Buck Rogers: A Life in the Future
Encyclopedia
Buck Rogers: A Life in the Future is the title of a science fiction
novel by Martin Caidin
published in 1995.
The novel is a reimagining of Buck Rogers
, a pulp fiction character created in the 1920s by Philip Francis Nowlan
and later popularized in a long-running comic strip
and in films and television. Caidin's novel was published by TSR, Inc.
, which also published a role-playing game
based upon Nowlan's creation entitled Buck Rogers XXVC
, which in turn spawned a series of novels, however this novel is not related to the game or its spin-off novels beyond the basic concept and characters.
plane crash. Given zero chance of survival with modern-day medical methods, Rogers is placed into suspended animation
at Cyberdyne Systems, in the hopes that at some point in the future new technologies will render his injuries survivable. Ultimately, as civilizations rise and fall, Rogers is kept in stasis for five centuries before he is discovered and revived.
As with the original Buck Rogers story, the pilot must adjust to life in the 25th Century while also helping Earth battle various invaders. Along the way he falls in love with Wilma Deering, a top pilot in the Space Corps.
by Nowlan and Dick Calkins
entitled Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, an abbreviated retelling of the original origin of Buck Rogers and some of his early adventures.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by Martin Caidin
Martin Caidin
Martin Caidin was an American author and an authority on aeronautics and aviation.Caidin wrote more than 50 books, including Samurai!, Black Thursday, Thunderbolt!, Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38, Zero!, The Ragged, Rugged Warriors, A Torch to the Enemy and many other works of military history...
published in 1995.
The novel is a reimagining of Buck Rogers
Buck Rogers
Anthony Rogers is a fictional character that first appeared in Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan in the August 1928 issue of the pulp magazine Amazing Stories. A sequel, The Airlords of Han, was published in the March 1929 issue....
, a pulp fiction character created in the 1920s by Philip Francis Nowlan
Philip Francis Nowlan
Philip Francis Nowlan was an American science fiction author, best known as the creator of Buck Rogers.-Career:...
and later popularized in a long-running comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
and in films and television. Caidin's novel was published by TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, which also published a role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
based upon Nowlan's creation entitled Buck Rogers XXVC
Buck Rogers XXVC
Buck Rogers XXVC is a game setting created by TSR, Inc. in the late 1980s. Products based on this setting include novels, graphic novels, a role-playing game , board game, and video games...
, which in turn spawned a series of novels, however this novel is not related to the game or its spin-off novels beyond the basic concept and characters.
Plot
Caidin's novel retells the story of Anthony "Buck" Rogers, a top pilot who is mortally wounded in a FokkerFokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
plane crash. Given zero chance of survival with modern-day medical methods, Rogers is placed into suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
at Cyberdyne Systems, in the hopes that at some point in the future new technologies will render his injuries survivable. Ultimately, as civilizations rise and fall, Rogers is kept in stasis for five centuries before he is discovered and revived.
As with the original Buck Rogers story, the pilot must adjust to life in the 25th Century while also helping Earth battle various invaders. Along the way he falls in love with Wilma Deering, a top pilot in the Space Corps.
Bonus reprint
The first edition of the novel includes as a bonus a reprint of a 1933 novellaNovella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
by Nowlan and Dick Calkins
Dick Calkins
Dick Calkins , who often signed his work Lt. Dick Calkins, is a comic strip artist who is best known for being the first artist to draw the Buck Rogers comic strip....
entitled Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, an abbreviated retelling of the original origin of Buck Rogers and some of his early adventures.