Buck Rogers: A Life in the Future
 First edition | |
| Author |
Martin Caidin based upon characters by Philip Francis Nowlan |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Larry Elmore |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Buck Rogers |
| Genre | science fiction, Novel |
| Publisher | TSR, Inc. |
Publication date | September 15, 1995 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 312 |
| ISBN | 0-7869-0144-6 |
| OCLC | 32989941 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3553.A38 B83 1995 |
Buck Rogers: A Life in the Future is the title of a science fiction novel by Martin Caidin published in 1995.
The novel is a reimagining of Buck Rogers, a pulp fiction character created in the 1920s by Philip Francis Nowlan and later popularized in a long-running comic strip and in films and television. Caidin's novel was published by TSR, Inc., which also published a role-playing game based upon Nowlan's creation entitled Buck Rogers XXVC, which in turn spawned a series of novels, however this novel is not related to the game or its spin-off novels beyond the basic concept and characters.
Plot
Caidin's novel retells the story of Anthony "Buck" Rogers, a top pilot who is mortally wounded in a Fokker plane crash. Given zero chance of survival with modern-day medical methods, Rogers is placed into suspended animation at Cyberdyne Systems, in the hopes that at some point in the future new technologies will render his injuries survivable. Ultimately, as civilizations rise and fall, Rogers is kept in stasis for five centuries before he is discovered and revived.
As with the original Buck Rogers story, the pilot must adjust to life in the 25th Century while also helping Earth battle various invaders. Along the way he falls in love with Wilma Deering, a top pilot in the Space Corps.
References
Caidin makes reference to his own creation, The Six Million Dollar Man by having Rogers outfitted with advanced bionics as part of his recovery.
Bonus reprint
The first edition of the novel includes as a bonus a reprint of a 1933 novella by Nowlan and Dick Calkins entitled Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, an abbreviated retelling of the original origin of Buck Rogers and some of his early adventures.
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