The Weapon Shops of Isher - A.E. Van Vogt Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author A.E. Van Vogt

"The Weapon Shops of Isher"
Message Board

Review Summaries

"THE WEAPON SHOPS OF ISHER has been first published as a novel in 1951. In a distant future, a secret organization, in order to counterbalance the power of the government is selling special arms to the population. These arms can be used to protect oneself but not to attack others. During a 2000 years period, the government of Isher has been forced to tolerate this situation but now, the scientists of the princess Innelda, have discovered a new weapon that should destroy once and for all the Guild of the weapon makers. But instead of destroying the gunshop targeted, the government attack propels the gunshop in the past. A journalist of the year 1973 enters the gunshop that has suddenly appeared in his town and is brought back thousand years in the future by the gunshop. He'll soon understand that he won't be able to leave the house that is alternatively sent into the past and into the future at a formidable pace."
Daniel Staebler, Resident A.E. Van Vogt Scholar

Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!

Overall Review

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Time Travel: - into past and future equally
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Time Travel story? Yes
Story largely takes place in - Distant future

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - scientist
Age: - long lived adults
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - mind control - can read emotions
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Intelligence - Genius
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Eccentric: Yes - emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Which planet? - Mars
Earth setting: - distant future
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Not Earth, in Solar System? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Most similar books by Gordonator ranking
Kaleidoscope Century by John Barnes
The Otherhood by Lytchcov Zammana
Stormbound by Paul Peters
The Scarlet Empress by Susan Grant
The Life of the World to Come by Kage Baker

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Movie search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed movie search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Charmed: Is Piper really a Halliwell? 11/13/2009 11:30:45 AM

Lord of the Rings: Why would Aragorn choose pig lips Arwen Evenstar over Eowyn? 11/12/2009 6:40:39 PM

Xena: 37 reasons why Xena and Gabrielle are... you know.... 11/12/2009 7:23:13 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 11/11/2009 11:48:16 PM

Battlestar Galactica: Was Battlestar Galactica politically conservative? 11/1/2009 9:51:45 AM

Battlestar Galactica: Why were the Cylons so slow and thinking impaired? 10/31/2009 8:36:52 PM

Blade Runner: Blade Runner 10/22/2009 2:43:11 AM

Star Trek Enterprise: Jolene Blalock on T'Pol and Star Trek Enterprise 10/19/2009 2:48:46 PM

Charmed: If Piper Halliwell gets pregnant, can Leo give her an abortion? 10/3/2009 12:29:33 PM

Star Wars: Why did stormtroopers wear armor that didn't work against blasters? 9/30/2009 9:48:47 PM

Newest slaves:
Shannon Elizabeth 9:21:53 PM
Heather Locklear (Melrose Place) 9:21:47 PM
Nyssa 9:20:17 PM
Colonel Samantha Carter clone 9:19:44 PM
Rose Tyler (Dr. Who Squeeze) 9:19:41 PM
Galadriel 9:18:33 PM
Arwen Evenstar (Liv Tyler) 9:16:16 PM
Eowyn 9:15:40 PM
Number Six (va-Gina) 9:15:31 PM
Admiral Helena Cain 9:15:31 PM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)