This is one of a series of posts I am doing as I read the short stories that have won the Hugo award since it was started in 1955.

One of the first books I found in the adult section of the library was Major Ingredients: The Selected Short Stories of Eric Frank Russel. I appreciated that Russel focused on humor rather than the drama common to his contemporary golden age science fiction authors; The big three being Asimov, Heinlein and Clark. For a young me, it was also exciting to imagine the obscure Russel winning the very first Hugo and made me imagine winning the award one day😊

Allamagoosa is the perfect summary of Russel’s humorous style with hijinks ensuing when the crew of a space cruiser are up for review. The plot is very reminiscent of a lighter Twilight Zone episode, but is a fun read to occupy 30-45 minutes. Many commentators have often wondered why Allamagoosa won the first Hugo given its lack of substance and retelling of a common urban legend at the time, but I am glad that it did. This story’s Hugo win is a fitting memorial for one of the golden age’s lesser-known authors who’s fame has fade with time.

While Russel’s style is described as humorous, I think it is fairer to say that he has a light writing style. His text is easy to read, but also engages in linguistic flourishes that make it fun along with functional. Indeed, Russel’s style reads like an early version of the light novels from Japan like the works of Banana Yoshimoto. In addition, while Russel’s subject matter may be serious he brings a lightness to it that keeps the story from dragging too much.

Besides Allamagoosa, Russel is also remembered for his novel Wasp, which portrayed a man sent into enemy territory to disrupt operations through sabotage. This novel came back to prominence after 9/11 as one of the first stories to portray a terrorist. I don’t know if it is fair to characterize the character as a terrorist, but Russel did tap into the realization that soon wars could no longer be fought between national armies. Instead, governments would have to conduct clandestine wars with operatives that they sent into each other’s territory.

It is a shame that Russel has faded so much from memory. His stories are still very readable as he used a style that was a head of his time. In addition, his stories choose subjects that are much lighter than the rest of science fiction while still bring a gravitas to them. Alamagoosa perfectly captures this style, even if it is not the best of Russel’s writing. I generally recommend his novels, Wasp being the most famous entry. Allamagoosa can make for an entertaining short read though.

Sources The Hugo Winners Edited by Isaac Asimov Major Ingredients: The Selected Short Stories of Eric Frank Russel