The Green Millennium: A Positronic Book

By Fritz Leiber

Book Overview

The Green Millennium is Fritz Leiber's witty and imaginative science fiction novel set in a future where advanced technology and hidden powers shape everyday life. In this strange and unpredictable world, humanity shares its cities with robots, mechanical servants, and curious devices that blur the boundaries between science and magic.

The story follows Jerry Cornelius, an ordinary clerk whose life takes an unexpected turn when he encounters a mysterious and extraordinary creature known as a "gummitch." This small, green, seemingly magical animal appears to bring luck and transformation wherever it goes. As Jerry becomes entangled in events surrounding the creature, he finds himself drawn into a world of conspiracies, strange technologies, and forces beyond his understanding.

First published in 1953, The Green Millennium reflects Leiber's distinctive blend of humor, speculative imagination, and philosophical curiosity. A master of both science fiction and fantasy, Leiber crafted a story that is at once playful and thought-provoking, exploring themes of chance, destiny, and the unexpected ways that small events can alter the course of human lives.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1515419290
• ISBN13: 9781515419297
• Release Date: July 2023
• Publisher: Positronic Publishing
• Length: 156 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Sci-Fi Escapism at its Finest

In this futuristic social satire, Phil Gish is a down and out loner who finds peace and contentment in the humble presence of a green cat. His pursuit of this feline takes him on a wild adventure that causes him to cross paths with a dazzling array of professional wrestlers, religious fanatics, parapsychologists, mobsters working for Fun, Inc., agents of the Federal Bureau of Loyalty, and a host of other eccentric individuals, all of whom seem determined to get their hands on the green cat. The colorful characters are the real strength of this unusually under-plotted book (the story is little more than a long chase after the elusive cat), but the action is breakneck-paced, and the surprises just don't stop, which makes this book almost impossible to put down. Equally unusual in science fiction are the strong female characters, who while by no means perfect or even always likable, manage to make their own decisions and frequently demonstrate their superiority to the weak and/or immoral men in the story. Especially memorable are June Jones, the lady wrestler who wrestles men for a living, but befriends the helpless Phil, and Mitzi Romadka, the courageous daughter of a sadistic doctor, who would rather die than give in to weakness, even while flaunting her femininity. While there are occasionally some brief lapses into sci-fi sophistry, this book is primarily a comedy: a fast moving, easy to read romp that should please readers young and old, but would not be recommended for those who take their science fiction seriously. The social satire is not especially pointed, and there are relatively few interesting ideas, scientific or otherwise, but for sheer escapist reading pleasure, this book certainly delivers top quality.