining the creatures on the planet, which appear incapable of pain or logic. However, in a bizarre turn of events, bodies begin turning up in France. It turns out these creatures are killing humans and leaving their bodies.
Find the Goodreads review for this book here.
Also, find the book for purchase through this link.
The Nyctalope on Mars (Jean de la Hire – 1911)
This last book is more of a pulp novel and part of a series, from what I understand, but it’s still a classic of the Radium Age. The book follows a character named the Nyctalope, a man who fights crime with the help of his night vision powers. His mission is to battle a secret society based on Mars that attempts to take over Earth. Definitely sounds like something that science fiction films would later take their cues from.
Find the book on Goodreads through this link.
Find the book on Amazon here.
I hope to create more lists like these in the future! In the meantime, I’m tackling my TBR and hoping to read more Golden Age science fiction. See you all next week for another book review!
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