Undersea Trilogy

The Undersea Trilogy

Cover of the omnibus edition
Author Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson
Cover artist David Mattingly
Country United States
Language English
Genre Science fiction novel
Publisher Baen Books
Publication date
 1992
Media type Print (Paperback)
Pages 501 pp
ISBN 0-671-72123-2
OCLC 25903328

The Undersea Trilogy is a series of three Science Fiction novels by authors Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson. The novels were first published by Gnome Press beginning in 1954. The novels were collected in a single omnibus volume published by Baen Books in 1992. The story takes place in and around the underwater dome city called Marinia. The hero of the stories is cadet Jim Eden of the Sub-Sea Academy.

Books in the Series

Undersea Quest

Undersea Quest
Author Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson
Illustrator First edition
Cover artist Ed Emshwiller
Country United States
Language English
Genre Science fiction novel
Publisher Gnome Press
Publication date
 1954
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 189 pp
OCLC 1804239
Followed by Undersea Fleet

Undersea Quest is the first volume of the trilogy. It was first published by Gnome Press in 1954 in an edition of 5,000 copies.

Plot Summary

Intrigue surrounds the mining of uranium beneath the underwater dome city of Marinia. Jim Eden, expelled from the Sub-Sea Academy on trumped-up charges, seeks out his uncle who disappeared while mining at the bottom of Eden Deep. While for looking clues to his uncle's disappearance, Jim runs into some men who try to stop him.

Reception

Galaxy reviewer Groff Conklin praised the novel's craft, but faulted its espousal of "the petrifying process that military academies put children through" and the "us-against-the-world" attitude it engendered.[1] Anthony Boucher received it favorably, commending its "vigorous storytelling [and] excellent detailing of the background of a submarine civilization."[2] P. Schuyler Miller found it "the kind of book that should predispose Captain Video fans to our kind of science fiction."[3]

Undersea Fleet

Undersea Fleet
Author Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson
Illustrator First edition
Cover artist Ed Emshwiller
Country United States
Language English
Genre Science fiction novel
Publisher Gnome Press
Publication date
 1956
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 187 pp
OCLC 1488168
Preceded by Undersea Quest
Followed by Undersea City

Undersea Fleet is the second volume of the trilogy. It was first published by Gnome Press in 1956 in an edition of 5,000 copies.

Plot Summary

David Craken, a firm believer in the existence of sea serpents, disappears in search of them only to reappear drifting offshore months later. His friend Jim Eden and members of the Sub-Sea Academy retrace David's journey and soon run into the strange creatures that had been only mythical before.

Reception

Galaxy reviewer Floyd C. Gale praised the novel for its "fast and furious" action.[4]

Undersea City

Undersea City
Author Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson
Illustrator First edition
Cover artist Wallace Wood
Country United States
Language English
Genre Science fiction novel
Publisher Gnome Press
Publication date
 1958
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 224 pp
OCLC 2195313
Preceded by Undersea Fleet

Undersea City is the third volume of the trilogy. If was first published by Gnome Press in 1958 in an edition of 5,000 copies, of which only 3,000 were bound.

Plot Summary

Krakatoan Dome was specifically designed to cope with the tremors of its earthquake prone area. Problems began when there were more quakes than any of the experts had counted on, which many suspected were being artificially created. The Sub-Sea Academy assigned Jim Eden to find out what was going on because of his experience working underwater and because his uncle was suspected of being the one behind the quakes.

Reception

Floyd C. Gale wrote that the book was "Frankly and honestly, a gee-whiz yarn, it reaches its target—youngsters—with plenty of mystery, action and suspense".[5]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1955, p.93
  2. ↑ "Recommended Reading," F&SF, September 1955, p.89.
  3. ↑ Miller, P. Schuyler. "The Reference Library," Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1955, p.152.
  4. ↑ "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, October 1957, p.123
  5. ↑ Gale, Floyd C. (1959-08). "Galaxy's 5 Star Star Shelf". Galaxy. pp. 138–142. Retrieved 14 June 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)

References

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