Masters of Time, by A.E. van Vogt

February 25, 2009 by
Filed under: A.E. van Vogt, book review, Fiction, Science Fiction 

A.E. van Vogt (actually Alfred Elton van Vogt, April 26, 1912 – Masters of Time, by A. E. van VogtJanuary 26, 2000) was one the the classical masters of science fiction, and one of my favorites as well. Masters of Time is one of his earliest works, a real classic science fiction story. So to some extent Masters of Time is, and should be read as, an example of the first primitive attempts at writing modern science fiction. This novel from the early 1940s was first published in the pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction.

A woman, Norma, is contacted, and offered a job. She finds out that her secretarial job is in a business which exists as a front for a recruiting station for a war in the distant future. As well, Indeed, Norma’s boyfriend professor Garson is caught up in this. The man who hires Norma is a tall, powerful, and callous individual named Dr. Lell, who turns out to be one of the Masters of Time.

Taking place in a multidimensional matrix of space and time, we follow Norma’s and Garson’s attempts understand the frightening new technoligies used to control them, the operation of the future cultures, and the new concepts of time and space forces upon them. Also, of course, they seek to be free and return to their own time. And the technologies are powerful indeed – Dr. Lell, for instance, can make Norma older or younger at will.

The storyline in Masters of Time is at times a little hard to follow. Yet, to me, this book is very interesting, and rereading it I am still amazed by the level of sophistication of A. E. van Vogt’s thinking and plotting. Relative to the time period of its writing this is an impressive book, and still worth a reading!

Unfortunately, some of A.E. van Vogt’s books are getting hard to find.
Order A. E. van Vogt from amazon US: Masters of Time, and see also his wonderful books Slan: A Novel, The World of Null-A, and The War Against the Rull.
You can also order books by A.E. van Vogt from amazon UK: Masters of Time, Slan, The World of Null-A, and War Against The Rull.

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