Synopsis
Syl Webb, a man from the upper class finds himself penniless and gets drafted into service on a cargo space ship. He quickly gets caught up in a mutiny as the workers try to take over the ship.
History
First publication: Argosy September 13 1930
Review
In this one Starzl once again shows his humor, but also shows a crtical attitude towards capitalist society. I don’t know what his politics really were, but, based on this story, he may have been a socialist. Once again the characters are better than you would expect for 30s science fiction, but still below what we are used to today. The story describes a brutal mutiny on board the spaceship. Syl Webb of course is the hero of the story. Despite the social commentary, despite the better than usual characters, and despite the horrific descriptions of the battle, the story is once again falling short, leaving a lot of unrealized potential. I feel with more effort Strarzl could have been the top sf writer of his day, but it just isn’t happening in this story. Good story, but only recommended to those who want to explore the beginnings of the genre.
