DEATHWORLD by Harry Harrison (1960)
i borrowed this book about a year ago from my friend Jack (side-note: i talked to jack last Wednesday and reminded him that i still have it, and plan to return it to him this Wednesday). i borrowed it from Jack because i recognized the author's name--when i was 12 or 13 years old i read a bunch of Harry Harrison's sci-fi books about James Bolivar DiGriz, aka "Slippery Jim", aka The Stainless Steel Rat.
so about a week ago i was reading stuff online about Scam-Baiters, due to a friend forwarding me an odd email exchange she'd had with a Supposed Property Owner (SPO) who'd posted a rental on craigslist. i wrote the SPO myself, just for fun, saying i was interested...after a brief exchange, the SPO said i qualified to rent the house, and he'd mail me the keys, just um please western union him the deposit to Nigeria, where he was currently at work drilling an oil well. point being: as a result, i read a few articles about scam-baiters, and in this one stumbled across the following line: A scam-baiter known as Jason dinAlt, who was interviewed online, regards the scam practitioners as criminals who deserve any ridicule they receive. (His online pseudonym comes from the science fiction novel “Deathworld.”)
so that reminded me that i've had that book sitting around for a year, and i decided to read it. i started it Saturday night and finished it Sunday morning. i think it took four (4) hours. (no, i don't read super fast; it's just a super short book.) i was very entertained. for starters, beyond the title, there's the awesome cover art on the edition Jack loaned me:
and when i opened it and read the preview page, i was pretty certain i was going to like it:
gives you chills, right? i'm glad i read DEATHWORLD.
so about a week ago i was reading stuff online about Scam-Baiters, due to a friend forwarding me an odd email exchange she'd had with a Supposed Property Owner (SPO) who'd posted a rental on craigslist. i wrote the SPO myself, just for fun, saying i was interested...after a brief exchange, the SPO said i qualified to rent the house, and he'd mail me the keys, just um please western union him the deposit to Nigeria, where he was currently at work drilling an oil well. point being: as a result, i read a few articles about scam-baiters, and in this one stumbled across the following line: A scam-baiter known as Jason dinAlt, who was interviewed online, regards the scam practitioners as criminals who deserve any ridicule they receive. (His online pseudonym comes from the science fiction novel “Deathworld.”)
so that reminded me that i've had that book sitting around for a year, and i decided to read it. i started it Saturday night and finished it Sunday morning. i think it took four (4) hours. (no, i don't read super fast; it's just a super short book.) i was very entertained. for starters, beyond the title, there's the awesome cover art on the edition Jack loaned me:
and when i opened it and read the preview page, i was pretty certain i was going to like it:
SURVIVAL SCHOOL was the Pyrran substitute for Kindergarten. Even the tiniest tots packed guns, and they knew how to use them.
The teaching method was simple: rooms were set up full of native animals, real in substance, but deactivated.
Each time a child approached a dangerous animal a loud speaker blasted: "Kill Instantly!"
Each time a child approached a dangerous animal a loud speaker blasted: "Kill Instantly!"
Eventually, killing became a reflex....
gives you chills, right? i'm glad i read DEATHWORLD.