Slan
By A. E. van Vogt

Another "classic" old science-fiction story from the 1950's. I read van Vogt's Voyage of the Space Beagle a while ago and enjoyed it but it had a few faults. It definitely showed its age in places but that did not distract from the whole too much. Slan was not as good as that.

Slan is about a race of genetically advanced humans capable of mind-reading as well as having far superior intellectual and physical powers than normal human beings. Standard humans are their antagonists and the two "races" have fought a terrible war hundreds of years ago, leading to these "slans" (named after the scientist who first came across their new biology) being hunted and exterminated to almost extinction. Slans have to hide to survive. Our focus is on a young slan boy as he grows up and fights back.

I was disappointed with Vogt's novel. Like the Voyage, Slan showed its age and was a bit superficial, with little character development or human interest. But given all that, it was much more basic than I expected: much more like a book for children and I didn't find it well written. Maybe it is best characterised as an adventure story for boys. However, it's not a long read, and not dull, so I did finish it.

There are many books that work for both children and adults, some aimed at young readers but still accessible and enjoyable to adults too. I've taken an interest in some E. Nesbit books for example but "The Hobbit" also springs to mind, as do many Robert Louis Stevenson works. Slan didn't really rise to this level at all; perhaps not rising much above its pulp origins (from wikipedia, "first serialized in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction (Sept–Dec 1940))". I have a few other Vogt's on my book shelf though and I will try another sometime in the hope I find something better.