Tongues of the Moon
Encyclopedia
Tongues of the Moon is an American
science fiction
novel
by Philip José Farmer
. Originally released in 1964, the book is an action
story, focusing on fighting and combat scenes rather than a complex plot. It was initially printed as a novella in Amazing Stories
.
In Tongues of the Moon, colonists on Earth's moon
engage in a small-scale war after a nuclear holocaust
on Earth. The warring parties include the Soviet Union
, here allied with the United States
, and a military faction called the "South Atlantic Axis".
Critically, the book was successfully sold as an action story, but otherwise received little attention. It was reprinted several times, primarily by Pyramid Books
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
science fiction
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
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
. Originally released in 1964, the book is an action
Action genre
The word action has more than one meaning in fiction. Action is one of the fiction-writing modes authors use to present fiction. The term is also used to describe an exiting event or circumstance.-Action as a fiction-writing mode:...
story, focusing on fighting and combat scenes rather than a complex plot. It was initially printed as a novella in Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
.
In Tongues of the Moon, colonists on Earth's moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
engage in a small-scale war after a nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
on Earth. The warring parties include the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, here allied with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a military faction called the "South Atlantic Axis".
Critically, the book was successfully sold as an action story, but otherwise received little attention. It was reprinted several times, primarily by Pyramid Books
Pyramid Books
Jove Books, formerly Pyramid Books, is a paperback publishing company, founded in 1949 by Almat Magazine Publishers . The company was sold to the Walter Reade Organization in the late 1960s. It was acquired in 1974 by Harcourt Brace which renamed it to Jove in 1977 and continued the line as an...
.