The Hard Way Up (John Grimes, #3) by A. Bertram Chandler

The Hard Way Up (John Grimes, #3) Reviews

• 
  Megan

  I enjoyed the format, seeing John Grimes in a collection of missions that he's in charge of. Some of the stories were really frustrating because Grimes just does the wrong thing or doesn't think things all the way through. Hopefully these series of missions has taught him how to grow up a bit, since the first two books in the series were a little hard to read with the main character being such a pompous, immature jerk. He is also right on the border of sexist through most of the stories where there are women. In one story, he takes it upon himself to try and save a couple of teachers from a tourist group, while thinking of them as "silly bitches" and thinking about ways to sleep with them. I am hoping that the books become less dated as they are published, but I'm not holding my breath.
  2.5 out of 5 stars.
• 
  Brenda

  Good intentions, I have read this once before and it still makes me think about the science experiments and makes me wonder if the answers​ gathered was because of the scientist interfering or changing some little detail out of curiosity.
  
  Subtracter was interesting but the ending is the best part because of the humor
  
  Tin Messiah I wasn't in love with this one but it was interesting
  
  Sleeping Beauty I think this is one of my favorite stories by Bertram
  
  Wandering Buoy I liked the mystery about this one
  
  Mountain Mover, I have to say I wouldn't have seen this ending coming
  
  What you Know is classic Bertram, humor and drama and science fiction perfectly matched.
• 
  Alvin

  Collection of 7 short stories somewhat humorously told. Diverting.
• 
  Rob

  I especially liked the story with the Aboriginal background. Saying more would merely give it away.
• 
  Cornel Diaconu

  Every single story has its interesting idea/plot.
  Unfortunately, each has a disapointing ending, as if the ending part was written by some other person.
• 
  Binati Sheth

  A collection of unique short stories that will make you laugh (and think).
• 
  Ralph Carlson

  I’ve always enjoyed reading A. Bertram Chandler.
• 
  Roddy Williams

  Seven short stories featuring the early career of John Grimes in the Survey Service, put together in a sequential fashion. They're light-hearted fodder, and follow a fairly standard formula in which Grimes finds himself in a bit of a scrape, not always through his own actions.
  
  With Good Intentions (Hard Way Up 1972)
  
  Lieutenant Grimes joins The Pathfinder to ferry a party of surveyors to a planet where a primitive humanoid race is extant. The Survey Service has a 'Prime Directive' rule not to interfere, but Grimes can't help himself.
  
  The Subtracter (Galaxy August 1969)
  
  Grimes takes control of 'The Adder' and is chartered to ferry a passenger from one planet to another. the passenger turns out to be an excellent chef and becomes popular with the crew, although his real profession is somewhat darker.
  
  The Tin Messiah (Hard Way Up 1972)
  
  Grimes' next passenger is Mr Adam, a messianic android, who becomes a little irrational.
  
  Sleeping Beauty (Galaxy February 1970)
  
  'The Adder', under Grimes' command, has to transport the Queen Egg of an insect race to a colony world. Due to delays en route, the egg hatches and the truculent young queen transforms the crew into her drones.
  
  The Wandering Buoy (Analog September 1970)
  
  Perhaps written in response to '2001 - A Space Odyssey' (1968), we see The Adder discovering a spherical object drifting in interstellar space, which turns out to be an autonomous machine designed to show primitive species how to make fire etc.
  
  The Mountain Movers (Galaxy March 1971)
  
  'The Adder' is grounded on a world the natives and culture of which John Grimes finds suspiciously similar to that of Australian aborigines. They even have their own version of Ayres Rock. AS it turns out, there is a reason for this.
  
  
  What You Know (Galaxy Jan 1971)
  
  John Grimes, in charge of 'The Adder' has to ferry a demanding female Commissioner along with her staff and robot attendants. The Adder, from lack of maintenance, breaks down in interstellar space and is forced to request help from Skandia, a 'kingdom' of Scandinavian humans, whose relationship with Earth is somewhat strained.
  Grimes is forced at the end to resign his commission in the Survey Service.
  
  
• 
  Invadozer Misothorax Circular-thallus Popewaffensquat

  THE HARD WAY UP is a space farce. Each planet main character Grimes
  goes to is an excuse for him to slip on the proverbial banana peel
  and be a human joke. This characteristic works out for him in
  promotions and tripping on his face into getting a messenger ship. 7
  short stories make up this novella. I can recommend it to anyone who
  enjoys Edmund Hamilton's work. The best story in here is a light
  escapade of taking the queen egg to another planet quickly. The egg
  hatches, the queen insect inside becomes a very needy telepath that
  gives everyone something to do. Sick of drinking honey the crew
  experiments with booze. This book didn't make me laugh outloud or
  anything, it was more like I was reading a book about Bob Hope's roadie who had a galactic tour diary. Just fun and ok.