A. Bertram Chandler

A. Bertram Chandler (1912-1984) was born on this date, March 28, in England. He emigrated to Australia in 1956 and is generally considered to be an Australian author.  He has fallen into a bit of obscurity today, although he is still remembered for his stories and novels of John Grimes.  This space opera series follows Grimes through his career as a cadet, officer, pirate, and independent trader.  I’ve only read a few of the stories, but what I have read, I’ve enjoyed. The entire Grimes series is available in six omnibus editions from Baen.  Depending on how much free time this work from home situation leaves me, I might give that series a go from the beginning.

Chandler spent his life in the merchant marines, and this experience is reflected in his fiction.  I’ve heard the Grimes books described as nautical novels set in space.

Chandler started his writing career in the mid-1940s, with many of his first stories appearing in Campbell’s Astounding.  While a few of these stories have been reprinted, there has never been a career retrospective of his non-Grimes work. The closest thing was the NESFA volume Up to the Sky in Ships.

In addition to being a birthday post, this is also an Astounding 90th anniversary post.  “The Cage” is arguably Chandler’s best known story that doesn’t concern Grimes.  The other one that’s well-known is his fourth published story, “Giant Killer”, from the October 1945 issue of Astounding.  That’s what we’re going to look at today.  There will be spoilers. Continue reading →