Next of Kin

by Eric Frank Russell

Scout-Officer John Leeming knew from the very start that his reconnaissance mission deep into enemy territory would likely be a one-way trip. But, after he crash-lands on a far distant planet and becomes a prisoner of ruthless aliens, he knows he can't just give up. Armed with only a piece of wood, a coil of copperlike wire, his quick wits, and an imaginary ally called Eustace, Leeming embarks on a brilliant campaign to gain his freedom--and undermine the alien war effort, too. This original, full-length version of one of Russell's most popular stories, "Plus X," is amusing, adventurous, fast moving, and razor sharp. Poking fun at bone-headed and inflexible bureaucrats and institutions, it ranks among his very best work.


Also known as "The Space Willies" when published as part of an Ace Double:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Humor, 20th Century, Short Stories, Classics, Fantasy

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1959

About the author

Eric Frank Russell was a British author best known for his science fiction novels and short stories. Much of his work was first published in the United States, in John W. Campbell's Astounding Science Fiction and other pulp magazines. Russell also wrote horror fiction for Weird Tales, and non-fiction articles on Fortean topics. A few of his stories were published under pseudonyms, of which Duncan H. Munro was used most often.

Reviews

[Edwin Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very amusing story. Starts a little slow but picks up pace very quickly. Regrettably, the Kindle version I read had several formatting issues and a few obvious typos from having the original text scanned with OCR software and not being proofread afterwards.

I think I'll set my Eustace loose on anyone who doesn't share my opinion. (If you want to know what the heck I'm talking about, just read the book)

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Τον Μάιο του 2018 διάβασα και απόλαυσα το πιο γνωστό και πολυδιαβασμένο μυθιστόρημα του Έρικ Φρανκ Ράσελ, το πραγματικά εξαιρετικό "Σφήκα", ένα απόλυτα ψυχαγωγικό μυθιστόρημα επιστημονικής φαντασίας γεμάτο δράση, τρέλα και χιούμορ. Τώρα, δυο χρόνια αργότερα (παρά έναν μήνα), διαβάζω άλλο ένα μυθιστόρημα του συγγραφέα, λιγότερο γνωστό αλλά εξίσου απολαυστικό, το οποίο με τη σειρά του μου χάρισε λίγες ώρες αναγνωστικής ξεγνοιασιάς. Ο Έρικ Φρανκ Ράσελ την βρίσκει να σατιρίζει και να γελοιοποιεί τη στρατιωτική γραφειοκρατία και ιεραρχία, με τους πρωταγωνιστές του να σπάνε πλάκα, τόσο με τους ανώτερους στην ιεραρχία αξιωματικούς, όσο κυρίως με τους εχθρούς τους. Εδώ ο πρωταγωνιστής έδωσε πραγματικά ρεσιτάλ με το μυαλό και την ευφράδειά του, αν και βέβαια ήταν σαν να έκλεβε εκκλησία, έτσι χάπατα και ζωντόβολα όπως ήταν αυτοί που έπρεπε να αντιμετωπίσει. Η ιστορία προσφέρει δράση, τρέλα και πολλές αστείες στιγμές, αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση δεν μπορείς να την πάρεις και τελείως στα σοβαρά. Άλλωστε, δεν ήταν αυτός ο σκοπός του συγγραφέα! Η γραφή είναι πραγματικά απολαυστική, με ζωντανές περιγραφές και φοβερούς διαλόγους (η μια ατάκα διαδέχεται την άλλη), σίγουρα κάποιος θα περάσει τέλεια την ώρα του, αν έχει μια κάποια αίσθηση του χιούμορ και χαλαρή διάθεση σαν αναγνώστης. Όσον αφορά τη μετάφραση, από τη στιγμή που μιλάμε για τον Γιώργο Μπαλάνο, δεν θα μπορούσε παρά να είναι καταπληκτική και άκρως γλαφυρή.

[Ewen Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old but not outdated, this book is a hilarious read and a fine alternative to dingy militaristic scifi.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 stars. After really liking two of Eric Frank Russell's other works, the novel Wasp and the short story "Allamagoosa", I was disappointed in this novel. The story is about a space navy malcontent (a typical Russell protagonist) who volunteers to test out a long range scout ship and ends up crash landing on an enemy planet. I actually liked the first several chapters and thought the writing was witty and main character engaging. Russell, as usual, spends considerable time poking fun at military bureaucracy. However, after the introduction, I noticed that I was no longer chuckling and the writing became fairly dry. There were a few other nice moments, but not enough for me to say that I liked it. It wasn't bad, it was just okay.

[Tim Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm old enough to have read quite a lot of older SF. Maybe that's why I liked this one so much. Essentially it's yer basic late-50s space adventure except that the lead character is perhaps the most outrageous liar in all of fiction. Almost as bad as a modern politician. Also a bureaucracy-hater well past the Cpl. Klinger zone.

When I say "basic late-50s" I mean the kind where every pilot can fly any space ship, and the ships all have the key in the ignition, and it's understood that the super fast ship drive works by (hand wave, hand wave). The ship stands on its tail and people enter it by ladder. A randomly chosen planet will turn out to have breathable air and drinkable water. No one ever performs any excretory functions. You just have to let that go and enjoy the story.

This is the novel-length version of Russell's short story "Plus X", but doesn't feel like a stretched tale. There's a setup, a bit of travel to get Leeming where he needs to be, a bit of post-crash run-hide-run-hide, then he finally faces down the enemy and starts doing some truly righteous lying.

All that and it's funny, too. A wonderful light read.

[Ord_joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this about 20 times. I never get tired of it. Great book.

[Tommy Verhaegen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een boek van topper Eric Frank Russell dat in de Nederlandse vertaling verscheen in de beroemde Tijger pockets serie: dat kan niet slecht zijn.
De legende wil dat na het verschijnen van Wesp, waarin een Terraan ver achter de linies helemaal in zijn eentje een aanslepende oorlog een beslissende positieve wending geeft, iemand Russel, al lachend voor de voeten wiepr dat die Terraan wel beschikte overs een schier onbeperkte voorraad technisch zeer geavanceerde hulpmiddelen. Als reactie zou Russel dit boek geschreven hebben, gewoon om te bewijzen dat hij het kon. Dat hij er zelf enorm veel plezier aan beleefde druipt van elke bladzijde af. Het is dan ook een mengeling geworden van een aantal klassieke elementen aangevuld met absurditeiten die toch allemaal naadloos in mekaar passen en geloofwaardig overkomen. Klassiek is het begin, een situatieschets en een ruimtereis in een verkenningsraket al zit ook dat al vol humor, het neerstorten op een vijandige planeet en het proberen te overleven achter vijandelijke linies.
Gevangen genomen worden en ontsnappingspogingen en -plannen klinken nog normaal, maar zijn het niet zoals Russell het vertelt. En wat er dan gebeurt tart elke beschrijving, het is te zeggen, enkel Eric Frank Russel zelf kan dit beschrijven. Dit is een boek dat je echt moet lezen.
Ik vraag me af of dit het eerste boek was dat dit soort absurde humor in de Sci-Fi bracht.
Dat het ondertussen meer dan vijftig jaar oud is blijkt vooral uit de woordenschat maar dat doet niet echt af van het leesgenot.

[Reet · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟
I would've rated it 4 🌟 but for the homophobic slur stuck smack-dab in the middle of the story. A discipline-weary flyer for the military volunteers for a scouting expedition deep into enemy space during a war. Being overambitious, and loving the fast little scout ship he'd been assigned, he reconnoitered way more planets than he'd been expected to, and as a result, blew out most of his exhaust tubes and had to make a forced landing on a hostile planet. Surviving by his wits for days, he's eventually taken prisoner and must find a way to escape, using only his brains, his Willies, and his Eustaces? A hilarious use of the language and appreciated character development.

[Alexander Theofanidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Όταν ο (γνωστός στο… καθόλου ευρύ κοινό για τις αντικομφορμιστικές του διαθέσεις και για την απέχθεια προς τις στολές, τα κοφτά παραγγέλματα και την άκαμπτη στρατιωτική λογική -ή την έλλειψή της) Eric Frank Russel επιστρατεύει το χιούμορ, το αποτέλεσμα είναι καλό. Εννοώ, πολύ καλό.

Ο χαμηλόβαθμός αξιωματικός της Διαστημικής Υπηρεσίας Αναγνώρισης Τζόνσον, μετά από μια τρελή κούρσα με ένα ταχύτατο αναγνωριστικό σκάφος πίσω από τις γραμμές του εχθρού (εξωγήινου εχθρού, μην ξεχνιέστε), αιχμαλωτίζεται από τους (εξωγήινους, είπαμε) Χιαν και φυλακίζεται.

Αν έχετε παραμικρή επαφή με το έργο του Ράσελ, θα ψυλλιάζεστε ότι δεν ακολουθεί η κλασική ιστορία απόδρασης με μυώνες να φουσκώνουν, αστρόπλοια να τινάζονται στο υπερδιάστημα και εχθρούς να θερίζονται από λέιζερ. Και θα έχετε απόλυτο δίκιο. Γιατί ο μέσος ήρωας του Ράσελ χρησιμοποιεί περισσότερο το μυαλό του και λιγότερο τα μπράτσα του (ακόμα κι αν το μυαλό είναι ελαφρώς λάσκα, όπως στο εξαιρετικό διήγημα Diabologic).

Για να μη σας κουράζω, σε μια εκπληκτική, βαθιά φιλοσοφημένη και μέχρι δακρύων αστεία αλληγορία για τη δύναμη της ανθρώπινης εφευρετικότητας, την απύθμενη ιδιωτεία της γραφειοκρατίας και τη σχετικότητα της εξουσίας, ο Ράσελ παραδίδει ένα σεμινάριο γραφής πάνω στον ψυχολογικό πόλεμο, τις στρατηγικές των απατεώνων, το ψέμα, τη μπλόφα και (παρά το γεγονός ότι εφαρμόζεται σε εξωγήινους, είναι σαφέστατο ότι ο φακός του συγγραφέα είναι στραμμένος στον άνθρωπο) την εκμετάλλευση του φόβου για το άγνωστο.

Ο Τζόνσον, μόνος, έτη φωτός από κάθε βοήθεια, χωρίς προοπτικές διάσωσης μέσα στο προσδόκιμο ζωής του, πείθε τους φύλακές του ότι ανήκει σε μια φυλή οντοτήτων που θα τους κονιορτοποιήσει αν μάθει ότι ένας δικός τους είναι αιχμάλωτος των Χιαν (η ιδέα είναι απλή και ακούγεται απλοϊκή, αλλά η υλοποίηση είναι αριστοτεχνική -χώρια ο κίνδυνος να «πάθεις λάστιχο» από τα γέλια). Το αποτέλεσμα είναι οι πνιγμένοι στη γραφειοκρατία και τις αγκυλώσεις της απαγωγείς να αρχίσουν να αντιμετωπίζουν τον αιχμάλωτο με ολοένα αυξανόμενη ανησυχία και επιφυλάξεις.

Η ζωηρή και γεμάτη κοφτερούς σαν ξυράφια διαλόγους αφήγηση καθώς και ατάκες που ενσαρκώνουν τη σπιρτάδα του Russell απογειώνουν το χαρακτήρα του Τζόνσον και τον βάζουν στο βάθρο με τους πιο σατανικά απολαυστικούς fictional chars. Η υλοποίηση της περσόνας του «απατεώνα» που είναι στρυμωγμένος στη γωνία και πρέπει να χρησιμοποιήσει το μοναδικό μέσο που έχει στην κατοχή του, δηλαδή την ικανότητα ελέγχου της αντίληψης των άλλων είναι μοναδική. Είναι ένας από τους πιο διασκεδαστικούς χαρακτήρες της κλασικής επιστημονικής φαντασίας, ένας αδιόρθωτος απατεώνας που γνωρίζει ότι η πιο ισχυρή δύναμη στο σύμπαν δεν είναι τα λέιζερ ή οι διαστημικοί στόλοι, αλλά η ικανότητα να ελέγχεις την αντίληψη των άλλων.

Η σταδιακή κατάρρευση της λογικής των Χιάν μπροστά στη δύναμη της παραπληροφόρησης, είναι απολαυστική και παράλληλα εξαιρετικά διδακτική. Ο αιχμάλωτος δεν έχει τη δυνατότητα να αντιπαρατεθεί με όρους ισχύος ή τεχνολογίας, αλλά επιτυγχάνει το στόχο του (ίσως… πολύ καλύτερα) με αφηγήσεις, με διαδόσεις που διαδίδονται και μετασχηματίζονται σε τέτοιο βαθμό ώστε στο τέλος εξωγήινοι τρομοκρατούνται τόσο πολύ που φοβούνται ακόμα και να τον ακουμπήσουν.

Ο τρόπος με τον οποίο οι καταστάσεις χτίζονται μεθοδικά μέχρι την τελική κορύφωση είναι ένα δείγμα της αφηγηματικής δεξιοτεχνίας του Russell (που, να θυμίσουμε εδώ, έχει τα χαρά να έχει δει μεταφρασμένα μερικά μόνο διηγήματά του στο Ελλαδιστάν). Η κωμική ένταση αυξάνεται σταδιακά, καθώς οι Χιάν, ανίκανοι να επεξεργαστούν την ιδέα ενός Γουίλι που κυκλοφορεί ελεύθερα ανάμεσά τους, βυθίζονται σε έναν παραλογισμό που μοιάζει ταυτόχρονα με σάτιρα και με υπαρξιακή κρίση.

Μπορεί το pattern της νίκης του αδύναμου χάρη στην ευφιΐα και την τακτική να είναι κλισέ, αλλά εδώ μιλάμε για Eric Frank Russell: Η πλοκή και οι τακτική που ακολουθείται δείχνει φρέσκια, τραγανή και σπαρταριστή, σα να ξεπήδησε μόλις από τις θεωρίες της Γενικής Σημασιολογίας του Korzybski (η γλώσσα διαμορφώνει τη σκέψη και την πραγματικότητα, η κοινωνία βασίζεται στην πλήρη αυτοδιάθεση, χωρίς επιβολή εξουσίας -> η γλώσσα μπορεί να αλλάξει τον τρόπο που οι άνθρωποι σχετίζονται με την εξουσία) που διαποτίζουν μεγάλο μέρος της δουλειάς του E.F.R.). Αν σας άρεσε το Catch-22 ή/και o Douglas Adams, θα λατρέψετε το Next of Kin (και αρκετά ακόμη έργα του Έρικ).

Ένα διαμάντι, ένα αριστούργημα διαχρονικό και πάντα επίκαιρο, πάνω στο θρίαμβο της ευέλικτης σκέψης απέναντι στην άκαμπτη και αθηροσκληρωτική ηγεσία, με εξαιρετικές αιχμές για το πώς επιδρούν η χειραγώγηση της αλήθειας και η επίδραση του φόβου στην κοινωνία και την πολιτική σκηνή. Ένας… σαρκαστικός ύμνος για την υπεροχή του σαρκασμού απέναντι στον αυταρχισμό και την εναργή ηλιθιότητα των δομών. Και, φυσικά, δεν παύει να είναι μια εξαιρετική περιπέτεια! Άγνωστο γιατί έχει παραπέσει τη στιγμή που δοξάζονται άλλες μετριότητες της Ε.Φ. της εποχής του (ίσως επειδή έγιναν ταινίες…).

[5greenway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great fun, zips along. 3.5.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This edition includes an introduction by Jack Chalker that explains that Next of Kin is the original, unabridged version of a short novel that I read a long time ago and liked very much called The Space Willies, which appeared as half of one of the old Ace Double volumes. (Chalker states that there were two Russell novels that didn't appear at their full length in the U.S.; I'd like to know what the other one was.) I actually preferred the shorter version of this one; The Space Willies was just long enough to sustain some of the running gags and develop the uncomplicated plot, whereas Next of Kin seems to drag in spots. This time around I noticed that some of the dialog that I found so hilarious at first was achieved simply by having the alien language recorded phonetically as silly sounds and word combinations. I usually like Barclay Shaw's covers, but the original Kelly Freas was far superior to the one by Shaw on this edition. Anyway, under whichever title, it's a very entertaining and amusing story, and show-cases one of the favorite tropes of Russell's work (and of original editor John Campbell!): the superiority of quick-thinking individuals over bureaucracy.

[Rod Pyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dated but fantastic read. Great stuff.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave it an extra star for quoting Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott.

[Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a pretty weird book, reminded me of Stanislav Lem a lot. Same weird combination of boring, humorous and philosophical.

[Mike Stone, · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Fun Read By One of SF's Greats

This book is another excellent bit of Russell, though to be read for fun rather than for any "message".
.
It is possibly set in the same universe as "Wasp" (though if so it is much further in the future, and the Sirians are now our allies) and at all events in a very similar interstellar war situation. The hero, John Leeming, is of a kind very familiar to Russell's readership, an uppity "individualist afflicted with the fidgets" who is thoroughly allergic to authority and to the military way of life in general, and has a disciplinary record like a crime sheet from Police Gazette - though an excellent combat one. Again typically for a Russell hero, he is the pilot of a one-man scoutship, who likes it that way and doesn't miss human company in the slightest. This was something that drew me to Russell as a boy, and which I suspect is at least partly autobiographical. Sent off on a reconnaissance mission far behind enemy lines, about halfway through the book he is marooned on a hostile world and taken prisoner. The rest of the novel is given over to his attempts to get back home.
.
Unlike James Mowry, Leeming is not totally alone on his world; in fact there are several hundred other prisoners with him. But while he does accept some help from one of them, and does his best to return the favour later, this is very much the exception that proves the rule. Leeming does everything almost as singlehandedly as Mowry, taking no part in the others' escape attempts, nor involving them in any way in his own activities. These latter are very idiosyncratic indeed, with a distinct touch of the Fortean "we are property" concept which influences much of Russell's work. I shall not give the ending away, but merely observe that (aided by certain local superstitions) they succeed beyond their author's wildest dreams, not only achieving their intended purpose, but much more besides.
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If put under oath, I would have to confess that I don't find NoK quite as credible as some of Russell's other yarns. I cannot quite believe in Leeming's success the way I can in Mowry's. But if you are willing to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the fun, then it is a great read. Go get it.

[Apocryphal Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Next of Kin is an entertaining, if dated, SF novel from the 50's. It's pace is brisk, and it's character is too clever for everyone around him.

SYNOPSIS

Dissatisfied with the numbskulls around him on earth, Scout-Officer John Leeming volunteers to fly an experimentally fast space ship across the front lines and into enemy territory - the purpose, I guess, is to see how far it can go undetected, and if it is detected it must be destroyed. Who's the numbskull?

Leeming manages to get well behind enemy lines when something goes wrong with his ship. Since he can't land it properly (you know, with the pointy end up and the fins end down) he has to crash land it on his side, and he finds himself trapped on a bureaucratic planet so far behind the lines than nobody really knows what a human is.

After exploring the wilderness a bit and stealing to survive, Leeming ends up getting captured and must clever his way out of jail and find some way of getting to the space port (where, of course, all the ships stand properly upright and must be accessed by ladders up the side).

Leeming's ultimate fate depends on how well he can out-caper the keystone cops and numbskull bureaucrats who run the prisons, which I gather was a feature of Russell's body of work.

ANALYSIS

Ultimately, I found the novel to be entertaining enough, if not entirely convincing. It shows it's age in some ways (no female characters being one) but not insufferably so. It had some amusing parts, but was probably a little to pat and predictable. And I didn't believe for a minute that anyone would have been fooled by Leeming's scheme. Chalk this down as one of those interesting 'artifact of science-fiction' novels - it's certainly not a high concept book.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It has a great story that was really well written. As a bonus, I haven't read much of any other of the author's works, so a whole new world is opening up for me. This is the type of surprise that I welcome. It means that I can be on the lookout for more works and be reasonably certain that I will enjoy the reading. It also introduced me to a whole series of works - the Sphere SF Classics - that I didn't know existed.

The story was quite interesting. There was a simple quest, a period of adversity, and then eventual triumph. We could say that the plot was corny, but it was executed in such a way that we didn't quite mind that. We knew from the start - when Leeming was sent on a suicide mission - that his craft would flounder. We knew that he would survive and enter captivity. His first escape was a bit unexpected, but not a complete surprise. His eventual triumph was suggested quite early in the book.

Despite all of this being signalled, there was tension within the story. It was written in such an engaging style that our attention didn't wander off. The pace of the writing had a good flow to it, so the story just moves along, from one scene to the next very smoothly. It ends leaving the reader wanting more. The character is very interesting, the situations in which he finds himself are equally as compelling, and I was left feeling that the book ended too soon.

The theme of the book is developed further in Wasp, another book by the same author. I really do recommend them.

[John Tetteroo · Rating 2 out of 5]

De kosmische bondgenoot is een humoristische avonturen roman geschreven voor hen die mentaal 12 jarige zijn gebleven. De hoofdpersoon is een wise crackende smart ass met een autoriteitsprobleem. Hij mag met een experimentele ruimteverkenner diep in het sterrenrijk van de vijand doordringen, maar lijkt zich op geen enkele voorbereiding, training of verantwoordelijkheidsgevoel te kunnen beroemen. Hij maakt aliens belachelijk omdat ze raar praten en als hij neerstort weet hij niet eens wat er in zijn noodpakket te vinden is. Sterker hij maakt de bedenkers van het noodpakket belachelijk omdat ze klaarblijkelijk maar een stomme inhoud voor het pakket hebben bedacht.

In zijn neiging tot parodieren en schoppen tegen autoriteit draaft Russel mijns inziens veel te ver door. Daarmee wordt zijn verhaal vlak, eendimensionaal en repetitief. De grappen die echt leuk hadden kunnen zijn worden daarmee bedolven onder een wagonlading meligheid en autoriteit uitdagen. En natuurlijk zijn aardmensen slim en aliens stom, ze zijn makkelijk te verschalken, blijft de vraag hoe ze ooit een imperium hebben kunnen opbouwen en de mensheid hebben kunnen terugdringen. Zeker als de hoofdpersoon het met voorsprong meest zwakbegaafde plan in de geschiedenis van de SF op zijn lokale gevangenisbewaarders uitvoert en dan daarmee de oorlog tussen de sterren weet te beëindigen in het voordeel van de mens. Gaaaap! Een roman van 190 pagina's die ook verteld had kunnen worden in tien pagina's en mij dan minder als werk en meer als verstrooiing had overgekomen..

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is going to be a short review because this book doesn’t really have a ton going on. We have Leeming, a space pilot, who crashes on an alien planet behind enemy lines and has to escape prison. He does so in an amusing way that could only work because he’s an alien to his captors (it’s quite hilarious, actually), but up until that point in the story, it’s a lot of him running around in the woods. For a sci-fi book, there are a lot of woods on an alien planet that are remarkably similar to the woods of Earth.

Leeming is an understandable character, but he isn’t deep. He’s very much a carryover from the really classic sci-fis from the 30s, with their archetypal main characters, though he spices it up a little bit by being a bit of a jackass. Yet, he’s a likable jackass. I didn’t find him annoying or anything, just a little flat regarding backstory.

The aliens are barely alien - they feel like humans in costume, and the world is pretty much Earth. In that regard, the book isn’t very interesting. The poking fun at the military kind of went over my head, as this book is very much a product of the post-WWII era, and he also uses some slang from the time period, where I was like, “What?” Of course, the latter isn't a failing of the book, but as someone who has studied WWII in a general sense but was born in the 80s, this obviously wasn't something I'm as clued into. A scholar of post-WWII reactionist literature might find this book very interesting, but I'm more a WWI gal.

[Patrick Scheele · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a stellar war, a scout gets stuck on a planet deep in enemy territory.

I liked that not everything went according to plan for the hero. He made plans to hide indefinitely, but he got caught quickly when he got careless.

I didn't like that the hero had a few screws loose. During most of the book, he seemed pretty sane, but at times he randomly acted like a lunatic. This was mostly in the beginning of the story, but in the end he suddenly returned to form and I couldn't figure out why he acted the way he did.

I liked the psychological warfare tactics he started using in the second half of the book.

I didn't like how successful they were. The story relied too much on the enemy believing him with little or no evidence. They should have been a lot more skeptical.

Ironically, the second half of the book, with the hero trying to use the enemy's superstition, was the most intriguing, but also the least satisfying as a story. I preferred the first half, where the hero tried to evade capture and survive in an alien environment.

[Mark Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is often said that Douglas Adams put the humour into science fiction. They obviously hadn't read any Eric Frank Russell.

In this tale from British writer released in 1958 tells of a scout who travels deep behind enemy lines in his advanced space ship to collect intelligence before his ship breaks down and he has to destroy it so that its secrets aren't shared. Using only his wits and guile he eludes the search for him before being captured and being put into a prisoner of war camp.

After a time, he convinces the jailors that humans and their "Eustace's" (a made up symbiotic imaginary friend) could destroy them at any time if he wasn't released. And they buy it.

This was my second time of reading. The first being over 40 years ago. This story isn't amazingly great but it is worth a read.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite an odd sci-fi story. The technology in the story is quite old/dated .. think 1960’s-esque rockets, but the story still works. The story is amusing in an insubordinate kind of way - with no love lost for bureaucracy or the military mindset. It definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously. The main character though is decidedly a few cards short of a full deck. In the main this is just mildly amusing but I think that the way the story finished was disappointing .. the story was in full swing … and then somehow got resolved in a couple of pages with the main character acting off the rails. Almost like the author was eager to finish and get onto something else… a bit disappointing

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science fiction humour at its best

"Next Of Kin" is a light-hearted romp through the "captured spy escapes through utterly devious resourcefulness" genre, anchored in the culture and technology of the early 1950s, when it was written. It's set in a distant future (to allow plot devices that would be hard to present as credible on Earth), gleefully subversive and often wildly funny. Try the sample.

[Richard Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adventure story about a space pilot crash-landing on a hostile planet. The ‘comedy’ was a little (well, very) dated and at times a bit irritating, but the plot itself moved along at a good pace. The passages about survival in an alien terrain were well written and quite thought-provoking. A short, light read for a train journey perhaps?

[Deana Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious, fast thinking, fast talking tale of how one square peg shaped a round hole to fit him and won his release as a prisoner of war.

I read this story many many years ago and though that book was lost, I remembered the author's name and so finally, in this day of kindle I rediscovered it and have been laughing ever since. A hidden gem.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly, padded short story turned into a silly novella. Old fashioned scifi, if you can call it that. EFR wasn't really a good writer . . . but he pounded out the words and finished his stories. It was ok, but silly. The best thing you can say about it is that's its a quick read.

[Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Stuff

I've read this story dozens of times in the Space Willies version. This Next of Kin version seems to havHim.me content that was edited out of Space Willies. Either way, it is classic EF Russell. One can never go wrong with him.

[Michael Tildsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this story was okay, but it hasn't aged well. I enjoyed some of the humor and I appreciated the wit of the main character. That seems to be a theme with Russell. Very sci-fi pulp.

[Michael Jarrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good Russell book. Very much of its time, as a SF work.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

5/10