"City on the Moon" by Murray Leinster

 

The blurb on the inside leaf of the Ace Double reads:

Further progress in atomic power could now come about only as a result of experiments so dangerous that they could only be carried on in an isolated space station hanging near the far side of the moon. If these experiments succeeded, they could open the way to the stars…

To supply this space laboratory was the duty of the CITY ON THE MOON. And when Joe Kenmore, moon colonist, realised that there were agents working actively to sabotage the city, he knew he was up against a supreme crisis of humanity – one in which his own life and those of his fellow colonists were mere pawns to be sacrificed ruthlessly by that hidden foe – unless he personally could block their super-atomic deviltry.

The formula here is similar to that of Four from Planet 5. It gets right into the action, and shortly thereafter introduces some female protagonists. However the cast of characters is a little broader, with some interesting people joining Kenmore’s motley crew as the novel progresses. Some of the themes — such as the need for international peace — are also familiar. The characters and their motivations are believable, at least for the time it was written.

Would I recommend this book? The short answer is no. Leinster fans I expect will read it anyway, and draw their own conclusions. My main gripe is that the story line is somewhat disjointed, and comes off as weak. The ending is a bit too glib, almost a deus ex machina. There’s a lack of motivation for stretches of the book, and one has to rely on the lead characters suppositions, which are not properly resolved. Perhaps this is a byproduct of the abridgment to fit it into the Ace Double format?

That said, if you are willing to suspend your disbelief and just enjoy a fast paced story with lots of action and some novel concepts about lunar life, by all means pick up a copy. (Black Gate)