| Open "Annie's Shelter" for a list of Bonita Kale's works. |  |
Tales about and searches for
"The Magic Ball From Mars."
From wonderful people, kind enough
to send me their experiences.
Eric C. Biemiller
Launched in April 2003
and updated December 2005
If you have a story about the "The Magic Ball From Mars,"
and what it meant to you, please drop me a note at: eric@biemiller.com
| Theresa Monaghan notes: |
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Comments: I found your interesting web page by searching for a book I recall from grade school (mid 1950's). I know this is a huge longshot, but I'll put the only details here I recall and perhaps this will jog someone's memory: It was a book about Mars and the alien beings had the typical large bug eyes and large heads depicted in some of the scifi drawings. The main character as I recall, was a boy who met the aliens. Other than that, the only thing I recall about the book was that it was red cloth and had a short title, possibly just "Mars." I have looked everywhere from eBay to all types of book stores (online and in person) and no one seems to know what I'm talking about. I'd flip right out if someone could give me a clue as to the name or author of this book. Thanks again for the info and a wonderful web site. Theresa Sunday, August 7, 2005 |
| Bernard Johnson composed: |
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I'm not really sure how I managed to find your site, but I'm excited that I have. I read your father's book only once, back when I was in the fourth grade. I discovered it by chance at the grammer school library in a small town in northern Maine where I attended school for a year and half while my parents were doing some work in the area. The interesting name must have caught my young eyes.
Over the years I have thought about that book many times. I'm not really even sure why. I couldn't remember any of the main characters names or even much more then the basic premise of the storyline. I actually was even a little bit off on the correct name of the book itself. It's funny that despite these holes in my memory, one thing is perfectly clear. I vividly recall how that book made me feel. It's almost hard to describe but it really was a feeling. It's kind of like when you are outside and a certain smell takes you on a trip down memory lane, or to another place or time. You can't really put your finger on what the smell is, but it triggers something good in your subconcious and the experience is enjoyable. It's the same sort of hard to put your finger on feeling that I associate with this great book. As a boy the pure sense of wonder that it brought had me staying up late, anxious for the story to unfold. I'm excited to be purchasing a copy of the reprint. I never did get to read Starboy, I guess the little school library didn't have it and I wasn't aware of a sequal until now. I''m looking forward to passing the whole "Magic Ball from Mars" experience on to my children. Its funny how things come back around. Thank you. |
| Steven Salem Comments: |
|
What a great idea to have a webpage for your dad's books. I fondly remember reading "The Magic Ball From Mars" at my local public library time and time again in the 50's when I was in grammer school in Pasadena, CA. After searching for many years I finally found a used copy several years ago, and my son (now 19) and I both read it. We both liked it immensely. I haven't found Starboy yet. I only read it once or twice as a kid because the nearest copy was at a much further library. All of your father's books deserve to be reprinted so kids of this generation can read them and enjoy.
By the way, coincidentally, I have a Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering. Keep up the good work, Eric, and thanks again for setting up the website. Friday, March 15th 2002 - 06:22:00 PM Hi, Just signing in again after 2 years or so. I still love the website-even better this time! And since then, I finally found a copy of "Starboy" to go with "The Magic Ball From Mars". Both were every bit as good as I remembered. And now I'm extra happy that both have been reprinted, so that young people can again read and enjoy! The sense of wonder has returned for a new generation! And now my kids (mostly grown) can have their own copies instead of having to borrow "Dad's" to read. Congratulations to the Biemiller family! Best Wishes Saturday, January 17, 2004. |
| From an early Emailer: |
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I have just surprised my husband with a rare early edition of the "Magic Ball from
Mars," which I ordered through Abe Books. I have looked for this book in every city
we have visited, in every used book store for over 30 years!
My husband said that it was the best gift that anyone has ever given him. I will now buy an old copy of "StarBoy" for him in the same way. Your father's book ---the "Magic Ball from Mars" was always my husband's favorite book as a child, and he has continued to love science fiction as an adult. My adult son, Josh, has also corresponded with you. What can be done to convince someone to reprint your father's wonderful books? Thank you for creating this web site. You should write a book describing what it was like growing up with him. |
| Alan Blaustein writes: |
|
I went to public school in Brooklyn. In second or fourth grade, "The Magic Ball From Mars" was my favorite book. I read it a few times, wrote a book report on it, made my friends read it, and discussed it with my parents. I would think about the book from time to time, but until I had children 11 years ago, it was a dim memory. As my kids started looking for books, I thought about Magic Ball. By then, I forgot the characters and story line, and remembered really only the feeling I had about the book. So I began a search for the book. I live in Los Angeles now, and could find no place in CA that had any record of the book. I started searching the internet for the book, and then used the internet to check book catalogs. I looked up your last name and the name of the illustrator in whatever directories I could find, to no avail. Finally I found one copy of the book in a library in Queens. I flew to NY with one of my children, stayed with my brother in Manhattan, rented a car, and dragged him and his wife with me to Queens to check out the book. I was ecstatic. I brought the book home and read it to my children. I FedExed the book back when I was done and became a regular contributor to the Queens Public library. |
| Author, Bonita Kale penned: |
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I read the last part of _The Magic Ball From Mars_ (called "Jonny and the Space-o-Tron") in Jack and Jill magazine when I was seven. I forgot (of course) the title and the author, but never forgot the tall man from space who talked kindly to Jon. That was fifty years ago, but I've never forgotten the feeling of wonder. It was my first taste of science fiction. Now, I write it, not prolifically, but now and then. |
| Open "Annie's Shelter" for a list of Bonita Kale's works. | |
| Anne Hardin's muse: |
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My email was an interesting lot: Yours, Ray Bradbury's daughter (the baby of the family, a female version of Ray, unmarried, and his long-distance secretary), and Ben Chapman (who played the Gillman in The Creature from the Black Lagoon). My students are always amazed at the people I know, and I guess most of the time I surprise myself. I have told them about you and how I used the internet to find you. By the way, you asked how I found you. I couldn't remember your father's name, so I went to abebooks.com and typed in Magic Ball from Mars. From there, I typed Carl Biemiller into my search window and found your link. It was all an adventure, because once the thought of seeking out that story for the Martian anthology popped into my head, I just assumed my muse had spoken once again and I'd find what I was looking for. What a pleasure to find so much more. |
| Eric's note: |
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Dr. Hardin, a teacher in South Carolina, is the connection to the publisher and the reason "The Magic Ball From Mars" has found its way back in print. "The Martianthology", a collection of Forrest Ackerman (Mr. Sci-Fi) tales, edited by Dr. Anne Hardin, includes the book without the illustrations. In addition, "The Magic Ball From Mars" and its sequel, "Starboy" have been republished in an omnibus with the original illustrations. All thanks to Dr. Hardin and The Sense of Wonder Press. |
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The scrolling bar below will take you to the omnibus NEWS! and order information. Say hi to Mr. Biemiler on your way. |
| Picture from Something About The Author, |
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| Daughter Stacey's gift on Father's Day 6/15/03 via the Dreambook: |
|
Hi Dad and Granddad!! Happy Father's Day to you both!! It seemed only fitting to use this today to send my love and thanks. Thanks to a father (Eric Biemiller) who instilled in me a love and appreciation for music for which I'll always be grateful. And to a grandfather who passed down a love of literature and writing. The ties that bind, right? Today we finally got our own piano and bookcases for our family room (what other room would they go in?). I can't wait to get the piano tuned and play a little "Greensleeves" with Granddad's books looking over my shoulder from their place of honor on the bookshelves. All the lessons learned from two generations of fatherhood are still with me and still very much alive. Thanks again, Dad and Granddad. Much love always, ~Stace |
| Jonathan writes: |
|
I had just came in the house from sitting in the back yard, while my Doberman was running around, and I was watching all the fireflies flash around the yard. It is a warm humid summer night. I just had a thought about the Magic Ball from Mars. Oh the book I have cherished for years. It seems every time I see them I think about this book, it brings back many memories as a kid, but has been many years since I have read or seen the book, that I had to borrow from the library. Now I'm in search of it again. I had hopped on the computer here and decided to do a search, and then came across this site. I think it is so awesome. I never in the world would ever had thought this would happen. No one else that I have spoken to has heard of this book, and think I'm crazy about some book I read as a kid. Just want to say thank you for having this web site here for us folks that have loved a book most of our life. Even at 46 some of us can still be a kid once again, and always have a dream of something that will stay with us forever! |
| Kira Shepard Emailed: |
| Dear sir: The Magic Ball From Mars was given to me by the school librarian at my elementary school on the first day I visited the library when I began second grade - about 1955. She said that here's a book you'll like - look at who wrote it. I loved it - both because of the author's name and because of the subject matter and treatment, and that began a 30 fascination with science fiction that is still with me a little to the present day. Karl Biemuller ( a probably very distant relation - as far as I know my ancestors hailed from Massbach in Bavaria). |
| Gary Meller MD comments: |
| Thanks for putting up this page. I remember your fathers books very well from the 1950's. They were great then, and I hope they will be reprinted soon. |
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