A Bertram Chandler - Guest Book

Thank you for the site. ABC is one of my favorites and have read his work for a long time, used to wait for the next one to come out. My wee library is in a seperate building from the main house and will have a board above the door with the famous quote as soon as I can get around to it. Mike Melick 11/7/2008 9:04:29 AM Astounding, September 1952 - Frontier of the Dark An experiment: this is a science-fiction fantasy - yet whether such things might be valid for humans or not - they'd make peculiarly dangerous enemies!
David, the new version of the site looks great! Except for the purple octopi from the next galaxy but three... steve davidson 9/9/2008 10:05:00 AM A Bertram Chandler was one of those writers who never became a real "star". His fans are myriad, his books always sold, and long will he be remembered. But he was never a star writer. He did not win the prestigious American Awards, he wasn't reviewed by critics, he was just loved by those who read him. Joe Billings
I can't tell you when I first read about John Grimes but I know it was one of the Ace Doubles from the 1960's. It 40 years later and I prize those books. I don't know what the far future will be like but I like to think that somewhere,there is a place in time or other dimensions that Grimes universe lives. I just finished reareading The Big Black Mark and I want to go visit Botony Bay. "Jack" Chandlers been dead now for 24 years but in many ways like this he is immortal. I'm 59 now and for the rest of my life I get to rearead these stories that breathe life and live in my mind. Star Trek is to busy at times. The Lord of the Rings to fantastic.... but Commodore Grimes and his career seem plausible. I often wonder what would have happened it he and CS Forrester met. My one regret with all these stories and novels is that there is no complete edition to buy and read. I think that the think I like most about these stories is the humaness. We tend to idolize heros and these books show that that much of the time its the challenge that makes the man, and sometimes luck. Call it Grimes Luck. It's too bad that Jack Chandler did not have time write a few more of these tales. But as with other writers like Gordon Dickson, Keith Laumer, each man or woman has their time. We were in luck Captain Chandler was with us to share his unique view of the the world. Jack... Bless Your Hide. If this be Liberty Hall... then I would shake your hand. My name says I'm a Welshman,my genes say I'm Northern Europena but as a born American as you are an Australian. I want to send you greeting from the United States to where or when or in what dimension of Universe God may have put you soul. Gnight Mate Wes Prichard 9/3/2008 2:48:26 AM Amazing, August 1960 - The Habit Tillot tangled with time once...twice...once too often...and then found he couldn't break the 'The Habit'
The Hallichecki (sp?) were quite the villainous species (avian in origin) in "Space Mercenaries", a book I read im the mid-60's as a child. The bit of tech I liked was the psionic jammer, which was a bit of cat's brain in some sort of vial that raised havoc with the Hallichecki's psi powers. Find the primal fear and broadcast toward that seemed to be a good solution toward psi-powered species, like the Greys of UFO lore, if lore it be. I also enjoyed how the blockaded planet was similar to Israel of that time, which was surrounded by hostile powers. The planet's name escapes me as it has been over 40 years since I read the book but it was an oasis of humanity in a hostile environment, which is a pretty good conflict situation to begin with but that conflict gets amplified by the nature of the Hallichecki, which resembles the worst of the Nazi/Communist tyrannies trying to stamp out free societies. Chandler, having seen the two World Wars, the Great Depression and the Cold War, does a fine job in bringing the raw emotions of the 20th century into a future setting in "Space Mercenaries". It gets a thumbs up as a good read for those interested in lesser-known works. I do wish this universe of Chandler's had been more fleshed out with further stories but only 3 were ever written as it turns out. What he did write was mighty fine though! R.A. Pennington 7/30/2008 3:02:35 AM Japan Chandler had many fans in Japan and 1976 he was Guest of Honor at that year's Science Fiction convention in Yokohama.
I have enjoyed the RIM series since the 1960s - and I am ordering the SFBC series to read on my airplane trips. It seems to me that ABC was a good person and a good writer. I would love to have met him and spoken with him. That's the problem with life - you cannot meet and interact with the number of fascinating (and genuinely good people) like ABC. Here's to ABC ... Dan 1/10/2008 3:48:57 AM The Streaker - A.B. Chandler My heart leapt up when I beheld A streaker in the street, A bushy-pussied brunette With a figure nudely neat
Mr Chandler was a gentleman who was always a pleasure to meet. So happy to see this fine writer getting his due somewhat.. Peter Greenwood 10/11/2007 1:16:24 AM The Original Science Fiction, September 1957 - The Principle People have talked about the innate perversity of objects for years... but has anyone tried to figure out whether there are any laws about it?
Great website, and quite a tribute to an unusual man. I'm a big Grimes fan, which of course makes me a big Chandler fan. I'll bet if ABC conjured "autobiographical notes" for himself, we'd discover a shirt-tail relationship to one "R. Chandler," mid 20th Century (old calendar) teller of sensational tales. Ron Legro 9/28/2007 9:09:14 AM To Sea A Bertram Chandler left school at the age of 16 as an apprentice Sun Shipping Company (known to its personnel as the Bum Shipping Company) of London.
Baen has a second bundle of Grimes eBooks up. A low price for a lot of great adventures--Free Trader, Matilda's Stepchildren and more! Fred Kiesche 9/25/2007 4:10:15 AM Kangaroos Don't Smoke Long, long ago, when the emus flew And koala bears had tails, Before that bloke called Captain Cook Had landed in New South Wales, Before that hound, the dingo, found Trees south of Capricorn, Before the rabbits sexual habits Made graziers forlorn; Long, long before steam, sail or oar Surged under The Bridge's span, There passed a race who left no trace -- The true, Marsupial Man.
Huzzah! Baen Books has released the first batch of Grimes tales (when he was in the Survey Service) as DRM-free eBooks! Right now it is a good price for the whole bundle. If there are enough sales, they'll release the remainder of the series. Multiple formats (HTML, Mobipocket, etc.). (No I don't work for Baen. Yes, I do spend way too much money on their books.) Fred Kiesche 6/21/2007 10:16:09 AM Early Life A Bertram Chandler was born on March 28, 1912 in Aldershot in the county of Hampshire, in England. Most of his early years were spent in the town of Beccles in Suffolk.
Mr. A. Bertram Chandler, was a one of the greatest of Science Fiction writers. I was introduced to his Space operas during the late 1970's, and read many of his John Grimes books. Thoses books reminded me of the Hornblower books. I also spent my adult life on U.S. Public Vessels going to sea. Much of the tailes told are very familar to thoughs of us that did go to sea for a living. I am glad to have found this site as over the years I have missed Mr. chandler and his stories. David A Moehrke 5/27/2007 1:41:08 AM Astounding, August 1959 - The Outsiders There's always a backwater area - the sticks - a place that isn't a frontier because it isn't on the way to anywhere, isn't anything itself. And always some people who live there. In the galaxy it was the Rim. It wasn't anywhere, and there wasn't any place to go…

Thank you for the site. ABC is one of my favorites and have read his work for a long time, used to wait for the next one to come out. My wee library is in a seperate building from the main house and will have a board above the door with the famous quote as soon as I can get around to it.

Mike Melick 11/7/2008 9:04:29 AM

Astounding, September 1952 - Frontier of the Dark

An experiment: this is a science-fiction fantasy - yet whether such things might be valid for humans or not - they'd make peculiarly dangerous enemies!

David, the new version of the site looks great!

Except for the purple octopi from the next galaxy but three...

steve davidson 9/9/2008 10:05:00 AM

A Bertram Chandler was one of those writers who never became a real "star". His fans are myriad, his books always sold, and long will he be remembered. But he was never a star writer. He did not win the prestigious American Awards, he wasn't reviewed by critics, he was just loved by those who read him.

Joe Billings

I can't tell you when I first read about John Grimes but I know it was one of the Ace Doubles from the 1960's. It 40 years later and I prize those books. I don't know what the far future will be like but I like to think that somewhere,there is a place in time or other dimensions that Grimes universe lives. I just finished reareading The Big Black Mark and I want to go visit Botony Bay. "Jack" Chandlers been dead now for 24 years but in many ways like this he is immortal. I'm 59 now and for the rest of my life I get to rearead these stories that breathe life and live in my mind. Star Trek is to busy at times. The Lord of the Rings to fantastic.... but Commodore Grimes and his career seem plausible. I often wonder what would have happened it he and CS Forrester met. My one regret with all these stories and novels is that there is no complete edition to buy and read. I think that the think I like most about these stories is the humaness. We tend to idolize heros and these books show that that much of the time its the challenge that makes the man, and sometimes luck. Call it Grimes Luck.
It's too bad that Jack Chandler did not have time write a few more of these tales. But as with other writers like Gordon Dickson, Keith Laumer, each man or woman has their time.

We were in luck Captain Chandler was with us to share his unique view of the the world.

Jack... Bless Your Hide. If this be Liberty Hall... then I would shake your hand.

My name says I'm a Welshman,my genes say I'm
Northern Europena but as a born American as you are an Australian. I want to send you greeting from the United States to where or when or in what dimension of Universe God may have put you soul.

Gnight Mate

Wes Prichard 9/3/2008 2:48:26 AM

Amazing, August 1960 - The Habit

Tillot tangled with time once...twice...once too often...and then found he couldn't break the 'The Habit'

The Hallichecki (sp?) were quite the villainous species (avian in origin) in "Space Mercenaries", a book I read im the mid-60's as a child. The bit of tech I liked was the psionic jammer, which was a bit of cat's brain in some sort of vial that raised havoc with the Hallichecki's psi powers. Find the primal fear and broadcast toward that seemed to be a good solution toward psi-powered species, like the Greys of UFO lore, if lore it be.

I also enjoyed how the blockaded planet was similar to Israel of that time, which was surrounded by hostile powers. The planet's name escapes me as it has been over 40 years since I read the book but it was an oasis of humanity in a hostile environment, which is a pretty good conflict situation to begin with but that conflict gets amplified by the nature of the Hallichecki, which resembles the worst of the Nazi/Communist tyrannies trying to stamp out free societies. Chandler, having seen the two World Wars, the Great Depression and the Cold War, does a fine job in bringing the raw emotions of the 20th century into a future setting in "Space Mercenaries". It gets a thumbs up as a good read for those interested in lesser-known works. I do wish this universe of Chandler's had been more fleshed out with further stories but only 3 were ever written as it turns out. What he did write was mighty fine though!

R.A. Pennington 7/30/2008 3:02:35 AM

Japan

Chandler had many fans in Japan and 1976 he was Guest of Honor at that year's Science Fiction convention in Yokohama.

I have enjoyed the RIM series since the 1960s - and I am ordering the SFBC series to read on my airplane trips. It seems to me that ABC was a good person and a good writer. I would love to have met him and spoken with him. That's the problem with life - you cannot meet and interact with the number of fascinating (and genuinely good people) like ABC. Here's to ABC ...

Dan 1/10/2008 3:48:57 AM

The Streaker - A.B. Chandler

My heart leapt up when I beheld
A streaker in the street,
A bushy-pussied brunette
With a figure nudely neat

Mr Chandler was a gentleman who was always a pleasure to meet.
So happy to see this fine writer getting his due somewhat..

Peter Greenwood 10/11/2007 1:16:24 AM

The Original Science Fiction, September 1957 - The Principle

People have talked about the innate perversity of objects for years... but has anyone tried to figure out whether there are any laws about it?

Great website, and quite a tribute to an unusual man. I'm a big Grimes fan, which of course makes me a big Chandler fan. I'll bet if ABC conjured "autobiographical notes" for himself, we'd discover a shirt-tail relationship to one "R. Chandler," mid 20th Century (old calendar) teller of sensational tales.

Ron Legro 9/28/2007 9:09:14 AM

To Sea

A Bertram Chandler left school at the age of 16 as an apprentice Sun Shipping Company (known to its personnel as the Bum Shipping Company) of London.

Baen has a second bundle of Grimes eBooks up. A low price for a lot of great adventures--Free Trader, Matilda's Stepchildren and more!

Fred Kiesche 9/25/2007 4:10:15 AM

Kangaroos Don't Smoke

Long, long ago, when the emus flew
And koala bears had tails,
Before that bloke called Captain Cook
Had landed in New South Wales,
Before that hound, the dingo, found
Trees south of Capricorn,
Before the rabbits sexual habits
Made graziers forlorn;
Long, long before steam, sail or oar
Surged under The Bridge's span,
There passed a race who left no trace
-- The true, Marsupial Man.

Huzzah! Baen Books has released the first batch of Grimes tales (when he was in the Survey Service) as DRM-free eBooks! Right now it is a good price for the whole bundle. If there are enough sales, they'll release the remainder of the series. Multiple formats (HTML, Mobipocket, etc.).

(No I don't work for Baen. Yes, I do spend way too much money on their books.)

Fred Kiesche 6/21/2007 10:16:09 AM

Early Life

A Bertram Chandler was born on March 28, 1912 in Aldershot in the county of Hampshire, in England. Most of his early years were spent in the town of Beccles in Suffolk.

Mr. A. Bertram Chandler, was a one of the greatest of Science Fiction writers. I was introduced to his Space operas during the late 1970's, and read many of his John Grimes books.
Thoses books reminded me of the Hornblower books. I also spent my adult life on U.S. Public Vessels going to sea. Much of the tailes told are very familar to thoughs of us that did go to sea for a living. I am glad to have found this site as over the years I have missed Mr. chandler and his stories.

David A Moehrke 5/27/2007 1:41:08 AM

Astounding, August 1959 - The Outsiders

There's always a backwater area - the sticks - a place that isn't a frontier because it isn't on the way to anywhere, isn't anything itself. And always some people who live there. In the galaxy it was the Rim. It wasn't anywhere, and there wasn't any place to go…