Author: Jock Reynolds

<i>The Mysteries of London</i> was a best-selling novel in mid-Victorian England. The first series was published in weekly instalments from 1844-46, priced at a penny each. Serialised novels sold in this way were known as Penny Dreadfuls … without any claim to literary greatness, they sought to provide ongoing entertainment for the popular audience. This book has it all -- vice, poverty, wealth, virtue, in every combination. Consider it a Victorian soap opera.<br />Summary by Cori Samuel.<br /><br />Note: this project only covers half of volume 1. To be continued!

2Ultima Thule

By Mack Reynolds

Ronny Bronston has dreamed all his life of getting a United Planets job that would take him off-world. He finally gets the opportunity when he is given a provisional assignment with Bureau of Investigation, Section G. But will he be able to complete his assignment and find the elusive Tommy Paine?

3Mercenary

By Mack Reynolds

Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior. But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning... (Introduction from the Gutenberg text)

The Mysteries of London was a best-selling novel in mid-Victorian England. The first series was published in weekly instalments from 1844-46, priced at a penny each. Serialised novels sold in this way were known as Penny Dreadfuls … without any claim to literary greatness, they sought to provide ongoing entertainment for the popular audience.<br /><br /> When first published, this book was intended for an adult audience. The crime and vice involved would have had a terrible effect on the Young Mind of the Victorian Era. However, it’s less likely to cause offence or concern now, though I don’t recommend it for younger children. - Summary by Cori

5International Short Stories Volume 3: French Stories

By Francis J. Reynolds and Various

The third book of a three volume anthology of international short stories, we now turn to French stories. Authors include Honoré de Balzac, Voltaire, Guy de Maupassant, Victor Hugo and more. Compiled and translated by Francis J. Reynolds. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

Five early stories by one of my favorite SF writers, Mack Reynolds. Medal of Honor is an intriguing look into the mind of someone who is above the law; who cannot commit a crime. How will he act? especially if he is a self centered drunk? Potential Enemy is story about the sad state of human minds that are ruled by fear and paranoia. Happy Ending is an SF story about the far future when the last solar system wide dictator has been finally defeated and what will he do? What will he do? This is also an exploration of mental megalomania and it's effects. His happy ending is perhaps suitable, but probably not so happy. A Gun For Hire explores in a light-hearted but painful way, the fact that hired guns are just that: hired. The final story is the funniest of the lot the and is set in Tangiers in the present or very near future. UFO's are a crackpot idea, right? Well, perhaps not. - Summary by Phil Chenevert

7Status Quo

By Mack Reynolds

Larry Woolford is a government agent, tasked with investigating subversive activity. He does everything an ambitious young man should do if he wants to succeed: wear the right clothes, listen to the right music, even drink vodka martinis. Then he stumbles across a conspiracy of Weirds plotting to overthrow the entire existing social order. It's a race against time. Can he stop their fiendish plan, and keep America safe for shallow judgements based on status symbols?<br /><br /> Status Quo was nominated for the 1962 Hugo Award for short fiction. - Summary by Peter Eastman

8Mysteries of London Vol. II

By George W. M. Reynolds

The Mysteries of London was a best-selling novel in mid-Victorian England, published in four volumes. This is the second volume. Initially serialized in weekly installments, they were the forerunners of today's soap operas. Known as "Penny Dreadfuls", they had no claim to literary brilliance but offered readers entertainment and excitement in the form of vice, poverty, wealth, virtue, mystery and scandal in every combination and reached a mass audience. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

9Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf

By George W. M. Reynolds

Wagner is a poor, lonely old shepherd living on the edge of the Black Forest. In a devil's pact he gains youth and wealth for the price of transforming into a ravenous wolf once a month. This book contains everything from murder, kidnap, robbery, sadistic nuns and lust to war in sixteenth century Italy. Originally published in a serialised form, this penny dreadful is definitely not a piece of fine literature, but is hopefully entertaining. <br> </br> This book contains racial and other prejudices that were once commonplace. They are retained, as originally written in this recording, because to do otherwise would be to deny they existed. - Summary by clarinetcarrot

10Mysteries of London Vol. III

By George W. M. Reynolds

The Mysteries of London was a best-selling novel in mid-Victorian England, published in four volumes. This is the third volume. Initially serialized in weekly installments, they were the forerunners of today's soap operas. Known as "Penny Dreadfuls", they had no claim to literary brilliance but offered readers entertainment and excitement in the form of vice, poverty, wealth, virtue, mystery, romance and scandal in every combination and reached a mass audience. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

11Mysteries of London Vol. IV

By George W. M. Reynolds

The Mysteries of London was a best-selling novel in mid-Victorian England, published in four volumes. This is the fourth and final volume. Initially serialized in weekly installments, they were the forerunners of today's soap operas. Known as "Penny Dreadfuls", they had no claim to literary brilliance but offered readers entertainment and excitement in the form of vice, poverty, wealth, virtue, mystery, romance and scandal in every combination and reached a mass audience. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

12Frigid Fracas

By Mack Reynolds

In any status-hungry culture, the level a man is assigned depends on what people think he is—not on what he is. And that, of course, means that only the deliberately phony has real status! - Summary by Mack Reynolds

13Revolution

By Mack Reynolds

The collapse of the U.S.S.R. in the future. What would happen after a collapse? This story is set many years before the actual collapse of the Soviet Union when there was speculation that questioned what the world would look like, and what would happen to the future of the Soviet State. This Mack Reynolds science fiction book presents one possible reality that could come to life in this futuristic view of the world. - Summary by Paul Harvey

14Green Valley

By Katharine Yirsa Reynolds

"Traveling men have a poor opinion of it. Ministers of the gospel have been known to despair of it. Socially ambitious matrons move out of it, or, if that is not possible, despise it. Real estate men can not get rich in it. And humorless folk sometimes have a hard, sad time of it in Green Valley". This is an authentic novel about a small town in the USA. A book about what people tell and don't tell, loves and losses, and the importance of community. Community life which did not go away. - Summary by Stav Nisser

15Adaptation

By Mack Reynolds

In 1960 when this was published, the Cold War was at its height. Communism and Free Enterprise (Democracy) were locked in a ferocious struggle to prove that their political ideology was the best form of government for human kind. No holds were barred in this fight; propaganda was poured forth by both sides in a constant push to be seen as better, more progressive, more productive. Nuclear war was a constant threat. I know, I lived through that time. Thankfully the world came through that stressful time without a hot war but the question was not really settled: which is the better system? This story explores that question. "Hardly had man solved his basic problems on the planet of his origin than he began to fumble into space. Barely a century had elapsed in the exploration of the Solar System than he began to grope for the stars. And suddenly, with an all but religious zeal, mankind conceived its fantasy dream of populating the galaxy." summary by Phil chenevert and the author

4 Science Fiction Stories by the quirky Mack Reynolds from the golden age of SF, the 1950s - Summary by phil chenevert

175 SF stories by Mack Reynolds

By Mack Reynolds

Five Science Fiction stories from the strange mind of Mack Reynolds. Always innovative and interesting, these were published in the early science fiction and fantasy magazines of the 1940's and 50's. - Summary by phil chenevert