''The Mixed Men'' is a
fix-up
A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame s ...
novel of
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
short stories by Canadian-American writer
A. E. van Vogt
Alfred Elton van Vogt ( ; April 26, 1912 – January 26, 2000) was a Canadian-born American science fiction author. His fragmented, bizarre narrative style influenced later science fiction writers, notably Philip K. Dick. He was one of the ...
that focus on the mixed offspring of Dellian Supermen and human beings. The novel's title is taken from van Vogt's 1945 ''
Astounding SF
''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' short story "Mixed Men", which was nominated for a
Retro-Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
in 1996. The stories published in the novel were originally released between the years of 1943 to 1945 in ''Astounding SF'', with the novel being first published in a 5,000 copy printing in
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
by
Gnome Press
Gnome Press was an American small-press publishing company primarily known for publishing many science fiction classics. Gnome was one of the most eminent of the fan publishers of SF, producing 86 titles in its lifespan — many considered classic ...
and a 1955
Berkley Books edition under the title ''Mission to the Stars''.
The novel is an early example of "fix-up" literature where several stories are re-written to make one cohesive novel.
Contents
* "Concealment"
* "The Storm"
* "The Mixed Men"
* "Lost: Fifty Suns"
* "Is it true?"
Reception
Reception for the novel was negative, with a 1952 reviewer for the ''New York Times'' calling it a "bad parody" of science fiction and high adventure.
P. Schuyler Miller
Peter Schuyler Miller (February 21, 1912 – October 13, 1974) was an American science fiction writer and critic.
Life
Miller was raised in New York's Mohawk Valley, which led to a lifelong interest in the Iroquois Indians. He pursued this as ...
in ''
Astounding Science Fiction'' (1952) found the novel to be "distinctly minor van Vogt" and that the protagonist "isn't very convincing." Author
Bob Shaw
Robert Shaw (31 December 1931 – 11 February 1996) was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story "Light of Other Days" ...
later cited that one of the stories in the novel sparked his interest in the science fiction genre, stating that the "reading of that first story changed the entire course of my life".
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
1952 short story collections
Short story collections by A. E. van Vogt
Gnome Press books
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