Avenger of Antares

Last updated

Avenger of Antares
Avenger of Antares.jpg
First edition cover
Author Kenneth Bulmer
Cover artist Jack Gaughan
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Dray Prescot series
Genre Sword and planet
Published1975
Publisher DAW Books
Media typePrint (Paperback)
ISBN 0879972084
Preceded by Bladesman of Antares  
Followed by Armada of Antares  

Avenger of Antares is a science fiction novel written by Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the tenth volume in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1975.

Contents

The Dray Prescot series is made of several cycles of novels, each cycle essentially forming a series within the series. In addition to being the tenth volume in the series as a whole, Avenger of Antares is also the fifth of six volumes in the Havilfar Cycle. It is set on the fictional continent of Havilfar.

The 52 completed novels of the Dray Prescot series were written by Bulmer between 1972 and 1997, when a stroke stopped his writing, also the later Dray Prescot books, after 1988, were originally only published in German. The series is in the spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter of Mars series. [1]

Plot summary

The book continues on directly from Bladesman of Antares with Prescot sailing towards Vallia on a Vallian galleon. The ship is attacked by a raider of the Shanks, a mysterious fish-like race. The galleon wins the fight but is then attacked and sunk by an air ship from Hamal. Shipwrecked, Prescot and his surviving companions decide to attack the Hamalian air base to steal an air ship. The Vallians return home while Prescot sets of for Hamal again to continue his spying.

Back in Ruathytu, Prescot contacts his old friends Rees and Chido again. He decides to drop his disguise as a simpleton and average swordsman and defeats a local noble, Vad Garnath, and a master sword fighter from Zenicce in a duel and wins heavily on the betting. To protect him against Garnath's revenge another friend introduces Prescot into the Temple of Lem, an evil religion he despises. He agrees to follow along in order to learn more about it. On his return to Rees and Chido he learns that the former's oldest son has been murdered and his daughter Saffi kidnapped by the orders of Garnath and with the help of the Strom Rosil, a Kataki, a race predominantly engaged in the slave trade.

With the help of the Wizard Que-si-Rening Prescot discovers the destination of Saffi and sets out to rescue her. His mission takes him back to the island of Faol where he is captured and once more ends up in the slave caves, a place first described in Manhounds of Antares . Prescot escapes together with another slave and confronts the slave master to gain information on Saffi. He also frees the pregnant Jiklo Mellow, one of the Manhounds of Faol, who joins him after killing the slave master and permanently changes his opinion on her race.

In disguise Precot travels to Smerdislad, the fortress of the Kov of Faol, where he hopes to find Saffi. He makes the acquaintance of Phu-si-Yantong, a powerful Wizard of Loh and future enemy of Prescot. He finds Saffi in the slave quarters and frees her and, on their way out, he overhears by chance a conversation between the Phu-si-Yantong, Garnath and Rosil. He learns of their plans to take power in Hamal and to conquer the islands of Pandahem and Vallia, but also hears of the nine Hamalian nobles who are in charge of the secret of the flying boats propulsion.

Prescot is wounded and poisoned by a dagger but fights, together with Saffi, for their freedom. Eventfully they are rescued by the men of Trylon Rees, who followed Prescot, and clean out the slave caves and destroy the Manhounds of Faol. Barely recovered, Prescot returns home to Valka with the Jiklo Mellow and her newly born twins by his side.

Publishing

The book was first published in English in December 1975. It was first published in German in 1978 as Der Rächer von Antares. [2] In 2006 the book was published as an E-book by Mushroom Books. [3]

Book covers

The cover of the original US edition was illustrated by Jack Gaughan, the first German edition by Michael Whelan. The second German edition was illustrated by Ken Kelly. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Avenger</i> (pulp-magazine character) Fictional pulp-magazine character

The Avenger is a fictional character whose original adventures appeared between September 1939 and September 1942 in the pulp magazine The Avenger, published by Street & Smith, which ran 24 issues. Five additional short stories were published in Clues Detective magazine (1942–1943), and a sixth novelette in The Shadow magazine in 1943. Decades later, newly written pastiches were commissioned and published by Warner Brothers' Paperback Library from 1973 to 1974.

<i>The Hour of the Dragon</i> Fantasy novel by American writer Robert E. Howard

The Hour of the Dragon, also known as Conan the Conqueror, is a fantasy novel by American writer Robert E. Howard featuring his sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian. It was one of the last Conan stories published before Howard's suicide, although not the last to be written. The novel was first published in serial form in the December 1935 through April 1936 issues of the pulp magazine Weird Tales. The first book edition was published by Gnome Press in hardcover in 1950. The Gnome Press edition retitled the story Conan the Conqueror, a title retained by all subsequent editions until 1977, when the original title was restored in an edition issued published by Berkley/Putnam in 1977. The Berkley edition also reverted the text to that of its original Weird Tales publication, discarding later edits. Later editions have generally followed Berkley and published under the original title.

Sword and planet Subgenre of science fantasy

Sword and planet is a subgenre of science fantasy that features rousing adventure stories set on other planets, and usually featuring humans as protagonists. The name derives from the heroes of the genre engaging their adversaries in hand-to-hand combat primarily with simple melée weapons such as swords, even in a setting that often has advanced technology. Although there are works that herald the genre, such as Percy Greg's Across the Zodiac (1880) and Edwin Lester Arnold's Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, the prototype for the genre is A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs originally serialized by All-Story in 1912 as "Under the Moons of Mars".

Kenneth Bulmer British author

Henry Kenneth Bulmer was a British author, primarily of science fiction.

<i>Transit to Scorpio</i> 1972 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Transit to Scorpio is a science fiction novel by British writer Kenneth Bulmer, written under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the first book in his Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1972.

<i>Dray Prescot series</i>

The Dray Prescot series is a sequence of fifty-two science fiction novels and a number of associated short stories of the subgenre generally classified as sword and planet, written by British author Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers.

Bertil Mårtensson was a Swedish author of science fiction, crime fiction and fantasy and also an academic philosopher. He was assistant professor at Umeå University, where he was also chair of the department from 1988–93, and at Lund University.

<i>The Suns of Scorpio</i> 1973 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

The Suns of Scorpio is a science fiction novel written by Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the second volume in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1973.

<i>Warrior of Scorpio</i> 1973 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Warrior of Scorpio is a science fiction novel written by Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the third volume in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1973.

<i>Swordships of Scorpio</i> 1973 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Swordships of Scorpio is a science fiction novel by British author Kenneth Bulmer, written under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the fourth volume in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1973.

<i>Prince of Scorpio</i> 1974 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Prince of Scorpio is a science fiction novel by British author Kenneth Bulmer, written under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the fifth book in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1974.

<i>Manhounds of Antares</i> 1974 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Manhounds of Antares is a science fiction novel by British writer Kenneth Bulmer, written under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the sixth volume in his Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1974.

<i>Arena of Antares</i> 1974 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Arena of Antares is a science fiction novel by British writer Kenneth Bulmer, written under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers; it is the seventh volume in his Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1974.

<i>Fliers of Antares</i> 1975 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Fliers of Antares is a science fiction novel written by Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the eighth volume in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1975.

<i>Bladesman of Antares</i> 1975 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Bladesman of Antares is a science fiction novel by British writer Kenneth Bulmer, written under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the ninth book in his Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1975.

<i>Armada of Antares</i> 1976 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Armada of Antares is a science fiction novel by British writer Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the eleventh volume in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1976.

<i>The Tides of Kregen</i> 1976 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

The Tides of Kregen is a science fiction novel written by Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the twelfth volume in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1976.

<i>Renegade of Kregen</i> 1976 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Renegade of Kregen is a science fiction novel by British writer Kenneth Bulmer, written under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers; it is the thirteenth volume in his Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1976.

<i>Krozair of Kregen</i> 1977 novel by Kenneth Bulmer

Krozair of Kregen is a science fiction novel written by Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers. It is the fourteenth book in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1977.

Bibliography of speculative fiction author and editor Kenneth Bulmer:

References

  1. Ken Bulmer obituary The Guardian , published: 22 December 2005, accessed: 1 December 2014
  2. Der Rächer von Antares (in German) phantastik-couch.de, accessed: 1 December 2014
  3. Avenger of Antares Mushroom-E-books, accessed: 1 December 2014
  4. Cover art Archived 2015-03-19 at the Wayback Machine The covers of the various editions of the Dray Prescot series, accessed: 1 December 2014