Sawfish Wrote:
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> Knygatin, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Monster". I
> wanted to share with you a story with a similar
> theme (invaders are thwarted by humans in a comic
> fashion) but haven't found it yet.
>
> It had the "feel" of a sub-genre in which mankind
> was capable against challenges from superior
> forces, sometimes in a sort of wise-guy, junior
> high school way. This seemed to be a feature of
> post war US, and it was before it evaporated into
> the angst overwhelmed SF in the 60s and beyond.
Hah, glad you enjoyed "The Monster". It is a neat story, with very unexpected turn (for me at least!).
I agree, and that is why I prefer science fiction from that era. Arthur C. Clarke's first published story, "Rescue Party" (1946), is somewhat similar in style to "The Monster". It concerns a conglomeration of aliens from different worlds, who set out together on a rescue mission, their comic interactions and individual anatomical struggles to cope with the new topography.
A. E. van Vogt's
"Dormant" (1948) is not bad either. Not as good as "The Monster", but conceptually interesting and powerful. About a giant entity that seems to be part of the landscape, but suddenly, after millions of years, starts moving.