Outlanders is a long-running series of science-fiction novels created by Mark Ellis and published by Gold Eagle, an imprint of Harlequin Enterprises.
Outlanders is a long-running series of science-fiction novels created by Mark Ellis and published by Gold Eagle, an imprint of Harlequin Enterprises.
Set in the same fictional universe as The Trader and Deathlands but separated by a century, Outlanders follows the adventures of a core group of explorers—Kane, Grant, Brigid Baptiste, and Domi—who operate out of a secret military base known as the Cerberus Redoubt.
Although The Trader,Deathlands, and Outlanders all bear the "James Axler" byline, Outlanders is primarily (although not exclusively) written by its creator Mark Ellis whereas multiple authors produce Deathlands.
Two hundred years after a nuclear holocaust devastated the Earth, the chaos and barbarism depicted in The Trader and Deathlands have given way to a centralized, despotic government ruled by nine mysterious barons.
Material taken from redoubts, secret preholocaust military installations with stores of weapons and the home of the gateways, mat-trans (matter-transfer) devices, supplied the baronial rule in what was known as the “Program of Unification.”
Rearmed from redoubt stockpiles, the barons consolidated their power and reclaimed very advanced technology created two centuries before by the so-called “Totality Concept.”
Their power bolstered by the invisible authority known only to an elite few as the Archon Directorate extended beyond the fortified city-states into what came to be called the Outlands. There, the rootstock of humanity survived, eking out an existence in hellzones and hounded by black-armored Magistrates, the enforcers of the barons’ laws.
When Cobaltville Magistrates Kane and Grant came across a piece of misplaced technology and Brigid Baptiste, an archivist began an investigation on their behalf, they found themselves branded as seditionists, their citizenship stripped from them and they were reclassified as Outlanders.
Since 1997’s Exile to Hell, the first book in the series, the heroes and heroines of Outlanders slowly uncovered the truth behind the barons, the Archons and the nuclear holocaust and finally the hidden history of humanity.
They learn that Earth and humankind has been influenced since the dawn of time by the reptilian Anunnaki and the Tuatha Dé Danann. They realize that the baronies are a revival of the god-king system of ancient Sumeria.
Besides the nine barons, other threats arise in the early books, namely Sindri, a brilliant but deranged dwarf who rules a secret colony on Mars. First appearing in Parallax Red (1998), Sindri becomes the most persistent foe of the Cerberus warriors, appearing in several novels.
Other recurring enemies include Colonel Thrush, Sam the Imperator, Grigori Zakat and Maccan, the last prince of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
In Shadow Scourge (2000), the heroes contend with Ocajinik, apparently one of H. P. Lovecraft’s Old Ones.
In Children of the Serpent (2005), the Cerberus warriors discover that the nuclear holocaust and the institution of the baronies were part of an ancient plan formulated over a thousand years before by Enlil, the last Anunnaki on Earth in order to reincarnate the pantheon of Sumerian gods and re-establish their rule over the world.
The reincarnated Enlil becomes the Outlanders' main villain. He is considerably more evil and powerful than any of the barons, and has much of the knowledge and technology of the Anunnaki.
Employing conspiracy theories and myths from all cultures as underpinnings, 'Outlanders' quickly distanced itself from the survivalist tone of 'Deathlands' and struck out in new directions, providing explanations and a backstory for many of the unresolved science-fiction elements in the earlier series.
According to series creator Mark Ellis, Outlanders was not originally conceived as having any connection whatsoever to Deathlands. [1] The link between the two series came after all the other elements had been envisioned and was suggested by Ellis who had already authored several novels in the Deathlands series. [2]
The “Axlerverse,” a term coined by Mark Ellis, is inclusive of events in both Outlanders and Deathlands—however, there is very little in the way of a cohesive fictional universe in the latter series.
Deathlands did not develop much depth in the way of setting and Ellis introduced many new concepts to make the Axlerverse into a plausible fictional world, particularly important in the books published post-2001.
Outlanders has established a reputation for featuring strong yet sexy female characters both in the books and on the covers, particularly those produced by artist Cliff Nielsen.
Other writers who have contributed to Outlanders are Mel Odom and Victor Milán.
Outlanders is also available on audio up to #55:Distortion Offensive, through a company named Graphic Audio.
| Series # | Title | Author(s) | First Edition ISBN | Date Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Exile to Hell | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63814-0 | June 1997 |
| 002 | Destiny Run | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63815-9 | September 1997 |
| 003 | Savage Sun | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63816-7 | December 1997 |
| 004 | Omega Path | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63817-5 | March 1998 |
| 005 | Parallax Red | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63818-3 | June 1998 |
| 006 | Doomstar Relic | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63819-1 | September 1998 |
| 007 | Iceblood | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63820-5 | December 1998 |
| 008 | Hellbound Fury The Lost Earth Saga Book 1 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63821-3 | March 1999 |
| 009 | Night Eternal The Lost Earth Saga Book 2 | Mark Ellis, Mel Odom | 0-373-63822-1 | June 1999 |
| 010 | Outer Darkness The Lost Earth Saga Book 3 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63823-X | September 1999 |
| 011 | Armageddon Axis | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63824-8 | December 1999 |
| 012 | Wreath of Fire | Mel Odom, Mark Ellis | 0-373-63825-6 | March 2000 |
| 013 | Shadow Scourge | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63826-4 | May 2000 |
| 014 | Hell Rising | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63827-2 | August 2000 |
| 015 | Doom Dynasty The Imperator Wars Book 1 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63828-0 | November 2000 |
| 016 | Tigers of Heaven The Imperator Wars Book 2 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63829-9 | February 2001 |
| 017 | Purgatory Road The Imperator Wars Book 3 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63830-2 | May 2001 |
| 018 | Sargasso Plunder | Mel Odom | 0-373-63831-0 | August 2001 |
| 019 | Tomb of Time | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63832-9 | November 2001 |
| 020 | Prodigal Chalice | Mel Odom | 0-373-63833-7 | February 2002 |
| 021 | Devil in the Moon The Dragon Kings Book 1 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63834-5 | May 2002 |
| 022 | Dragoneye The Dragon Kings Book 2 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63835-3 | August 2002 |
| 023 | Far Empire | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63836-1 | November 2002 |
| 024 | Equinox Zero | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63837-X | February 2003 |
| 025 | Talon and Fang Heart of the World Book 1 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63838-8 | May 2003 |
| 026 | Sea of Plague Heart of the World Book 2 | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63839-6 | August 2003 |
| 027 | Awakening | Victor Milán | 0-373-63840-X | November 2003 |
| 028 | Mad God's Wrath | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63841-8 | February 2004 |
| 029 | Sun Lord | Victor Milán | 0-373-63842-6 | May 2004 |
| 030 | Mask of The Sphinx | Mark Ellis, Chris Van Deelen | 0-373-63843-4 | August 2004 |
| 031 | Uluru Destiny | Victor Milán | 0-373-63844-2 | November 2004 |
| 032 | Evil Abyss | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63845-0 | February 2005 |
| 033 | Children of the Serpent | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63846-9 | May 2005 |
| 034 | Successors | Victor Milán | 0-373-63847-7 | August 2005 |
| 035 | Cerberus Storm | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63848-5 | November 2005 |
| 036 | Refuge | Victor Milán | 0-373-63849-3 | February 2006 |
| 037 | Rim of the World | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63850-7 | May 2006 |
| 038 | Lords of the Deep | Victor Milán | 0-373-63851-5 | August 2006 |
| 039 | Hydra's Ring | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63852-3 | November 2006 |
| 040 | Closing the Cosmic Eye | Victor Milán | 0-373-63853-1 | February 2007 |
| 041 | Skull Throne | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63854-X | May 2007 |
| 042 | Satan's Seed | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63855-8 | August 2007 |
| 043 | Dark Goddess | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63856-6 | November 2007 |
| 044 | Grailstone Gambit | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63857-4 | February 2008 |
| 045 | Ghostwalk | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63858-2 | May 2008 |
| 046 | Pantheon of Vengeance | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63859-0 | August 2008 |
| 047 | Death Cry | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63860-4 | November 2008 |
| 048 | Serpent's Tooth | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63861-2 | February 2009 |
| 049 | Shadow Box | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63862-0 | May 2009 |
| 050 | Janus Trap | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63863-9 | August 2009 |
| 051 | Warlord of the Pit | Mark Ellis | 0-373-63864-7 | November 2009 |
| 052 | Reality Echo | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63865-5 | February 2010 |
| 053 | Infinity Breach | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63866-3 | May 2010 |
| 054 | Oblivion Stone | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63867-1 | August 2010 |
| 055 | Distortion Offensive | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63868-X | November 2010 |
| 056 | Cradle of Destiny | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63869-8 | February 2011 |
| 057 | Scarlet Dream | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63870-1 | May 2011 |
| 058 | Truth Engine | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63871-X | August 2011 |
| 059 | Infestation Cubed | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63872-8 | November 2011 |
| 060 | Planet Hate | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63873-6 | February 2012 |
| 061 | Dragon City | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63874-4 | May 2012 |
| 062 | God War | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63875-2 | August 2012 |
| 063 | Genesis Sinister | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63876-0 | October 2012 |
| 064 | Savage Dawn | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63877-9 | February 2013 |
| 065 | Sorrow Space | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63878-7 | May 2013 |
| 066 | Immortal Twilight | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63879-5 | August 2013 |
| 067 | Cosmic Rift | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63880-9 | November 2013 |
| 068 | Wings of Death | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63881-7 | February 2014 |
| 069 | Necropolis | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63882-5 | May 2014 |
| 070 | Shadow Born | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63883-3 | August 2014 |
| 071 | Judgment Plague | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63884-1 | November 2014 |
| 072 | Terminal White | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63885-X | February 2015 |
| 073 | Hell's Maw | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63886-8 | May 2015 |
| 074 | Angel of Doom | Douglas Wojtowicz | 0-373-63887-6 | August 2015 |
| 075 | Apocalypse Unseen | Rik Hoskin | 0-373-63888-4 | November 2015 |
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