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Children Of The Atom by Wilmar H. Shiras check out website: www.redjacketpress.com
Children Of The Atom', a 1953 fix-up of four short stories written between 1948-50, is probably the key point book which probably inspired John Wyndham's 'The Midwich Cuckoos' to show a more darker side to a similar situation. There are also recognisable clues to show that Stan Lee drew connections from the title and 'school for gifted youngsters' for the comicbook 'X-Men'.
As I commented, a lot of kudos here. Even more odd is that this was the only novel-length book Shiras had out and has been long out of print. Red Jacket Press are determined to ensure a lot of the Gnome Press books get a reprinting as limited editions for the SF reader who wants everything and have done a very presentable edition to garnish your bookshelves. I commented to publisher Brian Pearce that if he really wanted to do an exact facsimile of the original edition then it should be a pulp paperback with yellow-edged pages. He said others have given
a similar comment and replied, 'it was virtually impossible to duplicate the poor-quality
printing and binding of the original Gnome Press editions!' So much for modern
times!! As
they grow older, they also demonstrate themselves to be super-intelligent. Bearing
in mind this is the early 50s, there is disbelief and many conceal how bright
they are so they can fit in with where they live. School psychiatrist Peter Welles
discovers supposedly withdrawn school pupil Timothy Paul and discovers how he's
been playing genetics with cats and a writing career behind his harmless facade. Tracing his background, Welles discovers more of these children and draws
them together with a few select teachers to guide their education and develop
their own brand of humanity. In the final story of this quartet, they are revealed
for what they are but succeed in convincing the mob that they haven't been that
too extra-ordinary around the town. Mind you, they don't reveal much of their
secret lives either. The problem of writing stories about super-intelligent characters in any era is that the writers themselves don't have similar IQs and can only scratch the surface of how these people really think. Although Shiras carries it off rather well when dealing with Tim himself, she is less successful when she has several of them together and their extrapolation of ideas. That's
not to say this isn't an interesting novel to read and certainly deserving to
be amongst the 50 Most Significant SF and Fantasy Books but it's easy to see this
was a flaw that taught a lot of later authors to focus on the alienation and fear
brought on by people who are different from the rest. I can't recall any other
writer approaching her side of things. What makes this singularly unique
and holds the flavour of the 50s is how 'normal' humans were prepared to help
these super-intelligent kids develop rather than treat them as outcasts. In some
respects, this might be regarded as naive today but fits its time. All SF sub-genres
start from a particular point and Wilmar Shiras novel is well worth seeking out
for a read. GF Willmetts
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OTHER REVIEWS - September 2004
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If
you're a serious SF reader, no doubt like me you have a list of books you want
to read at some time. Many of them out of print. When Red Jacket Press said they
were going to release this book, there was a gleam in my eye for that very reason.
It was on my list. Wilmar Shiras' 'The 
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