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Galactic Courier: The John Grimes Saga Mass Market Paperback – March 26, 2013

by A. Bertram Chandler (Author)

4.2 41 ratings

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The #3 mass market edition of the classic science fiction of A. Bertram Chandler’s John Grimes books, with multiple interrelated stories and two full novels in this renowned SF saga. Pipe-smoking, action-loving spaceship commander John Grimes (think Captain Kirk with more of a navy, salty attitude) retires from heroic days in Earth’s space navy to become a merchant captain extraordinaire and a force to reckon with on the galactic frontier.

Number three in a three-volume collection of the legendary John Grimes of the Galactic Rim series. If space travel is going to be anything like sailing the oceans, then A. Bertram Chandler has surely caught its absolute essence in his Grimes novels. Here are the crowning tales of Grimes’ career – the Grimes “Rim Commodore” stories. In these tales, Grimes has found his true calling out on the edge of galactic civilization. He’s the sheriff of a realm where pioneer colonies and parallel dimensions overlap, and a starship captain must be prepared for adventure in ALL possible worlds.

Includes an astounding (as in, mostly published in Astounding and Analog by legendary editor John W. Campbell) cornucopia of Grimes novels bringing together all previous Commodore Grimes tales in Star Courier, To Keep the Ship, Matilda’s Stepchildren, Star Loot.

About A. Bertram Chandler and the John Grimes series:
“SF’s answer to Horatio Hornblower.” —Publishers Weekly

“As Asimov chronicled the Foundation, as Heinlein built his Future History, so Chandler constructs the epic of the Rim Worlds.” —Analog

“[Grimes] establishes a loyalty in his readers rather similar to that felt by readers of Hornblower. Indeed [Chandler’s] space operas are among the most likeable and well constructed in the genre. . . .” —The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

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About the Author

A. Bertram Chandler was an Australian SF master who filled magazines such as Astounding with adventure and space opera extraordinaire during the 1960s and 1970s. He was a favorite of legendary editor John W. Campbell and was a merchantman seaman commanding various ships in the Australian and New Zealand navies during much of his early life—a background Chandler puts to full use in his John Grimes stories.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Baen; 0 edition (March 26, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1024 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451638868
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451638868
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 2 x 6.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #758,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9,659 in Space Operas
- #15,218 in Science Fiction Adventures

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4.2 41 ratings

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Sean Brodrick
Ripping Yarns, Fun Reads, with Well-Thought-Out Worldbuilding
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2019
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This is a great series. I recommend starting at the beginning. The early books are better. But the later ones are still worth reading. Great, ripping yarns, wonderful space adventures. The exploits of space-going merchant marine written by a real-life (earthbound) merchant marine. He's Australian, and in his universe, Australians settled the galaxy. Good enough for me.

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johcafra
It's an Aussie Galaxy After All
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2012
Verified Purchase
...and I don't complain. I'm nearly halfway through this, the third volume in the Baen series, which has effectively been my long-belated introduction to Chandler's work.

I quite like the style, the characterization, the at-times laugh-out-loud dialogue, the...alright, randiness...and perhaps best, the informed meld of spacefaring with mercantile seafaring. Chandler unquestionably knew the latter.

Peaks and troughs and retreads, of course, and nothing I've read to date is the best the genre has to offer. Chandler at times pays direct homage to the "underworld" stories of Cordwainer Smith and too much homage to the "inertial drive" (just look that up). Comparisons with one Horatio Hornblower appear rife but I don't know enough to compare. And the shorter the story the stronger I find the tale. (I agree with Mr Taggart about today's "bricks" though John Grimes' travails aren't called "saga" for nothing.) Yet the read entertains on the whole, it's so far lasted the summer long, and I plan to sail on through to journey's end.

Completists take note: The Baen series doesn't print the entire corpus of Chandler's work on Grimes. After this volume I plan to read the final three of six volumes published earlier under the mantle of the Science Fiction Book Club. (UPDATE: Chandler's novel "The Anarch Lords", which opens the fourth volume in the Baen series and ends the third volume in the SFBC series, bridges the gap.) Save for a posthumously published short story in a Jack Dann anthology the SFBC series appears complete, with the final two volumes taking Grimes and...truly, by now, his wife?...to "the Rim" and beyond...and back, I can only hope.

(SECOND UPDATE: The Baen Books "John Grimes Sagas V and VI" nicely corral the rest of Chander's related stories, and "VI" closes the saga with a 1978 autobiographical essay that made me glad I'd acquainted myself with the Captain after all these years.)

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Thankful
Grimes rocks, go Bertram Chandler
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is great, the grimes saga in order, by order I mean the character's life order not the order the stories were necessarily written in because they were written out of order. I love this series, I've been collecting these novels and trying to put them in order and for a fraction of the cost I can get them all together in a four book omnibus series.

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William H
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2016
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as I remember the author

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Dan Betelmann
Mostly Not of Interest
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2014
This is the third of four reprint omnibuses of the John Grimes saga. I was reasonably taken with the first volume but found the second rather disappointing. This go round has a mixed quartet of stories. My conclusion is that Grimes is not half-bad when he's actually out in space, but once he makes planetfall the tales become a somewhat tired mix of dated sexuality, busy storylines, and an overdose of Australia. The first story, Star Courier, is not terribly well-written -- it reads more like a story outline than a fully-textured narrative. Most of the story takes place on land, where Grimes and a companion are put on show by the insectoid Shaaras. To Keep the Ship, the second story, is really more like two or three stories in one, with only the last episode -- where Grimes is trapped aboard ship with some cunning miniature beings -- being very interesting. Matilda's Stepchildren once more takes place primarily on land. A muckraking reporter charters Grimes to take her to a pleasure planet that hides a number of dark secrets. There's a lot of action, but ultimately I found it of little real interest. The book finally redeems itself somewhat with Star Loot, the closing tale, where Grimes hires on as a privateer for El Dorado. These stories are at their best, as I said, when Grimes is beyond an atmosphere and we get a glimpse of shipboard routines, stresses, and personal interactions. All in all, that last story is worth the read. The others, frankly, I can take or leave...mostly leave.

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Amazon Customer
exciting John Grimes saga
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2011
"Star Courier." Former Federation Survey Service Commander John Grimes establishes the Far Traveler Couriers. As owner and solo operator he makes deliveries from his home base of Tiralbin to Boggarty on board his Little Sister vessel until the Shaara capture him and display him as a low level beast.

"To Keep the Ship." Little Sister remains under arrest to be auctioned to pay Grimes' fines on Pangst for taking native animals to the New Syrtis Zoo. Grimes needs money so he takes the tedious job on the Bronson Star. However, when he rescues Susie and her friends; they reciprocate by taking over the cruiser and threatening to kill him unless he cooperates.

"Matilda's Stepchildren." On the Bronson Star, Grimes transport muckraker Fenella Pruin so that she can do a story on the sex industry of Venusberg. The pair mutually detest one another though the boring voyage is made fun by fighting for top potion. Grimes ends up in the midst of a clean-up operation and meets Underpeople Shirl & Darleen

"Star Loot." After Little Sister is sold, Grimes buys Epsilon Scorpii; which he rechristens as Sister Sue. He joins the El Doradan Navy as a privateer.

The third exciting John Grimes omnibus saga (see To The Galactic Rim and First Command) reprints his adventures as a Galactic Courier. There is somewhat a sameness in tone as Grimes meets females fatales who "help" him step into the crosshairs of dangerous rogues. The best two tales are the fresh Star Courier in which Grimes starts his new career and Star Loot in which much of what is going on is deftly tied together with an exciting climax. Fans of Grimes will relish his time as a courier.

Harriet Klausner

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5.0 out of 5 stars Ripping Yarns, Fun Reads, with Well-Thought-Out Worldbuilding

4.0 out of 5 stars It's an Aussie Galaxy After All

5.0 out of 5 stars Grimes rocks, go Bertram Chandler

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Not of Interest

4.0 out of 5 stars exciting John Grimes saga

Top reviews from other countries

4.0 out of 5 stars Good old space oprah

Ripping Yarns, Fun Reads, with Well-Thought-Out Worldbuilding

It's an Aussie Galaxy After All

Grimes rocks, go Bertram Chandler

Five Stars

Mostly Not of Interest

exciting John Grimes saga

Good old space oprah