42 Word Retrospectives – Page 5 – Derelict Space Sheep

Squeeze Box

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 21, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Squeeze Box

by Philip E. High (New Worlds, March 1959)

reprinted in “Isaac Asimov’s Wonderful Worlds of Science Fiction Invasions” ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg & Charles G. Waugh (Roc, 1990), 350-364.

Workmanlike prose, artless storytelling, humanity triumphing (abruptly and at extreme odds) through dint of doughty everyman qualities and British wartime fortitude recrudescing at a species-wide level. Though lacking finesse, this alien invasion short story neatly captures High’s knack for imaginative SF wish-fulfilment.

The Monsters

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 20, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

The Monsters

by Robert Sheckley

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March 1953; reprinted in “Perilous Planets” ed. Brian Aldiss (Futura, 1980), 104-114.

A slight tale, which Sheckley narrates from the casually parochial perspective of non-human protagonists, thus making the serious point that ‘humanity’ (or ‘normalcy’ in general) is very much species-centric. The prose is suitably lighthearted, the species differences artfully whimsical in their extremity.

Valérian and Laureline: Heroes of the Equinox

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 19, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Valérian and Laureline: Heroes of the Equinox

by Jean-Claude Mézières & Pierre Christin (Hodder Dargaud, 1985)

[from “Les Héros de l’équinoxe”, 1978]

Laureline is mostly sidelined, and even Valérian is relegated to fourth billing, a mooching Lucky Luke-type working through his imposter syndrome behind three SF-styled ideological archetypes representing Hindu mysticism, socialism, and aggressive capitalism. There remain some nice artwork intricacies and storytelling finesses.

“#ifdefDEBUG + ‘world/enough’ + ‘time’

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 16, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

#ifdefDEBUG + ‘world/enough’ + ‘time’

by Terry Pratchett

in “Digital Dreams” ed. David V. Barrett (New English Library, 1990), pp. 77-93.

Portable reality overlays. Knowledge/reality loss. Humans existing as data/virus. Deliberately murky in the execution? Perhaps somewhat ahead of its time conceptually, but Pratchett rather loses himself in the attempt to present an everyman voice (while still being a bit Pratchett-like and clever!).

The Story of Webster

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 11, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

The Story of Webster

by P. G. Wodehouse

The American Magazine (February 1932); reprinted Mulliner Nights (Herbert Jenkins, 1933)

Like so many of Wodehouse’s ‘Mulliner’ stories, this comes across as a repurposed bit of business from a Bertie Wooster novel. The delivery is quintessential Wodehouse but there’s a nagging sense that the events described are taking place divorced of greater context. $466

The Dutch Shoe Mystery

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 10, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

The Dutch Shoe Mystery

by Ellery Queen (Gollancz, 1931)

audiobook read by Mark Peckham (Blackstone, 2013)

The third Ellery Queen mystery is just as personable but laborious as its predecessors. The clues are all there, the logic stacks up—save perhaps that the nurse was herself not seen coming or going—but remains buried in waffle and minutiae.

Topside

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 9, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Topside

by Philip E. High

Authentic SF, No. 83 (August 1957), 58-77.

Lopsided short story which spends too long bringing its (seemingly all-male) cast out of suspended animation post-cataclysm, and not enough on their reclaiming Earth’s surface. Of interest primarily in comparison with High’s novel Sold – For a Spaceship, which does the job properly.

They Do It With Mirrors

by Derelict Space Sheep on January 23, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

They Do It With Mirrors

by Agatha Christie (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1952)

audiobook read by Joan Hickson (Lamplight, 2015)

While the confrontation in the study need arouse suspicion, Christie then succeeds in drawing attention elsewhere, not actively deceiving or manipulating her audience so much as lulling it through conversational overload (an effective if inelegant use of omniscient narrative). Everything hangs together.

The Circus of Adventure

by Derelict Space Sheep on January 21, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

The Circus of Adventure

by Enid Blyton (Macmillan, 1952)

audiobook read by Thomas Judd (Bolinda, 2021)

A return to form, albeit predictable in parading out simple, salt-of-the earth circus folk, foreign villains, disguised princes, daring stowings-away, secret passages, and baddies who couldn’t recognise made-up languages or a parrot in the dark to save their lives—all Blyton staples!

Lords and Ladies

by Derelict Space Sheep on January 18, 2026 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Lords and Ladies

by Terry Pratchett (Victor Gollancz, 1992)

audiobook read by Indira Varma (Penguin Audio, 2022)

Over-padded in places but otherwise a merry old romp. Pratchett draws readers in through Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax before crafting a suitably dark take on (cruel, catlike) elves. Ridcully is given some depth. Magrat comes into her own—the book’s highpoint!