City on the Moon
A lunar jeep sabotage leads to a crisis in a Moon city.
City on the Moon is a science fiction novel by Murray Leinster, first published by Avalon Books in 1957. It is part of the To the Stars series, following Space Platform and Space Tug. The novel was released in 1958 by Ace Books under authority from Thomas Bouregy & Co using their Ace Double imprint reference number D-277.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Murray Leinster
- Cover Artist
- Ed Emshwiller
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Science fiction novel
- Publisher
- Avalon Books
- Release Date
- 1957
- Media Type
- Pages
- 224 pp
- Oclc
- 1870677
- Preceded By
- Space Platform, Space Tug.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The novel details events following an apparent sabotage attempt against a lunar jeep on its return journey to a multinational civilian lunar city. Joe Kenmore and his co-pilot Moreau thwart the attempt and rush the damaged jeep back to the base, only to find that an incoming rocket from Earth cannot obtain a landing beam. The rocket carries surprise occupants, and events escalate rapidly.
Reader's Guide
City on the Moon is significant as a mid-20th-century science fiction work that reflects Cold War anxieties about sabotage and atomic experimentation. The story posits that further atomic progress requires dangerous experiments on a space station near the far side of the Moon, supplied by the lunar city. Joe Kenmore, a Moon colonist, discovers agents working to sabotage the city, framing the conflict as a supreme crisis for humanity. The novel's legacy lies in its integration of space station and lunar colony concepts with espionage and atomic peril, typical of Leinster's pulp-era storytelling. Its publication as an Ace Double highlights the era's paperback market for genre fiction.
Did You Know?
- City on the Moon was first published by Avalon Books in 1957.
- It is the third book in Murray Leinster's To the Stars series, after Space Platform and Space Tug.
- The novel was released in 1958 by Ace Books under the Ace Double imprint number D-277.
- The story involves a lunar jeep sabotage and a rocket from Earth that cannot obtain a landing beam.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is City on the Moon?
City on the Moon is a science fiction novel by Murray Leinster, originally released by Avalon Books in 1957 and reissued by Ace Books in 1958. It is the third and final book in Leinster's To the Stars trilogy.
Where does City on the Moon sit in the To the Stars series?
It is the concluding installment, following Space Platform and Space Tug. Readers who finish those two earlier novels will find City on the Moon as the natural next step in the same interplanetary storyline.
What is the plot of City on the Moon about?
The central conflict kicks off when someone sabotages a lunar jeep, and that single act of tampering spirals into a full-blown crisis that threatens the safety of an entire Moon city.
When and by whom was City on the Moon published?
Avalon Books issued the first edition in 1957. Ace Books then put out a 1958 printing under their Ace Double imprint (catalog number D-277), with publishing authority held by Thomas Bouregy & Co.
Why do fans of classic space-opera point to City on the Moon?
It caps off Leinster's To the Stars trilogy and offers one of the earlier examples of a story set in a fully established lunar settlement rather than a brief stopover. Fans of mid-century hard SF often recommend it as a compact, self-contained read that rewards having enjoyed the two preceding books.
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