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Title of Story
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Venus Calling
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Critical Introduction
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While Frank H. Bodle is well known for writing The Te Kooti Trail, which was one of New Zealand's first movies in 1927, he is less known for writing a science fiction story a little later. Venus Calling is a ramshackle affair with stock standard planetary travel between Earth and Venus, and betrayal of spaceship passengers that become the antagonists. More space western than space opera, it leads to a gunfight near a cave in a hot canyon on Venus.
The space opera story in a newspaper is unique for the time as it features strong female characters (perhaps influenced by the new woman genre), characters who speak about science in a colloquial language (showing a consideration for democratising science), and consideration for not only the heat of re-entry through an atmosphere (not something scientists were paying to much attention to at the time), but also describing the currently known atmospheric conditions of Venus.
The author had already lived through World War I, losing one of his staff to the war, and worked for a newspaper, so had a heightened awareness of the world. This story, while published during the Great Depression years, leading to anxieties of a future war, is written with a problem-solution focus that avoids history completely. With New Zealand being so far away from the rest of the world, and much of the early part of the story set in New Zealand, there is a refreshing innocence at the beginning of an excited inventor wishing to show off his space ship and get money from it, harking back to stories from the early 1900s. i.e. It is escapist fiction to delight readers of the day, taking them away from the stresses of the contemporary world.
There is limited information on Frank H. Bodle but it seems that he spent most of his time near Auckland, wrote to the local papers about a variety of subjects, and owned a printing company. The following is listed in Northland Military Records which shows that Private Aubrey Horotiu Black had worked as a printer for Bodle before the Great War:
12/962 Private BLACK, Aubrey Horotiu single Devonport MB 6th Hauraki Coy, Auckland Infantry Battalion
Stanley Black (br) Dargaville Sailed 16/10/14 “Waimana”
KILLED IN ACTION Chunuk Bair, ANZAC Sector Sunday 8th August 1915, aged 22
Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial
P/N 9.
Son of Alfred and Tuhi Black of Dargaville
1914 Kaipara Roll, Black, Alfred Charles, Dargaville, Journalist.
Attested 19/8/14,
Born 10/12/92, Maunganui Bluff, Kaihu, Northern Wairoa
Occupation Printer
Residence 12 Roslyn Terrace, Devonport
Employee Frank H Bodle, 52 Shortland St, Auckland
Brother 25/1670 Rfm BLACK, Stanley Rongo, 11th Rf, 3rd Bn G Coy NZRB
F. H. Bodle is listed as first managing the Whakatane County Press newspaper in 1915 and with the Ngaruawahia Advocate and Counties Gazette in 1922: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/books/ALMA1958-9917504343502836-Newspapers-in-New-Zealand It's possible Bodle moved to Australia in the 1930s as a Frank Bodle is the established editor of The Forbe's Advocate in Forbes, NSW in the 1950s: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220728445 This might explain why Venus Calling is noted as having been written by an Australian.
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Story Summary
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Alvin Lister invents an antigravity space ship, dubbed "The Venus" and brings along a crew of 10, then invites investors for a 14 day trip to Venus. The investors take over the ship and strand Lister and his crew. Venus is a primitive form of Earth with androgynous 'Venusmen' natives.
Much of the story is spent trying to get the ship back from the pirates, with sabotage, gunfights and other traditional spaghetti western tropes, although a smattering of science is spread throughout. Eventually the ship is fixed but without enough supplies, most decide to stay on Venus with just a few returning to tell the tale.
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Science Fiction Subgenres
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space opera
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space fiction
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space western
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planetary
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Inventions
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anti-gravity spaceship
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Force chargers that attract or repel gravitational pull
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Charge of resistant force that reflects atmospheric entry heat
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"Smashing all the speed regulations of the Universe"
The force chargers enable faster than light travel.
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How this Story was Identified
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Using a keycloud against the original exported copy of the database in early 2023.
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KeyClouds
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scientist AND experiment AND electricity AND scientific AND science AND engine AND mechanical AND earth AND world AND telescope
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Date Details Added to IA
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March 2023
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Historical Context
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The Great Depression, a rise of nationalistic and authoritarian governments, and murmurings of the possibility of another World War.
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Additional Information
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From The Lithgow Mercury 2 May 1934:
Our new serial "Venus Calling," will be commenced in tomorrow's issue. The author is Frank H. Bodle who wrote "The Te Korti Trail" and several other interesting stories. The reader's interest is captured from the
start by a good plot well woven by this talented Australian author.
For the most part the setting is in New Zealand, and the story deals with the adventures of Ulysses Anderson, a journalist, who, having lost his position, forsakes the city and takes a chance railway-ticket to a little-heard of and obscure town, seeking whatever adventures Fate might have in store for him. He meets a scientist whose car' has developed engine trouble, repairs the slight defect, is offered a lift, and to gether they launch out on many thrilling escapades.
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Attributed Author
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Frank H. Bodle
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Nationality
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Australian
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New Zealander
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Biographical and Other Sources
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https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219606340
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Other Works by the Author Listed in the Newspaper
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The Te Kooti Trail
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Single or Serialised
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Serialised
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First Published Date of Last Installment
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1934-08-17
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Year For Sorting
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1934
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Date Range
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1934-05-02-1934-08-17
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Number of Installments
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24 chapters plus epilogue, with some chapters divided across multiple issues.
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Complete or Supplemented
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Complete
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Length
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Novel
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Links in To Be Continued
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https://readallaboutit.com.au/#/title/66422
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Links to Trove
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Chapter 1
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219597875
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Newspaper Publisher Citation
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The Lithgow Mercury
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Newspaper Name Location Years
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The Lithgow Mercury NSW 1989-1954
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Location Town City
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Lithgow
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Location State Territory
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NSW
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Provincial or Metro
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Provincial
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Also Published in
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The Young Chronicle NSW 1934
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The Northern Herald Cairns QLD 1935
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Language
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English
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Content Advisory
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These items are historical texts digitised from their original publication, and reflects the social attitudes, cultural values, and language of the time in which they were created. Some content may include depictions or references that are racist, sexist, ableist, colonialist, or otherwise offensive by contemporary standards. This material is presented uncensored for scholarly, archival, and educational purposes. It serves as a record of past cultural attitudes and is preserved here to support critical engagement, historical reflection, and the advancement of inclusive scholarship. Reader discretion is advised.
