Slan: Amazon.ca: A. E. Van Vogt: Books

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Slan Hunter

by Kevin J Anderson

CDN$ 13.83

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch

by Philip K. Dick

4.7 out of 5 stars (42) CDN$ 13.10

Neuromancer

by William Gibson

4.2 out of 5 stars (334) CDN$ 8.99

› Explore similar items

Product Description

From Amazon.com

Slan is legendary science fiction author A. E. Van Vogt's first and best-known novel, back in print from Tor Books's Orb imprint. The story is classic golden age science fiction: Jommy Cross is a slan, a genetically bred superhuman whose race was created to aid humanity but is now despised by "normal" humans. Slans are usually shot on sight, but that doesn't stop Jommy's mother from bringing him to see the world capital of Centropolis, the seat of power for Earth's dictator, Kier Gray. But on their latest trip to Centropolis, the two slans are discovered, and Jommy's mother is killed. Jommy, only 9 years old, unwittingly becomes caught up in a plot to undermine Gray, who may be more sympathetic to slans than the public suspects. The nonstop action and root-for-the-underdog plot has made Slan a science fiction favorite. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

One of the landmark novels of the genre, Van Vogt's 1940 tale follows the "Slan," a new breed of telepathic humans and their search for a society free from persecution. Essential for all libraries.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Excerpt | Back Cover

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

24 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Forgotten Classic That Should Be Remembered, Jun 15 2004

By	Dave_42 "Dave_42" (Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Slan: A Novel (Paperback)

"Slan" is A. E. van Vogt's first novel. It was published in book form in 1946 by Arkham House, but the story originally appeared in the pages of Astounding Magazine in 1940. It was a highly rated classic of Science Fiction for more than 25 years after it originally appeared, but today it is often forgotten along with many of the early classics. In 1949 it was tied for 4th on the Arkham Survey of 'Basic SF Titles'. It ranked 2nd on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll in 1952, 5th, in 1956, and 3rd in 1966.

It is the story of a mutant race of humanity (Slan) who are stronger, smarter, and are telepathic. In the story we are told that the name Slan is derived from Samuel Lann who is purported to be the creator of the race. At the start, the Slan are hunted by humanity to be destroyed, and through the course of events we learn the history of the race, as well as the truth behind the crimes of which they are accused.

The story is told through the eyes of two of the Slan. The first is Jommy Cross who is nine years old when the story commences, and who is becomes isolated from any other Slan when his mother is captured. The second Slan is Kathleen Layton, who is a prisoner of the government and being held for observation.

This is an excellent book, which holds up well 60+ years later. It is fast paced, and definitely worth reading.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars A revelation to me as a teen, Jun 5 2004

By	JT "I may not have gone where I intended to g... (Tampa Bay, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slan: A Novel (Paperback)

I first read Slan in my early teens, and (this is going to get a little personal here, folks) I really identified with the struggle against persecution because at the time I was an adolescent struggling with my own sexuality and the realization that I am gay - something that in my youth (and to a *slightly* lesser extent today) was something to hide, something to fear, lest you suffer persecution.

I re-read the book along with a few other Van Vogt novels as an adult, and it still gave me that feeling of empowerment - that being different was not necessarily "bad."

I doubt Van Vogt had gay people or any specific minority group in mind when he wrote the novel. It was, after all, 1940, and there was no such thing as political correctness and we as a society saw no harm whatsoever in persecuting entire groups of peoples, subcultures, etc.

Which just proves that as a writer, Van Vogt was ahead of his time.

The book holds up; it is still a great story, still has great action, mystery and intrigue. A few of the "science fiction" elements are a little cliched today, but they were of course *new* when Van Vogt wrote them.

I would have to call Slan one of my all time favorites.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Like It Before, but Much After, April 5 2004

By	R. Wallace "Bob Wallace" (St. Louis, Mo USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Slan: A Novel (Paperback)

True, it doesn't read all that well against modern science-fiction. But, for its time, it was a classic, and in some ways, still is. It was the first of its kind, in its time. Want to read something like it today? Try X-Men. Van Vogt, as always,
wrote with the vividness and energy that was his trademark. And it dealt with the themes that informed almost all of van Vogt's work--the coming man, more than human. It's definitely worth a read, if you are interested in science-fiction. For his best novel, though, I would recommend _The Weapons Shops of Isher._

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 24 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Dated but still worthwhile
I picked this book up somewhere as a freebie, having long heard of Van Vogt but never having read anything by him. I figured that for the price I might as well try it. Read more

Published on Mar 14 2004 by abt1950

4.0 out of 5 stars Space war left in the lurtch
As a classic Sci-Fi novel it reads pretty good. Much of the futuristic speculative science is not yet either obsolete nor proven impossible 60 years later. Read more

Published on Feb 21 2004 by The Old Philosopher

3.0 out of 5 stars Racial and social allegory that ultimately yields to formula
"Slan" is one of those "classic" works of science fiction that readers will inevitably view either historically (as a literary ancestor of modern science fiction) or artistically... Read more

Published on Jan 25 2004 by D. Cloyce Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Van Vogt's best from the Golden Age of SF.
Jommy Cross is a Slan, hunted as all Slan are by the normal humans that hate and fear them. Sounds common, maybe, just that Van Vogt was there WAY before Stan Lee and the X-Men... Read more

Published on Oct 13 2002