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Title:
Evolution Island
Series: -----
Author:
Edmond Hamilton
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre:
Fantasy
Pages: 35
Words:
10K
Publish: 1927
This was pretty much on par with Hamilton’s previous work, so it was on track to barely get a 3star when the ending happened. The Dr has made an evolution ray that with the flick of a switch can “evolve” anything in its path. If you flick the switch down though, it “devolves” whatever it touches, ie “reverse the polarity Mr Scootykins!” and all your problems will be solved. The problem is that when the Dr and his young friend flick the switch down and “devolve” all the plant men creatures and the Dr’s helper (who had evolved himself into a brain on spindly legs), the Dr and his friend don’t devolve as well. Everything is supposed to devolve, not just what is convenient. The Dr even makes a point of only using the ray on a certain part of the island earlier in the story so it won’t affect him.
Major continuity fail.
Major authorial fail.
Major fail.
I
am realizing that Hamilton and his stories haven’t survived the
last 100 years for a good reason. As such, I am done with him. If
you’d like to see everything I’ve read written by him, just click
the following link:
“All
My Edmond Hamilton Reviews”
This novellas was originally published in the Weird Tales magazine in 1927. I’m including the opening picture for it here just to add some “bulk” to this pint sized review.
★★✬☆☆
From Bookstooge
Doctor Walton posits that evolution is caused by a specific ray but his thesis on the subject is ridiculed. He goes off in a huff and buys and island. He invents a ray that does what he claims and evolves animals and plants. He realizes the danger of what he has done and so leaves the island under the care of his assistant, Brilling, while he goes to get help. Brilling of course turns the ray upon himself and evolves into a brain on legs and plans on using the evolved plant man to spread the ray over the entire Earth, “evolving” the entirety of mankind into goo and then becoming the King of the World, which will be ruled by servile plant men. Dr Walton gets the help of a friend, a young man named Stuart Owen. They return to the isle and are promptly captured. They still manage to reverse the evolution ray on the island and all the plant men and Brilling devolve back into goo. The world is safe once more.
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