The Mad Moon

The Mad Moon by Stanley G. Weinbaum

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The Solar System was so much cooler in 1933. Jupiter gave off heat, warming Io enough so that it could support jungles and stange semi-intelligent life. Grant Calthorpe is stuck on Io after an unexpected economic crisis has ruined his inherited wealth. His job is to induce the stupid “loonies” of Io to trade ferva leaves for candy, avoid the semi-intelligent six-inch “slinkers” and not die of “white fever.”

He's not doing particularly well when he discovers a beautiful heiress and had to flee with her through the jungles.

The story is crips and taught and well-worth the read. The Golden Age aspects of the story make this somewhat outdated, but still fun. You can see the tropes of the Great Depression and various genres of movies from the 1930s.

Science fiction lost a genius when Weinbaum died in 1934 at the age of 33.