Theris Nordo Ichka's page

I’ve just read the blog titled ‘That’s Racist!’ where James Sutter stated that in pulp stories “"advanced" races were always white”.

That's not always the case, in Burroughs’ Barsoom series the red men are the dominant race (and advanced enough to make atmosphere factories), the black men have powerful fleets of airships, and the white men lurk at the South Pole and lure people to their death (though there was a very advanced race of whites in ‘Thuvia, Maid of Mars’).
That strikes me as being quite the opposite from “"advanced" races were always white”.

Some people (by this I don’t mean James Sutter) will yell ‘racist’ over any mention of skin color. I haven’t read Kline yet, but I just want to say that Burroughs’ Barsoom series is NOT racist.

And thank you James Sutter for giving us the unabridged versions of the stories, whatever the politically correct people say.

Welcome! And good luck!

I don’t know how I missed that (I’m very into mythology).

Thanks for the linky.

Help me, Steampunksters!

Awhile ago, I saw a book on Amazon, and I can’t remember its name.

It was a rather pricey ‘steampunk’ book with a zeppelin on the cover. I remember one of the reviewers described it as fast-paced and featuring fistfights with zombies, if that helps.

Can anyone tell me what the book’s name is and if it’s any good?

Thanks in advance,
---Theris

We will definitely get to some Lost World material shortly. Beyond The Ship of Ishtar, nearly all of A. Merritt's books can be characterized as such.

Also, I'm dying to read DIAN OF THE LOST LAND, mostly for the incredible Virgil Finlay opening spread illustration.

I’ve not yet read anything by Edison Marshall, but I found a book of his at a library sale, it’s titled “The Land of Forgotten Men”.

Judging by the title I thought it was a ‘lost world’ story, but the library categorized it as a ‘western’.
Can anyone tell me if it’s SF or not before I read it?

Thanks in advance,
---Theris

David Fryer wrote:

Aberzombie wrote:

My co-workers are out to get me.

This is supposed to be about conspiracy theories. It's not a theroy if it's true.

What is a theroy? And, does it having anything to do with vampiric midgets?

What is a Theroy you ask? They are a race of malignant aliens that plot to seize our Earth!

David Fryer was trying to warn you about them, cleverly disguising his warning as a typographical error. That subtle massage was apparently not enough, so I will tell you all plainly the doom that awaits our world.

The Theroy Empire came from a distant star system, that supernovaed sometime ago, and have decided to make our Earth their new home. Before they invade, they plan to eliminate ALL life on this world, but they first need to gather the resources necessary to construct their “world cleanser”.
To accomplish this, they have built robots who wander the Earth disguised as humans, gathering the material they desperately need, namely, tin.
You may have seen some of the robotic Theroy agents and taken no notice of them, thinking them harmless tramps, not realizing that their cartloads of tin cans were destined for a flying-saucer-ride to the dark side of the Moon, where the “world cleanser” is being built.
In the lunar Theroy factories, the tin cans are hammered flat and welded together, making a giant tin disk, which, when it’s large enough, they will launce into space, where their flying saucers will latch onto it and tow it into position---DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE SUN!!!
Within days the Earth will freeze over and all life will die.

This is their plan, and it’s up to you all to stop them. From the start there has been resistance, brave men like David Fryer and myself have infiltrated Theroy colonies (colonies disguised as recycling facilities), reprogrammed their robot scavengers, and tried desperately to warn world leaders of the danger; but they would not listen. Yes, it is now up to you to stop the Theroy, and this is how it can be done. Whenever you find an empty tin can, do one of the following, (1) bring it to a trusted recycling facility, or (2) destroy it beyond recognition.

I’ll sign off now. This post will probably be flagged soon by Theroy agents, and Theroy assassins will soon be on my trail (notice that we haven’t heard anything from David Fryer since he tried to warn you), so spread the word, alert your friends to the Theroy menace, and there may still be hope for the world.

The avatar image selection says there are 80 people using Erik Mona’s image, which means that, besides Erik Mona, there are 79 other people using this image; in fact, it’s one of the most popular.

I have never seen anyone else use this image in any thread. Where do the mysterious 79 hang out? Are they relations of yours, Erik?

Let me say first off, I didn’t vote for Bush and I didn’t listen to his speech. But still I’ve no intention of sitting around being embittered about him.
I think Bush did what seemed, to him, the right thing to do at the time, and if we don’t agree with his view, we had no business electing him in the first place. And who knows if he’s even responsible for the war?
I’ll finish with a quote:

“I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.”
– Abraham Lincoln

I really like the cover! Now that’s how planet stories ought to look!

P.S. Who is the artist?

Unbelievable, they will both be missed.

May they rest in peace

Got any odd questions that don’t fit in with any preexisting threads? Place them here!

Here’s my odd question: does anyone know where my avatar image came from originally?

Just curious, thanks in advance for replying,

---Theris

'The Mucker' sounds cool...the ERB one i'm desperate for is 'The Moon Men'...

The University of Nebraska Press has ‘The Moon Men’ in their Bison Frontiers of Imagination series. It’s published along with ‘The Moon Maid’ and ‘The Red Hawk’ under the title of ‘The Moon Maid: Complete and Restored’.

This is probably the best way to get it, since it is “The most complete version of The Moon Maid saga ever made available”.

The Bison Frontiers of Imagination series has many other gems too…

---Theris

A point of order on Theris Nordo Ichka's review.

Gygax was not influenced by Tolkien he wasn't a fan. More Robert E Howard, Morecock ect.

Sorry to burst your bubble Aldoth, but Gygax was heavily influenced by Tolkien (where do you think halflings, orcs, or rangers came from? Just to name a few).

In his famous ‘Appendix N: Inspirational and Educational Reading’ (from his ‘Dungeon Master’s Guide’) Gygax clearly states “Tolkien, J.R.R. THE HOBBIT; “Ring Trilogy””

Also, fantasy was hardly a genre before Tolkien’s works brought it to immense popularity. Without this boost of interest in fantasy, who knows whether Gygax would have made his game at all, and even if he had, would it have gained so much popularity early on to allow its long life?

I think it would be extremely difficult to create any fantasy (books, games, whatever) after Tolkien without being influenced by him, in the same way it would be difficult not to be influenced by D&D now. All works build on those that came before.

---Theris

Is there anything SF about the Mucker stories? I was under the impression that they were two-fisted urban adventure or something.

‘The Mucker’ is in the ‘lost world’ sub-genre of SF.

The first chapter does deal with Billy Byrne’s early life in the city, but by chapter two he gets shanghaied and the adventure begins.
What makes it SF is the mysterious island of Yoka, which is inhabited by degenerate head-hunting descendants of samurais.

It’s a lot like the Tarzan theme, but whereas Tarzan grew up with the wild beasts of the jungle, Billy Byrne grows up with the ‘wild beasts’ of the city; the thieves, the drunks, the muckers. And both Tarzan and Byrne must learn to rise above their upbringing.
It has more character development then most of ERB’s books; some of the villains even repent.
It also features one of ERB’s strongest heroines (she even fights beside the hero, using the sword of a samurai she killed).
And you don’t need to take my word for the quality of this book; this is what Richard A. Lupoff says about it:
“…One of the most remarkable stories ever written by any author, a story which combined so disparate a variety of themes and locales as very nearly to defy belief. It is also one of the finest books of Burroughs’ long and varied career.”

What more need I say?

Thanks for the reply!

I wouldn’t worry too much about Wizard of Venus if I were you. I’d read it awhile ago and suggested it primarily because you had said your main reason for not publishing Burroughs was because all his best books were still in print, mostly by Leonaur. [How’s that for a long sentence?] I found that they weren’t publishing WoV so I suggested it to you.
When Johnny Jessup described it as “nothing to write home about” I went back and reread it, and I’m afraid he’s right. Sorry about that. I’ll be more careful what I suggest in future.
Don’t get me wrong, ERB’s my favorite author, but maybe one of his other works would suit your line better.

P.S. One of ERB’s non-planetary romances, ‘The Mucker trilogy’, is quite good and not widely available (okay, Leonaur is publishing it, but Barnes & Noble isn’t and they don’t carry the Leonaur volumes at B&N, so you wouldn’t be missing out on that market).
I personally really enjoyed the Mucker stories and highly recommend them.

I’ve got a few book ideas for you:

I posted some book ideas a couple weeks back (on page seven, I think) and I’ve never got an answer.

At first I thought it was because of Christmas being just around the corner and you all were busy getting ready for the holidays, but then I noticed that posts were still being put up and answered elsewhere on your site.
Perhaps my post slipped by under the radar somehow, if so, I’d just like to draw your attention to it.
I don’t want to be a bother, but I would like to hear what you think of my suggestions.

Merry Christmas,
---Theris

...does anyone know the order in which rider haggard's 'she' series should be read?

The She, or Ayesha, series:

---She (1887)
---Ayesha: The Return of She (1905)
---She and Allan (1921)
---Wisdom's Daughter: The Life and Love Story of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed (1923)

P.S. You may want to read some of his Allan Quatermain series (which are awesome) before reading ‘She and Allan’.

Theris Nordo Ichka wrote:

But first, I’ve got a few book ideas for you:

You might want to drop those in the Planet Stories Requests thread.

Thanks.

I’ve got a few book ideas for you:

“Space Hawk” by Anthony Gilmore
I’ve recently read “Space Vulture” (a modern tribute to pulp sci-fi) by Gary K. Wolf (creator of Roger Rabbit) and Archbishop John J. Myers. In the introduction to it they speak fondly of “Space Hawk”, it was “Space Hawk” that started them on sci-fi and inspired them to write.
I haven’t read “Space Hawk”, so I can’t recommend it personally, but I think it’s worth looking into. I’ve searched for it on Amazon but the only copies available are old, used, and expensive. As far as I can tell, it hasn’t been in print for at least fifty years.
If you were to publish it, I’m sure you could easily get Gary K. Wolf or John J. Myers (or both) to write an introduction.

“The Goddess of Atvatabar” by William R. Bradshaw
“Goddess of Atvatabar” is an early hollow-earth adventure, preceding ERB’s Pellucidar series by several years at least.
Sadly, another book I haven’t read. But I’ve heard it’s good and I’d like to read it (though I’d rather read it in a new Planet Stories edition than in an old falling-apart antique). I believe it’s also out of print.

“The Wizard of Venus” by Edgar Rice Burroughs
It’s a novelette, so you’d have to include other material---how about “Elmer”, the ERB story that was edited into being “The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw”. (“Elmer” has not seen print since 2001, in a limited edition anthology)---to fill out the book. You could almost recreate the old “Tales of Three Planets” collection.
“Wizard of Venus” is the only story from any of ERB’s more famous series’ that is not being published by Leonaur.

I’d love it if you published any of the above, particularly “Space Hawk”.
Hope to hear from you soon,
---Theris

I subscribed recently and just yesterday received my first book, “The Dark World”, and can’t wait to start it.
But first, I’ve got a few book ideas for you:

“Space Hawk” by Anthony Gilmore
I’ve recently read “Space Vulture” (a modern tribute to pulp sci-fi) by Gary K. Wolf (creator of Roger Rabbit) and Archbishop John J. Myers. In the introduction to it they speak fondly of “Space Hawk”, it was “Space Hawk” that started them on sci-fi and inspired them to write.
I haven’t read “Space Hawk”, so I can’t recommend it personally, but I think it’s worth looking into. I’ve searched for it on Amazon but the only copies available are old, used, and expensive. As far as I can tell, it hasn’t been in print for at least fifty years.
If you were to publish it, I’m sure you could easily get Gary K. Wolf or John J. Myers (or both) to write an introduction.

“The Goddess of Atvatabar” by William R. Bradshaw
“Goddess of Atvatabar” is an early hollow-earth adventure, preceding ERB’s Pellucidar series by several years at least.
Sadly, another book I haven’t read. But I’ve heard it’s good and I’d like to read it (though I’d rather read it in a new Planet Stories edition than in an old falling-apart antique). I believe it’s also out of print.

“The Wizard of Venus” by Edgar Rice Burroughs
It’s a novelette, so you’d have to include other material---how about “Elmer”, the ERB story that was edited into being “The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw”. (“Elmer” has not seen print since 2001, in a limited edition anthology)---to fill out the book. You could almost recreate the old “Tales of Three Planets” collection.
“Wizard of Venus” is the only story from any of ERB’s more famous series’ that is not being published by Leonaur.

I’d love it if you published any of the above, particularly “Space Hawk”.
Hope to hear from you soon,
---Theris

If I saw this book in a bookstore without knowing anything about Henry Kuttner, I wouldn’t even pick it up. Why? The cover art.
If it’s not too late, I’d suggest a different cover illustration. One with more of a feeling of science fiction, imagination, and fun than a big white head can convey.
Many of your other book covers are very reminiscent of the pulps, I like that a lot. It gives this series a classic feel.
This set of Kuttner stories, some of Kuttner’s best, deserves a better cover.

I love the idea of this series, and do plan to subscribe, but I have a few questions:
(1) Several of the first discussions posted are talking about a sale, is that still going on? (If not, maybe those posts should be removed.)
(2) Are there any sales or deals happening now? Are any planned for the near future?

Theris Nordo Ichka wrote:

This is more a question about the entire Planet Stories series than about the subscription. Are the Planet Stories books complete and unabridged versions of the originals?

That's kind of a tricky wording, as at least some of the books in the line have been published in so-called "complete and unabridged" editions that were neither of those things. (For more on that, check out our September 20 blog post comparing the "complete and unabridged" edition of The Swordsman of Mars with the original serial publication.)

Where such issues are apparent, we strive to be faithful to the original publication.

Thanks for the speedy reply, I’ll probably be subscribing in a few days.

This is more a question about the entire Planet Stories series than about the subscription. Are the Planet Stories books complete and unabridged versions of the originals?