The SF Site Featured Review: Lunar Encounter

Lunar Encounter

Harold W.G. Allen

Perspective Books, 220 pages

Harold W.G. Allen
Harold W.G. Allen's first book, Ye Shall Know The Truth, sought to unite science and religion. A second work, The Edge of the Universe, attempted to introduce certain cosmological views through the medium of a science fiction mystery. These first two works led to treatises entitled Higher Perspective, The Eternal Universe, and Cosmic Perspective. The Face on Mars and Lunar Encounter again present these theories in science fiction novels. A native of Toronto, Mr. Allen was forced to give up an academic career due to a high school football injury sustained when he was 15. He nonetheless read and attended lectures in his fields of interest. A 17-year member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the author has resided in Spring Hill, Florida since 1980.

Harold W.G. Allen Website
ISFDB Bibliography
Review of Cosmic Perspective

A review by Georges T. Dodds

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Let's make this clear right from the start: this book is full of bad science, bad writing and bad science fiction.

Lunar Encounter is an attempt by the author to disseminate his peculiar theories of cosmology in the form of a science fiction novel. With respect to the writing and science fiction elements, I can honestly say that it is likely the worst science fiction novel I have ever read. However, lest I jump to conclusions about the other aspects of the book, I also sought the advice of experts in assessing the validity of Mr. Allen's "scientific" and "philosophical" arguments.

Edward L. (Ned) Wright, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, said of Mr. Allen's cosmological theories, "There is no profit in trying to answer ALL the nuts in cyberspace, so I won't be likely to say anything more about Mr. Allen's ravings." Mr. Allen's interpretation of Biblical and associated texts was similarly described by a member of the clergy; but that much I could have told you myself. Thus, it is not entirely surprising that none of Mr. Allen's theories have actually been published in any peer-reviewed scientific or philosophical journals, though his website does mention that one paper was presented (this of course fails to mention whether it was accepted) to the journal Physics Essays.

If you want some very well written and researched quack science, get hold of a copy of Ignatius Donnelly's Atlantis: The Antediluvian World. If you really insist on learning about cosmic evolution, from the most elementary particles, through humans, to God, by way of the Great Cosmic Pyramid, feel free to buy this book or visit the website, otherwise avoid this one like the plague.

Georges Dodds is a research scientist in vegetable crop physiology, who for close to 25 years has read and collected close to 2000 titles of predominantly pre-1950 science-fiction and fantasy, both in English and French. He writes columns on early imaginative literature for WARP, the newsletter/fanzine of the Montreal Science Fiction and Fantasy Association and maintains a site reflecting his tastes in imaginative literature.