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Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet

Harold L. Goodwin (1914 - 1990)

"Foster, Lieutenant, R. I. P.," blared the voice horn, and five minutes later Rip Foster was off into space on an assignment more exciting than any he had ever imagined. He could hardly believe his ears. Could a green young Planeteer, just through his training, possibly carry out orders like these? Sunny space, what a trick it would be! From the moment Rip boards the space ship Scorpius there is a thrill a minute. He and his nine daring Planeteers must cope with the merciless hazing of the spacemen commanding the ship, and they must outwit the desperate Connies, who threaten to plunge all of space into war. There are a thousand dangers to be faced in high vacuum—and all of this while carrying out an assignment that will take every reader's breath away. - Summary by Original book cover

Genre(s): Action & Adventure

Language: English

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Blaine, John

Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.

Pseudonym of US author Harold Leland Goodwin (1914-1990) who specialized in sf-adventure novels for teenage readers. His books tended to emphasize the nuts and bolts of science and technology, and were more carefully written than most series books for teens. As Blake Savage he also wrote an sf novel for teens, Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet ( 1952 ; vt Assignment in Space with Rip Foster 1958 ; vt Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet 1969 ). The protagonist is a newly graduated lieutenant Planeteer, educated in a Space Station , whose first assignment is to dislodge an Asteroid of pure thorium from its orbit and pilot it to earth. Along the way he learns much about diplomacy as he encounters interbranch military rivalry and space pirates from a foreign power. The author had been a lieutenant in the Marines during World War Two, and the political situation in the novel is a reflection of the Cold War era when the book was written. Under his own name, Goodwin wrote some popular-science texts, some as by Hal Goodwin, including The Real Book about Stars ( 1951 ), The Science Book of Space Travel ( 1954 ), Space: Frontier Unlimited ( 1962 ), and The Images of Space ( 1965 ).

He remains best known for the long Rick Brant Science-Adventure sequence (first three volumes only being designated the Rick Brant Electronic Adventure sequence), mostly written by him solo, all published as by John Blaine, which focus on the numerous Inventions of its teenage protagonist, son of a famous Scientist , on and off the planet. This series begins with three 1947 tales written in collaboration with Peter J Harkins, both writing together as Blaine – The Rocket's Shadow ( 1947 ), The Lost City ( 1947 ), a Lost Race tale, and Sea Gold ( 1947 ) – and continues as a solo production (with a single late exception) for many further volumes ending with The Magic Talisman (written 1969; 1990 ). Early titles in particular incorporated some Edisonade elements, which did not lessen a growing sense of datedness as the series progressed; several later titles, after Rick Brant is seconded to the Joint Army-Navy Intelligence Group, are early Technothrillers . Some of these novels anticipated such later real-life scientific advances as Moon -bounce Communications , proton magnetometers and surgical lasers. [JC/LW]

Assignment In Space With Rip Foster

By blake savage.

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Rip Foster goes on a space mission as the leader of nine men in a battle against Consops, a ruthless enemy.

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Book Details

Published in.

Racine, Wisconsin

First Sentence

"Foster, R.I.P., Lieutenant."

Edition Notes

Copyright MCMLII as "Rip Foster Rides The Gray Planet," by Whitman Publishing Company

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• Created April 27, 2010
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Summary Bibliography: John Blaine

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SIMILAR ITEMS (based on metadata)

Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet is a young adult science fiction novel written by Harold L. Goodwin under the pseudonym Blake Savage. The novel was originally published by Whitman in hardcover in 1952 and reprinted in the United Kingdom later in the same year as Rip Foster Rides the Grey Planet (note the spelling of "gray/grey"). There were two subsequent American reprints under different titles: another hardcover edition as Assignment in Space with Rip Foster in 1958 and a paperback edition as Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet , in 1969. Under all titles combined, there were approximately 100,000 copies of the novel printed [ citation needed ] . The first edition was illustrated by E. Deane Cate and the 1958 edition by Denny McMains . Goodwin is better known for other children's books he wrote, including the Rick Brant Science Adventure Series for Boys . According to Project Gutenberg [1] , this novel is in the Public Domain in the United States.

Plot summary

Freshly graduated and commissioned Planeteer (the space-going equivalent of a Marine) Lt. Richard Ingalls Peter ("Rip") Foster, already contending with inter-service rivalry with the Space Force (equivalent to Navy) crewmen with whom he serves, is tasked with retrieving an asteroid made of pure thorium from the asteroid belt and bringing it to Earth for use as fissionable material. In this he is opposed by agents of the "Consolidation of Peoples Governments", who also seek control and use of the asteroid.

Political allegory

The villains in Rip Foster are known as "Consops", agents of the "Consolidation of Peoples Governments" that the Space Force and Planeteers of the "Federation of Free Governments" oppose. It is easy to see that the nickname "Connies" is reference to " Commies ", an abbreviation of " Communists ", given that the book was written during the Cold War and Korean War . The story emphasizes adventure, comedy, and narrow escapes from destruction, but hints at a geo-political situation not unlike that of the early 1950s.

List of editions

• Blake Savage. Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet , Racine, Wisconsin , Whitman Publishing Company , 1952, 250p.
• Blake Savage. Rip Foster Rides the Grey Planet , London, UK, Publicity Products Limited, 1952.
• Blake Savage. Assignment in Space with Rip Foster , Racine, Wisconsin, Whitman Publishing Company, 1958.
• Blake Savage. Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet , New York, Golden Press, 1969, 253p.
• Clark, Roy Peter. Great Cosmos! Boyhood Memories Lead to quest for the Real Blake Savage . St. Petersburg Times , October 19, 1987. Available online

External links

• Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet at Project Gutenberg

• 1952 American novels
• 1952 science fiction novels
• Children's science fiction novels
• American science fiction novels
• American young adult novels
• Works published under a pseudonym
• Fiction about asteroid mining
• Fiction about main-belt asteroids
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from February 2007
• Articles with Project Gutenberg links

Assignment Space Rip Foster ( 14 results)

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RIP FOSTER in RIDE THE GRAY PLANET [reprinted in 1958 as ASSIGNMENT IN SPACE WITH RIP FOSTER]

Savage, Blake

Published by Golden Press, NY, 1969

Seller: Books from the Crypt , N. Potomac, MD, U.S.A.

Association Member: IOBA

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First Edition

Used - Softcover Condition: Reading Copy

Within U.S.A.

Quantity: 1

Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Reading Copy. 1st printing, 1969. Cover art by George Solonevich. Tanning; creasing; bumps and dings; edge and corner wear; a little woiling of wraps; foxing; other minor flaws.

RIP FOSTER RIDES THE GRAY PLANET [reprinted in 1958 as ASSIGNMENT IN SPACE WITH RIP FOSTER]

Published by Whitman Publishing, NY, 1952

Used - Hardcover Condition: Good+ to Very Good-

Hardcover. Condition: Good+ to Very Good-. No Jacket. Cate, E. Deane (illustrator). First Edition. [1952] Whitman #2304. Light blue boards decorated and lettered in gray and navy on front and lettered in navy on spine; pictorial endpapers; 250pps. No jacket; tanned; front board a little soiled with soem nail polish (?) drips; rear cover no drips, but minor soil; corner wear; marks in pen inside cover; minor wet to lower rear foredge corner, internally.

Assignment in Space with Rip Foster

Blake Savage

Published by Whitman Publishing Company, 1958

Seller: HPB-Diamond , Dallas, TX, U.S.A.

Used - Hardcover Condition: Very Good

hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!.

Published by Whitman Publishing Company

Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta , AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.

Used - Hardcover Condition: Fair

Hardcover. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.85.

Published by Whitman Publishing Company January 1958, 1958

Seller: The Book Garden , Bountiful, UT, U.S.A.

Used - Hardcover Condition: Good - Cash

Hardcover. Condition: Good - Cash. No Jacket. General use wear, surface and edges rubbed. Corners bumped and show wear. Pages show reader wear. Secure pages, solid binding. Tear inside back cover, webbing exposed. Stock photos may not look exactly like the book.

Published by Whitman, 1958

Seller: Neat Stuff Books , Cumming, GA, U.S.A.

Used Condition: Good

Loose. Condition: Good. Denny McMains (illustrator). 1st. Binding of front cover loose otherwise binding firm. Cover clean, some pealing of plastic on spine. Great juvinile adventure. Hardback.

Seller: Wonder Book , Frederick, MD, U.S.A.

Association Member: ABAA ILAB

Used Condition: Fair

Condition: Fair. Acceptable condition. (juvenile, fiction, science fiction) A readable, intact copy that may have noticeable tears and wear to the spine. All pages of text are present, but they may include extensive notes and highlighting or be heavily stained. Includes reading copy only books.

ASSIGNMENT IN SPACE WITH RIP FOSTER (by Blake Savage (Whitman # 1576;

Savage, Blake.

Published by Whitman Publishing Company., Racine, Wisconsin, USA., 1958

Seller: Comic World , Steinbach, MB, Canada

Used - Softcover Condition: Very Good +

From Canada to U.S.A.

Pictorial Illustrated Cover. Condition: Very Good +. Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket, As issued!. Wraparound Painted Cover Art. (illustrator). First Edition By This Publisher,. ASSIGNMENT IN SPACE WITH RIP FOSTER (by Blake Savage (Whitman # 1576; year 1958; Young Reader Juvenile Science Fiction Adventure; Wraparound Painted Cover; Denny McMains illustrations; Minor peeling to the Lamination, VG+ = $12.00); Size: 8vo - over 7�" - 9�" tall. Book.

Published by Whitman Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin, 1958

Seller: George Strange's Bookmart , Brandon, MB, Canada

Used - Hardcover Condition: Poor

Hardcover. Condition: Poor. McMains, Denny (illustrator). Glossy Hardcover rubbed on extremities, losing superficial plastic and chipped on head and tail of the spine. The binding is cracked and pulling away from the spine. The inside is unmarked. The pages are age toned.

ASSIGNMENT IN SPACE with Rip Foster

Published by Whitman Publishing Co., Racine, WI, 1958

Seller: Riverow Bookshop , Owego, NY, U.S.A.

Used - Hardcover Condition: Used-Good/NO DUSTJACKET

Hardcover. Condition: Used-Good/NO DUSTJACKET. Color Illustrations (illustrator). Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing Co. Used-Good/NO DUSTJACKET. 1958. . Hardcover. Sm 8vo., 282 pp., Cracked hinge but binding solid. .

SAVAGE, Blake

Published by Whitman Publishing Company, Racine, WI, 1958

Seller: Main Street Fine Books & Mss, ABAA , Galena, IL, U.S.A.

Association Member: ABAA ILAB MWABA

Used - Hardcover

Hardcover. Illustrations by Denny McMains. Small 8vo. Glossy pictorial paper over boards. 282pp, (2pp ads). Numerous partly-colored line drawings, pictorial endpapers. Very good. Almost rates "Near fine," as it's tight and bright, with just the slightest faint edgewear. A lovely reprint edition (#1576) of Harold L. Goodwin's young adult sci-fi novel, first published in 1952 as "Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet." Superb copy.

Used - Hardcover Condition: Good

Hardcover. Condition: Good. McMains, Denny (illustrator). Glossy hardcover rubbed on extremities. The binding is cracked and pulling away from the spine. Inscribed by previous owner on ffep. The rest of the book is unmarked. The pages are clean but age-toned.

Seller: COVENANT HERITAGE LIBRIS , Saint John, NB, Canada

Used - Hardcover Condition: Good-Very Good

Hardcover. Condition: Good-Very Good. Denny McMains (illustrator). small amount of wear at spine corners, binding tight. D4 7.

Seller: JMCbooksonline , Cheverie, NS, Canada

Condition: Fair. A fair hardcover copy sans dust jacket as issued, bindings are tight and straight, corners are bumped and worn. Shelf and handling wear to cover and binding, with general signs of previous use.

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Rip Foster: Assignment in Space, Hardcover – Jan. 1 1958

• Language English
• Publisher Whitman
• Publication date Jan. 1 1958
• See all details

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000HKP0X0
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Whitman; First Edition (Jan. 1 1958)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 386 g

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Assignment in Space with Rip Foster (Illustrated) - Blake Savage 1958 Whitman Publishing Co vintage hardback

Regular price $12.00

Condition:  Acceptable:   Signs of wear and consistent use. Small tear at inside front hinge. See images for the condition of this book. Blurb: (Original title: Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet) Freshly graduated and commissioned Planeteer Lt. Richard Ingalls Peter ("Rip") Foster is tasked with retrieving an asteroid made of pure thorium from the asteroid belt and bringing it to Earth for use as fissionable material. Rip must fight the "Connies" (Consolidation of Planetary Governments), sworn enemies of the Federation of Free Governments, for possession of the asteroid. Unlike many sci-fi juveniles of this period, Assignment in Space is based on solid science - both the nuclear physics and the orbital mechanics. That is understandable since the author was a scientist who had been the Director of Atomic Test Operations for the Federal Civil Defense Administration and then Scientific Advisor to the United States Information Agency. Young adult science fiction novel written by Harold L. Goodwin under the pen name Blake Savage. Fully illustrated and with a linked table of contents.

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Assignment in Space with Rip Foster Hardcover

• Publisher Whitman Publishing
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Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004RD7UY0

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