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Tom Swift Jr. #4
Tom Swift and His Giant Robot
Tom Swift - boy genius - outsmarts evil scientists, solves confounding myseries, and builds incredible rocket ships, atomic energy plants, submarines, airplanes, robots, and mind-boggling inventions for the good of mankind! Join Tom as he journeys to the unknown and faces new challenges.
211 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
6 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Victor Appleton II
117Ìýbooks21Ìýfollowerssee also Victor Appleton
The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 11, 2011
The Tom Swift books continue to delight me, and bring me joy even to this day. A great book for a parent to give their child who has an interest in science fiction.
May 16, 2021
The Tom Swift books of the second iteration “authored� by Victor Appleton II inspired an entire generation of scientists and engineers. The two teenage main characters were role models for many readers to fantasize their roles in creating new scientific and technical marvels. Most of the devices were logical extensions of the technical development of the time and this book is no exception.
The robots that Tom Swift Junior is building in this book are designed to work in dangerous environments, specifically nuclear reactors. This book was written in 1954 and the first commercial nuclear reactor was commissioned in 1956, so that concept was a logical look ahead. The protagonist is a bit of a mad scientist, thereby checking another box in the genre.
The action is largely routine and typical of the TSJ books, nothing is a surprise or original. Since this book was written in 1954 and the comic book legend Stan Lee was already active in writing stories for Atlas Comics, it is possible that the use of that name for a robot in the book is not coincidental. Whatever, the reason, it was an appropriate name assignment.
This is a book that is fun to read, both as a look back at adolescent science fiction of the fifties and as an examination of how science fiction writers applied current trends into intelligent and logical extrapolations.
The robots that Tom Swift Junior is building in this book are designed to work in dangerous environments, specifically nuclear reactors. This book was written in 1954 and the first commercial nuclear reactor was commissioned in 1956, so that concept was a logical look ahead. The protagonist is a bit of a mad scientist, thereby checking another box in the genre.
The action is largely routine and typical of the TSJ books, nothing is a surprise or original. Since this book was written in 1954 and the comic book legend Stan Lee was already active in writing stories for Atlas Comics, it is possible that the use of that name for a robot in the book is not coincidental. Whatever, the reason, it was an appropriate name assignment.
This is a book that is fun to read, both as a look back at adolescent science fiction of the fifties and as an examination of how science fiction writers applied current trends into intelligent and logical extrapolations.
June 27, 2019
First novel I read at 6 years old. Recently re-read it and was surprised to find some serious engineering concepts in it. Rather quaint though, to see the robot's intelligence created through electromechanical mechanisms. Balance and dexterity enabled the robot to play foot ball :-).
Does anticipate the problems with nuclear waste and the need for robots to handle the security and disposal of highly radioactive material.
This is the kind of book that got me interested in science and engineering.
Does anticipate the problems with nuclear waste and the need for robots to handle the security and disposal of highly radioactive material.
This is the kind of book that got me interested in science and engineering.
January 12, 2023
Though this fourth Tom Swift, Jr. adventure started out following the series's established formula (someone tries to steal one of Tom's inventions) this one went into all sorts of unexpected places and turned out to be a surprisingly complex story of bank robbers, a crazy person, buried treasure� and a giant robot named Stan Lee. Fun stuff!
September 18, 2024
My eight year old son enjoyed this adventure story of young inventor Tom Swift Jr. and his amazing giant robots; he is excited to read another one of these scientific tales. Since there are 33 Tom Swift Jr. books in this series dating from 1954 to 1977 my son has a lot of story options to choose from.
June 11, 2022
Big improvement over the first series mostly because the non-white characters didn't call Tom master. On the down side, there aren't any non-white characters. This book was published in the year I was born. The plot was ok and the super science was fun
November 23, 2022
A fun read. I read the whole series as a kid and it’s been fun reading them again.
August 25, 2008
Semi-Spoiler Review
I suppose now is as good a time as any to state my intentions reading all of these old adventure stories. Soon, you'll see my GoodReads book reviews flooded with more Nancy Drew, more Hardy Boys, more Tintin, more Tom Swift Jr, more Ken Holt, etc, than ever assembled on this site. The reason for this sudden influx is research: I'm working on a comic strip serializing the exploits of a young Boy Adventurer, and so I want to go to those who wrote the book(s) on the subject.
Anyway.
When one sits down to read a Tom Swift Jr. story, there are certain expectations one has. One, there will be fun with super-science. Two, there will be danger with super-science. And three, the danger will be solved with super-science. With those expectations in hand, I'd say Tom Swift and His Giant Robot was a success.
The problem I have with Tom Swift Jr is the problem I have with Nancy Drew. He's perfect. He's a genius inventor at the age of 18, a skilled pilot, a popular and sociable boy around town, a business confidant of his fathers company, a wonderful son for his mother, and, most importantly, he never miscalculates. That's a tall order for a boy on the verge of his High School Graduation.
Nevertheless, "Victor Appleton Jr" sets Tom up in a ridiculous world where this all seems possible. Nancy Drew suffers from being set in the "real" world, and thus her perfection just comes across as completely phony. Tom, however, lives in a world with space aliens, experimental aircraft, and fully functional and articulate robots.
This particular book hits some touchy political points, as well. The main story revolves around a danger threatened on Tom Swift Sr.'s new Nuclear Power Plant. At first Tom suspects those dastardly nut job protesters who hate scientific progress and would rather see mankind back in caves (his words). By the end, though, "Appleton" proves that with science and with bravery, mankind will stride boldly into the future.
The mystery, though, was almost as transparent as the one in The Mystery of the 99 Steps. Once I learned that there was a mentally unstable, scientific genius twin of a Swift Co. employee in the mix, it was so glaringly obvious he was the culprit, the rest of the story seemed tacked on and pointless. Even kids know to never trust an evil twin. Some genius Tom is.
But when it's all said and done, this book has Native American treasure, giant, fighting robots, flying mechanical crows, glorious helicopter crashes, and several unnecessary explosions. Yes, it's a bit uneven and unwieldy, but once you look past the inherent problems of the genre, Tom Swift and His Giant Robot will prove a good time.
I suppose now is as good a time as any to state my intentions reading all of these old adventure stories. Soon, you'll see my GoodReads book reviews flooded with more Nancy Drew, more Hardy Boys, more Tintin, more Tom Swift Jr, more Ken Holt, etc, than ever assembled on this site. The reason for this sudden influx is research: I'm working on a comic strip serializing the exploits of a young Boy Adventurer, and so I want to go to those who wrote the book(s) on the subject.
Anyway.
When one sits down to read a Tom Swift Jr. story, there are certain expectations one has. One, there will be fun with super-science. Two, there will be danger with super-science. And three, the danger will be solved with super-science. With those expectations in hand, I'd say Tom Swift and His Giant Robot was a success.
The problem I have with Tom Swift Jr is the problem I have with Nancy Drew. He's perfect. He's a genius inventor at the age of 18, a skilled pilot, a popular and sociable boy around town, a business confidant of his fathers company, a wonderful son for his mother, and, most importantly, he never miscalculates. That's a tall order for a boy on the verge of his High School Graduation.
Nevertheless, "Victor Appleton Jr" sets Tom up in a ridiculous world where this all seems possible. Nancy Drew suffers from being set in the "real" world, and thus her perfection just comes across as completely phony. Tom, however, lives in a world with space aliens, experimental aircraft, and fully functional and articulate robots.
This particular book hits some touchy political points, as well. The main story revolves around a danger threatened on Tom Swift Sr.'s new Nuclear Power Plant. At first Tom suspects those dastardly nut job protesters who hate scientific progress and would rather see mankind back in caves (his words). By the end, though, "Appleton" proves that with science and with bravery, mankind will stride boldly into the future.
The mystery, though, was almost as transparent as the one in The Mystery of the 99 Steps. Once I learned that there was a mentally unstable, scientific genius twin of a Swift Co. employee in the mix, it was so glaringly obvious he was the culprit, the rest of the story seemed tacked on and pointless. Even kids know to never trust an evil twin. Some genius Tom is.
But when it's all said and done, this book has Native American treasure, giant, fighting robots, flying mechanical crows, glorious helicopter crashes, and several unnecessary explosions. Yes, it's a bit uneven and unwieldy, but once you look past the inherent problems of the genre, Tom Swift and His Giant Robot will prove a good time.
June 28, 2015
The Tom Swift, Jr., books were a fun, upbeat, and interesting adventure series published for kids from 1954 to 1971 that promoted science, fair-play, patriotism, and team-work; they were good, positive books. The series served as a sequel to the original Tom Swift series that appeared from 1910 to the beginnings of World War II; Tom and his sister, Sandy, are the children of the first Tom and his wife, Mary Nestor; Tom's girlfriend Phyllis Newton is the daughter of Tom Sr.'s sidekick Ned Newton (now Uncle Ned to Tom and Sandy); the family home is still located in Shopton along Lake Carlopa, etc. It's nice that the continuity is preserved rather than just being over-written as happened to The Hardy Boys; in the first Tom Jr., book beings make contact that were first hinted at in the final real Tom Sr., book, Planet Stone, and throughout the series references to the history are made such as naming a device the Damonscope in honor of a character from the first series, Mr. Wakefield Damon. In addition to the Swifts and Newtons, Tom Jr. has his own sidekick, Bud Barclay, and there are several interesting supporting characters such as Phil Radnor, Harlan Ames (I wonder if Harlan Ellison was the inspiration for the name?), Hank Sterling, Miss Trent (who I don't believe ever had a first name), and especially Chow Winkler, Tom's cook, a former "Texas chuck-wagon" cook who was given to a variety of wild and unlikely expressions such as, "Well, brand my space biscuits!" The earlier books had nice covers, end-papers, and illustrations: Graham Kaye and Charles Brey provided the art for the first twenty-five volumes, followed by Edward Moretz, after which the artistic (as well as the literary) quality starting going downhill. Tom invented and built many fantastic inventions (but remember it was the '50s and '60s), and had many exciting adventures along with his friends and family. They faced off against saboteurs and spies and the evil Brungarians but their good spirits and hard work and can-do attitude always paid off in the end. The continuity didn't always hold logically from book to book, and looking back it's easy to pick apart one thing or another, but they were fun and fine books in their time. This fourth volume has a kind of silly cover that looks like the silly clinky robot that Tom Baker faced in his very first Dr. Who adventure. One quaint touch from the text is that Tom and Phyl, and Bud and Sandy, have a chaperone just to emphasize that nothing unseemly is happening.
February 12, 2017
First book I ever read. Aged eight-1965.
April 15, 2016
This is the 4th Tom Swift Jr. book.l I liked it but you must suspend belief to read this series. Not only the science fiction part, which is a given that it's unbelievable, but from a parent's (grandparent) point of view allowing an 18 year-old boy to do the dangerous things that Tom does. In this one he has built a giant robot (actually several of them). His father, Tom Swift Sr, who starred in his own series earlier this century, has built a nuclear plant in the desert in the west. The new robot will stay inside the reactor to feed nuclear quenching rods to regulate the rate of chain reaction conversion. But there are saboteurs who attack them with mechanical crows and an imposter within the plant wreaks havoc with the robot and other inventions. A little nuclear melt down? Oh well, no problem.
May 22, 2015
A giant robot! Come on, what else do we need? Another in the great Tom Swift, Jr. series I have revisited as an adult. I loved them when I was a pre-teen and collect them now. Simple plots that include some technology and some mystery, but always show that industrial inventiveness saves the day. These are from the mid-20th century, so much use is made of atomic energy in portable forms. This story deals with a robot Tom has built to work with dangerous atomic fuel in a bigger plant his father has designed. It is not very "giant" -- we aren't talking "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." it's just bigger than your average human. The series at the start had to touch on all the new sci fi ideas like rockets and robots. This one is not one of my favorites, but its cool.
December 19, 2014
Another mediocrely-written Tom Swift Jr. book from the 1950s. But in a sense perfect for what it is: an easy-to-read romp through science, tech, and adventure for mid-twentieth century white American 10-year-old boys. Contains many of the obvious shortcomings of that approach. But one thing I was surprised to see is the focus on the dangers of radiation (that's why Tom builds his giant robot): it's not a completely mindless rah-rah celebration of an "infinite power source." From this point of view it's more technologically literate than some popular contemporary sf/adventure writers like Edmond Hamilton (who's great fun, for sure) -- not to mention the 21st-century "Battlestar Galactica!"
August 22, 2015
I should rate this on its genre, not its content, so for 1954 children's pulp science fiction, it's not bad. Not exactly part of my Year of Nostalgic Rereads (the next in the series actually is), I picked up this and a 1912 Air Glider at an antique shop.
It's awful... "scientific" terms thrown about to lend sci-fi credibility, clueless mystery solutions à la Hardy Boys, "thrilling" scenes... but there is definitely something here for ten-year olds and Bill O'Reilly fans. Maybe not modern ten-year olds, being savvy as they are, but Bill's crew will be totally amazed!
It's awful... "scientific" terms thrown about to lend sci-fi credibility, clueless mystery solutions à la Hardy Boys, "thrilling" scenes... but there is definitely something here for ten-year olds and Bill O'Reilly fans. Maybe not modern ten-year olds, being savvy as they are, but Bill's crew will be totally amazed!
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October 22, 2016probably read some time in 1966
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