From the Bookshelf of Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)…

Call Me Joe

Poul Anderson,

Frank Kelly Freas (Illustrator)

Start date: April 1, 2025

Finish date: April 30, 2025

Discussion: Short Story/Novella Collection

Why we're reading this: Moderators Run Amok April 2025
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Short Story/Novella Collection

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* Short Story Classics
By Bob , Short Story Classics · 1 post · 703 views

last updated Sep 01, 2015 05:35AM

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last updated Sep 01, 2025 03:10PM

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What Members Thought

Apr 16, 2025 Franky rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, novella, kindle, fantasy, aliens, sci-fi, short-stories, 2025-reading-challenge

“After all my time here, I’ve yet to see any problem, however complicated, which when you looked at it the right way didn’t still become more complicated.”

Somehow, someway, I missed all the Avatar hype of around fifteen years ago and never ended up seeing James Cameron’s film. I mention this because I hear by word of mouth via reviews and online that there are many similarities and ties of this film to Paol Anderson’s 1957 science fiction novella “Call Me Joe.” So, in a way, I proceeded reading “After all my time here, I’ve yet to see any problem, however complicated, which when you looked at it the right way didn’t still become more complicated.”

Somehow, someway, I missed all the Avatar hype of around fifteen years ago and never ended up seeing James Cameron’s film. I mention this because I hear by word of mouth via reviews and online that there are many similarities and ties of this film to Paol Anderson’s 1957 science fiction novella “Call Me Joe.” So, in a way, I proceeded reading this one “cold,” and that made a bigger impact in the end.

I suppose critics can scoff all they want about the “science” of Jupiter being a solid mass in the story and what not, but, to me, there is so much more going on. This short work is just a very intelligently presented and thought-provoking tale that has deep reaching implications and thinking points, and asks several questions about the nature of the self, identity, and the existence of being human.

It is also very innovative, as it represents one of the earlier “virtual reality” science fiction I believe. In the story, a select group of individuals are on Jupiter conducting an experimental project involving a prototype-synthetic creature (a centaur like being called Joe) being controlled by a human who is disabled (Ed Anglesey). One man (Jan Cornelius), an expert in this field of psionics, has come in to investigate and try to fix some of the issues that have led some of the equipment to short out and the technology to go astray during these experiments, and so he gets an upfront look at what seems to be transpiring.

The story shifts back and forth between scenes at the space station on Jupiter between Cornelius’ investigation into this matter and his talks with others, and scenes with Anglesey and Joe.

To me, probably the most gripping angle to the story was the dynamics between Anglesey and Joe. As the story progresses, Cornelius continues to have to adjust his theories, take a deeper and more introspective approach to producing a possible explanation of what is happening. It’s difficult to go further without possible spoilers, but there are some eye-opening realizations that come into focus by the story’s end.

Probably the only knock against the novella is that it is just that: a novella. I felt like this story could have been flushed out so much more and gone deeper into the themes explored here. This has enough material to be a full-length novel.

Overall, though, Call Me Joe is an intriguing classic science fiction with quite a few thoughts, philosophies, and ideas packed into a very small space. One surely to check out for all classic science fiction fans. I’d be interested in picking up another Anderson title in the future.

...more

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Sep 11, 2023 RJ - Slayer of Trolls rated it liked it

Shelves: read-short-story

In this classic Science-Fiction short story, scientists have created their own "Jovian" - who can live on the planet Jupiter and conduct tests and gather data - controlled "psionically" by a paraplegic scientist whose behavior is becoming erratic. Modern readers will find it impossible not to think of Avatar as they read this. This novella is included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A edited by Ben Bova. ...more

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Apr 29, 2025 Erin rated it it was ok

Shelves: language-english, fiction, 20th-century, science-fiction, short-story, usa, catching-up-on-classics-group

What stood out to me most in this story was the eco-colonial horror, probably not intended, but the more chilling for the unexamined assumptions. But first, I appreciated how the story started, throwing the reader into the action to discover and understand as the story progresses. I also enjoyed the exoterrestrial setting and the thought given to the science (keeping in mind when the story was written). This included the considerations of everyday movement in low gravity, and how furniture might What stood out to me most in this story was the eco-colonial horror, probably not intended, but the more chilling for the unexamined assumptions. But first, I appreciated how the story started, throwing the reader into the action to discover and understand as the story progresses. I also enjoyed the exoterrestrial setting and the thought given to the science (keeping in mind when the story was written). This included the considerations of everyday movement in low gravity, and how furniture might logically be constructed differently for such an environment, but strangely, not whether it made sense to smoke like a chimney in an enclosed environment and around sensitive scientific equipment…

However, even as I read the descriptions of the Jovian world with wonder, that was matched by growing horror at mankind’s involvement. Here’s this amazing discovery, life and not as we know it. Yet there is zero concern for contamination or disruption of this unique and potentially fragile biosphere as mankind proceeds to create artificial life forms to send into the world, and then the ultimate, creating an artificial life form with the capacity of a human mind, one that may evolve and develop independently, and then controlling it. Of course, this isn’t Star Trek with its Prime Directive, however flawed in application. Throughout history, mankind has come, seen, and conquered, without regard for humans already living there, much less the possibility of other sentience, much less other lifeforms and the ecosystem as a whole…

(view spoiler) ...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Tom Britz rated it it was amazing

Poul Anderson was Science Fiction's 16th appointed Grand Master, an award for lifetime excellence in the field. And with novels such as Brain Wave, Tau Zero, The High Crusade and shorter pieces like Call Me Joe, that award is a fitting one indeed.
Call Me Joe uses an avatar specially made to be able to live on the planet Jupiter and the human operator is mind linked to the avatar. However when the human operator is a paraplegic and the avatar is a muscle bound blue hulk of a being with four legs ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2025 Jared Evanoski marked it as to-read

Apr 07, 2025 t.s. cronenberg marked it as to-read

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