The Pirates of Ersatz

Description

Murray Leinster (1896-1975) is a pseudonym under which the American science-fiction writer William Fritzgerald Jenkins was best known. He began publishing in 1916, at first mostly mystery stories, and continued during the first six decades of the 20th Century, with SF stories, articles, television plays, radio and movie scripts. In 1937, he received a Liberty Award, for “A Very Nice Family” and, later, in 1956, his novel, “Exploration team”, won a Hugo Award.

“The Pirates of Ersatz” is a planetary adventure, an engaging space opera – maybe not as clever as some of Leinster’s other stories, but an amusing and light read, another proof of the author’s domestic vision of the universe.

The hero, a young man named BronHoddan and grandson of a notorious space pirate, tries to break free from his planet (where everyone is a pirate) and moves to a more civilized planet, to become an electrician, a great man, and marry a lovely girl.

However, his karma is negative and things go wrong. The new planet makes him a criminal for his geniusas an electrician, and Bron becomes a hunted man. Eventually, the circumstances determine him to become a pirate, but he still ends up doing great things for the world.

The Pirates of Ertsatz is one of the classics that you’ll enjoy reading numerous times – and find new surprises every time. Even though it was written at the beginning of the 20th century it holds up well even in our times, unlike many other science fiction works of the era. The book may not be laugh-out-loud funny, but the author’s wry humor and his clear insights into societies and people will surely make you fall in love with it.
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