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Elak of Atlantis
Explore the origins of Sword & Sorcery with Henry Kuttner's Elak of Atlantis! Published in Weird Tales to satisfy fans of Conan the Barbarian in the wake of Robert E. Howard's death, the four long stories depict a brutal world of flashing swords and primal magic, touched by a hint of Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. Never collected in a mass market edition since their publication in the late 1930s, these exciting tales helped to establish a genre and are a critical part of any fantasy library. Included as a bonus are Kuttner's two Prince Raynor stories from 1939's Strange Tales. With seminal, thrilling adventure tales from one of the most important writers in science-fiction and fantasy, Elak of Atlantis is not to be missed!
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Henry Kuttner
664 books191 followersHenry Kuttner was, alone and in collaboration with his wife, the great science fiction and fantasy writer C.L. Moore, one of the four or five most important writers of the 1940s, the writer whose work went furthest in its sociological and psychological insight to making science fiction a human as well as technological literature. He was an important influence upon every contemporary and every science fiction writer who succeeded him. In the early 1940s and under many pseudonyms, Kuttner and Moore published very widely through the range of the science fiction and fantasy pulp markets.
Their fantasy novels, all of them for the lower grade markets like Future, Thrilling Wonder, and Planet Stories, are forgotten now; their science fiction novels, Fury and Mutant, are however well regarded. There is no question but that Kuttner's talent lay primarily in the shorter form; Mutant is an amalgamation of five novelettes and Fury, his only true science fiction novel, is considered as secondary material. There are, however, 40 or 50 shorter works which are among the most significant achievements in the field and they remain consistently in print. The critic James Blish, quoting a passage from Mutant about the telepathic perception of the little blank, silvery minds of goldfish, noted that writing of this quality was not only rare in science fiction but rare throughout literature: "The Kuttners learned a few thing writing for the pulp magazines, however, that one doesn't learn reading Henry James."
In the early 1950s, Kuttner and Moore, both citing weariness with writing, even creative exhaustion, turned away from science fiction; both obtained undergraduate degrees in psychology from the University of Southern California and Henry Kuttner, enrolled in an MA program, planned to be a clinical psychologist. A few science fiction short stories and novelettes appeared (Humpty Dumpty finished the Baldy series in 1953). Those stories -- Home There Is No Returning, Home Is the Hunter, Two-Handed Engine, and Rite of Passage -- were at the highest level of Kuttner's work. He also published three mystery novels with Harper & Row (of which only the first is certainly his; the other two, apparently, were farmed out by Kuttner to other writers when he found himself incapable of finishing them).
Henry Kuttner died suddenly in his sleep, probably from a stroke, in February 1958; Catherine Moore remarried a physician and survived him by almost three decades but she never published again. She remained in touch with the science fiction community, however, and was Guest of Honor at the World Convention in Denver in 198l. She died of complications of Alzheimer's Disease in 1987.
His pseudonyms include:
Edward J. Bellin
Paul Edmonds
Noel Gardner
Will Garth
James Hall
Keith Hammond
Hudson Hastings
Peter Horn
Kelvin Kent
Robert O. Kenyon
C. H. Liddell
Hugh Maepenn
Scott Morgan
Lawrence O'Donnell
Lewis Padgett
Woodrow Wilson Smith
Charles Stoddard
Their fantasy novels, all of them for the lower grade markets like Future, Thrilling Wonder, and Planet Stories, are forgotten now; their science fiction novels, Fury and Mutant, are however well regarded. There is no question but that Kuttner's talent lay primarily in the shorter form; Mutant is an amalgamation of five novelettes and Fury, his only true science fiction novel, is considered as secondary material. There are, however, 40 or 50 shorter works which are among the most significant achievements in the field and they remain consistently in print. The critic James Blish, quoting a passage from Mutant about the telepathic perception of the little blank, silvery minds of goldfish, noted that writing of this quality was not only rare in science fiction but rare throughout literature: "The Kuttners learned a few thing writing for the pulp magazines, however, that one doesn't learn reading Henry James."
In the early 1950s, Kuttner and Moore, both citing weariness with writing, even creative exhaustion, turned away from science fiction; both obtained undergraduate degrees in psychology from the University of Southern California and Henry Kuttner, enrolled in an MA program, planned to be a clinical psychologist. A few science fiction short stories and novelettes appeared (Humpty Dumpty finished the Baldy series in 1953). Those stories -- Home There Is No Returning, Home Is the Hunter, Two-Handed Engine, and Rite of Passage -- were at the highest level of Kuttner's work. He also published three mystery novels with Harper & Row (of which only the first is certainly his; the other two, apparently, were farmed out by Kuttner to other writers when he found himself incapable of finishing them).
Henry Kuttner died suddenly in his sleep, probably from a stroke, in February 1958; Catherine Moore remarried a physician and survived him by almost three decades but she never published again. She remained in touch with the science fiction community, however, and was Guest of Honor at the World Convention in Denver in 198l. She died of complications of Alzheimer's Disease in 1987.
His pseudonyms include:
Edward J. Bellin
Paul Edmonds
Noel Gardner
Will Garth
James Hall
Keith Hammond
Hudson Hastings
Peter Horn
Kelvin Kent
Robert O. Kenyon
C. H. Liddell
Hugh Maepenn
Scott Morgan
Lawrence O'Donnell
Lewis Padgett
Woodrow Wilson Smith
Charles Stoddard
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 25, 2015
Kuttner’s Elak and Raynor - A “Must Read” for Leiber, Lovecraft, Smith, and Howard fans
Context: The Father of Sword & Sorcery Robert E. Howard dies 1936, and the Weird Tales market needs weird adventures. By 1938, Henry Kuttner stepped up, in part, with his Elak and Raynor characters. These have been reprinted in Elak of Atlantis. Kuttner is later known to have produced many tales, especially with his wife C.L. Moore, who partnered with Kuttner after these stories were published. Kuttner also corresponded with contemporary masters H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, and he did an admirable job of mixing “Cthulu-esque mythos” with “Conan-esque” adventure (and even Hyperborean lands, like Atlantis with Picts).
Elak is no Clonan: In the 1960’s many authors tried to extend Howard’s legacy with Clonans. Kothar, Brak, and Thongor were shallow clones of the original (i.e. they were all loners, all wielded broadswords, hailed from a northern cold climate, hated magic, wore loincloths, etc.). Elak was designed to follow the original Conan, yet was different. Elak had a companion (Lycon), used a rapier, wore clothes, and had a royal history which he shrugged off. Elak’s tales are firmly “Sword & Sorcery” but he is no clonan.
Kuttner’s Formula:
(1) Have a companion (Elak has the drunk Lycon; Raynor has the loyal Nubian Eblik)
(2) Rescue a new lady (worth dying for, but not worth having in the next episode)
(3) Have 2 antagonists (one wizard and one swordsman) with separate story lines that intersect only with the hero’s journey
(4) Seamlessly pay homage to Lovecraft, Howard, and Smith, in a unique way.
Trippy Cyclopean Pulp Style and amoral Hero: The style is uber-paced (expected of pulp style adventure), which rockets forward so fast it almost derails. Even in these short stories, expect multiple, separately-motivated antagonists-- this double density approach makes the pace ridiculously fast. The first story “Thunder in the Dawn” Northern European inspired fantasy, and the druid Dalan is more powerful and has a mission to save Atlantis; contrasting, Elak, steals a wife, runs away from his royal duties, and is less powerful than the Druid. I felt myself more attached to Dalan, who thankfully appears in a later episode ("Dragon Moon").
A strength of Kuttner is his poetic sidebars echoing Clark Ashton Smith’s cadence (reflecting on Kuttner’s other work like The Book of Iod: Ten Tales of the Mythos, he had the ability to echo Lord Dunsany’s style too). Below is an example from “Thunder in the Dawn”:
Partners and humor: Elak’s drunken side-kick Lycon was comedic and as loyal as a fellow thief could be. It seems very conceivable that the 1970’s duo Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber were inspired by this. Elak and Lycon are murderous thieves and their choices make them hard to like: In the second story, “Spawn of Dagon” (yes that’s a shout-out to Lovecraft), they murder innocent guards, accept payment from suspicious evil doers to kill another wizard without question. So they routinely steal and kill without qualm, and when they are trying to save a maiden from distress it usually is for money. Yet the journey is solidly entertaining. A great mash-up of horror and adventure.
Context: The Father of Sword & Sorcery Robert E. Howard dies 1936, and the Weird Tales market needs weird adventures. By 1938, Henry Kuttner stepped up, in part, with his Elak and Raynor characters. These have been reprinted in Elak of Atlantis. Kuttner is later known to have produced many tales, especially with his wife C.L. Moore, who partnered with Kuttner after these stories were published. Kuttner also corresponded with contemporary masters H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, and he did an admirable job of mixing “Cthulu-esque mythos” with “Conan-esque” adventure (and even Hyperborean lands, like Atlantis with Picts).
Elak is no Clonan: In the 1960’s many authors tried to extend Howard’s legacy with Clonans. Kothar, Brak, and Thongor were shallow clones of the original (i.e. they were all loners, all wielded broadswords, hailed from a northern cold climate, hated magic, wore loincloths, etc.). Elak was designed to follow the original Conan, yet was different. Elak had a companion (Lycon), used a rapier, wore clothes, and had a royal history which he shrugged off. Elak’s tales are firmly “Sword & Sorcery” but he is no clonan.
Kuttner’s Formula:
(1) Have a companion (Elak has the drunk Lycon; Raynor has the loyal Nubian Eblik)
(2) Rescue a new lady (worth dying for, but not worth having in the next episode)
(3) Have 2 antagonists (one wizard and one swordsman) with separate story lines that intersect only with the hero’s journey
(4) Seamlessly pay homage to Lovecraft, Howard, and Smith, in a unique way.
Trippy Cyclopean Pulp Style and amoral Hero: The style is uber-paced (expected of pulp style adventure), which rockets forward so fast it almost derails. Even in these short stories, expect multiple, separately-motivated antagonists-- this double density approach makes the pace ridiculously fast. The first story “Thunder in the Dawn” Northern European inspired fantasy, and the druid Dalan is more powerful and has a mission to save Atlantis; contrasting, Elak, steals a wife, runs away from his royal duties, and is less powerful than the Druid. I felt myself more attached to Dalan, who thankfully appears in a later episode ("Dragon Moon").
A strength of Kuttner is his poetic sidebars echoing Clark Ashton Smith’s cadence (reflecting on Kuttner’s other work like The Book of Iod: Ten Tales of the Mythos, he had the ability to echo Lord Dunsany’s style too). Below is an example from “Thunder in the Dawn”:
Elak stood up, bracing himself. He stared in sheer astonishment.
It was no earthly landscape which he saw. Obscure color-patterns, shifting and dancing strangely, weaved in the cool air all about him…Yet the weird pattern was not only on the pale clay-colored plain on which he stood, but rather all about him in the air. He stood alone in a fantastic weave of somber shadows.
Colorless shadows, dancing. Or were they colorless? He did not know, nor was he ever to know, the color of the grotesque weavings that laced him in a web of magic, for while mind told him that he saw colors, his eyes denied it.
Partners and humor: Elak’s drunken side-kick Lycon was comedic and as loyal as a fellow thief could be. It seems very conceivable that the 1970’s duo Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber were inspired by this. Elak and Lycon are murderous thieves and their choices make them hard to like: In the second story, “Spawn of Dagon” (yes that’s a shout-out to Lovecraft), they murder innocent guards, accept payment from suspicious evil doers to kill another wizard without question. So they routinely steal and kill without qualm, and when they are trying to save a maiden from distress it usually is for money. Yet the journey is solidly entertaining. A great mash-up of horror and adventure.
December 6, 2020
3.5 stars. These sword & sorcery stories are very much akin to Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, with two sword wielding companions seeking adventures in the lost lands of Atlantis. Each of the four stories shares many common threads - good wizards battling evil wizards, loose tie-ins to chilling bits of Lovecraftian mythos, and typically a mission involving the fending off of evil otherworldly invaders. Kuttner's prose and characterizations do not quite measure up to Leiber's, particularly when it comes to the entertaining nature of the feisty relationship between the heroes and their lively banter.
November 2, 2014
Elak of Atlantis, by Henry Kuttner. Planet Stories, 2007, with an introduction by Joe Lansdale.
This anthology of some of Henry Kuttner’s early work contains the four Elak of Atlantis stories that he wrote, plus two Prince Raynor tales. The Elak stories are: in order of first publication in Weird Tales, “Thunder in the Dawn,” “Spawn of Dagon,” “Beyond the Phoenix,” and “Dragon Moon.” The Raynor tales are: “Cursed be the City,” and “The Citadel of Darkness.” All these fall firmly into the genre of Sword & Sorcery, and they fit well together in this anthology because the characters of Raynor and Elak are quite similar. In fact, Elak just seems to me like an Older Raynor.
From what I had read previously to actually perusing these stories, Kuttner’s Elak tales were written in part to capitalize on the success of Robert E. Howard’s Sword & Sorcery works, particularly Conan. There is some clear influence there it seems to me, but these certainly aren’t pastiches of Conan, like the Brak stories of John Jakes. Both Elak and Raynor are far more cultured characters than Conan. Both are from the nobility. Elak certainly has some roguish elements to his character, especially where women are concerned, but neither Elak nor Raynor would be considered a loner like Conan. Each has a boon companion that travels always with them.
In fact, I see more influence on these stories from H. P. Lovecraft than from Howard. All the pieces in this book have clear “elder god” elements, and when I looked up Kuttner on Wikipedia I found that he was a big fan of Lovecraft and was considered part of the “Lovecraft circle.” That’s how he ended up meeting his future wife and collaborator, C. L. Moore, although the Elak and Raynor stories were written prior that joining.
The nice thing about the Elak tales is that they combine the eldritch elements from Lovecraft with the more action based adventure work of Howard. This makes for a fine pairing of elements, in my opinion. Kuttner could also pull this off prose-wise. Although I didn’t find his writing as beautiful or as dramatic as either Howard or Lovecraft, there were some very nice turns of phrase and the mood of the prose fit well with the stories. Here’s one of the nicer phrasings: “Piercingly sweet, throbbing almost articulately, a harpstring murmured through the gloom.”
All in all, I liked these stories pretty well. I understand that Adrian Cole has written a story or two with the Elak character, though I’ve not read them. These were entitled “Blood of the Moon God,” which appeared in Strange Tales, Vol. 4. No. 3., and “Witch Queen of Doom Island.” More can be found on this at Cole’s website.
Links below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_K...
http://www.adriancscole.com/shortstor...
This anthology of some of Henry Kuttner’s early work contains the four Elak of Atlantis stories that he wrote, plus two Prince Raynor tales. The Elak stories are: in order of first publication in Weird Tales, “Thunder in the Dawn,” “Spawn of Dagon,” “Beyond the Phoenix,” and “Dragon Moon.” The Raynor tales are: “Cursed be the City,” and “The Citadel of Darkness.” All these fall firmly into the genre of Sword & Sorcery, and they fit well together in this anthology because the characters of Raynor and Elak are quite similar. In fact, Elak just seems to me like an Older Raynor.
From what I had read previously to actually perusing these stories, Kuttner’s Elak tales were written in part to capitalize on the success of Robert E. Howard’s Sword & Sorcery works, particularly Conan. There is some clear influence there it seems to me, but these certainly aren’t pastiches of Conan, like the Brak stories of John Jakes. Both Elak and Raynor are far more cultured characters than Conan. Both are from the nobility. Elak certainly has some roguish elements to his character, especially where women are concerned, but neither Elak nor Raynor would be considered a loner like Conan. Each has a boon companion that travels always with them.
In fact, I see more influence on these stories from H. P. Lovecraft than from Howard. All the pieces in this book have clear “elder god” elements, and when I looked up Kuttner on Wikipedia I found that he was a big fan of Lovecraft and was considered part of the “Lovecraft circle.” That’s how he ended up meeting his future wife and collaborator, C. L. Moore, although the Elak and Raynor stories were written prior that joining.
The nice thing about the Elak tales is that they combine the eldritch elements from Lovecraft with the more action based adventure work of Howard. This makes for a fine pairing of elements, in my opinion. Kuttner could also pull this off prose-wise. Although I didn’t find his writing as beautiful or as dramatic as either Howard or Lovecraft, there were some very nice turns of phrase and the mood of the prose fit well with the stories. Here’s one of the nicer phrasings: “Piercingly sweet, throbbing almost articulately, a harpstring murmured through the gloom.”
All in all, I liked these stories pretty well. I understand that Adrian Cole has written a story or two with the Elak character, though I’ve not read them. These were entitled “Blood of the Moon God,” which appeared in Strange Tales, Vol. 4. No. 3., and “Witch Queen of Doom Island.” More can be found on this at Cole’s website.
Links below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_K...
http://www.adriancscole.com/shortstor...
April 25, 2022
This book contains 4 tales of Elak and 2 Prince Raynor tales. Elak is a strong, but wiry swordsman who likes his drink and his women whereas his shorter and heavier companion Lycon was way more into the bottle. The stories were more akin to Leiber's Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser than Howard's Conan and at times the stories meander and don't seem all that coherent, but it was neat to read more sword and sorcery yarns from an author I was unfamiliar with for the first time.
The Raynor stories I felt were better written. My favorite story from the whole book is "Citadel of Darkness" in which Raynor and his huge Nubian companion Eblik need to rescue the female warrior Delphia from a sorcerer's tower. Reminded me a bit of Moorcock's Elric.
Enjoyable read overall.
The Raynor stories I felt were better written. My favorite story from the whole book is "Citadel of Darkness" in which Raynor and his huge Nubian companion Eblik need to rescue the female warrior Delphia from a sorcerer's tower. Reminded me a bit of Moorcock's Elric.
Enjoyable read overall.
February 22, 2012
When budding author Henry Kuttner wrote a fan letter to the already established "Weird Tales" favorite C.L. Moore in 1936, little did he know that the object of his admiration was a woman...a woman who, four years later, would become his wife, and with whom a collaboration would begin that was ultimately recognized as one of the sturdiest pillars of the Golden Age of Sci-Fi. Such a melding of talents was Henry and Catherine Lucille's, it has been said, that if one of the two stopped writing to go to the bathroom, the other could seamlessly continue the story in progress. Together, the pair wrote hundreds of short stories, in addition to a good dozen novels and novellas, often behind a bewildering plethora of pen names. Planet Stories' release of "Elak of Atlantis" allows us to see Kuttner in his formative writing years, a solo author just beginning to find his voice. The four Elak stories all originally appeared in the classic pulp magazine "Weird Tales," in part to fill the sword-and-sorcery void created when Robert E. Howard--the creator of Conan the Barbarian, King Kull, Bran Mak Morn and Solomon Kane--committed suicide in 1936. The Elak tales are somewhat crudely written, in the best pulp style, often show the weaknesses of a tyro writer, and are a tad repetitious, but are nevertheless fast moving, exciting, pleasingly violent and endlessly imaginative. Each packs quite a bit of story into its brief length, unfortunately features sketchy descriptions and ambiguous turns of phrase, highlights bloody battle sequences and fantastic magic, and is a genuine hoot to read.
In the first, "Thunder in the Dawn" (from the May/June '38 issue of "Weird Tales"), Elak and his fat, drunken companion, Lycon, go to Elak's half-brother's--King Orander's--assistance to save the northernmost Atlantean kingdom of Cyrena from Viking hordes and the evil wizard known as Elf. Into this longest of Elak tales Kuttner throws a vicious tribe of Pikhts, several battle scenes, a gruesome crucifixion, a faun-girl, and several visits to other dimensions. In "The Spawn of Dagon" (July '38), Elak and Lycon are hired to kill a wizard named Zend, and do battle with a horde of the fishlike children of Dagon. This brief tale gives the reader some definite clues as to Atlantis' ultimate fate, and is indebted to Howard's initial King Kull story from 1929, "The Shadow Kingdom," as well as to H.P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" (1936). (Kuttner was a huge fan of Lovecraft and his Cthulhu Mythos.) It is a short but gripping tale. In "Beyond the Phoenix" (October '38), Elak and Lycon venture into yet another magical dimension to avenge the killing of the king of Sarhaddon, a western Atlantean kingdom where the duo had been doing mercenary work in the palace. Possibly the most way-out of the quartet, this story tells of warring gods, Assurah and Baal-Yagoth, with Elak caught most uncomfortably in the middle. Finally, there is "Dragon Moon" (January '41), a sequel to "Thunder in the Dawn." Here again, the Druid priest Dalan enlists Elak and Lycon's aid to defend the northern kingdom of Cyrena. Now, a mysterious, soul-sucking force known as Karkora is turning kings into zombies; Orander has chosen suicide in preference, and the realm is in chaos. This terrific tale is easily the best of the bunch, and features an exciting slave galley escape (perhaps inspired by a similar scene in the great Errol Flynn movie from 1940, "The Sea Hawk"), a titanic battle between the forces of Cyrena and Kiriath (with the barbarous Amenalks thrown in for good measure), and even a touching ending of sorts, entailing both sacrifice and an ascension to the throne. In all, no great literature, but surely red-blooded, pulpy fun!
To fill out the volume, and as a special treat, this Planet Stories edition gives us the only two Prince Raynor stories that Kuttner ever wrote. Raynor, it seems, was a young blonde lad who lived in the prehistoric kingdom of Sardopolis, in what is now the Gobi Desert. (A blond Mongolian? Now that IS a fantasy!) In the first tale, "Cursed Be the City" (from the April '39 issue of "Strange Stories," a competitor of "Weird Tales" whose short-lived run only extended to 13 issues), Raynor and his Nubian sidekick, Eblik, seek to avenge his father's--King Chalem's--death, unwittingly releasing the destructive nature god Pan. Fans of the great Algernon Blackwood might find this story to their liking. And in this tale's direct sequel, "The Citadel of Darkness" (from the August '39 issue of "Strange Stories"), which picks up days later, Raynor and Eblik go up against a ruffian named Baron Malric and his retainers, as well as the wizard Ghiar, to rescue the warrior maiden Delphia, whom they had encountered in the initial story. This latter tale is even better than the first, and makes excellent use of its prehistoric-zodiac structure. The reader will surely wish that Kuttner had continued on with more tales of both Elak and Raynor, as Moore had previously done with Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry. Kuttner's rapidly developing skills as a writer, abetted by his collaboration with Moore, could only have served his characters all the better. But the team was to soon become more of a science fiction powerhouse, to the field of sword and sorcery's eternal loss.
One further word as to this Planet Stories volume itself. Although I am grateful to the publisher for making these superrare tales available to the public, and although the book comes with a nicely written and enthusiastic intro from author Joe R. Lansdale, in addition to a helpful map of the Atlantean continent, the book remains something of a mess. It contains more typographical errors than any one book should ever be permitted to have, especially when it sports a cover price of $13 for a paperback. It is painfully obvious that the book was never proofread. I have seen some of these tales in facsimile "Weird Tales" editions and can thus say that these many typos were NOT in the original pulp magazines. And the book even incorrectly gives "Weird Tales" as the source for the Raynor stories on the copyright page! Thus, Planet Stories is to be both thanked for its decision to release these stories as well as scorned for the sloppiness with which it has brought them to light. Even the lesser works of Henry Kuttner deserve the utmost care in their presentation. I can only hope that the other Planet Stories editions are in better shape than "Elak of Atlantis"....
In the first, "Thunder in the Dawn" (from the May/June '38 issue of "Weird Tales"), Elak and his fat, drunken companion, Lycon, go to Elak's half-brother's--King Orander's--assistance to save the northernmost Atlantean kingdom of Cyrena from Viking hordes and the evil wizard known as Elf. Into this longest of Elak tales Kuttner throws a vicious tribe of Pikhts, several battle scenes, a gruesome crucifixion, a faun-girl, and several visits to other dimensions. In "The Spawn of Dagon" (July '38), Elak and Lycon are hired to kill a wizard named Zend, and do battle with a horde of the fishlike children of Dagon. This brief tale gives the reader some definite clues as to Atlantis' ultimate fate, and is indebted to Howard's initial King Kull story from 1929, "The Shadow Kingdom," as well as to H.P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" (1936). (Kuttner was a huge fan of Lovecraft and his Cthulhu Mythos.) It is a short but gripping tale. In "Beyond the Phoenix" (October '38), Elak and Lycon venture into yet another magical dimension to avenge the killing of the king of Sarhaddon, a western Atlantean kingdom where the duo had been doing mercenary work in the palace. Possibly the most way-out of the quartet, this story tells of warring gods, Assurah and Baal-Yagoth, with Elak caught most uncomfortably in the middle. Finally, there is "Dragon Moon" (January '41), a sequel to "Thunder in the Dawn." Here again, the Druid priest Dalan enlists Elak and Lycon's aid to defend the northern kingdom of Cyrena. Now, a mysterious, soul-sucking force known as Karkora is turning kings into zombies; Orander has chosen suicide in preference, and the realm is in chaos. This terrific tale is easily the best of the bunch, and features an exciting slave galley escape (perhaps inspired by a similar scene in the great Errol Flynn movie from 1940, "The Sea Hawk"), a titanic battle between the forces of Cyrena and Kiriath (with the barbarous Amenalks thrown in for good measure), and even a touching ending of sorts, entailing both sacrifice and an ascension to the throne. In all, no great literature, but surely red-blooded, pulpy fun!
To fill out the volume, and as a special treat, this Planet Stories edition gives us the only two Prince Raynor stories that Kuttner ever wrote. Raynor, it seems, was a young blonde lad who lived in the prehistoric kingdom of Sardopolis, in what is now the Gobi Desert. (A blond Mongolian? Now that IS a fantasy!) In the first tale, "Cursed Be the City" (from the April '39 issue of "Strange Stories," a competitor of "Weird Tales" whose short-lived run only extended to 13 issues), Raynor and his Nubian sidekick, Eblik, seek to avenge his father's--King Chalem's--death, unwittingly releasing the destructive nature god Pan. Fans of the great Algernon Blackwood might find this story to their liking. And in this tale's direct sequel, "The Citadel of Darkness" (from the August '39 issue of "Strange Stories"), which picks up days later, Raynor and Eblik go up against a ruffian named Baron Malric and his retainers, as well as the wizard Ghiar, to rescue the warrior maiden Delphia, whom they had encountered in the initial story. This latter tale is even better than the first, and makes excellent use of its prehistoric-zodiac structure. The reader will surely wish that Kuttner had continued on with more tales of both Elak and Raynor, as Moore had previously done with Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry. Kuttner's rapidly developing skills as a writer, abetted by his collaboration with Moore, could only have served his characters all the better. But the team was to soon become more of a science fiction powerhouse, to the field of sword and sorcery's eternal loss.
One further word as to this Planet Stories volume itself. Although I am grateful to the publisher for making these superrare tales available to the public, and although the book comes with a nicely written and enthusiastic intro from author Joe R. Lansdale, in addition to a helpful map of the Atlantean continent, the book remains something of a mess. It contains more typographical errors than any one book should ever be permitted to have, especially when it sports a cover price of $13 for a paperback. It is painfully obvious that the book was never proofread. I have seen some of these tales in facsimile "Weird Tales" editions and can thus say that these many typos were NOT in the original pulp magazines. And the book even incorrectly gives "Weird Tales" as the source for the Raynor stories on the copyright page! Thus, Planet Stories is to be both thanked for its decision to release these stories as well as scorned for the sloppiness with which it has brought them to light. Even the lesser works of Henry Kuttner deserve the utmost care in their presentation. I can only hope that the other Planet Stories editions are in better shape than "Elak of Atlantis"....
December 29, 2016
The four stories contained in this book were entertaining, but a mixed bag.
The two longest stories, "Thunder in the Dawn" and "Dragon Moon" felt a bit unfocused, with extended, almost psychedelic interludes that reminded me of C. L. Moore's (Kuttner's wife) "Black God's Kiss." Unfortunately, this aspect of Kuttner's stories compare unfavorably to Moore's.
"The Spawn of Dagon" was the shortest story in the book, but also the most interesting. Elak and his erstwhile companion the perpetually drunk Lycon accept what appears to be a relatively straightforward mission to assassinate a sorcerer. Without giving too much away, there's an interesting twist towards the end and the two heroes find themselves in a tense situation. While Robert E. Howard's "The Tower of the Elephant" is my usual go-to, this would also be a good example of a story to introduce Sword & Sorcery to someone unfamiliar with the subgenre.
While the afore-mentioned Lycon and an ugly, rotund druid named Dalan captured my interest, Elak himself was a bit bland as a character. He's of a royal bloodline, with no interest in ruling. There are hints that he had a falling out with his father, but it wasn't expanded upon. His weapon of choice is a rapier, which is an uncommon choice for a Sword & Sorcery hero. Apart from that, Lycon and Dalan seemed more vividly rendered than the titular hero.
While I don't feel like I wasted my time with this book, the bulk of the stories were fairly forgettable. Moore's Jirel of Joiry was a lot more compelling than her husband's creation.
The two longest stories, "Thunder in the Dawn" and "Dragon Moon" felt a bit unfocused, with extended, almost psychedelic interludes that reminded me of C. L. Moore's (Kuttner's wife) "Black God's Kiss." Unfortunately, this aspect of Kuttner's stories compare unfavorably to Moore's.
"The Spawn of Dagon" was the shortest story in the book, but also the most interesting. Elak and his erstwhile companion the perpetually drunk Lycon accept what appears to be a relatively straightforward mission to assassinate a sorcerer. Without giving too much away, there's an interesting twist towards the end and the two heroes find themselves in a tense situation. While Robert E. Howard's "The Tower of the Elephant" is my usual go-to, this would also be a good example of a story to introduce Sword & Sorcery to someone unfamiliar with the subgenre.
While the afore-mentioned Lycon and an ugly, rotund druid named Dalan captured my interest, Elak himself was a bit bland as a character. He's of a royal bloodline, with no interest in ruling. There are hints that he had a falling out with his father, but it wasn't expanded upon. His weapon of choice is a rapier, which is an uncommon choice for a Sword & Sorcery hero. Apart from that, Lycon and Dalan seemed more vividly rendered than the titular hero.
While I don't feel like I wasted my time with this book, the bulk of the stories were fairly forgettable. Moore's Jirel of Joiry was a lot more compelling than her husband's creation.
November 10, 2020
This is an excellent anthology of pulp era sword and sorcery published in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Kuttner seems to have created his sword and sorcery characters, Elak of Atlantis and Prince Raynor (both featured here), to give *Weird Tales* readers more S&S after Robert E. Howard's tragic death in 1936. To an extent, these tales do indeed evoke a similar 1930s Robert E. Howard feel, but mostly on the level of theme: in content, they are clearly an extension of the type of quasi-historical, action-oriented fantasy adventure fiction Howard inaugurated with his Kull and Conan characters (and to a lesser extent Solomon Kane). But Kuttner's characters, atmospherics, and diction are quite distinct and worthy. Elak and Prince Raynor, for example, comport themselves in a more chivalric, prosocial manner, and so are less vital than the unrestrained and often borderline antisocial Conan. The atmosphere here is more mystical, cosmic, and less gritty and historical (to generalize a bit) than REH's Conan tales (though not always). So, perhaps it is correct to say they participate more in the Kull strain than the Conan strain of S&S. The diction/narration is, by analogy, a rapier when compared to Howard's swordly prose: there is precision of description and an abstraction of narration. Let me use some film analogies: where Howard gives one close ups and intimate, vivid action, Kuttner tends to give mid-range long shots with conventional Hollywood continuity editing. Definitely recommended for those who love Robert E. Howard and want to linger in that era of S&S. Although Kuttner is entertaining in his own right, he might also aid the REH enthusiast in understanding more clearly what makes the master of pulp S&S so unique. Finally, I didn't mention the use of sidekicks. Elak is aided by his drunkard friend Lycon and Prince Raynor his nubian servant Eblik. Both of these characters are memorable.
November 21, 2014
The Diversion Books ebook does not feature the Prince Raynor stories, instead holding them for a separate 64 page, $3 download, which on a cost-density basis seems a dubious proposition. The Gateway books edition may contain both Elak and Raynor, but isn't available to me, to the US, or something.
I've come to expect immersion in this style of work, and it's jarring when the author has other ideas, or hasn't thought it through enough to have any ideas. Kuttner prefaces chapters with biblical quotes and modern poetry, and at one point describes a weapon "slicing through chain mail like cardboard."
Kuttner laces the stories with Lovecraftian-style imagery, from an otherworldly planar experience in "Thunder in the Dawn" to the spawn of Dagon in "The Spawn of Dagon". It is only in "Dragon Moon" that it gains real power: the conception of Karkora, the Pallid One invokes cosmic horror and menace without being a Cthulhu imitation or an add-on member of the Old Ones Club.
I'm curious if his Iod stories likewise takes the Mythos in new and interesting directions.
I've come to expect immersion in this style of work, and it's jarring when the author has other ideas, or hasn't thought it through enough to have any ideas. Kuttner prefaces chapters with biblical quotes and modern poetry, and at one point describes a weapon "slicing through chain mail like cardboard."
Kuttner laces the stories with Lovecraftian-style imagery, from an otherworldly planar experience in "Thunder in the Dawn" to the spawn of Dagon in "The Spawn of Dagon". It is only in "Dragon Moon" that it gains real power: the conception of Karkora, the Pallid One invokes cosmic horror and menace without being a Cthulhu imitation or an add-on member of the Old Ones Club.
I'm curious if his Iod stories likewise takes the Mythos in new and interesting directions.
December 31, 2020
Pure suffering. Kuttner's Elak replaced stories about Conan in Weird Tales magazine after R.E Howard died. Unfortunately, Elak is quite boring. While Conan is quite cool old school fantasy hero, who is most of the time in the center of the things, and is moving whole story forward, Elak is just random guy with no special powers and character. Things just happens around him, and most of the time he needs saving by his friends, instead of being savior. His sidekick just stands by his side, there are no dialogues between them that could evolve their characters and even bring some fun to the pages.
Also, all stories takes place in Atlantis, which alone, brings great potential for interesting world. Shame it was unused, and it could actually took place anywhere...
I bored myself through all book, waiting for some exceptional piece that would create same atmosphere as some stories from Howard, Smith or Lovecraft, but unfortunately, that didn't happen....
Also, all stories takes place in Atlantis, which alone, brings great potential for interesting world. Shame it was unused, and it could actually took place anywhere...
I bored myself through all book, waiting for some exceptional piece that would create same atmosphere as some stories from Howard, Smith or Lovecraft, but unfortunately, that didn't happen....
February 22, 2016
A very good collection of short fantasy stories. Good characters and plot. Kuttner is an early master of the fantasy and SiFi era, mostly forgotten today but a great writer. Very recommended
May 25, 2017
Muy a lo Conan, y no es para menos, pues se empleo como sustituto tras la muerte de Robert en la famosa revista que publicaba sus relatos.
Tiene las imperfecciones del pulp de aquellos tiempos: mucho descontrol y desorden en la narración. Y sus cosas positivas: acción, sangre, monstruos, aventuras… Siempre ganara lo positivo, por ello merece la pena.
Recomendado para todos aquellos que no le gusta tomarse un kit kat en su vida.
Tiene las imperfecciones del pulp de aquellos tiempos: mucho descontrol y desorden en la narración. Y sus cosas positivas: acción, sangre, monstruos, aventuras… Siempre ganara lo positivo, por ello merece la pena.
Recomendado para todos aquellos que no le gusta tomarse un kit kat en su vida.
January 28, 2021
A man named Elak abandons his kingdom and disowns his royal bloodline in order to pursue a more adventurous life as a wandering mercenary. He find himself in a series of dangerous battles against monsters, gods and alien lifeforms in the fashion of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. Many of the locations and entities are directly borrowed from Howard, Clark Ashton Smith and H.P. Lovecraft. The world building is a bit lacklustre and disjointed at times and the characters aren't all that memorable, but the wild tales of Elak and his drunken comrade Lycon are very flashy and entertaining.
Dragon Moon was the best of Elak's tales in my opinion. The prose, the action, the world building and the characterization of Elak himself were all much stronger here than any of the other stories. The final battle scene was also quite a mind-bending (literally) sight to behold. Very fun to read, I would compare it to the best of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane and Conan stories.
***
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Dragon Moon was the best of Elak's tales in my opinion. The prose, the action, the world building and the characterization of Elak himself were all much stronger here than any of the other stories. The final battle scene was also quite a mind-bending (literally) sight to behold. Very fun to read, I would compare it to the best of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane and Conan stories.
***
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July 1, 2019
God I love these pulp sword and sorcery stories. I have recently finished the Bran Mak Morn stories by Robert E Howard and it is interesting to compare the two writers. Howard had already defined the genre and it's tropes with his cast of characters and you can see where Kuttner follows along but it is in the differences that the two distinguish themselves.
To put it simply, Howard's characters are Schwarzenegger, Jason Mamoa, and Kevin Sorbo. Strong men, with intelligence, whose grim visage and stark outlook tell you that society is falling and the barbarians always win in the end.
Kuttner's two heroes are Errol Flynn. A flashing sword and a smirk will set society aright. And yeah your savior may be a bit of a rogue but we all know they have more fun. This lifts both Elak and Raynor from being mere Conan clones to interesting characters in there own right. It's too bad that he didn't get to write more of either character.
To put it simply, Howard's characters are Schwarzenegger, Jason Mamoa, and Kevin Sorbo. Strong men, with intelligence, whose grim visage and stark outlook tell you that society is falling and the barbarians always win in the end.
Kuttner's two heroes are Errol Flynn. A flashing sword and a smirk will set society aright. And yeah your savior may be a bit of a rogue but we all know they have more fun. This lifts both Elak and Raynor from being mere Conan clones to interesting characters in there own right. It's too bad that he didn't get to write more of either character.
January 7, 2018
Las aventuras de Elak de la Atlántida son solventes, con la cantidad justa de acción y fantasía. La narración es rápida y engancha de principio a fin. No tiene la intensidad ni la poesía de Howard, pero Henry Kuttner es un digno sucesor, su narración es vivaz y adictiva.
Me habría gustado que hubiese más relatos del personaje, el libro se me ha quedado corto con sus doscientas páginas justas. Supongo que eso habla bien de la saga.
Recomendado para amantes de la fantasía heroica y de las aventuras repletas de acción.
Me habría gustado que hubiese más relatos del personaje, el libro se me ha quedado corto con sus doscientas páginas justas. Supongo que eso habla bien de la saga.
Recomendado para amantes de la fantasía heroica y de las aventuras repletas de acción.
August 14, 2014
Τέσσερις ιστορίες του Έλακ και δύο του πρίγκηπα Ρέινορ, αντιπροσωπευτικές του ηρωικού φάνταζι της εποχής του μεσοπολέμου. Πολύ τεστοστερόνη, και πολύ ωραία γραφή.
August 15, 2024
"We may meet death today. I'd rather you'd stay in camp." Elak to Velia
Velia in response, "I've tasted war, and I like the draft."
Shortish Review:
I understand Kuttner was filling a void in sword-and-sorcery left by Howard's death, on some levels, but I would say that Zeulas and Conan wouldn't pal around as much as the introduction leads the reader to believe, but they would probably find benefit in an adventure or two, and relativity in talk against positions of power and celebrity. Kuttner's tales here are entertaining, well-written, and given us enough of myth and sorcery to feel at home with its intention. The action wasn't always as expected, as Zeulas tended to get the best of himself taken when fighting, but also had his own moments of beating them down. He always came out thriving in the end, either of his own volition, or the help of a good drunk, or a freedom-loving lover, or a convenient Druid. Velia is a character who found out what a suppressed woman and a free woman are, seeing not a gender issue once free, but seeing that evil knows no gender, and the Love of a good man cannot be categorized with the Lust of an evil man or woman. I definitely recommend this for collectors and dabblers. Story spoilers ahead, for reference.
Reference Portion:
Thunder in the Dawn
1. Magic of the Druid
2. Northmen in Cyrena
3. Through the Black Forest
4. Power of the Warlock
5. The Dweller on the Isle
6. The Night of Gods
7. Solonala - and Mider
8. They Come to Cyrena
9. The Chiefs in Sharn
10. In the Valley of Skulls
11. How Granicor Died
12. Warlock and Druid
Zeulas fought
The Spawn of Dagon
Lycon's drink-induced
Beyond the Phoenix
1. A King Dies
2. The Opening of the Gates
3. Duel of Gods
Ages ago, ancient and
Dragon Moon
1. Elak of Atlantis
2. Dragon Throne
3. The Gates of Dream
4. The Shop Sails North
5. Aynger of Amenalk
6. Mayana
7. Karkora
8. The Dragon's Throne
9. The Hammer of Aynger
10. The Black Vision
Of the Atlantis kingdoms:
Velia in response, "I've tasted war, and I like the draft."
Shortish Review:
I understand Kuttner was filling a void in sword-and-sorcery left by Howard's death, on some levels, but I would say that Zeulas and Conan wouldn't pal around as much as the introduction leads the reader to believe, but they would probably find benefit in an adventure or two, and relativity in talk against positions of power and celebrity. Kuttner's tales here are entertaining, well-written, and given us enough of myth and sorcery to feel at home with its intention. The action wasn't always as expected, as Zeulas tended to get the best of himself taken when fighting, but also had his own moments of beating them down. He always came out thriving in the end, either of his own volition, or the help of a good drunk, or a freedom-loving lover, or a convenient Druid. Velia is a character who found out what a suppressed woman and a free woman are, seeing not a gender issue once free, but seeing that evil knows no gender, and the Love of a good man cannot be categorized with the Lust of an evil man or woman. I definitely recommend this for collectors and dabblers. Story spoilers ahead, for reference.
Reference Portion:
Thunder in the Dawn
1. Magic of the Druid
2. Northmen in Cyrena
3. Through the Black Forest
4. Power of the Warlock
5. The Dweller on the Isle
6. The Night of Gods
7. Solonala - and Mider
8. They Come to Cyrena
9. The Chiefs in Sharn
10. In the Valley of Skulls
11. How Granicor Died
12. Warlock and Druid
Zeulas fought
The Spawn of Dagon
Lycon's drink-induced
Beyond the Phoenix
1. A King Dies
2. The Opening of the Gates
3. Duel of Gods
Ages ago, ancient and
Dragon Moon
1. Elak of Atlantis
2. Dragon Throne
3. The Gates of Dream
4. The Shop Sails North
5. Aynger of Amenalk
6. Mayana
7. Karkora
8. The Dragon's Throne
9. The Hammer of Aynger
10. The Black Vision
Of the Atlantis kingdoms:
January 14, 2024
The fact that someone as talented as Kuttner wrote this tedious tome really depresses me. Both Elak and the plots themselves are a personality sink.
March 23, 2017
Henry Kuttner was primarily a sci-fi writer and my ignorance of him can be laid firmly at that door. This book though contains a collection of his sword & sorcery tales which were apparently published to fill a Conan-shaped void in Weird Tales following Robert E. Howard's demise.
Kuttner's chief hero is the titular Elak who, wiry and wielding a rapier, does not conform to that physical shape. Assisted by his boon companion Lycon, the influence on Fritz Leiber is plain - the duo drink, womanise, steal and , most significantly, joke their way through their adventures. I also feel that the tales influenced others in more subtle ways - the slightly built prince in self-exile foreshadows Michael Moorcock's Elric, the integration of Lovecraftian horror would later be carried out by many but none more so than Karl Edward Wagner when he wrote his Kane adventures, and his depiction of Atlantis hints at Pat Mills's Tír nan Óg, where Ukko could be said to be an amped up Lycon, stripped of his bravery and fighting skills.
Whilst Kuttner was writing the Elak stories for Weird Tales, he also wrote his two Prince Raynor pieces for Strange Stories. I had to look that up. I really thought that these were two earlier pieces when I was reading them. The Elak adventures can sometimes appear rushed. It's perhaps a problem of the pulp format, rather than of the writer's, that can sometimes force too many events into too few words. The best writers overcome this though and Kuttner comes close to doing so in his Elak pieces. He fails miserably with Prince Raynor though and I'm forced to wonder why - did he just care less? About his character? Or about the publication venue?
Prince Raynor is physically similar to Elak but more priggish and less rounded. The stories clunk along with little regard for narrative development and, most uncomfortably for this 21st century reader, there's an undeniable racist component. Like Elak, Prince Raynor has a companion. Rather than a drinking buddy though, this character (whose name I can't remember, twelve hours after finishing the book, itself a damning fact) is a servant, described as a big ugly Nubian, who constantly says 'Thankyou Master' whenever Raynor saves him (curiously, this courtesy is never returned - the thanks, not the act) and is referred to at least once by another character when talking to Raynor as 'your black'. There are other examples, not related to that character, which (like his name) I've now forgotten.
Overall, the Elak stories, at least, are something that fans of swords and sorcery and of pulp fiction will probably still enjoy - eighty years after publication!
Kuttner's chief hero is the titular Elak who, wiry and wielding a rapier, does not conform to that physical shape. Assisted by his boon companion Lycon, the influence on Fritz Leiber is plain - the duo drink, womanise, steal and , most significantly, joke their way through their adventures. I also feel that the tales influenced others in more subtle ways - the slightly built prince in self-exile foreshadows Michael Moorcock's Elric, the integration of Lovecraftian horror would later be carried out by many but none more so than Karl Edward Wagner when he wrote his Kane adventures, and his depiction of Atlantis hints at Pat Mills's Tír nan Óg, where Ukko could be said to be an amped up Lycon, stripped of his bravery and fighting skills.
Whilst Kuttner was writing the Elak stories for Weird Tales, he also wrote his two Prince Raynor pieces for Strange Stories. I had to look that up. I really thought that these were two earlier pieces when I was reading them. The Elak adventures can sometimes appear rushed. It's perhaps a problem of the pulp format, rather than of the writer's, that can sometimes force too many events into too few words. The best writers overcome this though and Kuttner comes close to doing so in his Elak pieces. He fails miserably with Prince Raynor though and I'm forced to wonder why - did he just care less? About his character? Or about the publication venue?
Prince Raynor is physically similar to Elak but more priggish and less rounded. The stories clunk along with little regard for narrative development and, most uncomfortably for this 21st century reader, there's an undeniable racist component. Like Elak, Prince Raynor has a companion. Rather than a drinking buddy though, this character (whose name I can't remember, twelve hours after finishing the book, itself a damning fact) is a servant, described as a big ugly Nubian, who constantly says 'Thankyou Master' whenever Raynor saves him (curiously, this courtesy is never returned - the thanks, not the act) and is referred to at least once by another character when talking to Raynor as 'your black'. There are other examples, not related to that character, which (like his name) I've now forgotten.
Overall, the Elak stories, at least, are something that fans of swords and sorcery and of pulp fiction will probably still enjoy - eighty years after publication!
October 8, 2021
Una premessa pratica: Henry Kuttner ha scritto due serie di racconti sword & sorcery, Elak of Atlantis e Prince Raynor, e Gollancz ha in catalogo due volumi intitolati
Elak of Atlantis
(questo qui) e Prince Raynor, ergo una persona qualunque si aspetterebbe che ciascun'antologia contenga un singolo ciclo – ma in realtà questo Elak of Atlantis è un omnibus che combina assieme entrambe le opere (mi chiedo sinceramente come mai non lo abbiano intitolato direttamente Elak of Atlantis & Prince Raynor), ergo il volume Prince Raynor è sostanzialmente ridondante.
Chiarito questo arcano, commentiamo le due parti dell'antologia:
Elak
Due parole sull'ambientazione: l'Atlantide di Kuttner non sa affatto di "mondo perduto", è letteralmente l'Urheimat dei Celti storicamente documentati, senza connotazioni mistiche né guizzi di inventiva fantastorica. Funziona eh, ma non aspettatevi la Poseidonis di Clark Ashton Smith.
1. Thunder in the Dawn è un romanzo breve di ottima qualità che mette in campo con sapienza tutti gli ammazzamenti, gli inseguimenti, le trame minori scontatissime e l'esotismo preistorico che ci si aspetta dal miglior Bob Howard; spettacolare soprattuto la sequenza finale in cui si indulge nell'onirico e nell'orrore cosmico con una tavolozza di colori per nulla manieristica. Elak e il suo compare Lycon non sono sicuramente Fafhrd e l'Acchiappatopi ma hanno una loro dignità di personaggi, il druido Dalan funziona bene come "mago mentore imperscrutabile" e soprattutto l'interesse amoroso è una donna d'azione senza se e senza ma.
2. "Spawn of Dagon" è sostanzialmente una versione più breve, più lovecraftiana e con più donne nude del mio racconto di Conan preferito, The Tower of the Elephant; la qualità non è paragonabile, ma funziona e in più Kuttner ci mette dell'umorismo ribaldo legato al fatto che Elak e Lycon non sono in alcun modo dei "nobili selvaggi" o delle "simpatiche canaglie" – sono dei tagliagole e basta. Ah e molto bello il dato di continuity che collega la saga di Elak al romanzo The Creature from Beyond Infinity
3. "Beyond the Phoenix" è l'elemento debole della catena: chiaramente c'è dello sviluppo psicologico in Elak e Lycon, chiaramente la nuova coprotagonista femminile cerca di differenziarsi dalle precedenti, chiaramente la trama mira a un ampio respiro che mi ricorda il romanzo conaniano The Hour of the Dragon... ma l'esecuzione in forma di racconto castra il tutto in un ritmo troppo veloce che lascia appena abbozzati i conflitti e acerbi gli scavi psicologici.
4. "Dragon Moon" è una conclusione senza infamia e senza lode in cui Kuttner ricicla situazioni e scenari di Thunder in the Dawn, contando sui tre anni di iato fra il primo e il quarto episodio; di fatto il racconto finge di completare circolarmente un arco di sviluppo che Elak non ha mai vissuto, sa di già visto ma si riprende grazie a un'ulteriore coprotagonista femminile dalla psiche delicata e malinconica.
Raynor
Due parole sull'ambientazione: in teoria siamo in un deserto del Gobi preistorico che allora era fertile, di fatto di atmosfere centro-asiatiche non c'è nulla e l'ambientazione è un generico Vecchio Mondo preindustriale visto da uno yankee. L'idea verrà riproposta brevemente ma decisamente meglio (indovinate un po') in The Creatures from Beyond Infinity.
1. "Cursed Be the City" da una parte è una origin story con tutti i prevedibilissimi elementi del caso, dall'altro ha una trama che è un orologio svizzero, personaggi dal carattere forte e un climax che mette un filo di pelle d'oca. Menzione d'onore sia al demonio Necho sia alla bandita Delphia (coprotagonsita che non diventa interesse amoroso) sia allo scudiero Eblik, che non solo è più interessante di Lycon ma è pure un maggiordomo africano eroico – in un racconto del 1939.
2. "The Citadel of Darkness" non regge il confronto con il primo episodio sia perché Delphia è degaradata a donzella in pericolo, sia perché Raynor si dimostra un po' scemo, sia perché gli interessanti antagonisti sono sprecati in un conflitto banalissimo di esplorazione del castello infestato. Ugualmente sprecata è l'idea della magia astrologica, ben riuscita la scena di orrore cosmico.
Ora, una doverosa messa in prospettiva: dalla mia panoramica questi sei testi sembrano uscire con le ossa rotte, in realtà sfigurano solo se messi a confronto con i lavori di qualità medio-alta dei due maestri dello sword & sorcery, Robert E. Howard e Fritz Leiber – se presa di per sé, questa produzione giovanile di Kuttner si assesta su un livello più che degno e dà la birra alle porcherie contemporanee che ho letto in Mediterranea, Eroica - Antologia Sword & Sorcery, Impero. Antologia gladius & sorcery, Zappa e spada e Thanatolia!
Infine, due parole sulla realizzazione: rispetto agli altri ebook Gollancz delle opere di Kuttner questo è praticamente privo di refusi, la bibliografia resta così cosà come sempre, ma l'introduzione di Joe Lansdale è sia informativa sulla vita e l'opera di Kuttner sia toccante nel trasporto con cui ne elogia i meriti artistici – un risultato tanto raro quanto lodevole. 3/5 meritatissimo.
Chiarito questo arcano, commentiamo le due parti dell'antologia:
Elak
Due parole sull'ambientazione: l'Atlantide di Kuttner non sa affatto di "mondo perduto", è letteralmente l'Urheimat dei Celti storicamente documentati, senza connotazioni mistiche né guizzi di inventiva fantastorica. Funziona eh, ma non aspettatevi la Poseidonis di Clark Ashton Smith.
1. Thunder in the Dawn è un romanzo breve di ottima qualità che mette in campo con sapienza tutti gli ammazzamenti, gli inseguimenti, le trame minori scontatissime e l'esotismo preistorico che ci si aspetta dal miglior Bob Howard; spettacolare soprattuto la sequenza finale in cui si indulge nell'onirico e nell'orrore cosmico con una tavolozza di colori per nulla manieristica. Elak e il suo compare Lycon non sono sicuramente Fafhrd e l'Acchiappatopi ma hanno una loro dignità di personaggi, il druido Dalan funziona bene come "mago mentore imperscrutabile" e soprattutto l'interesse amoroso è una donna d'azione senza se e senza ma.
2. "Spawn of Dagon" è sostanzialmente una versione più breve, più lovecraftiana e con più donne nude del mio racconto di Conan preferito, The Tower of the Elephant; la qualità non è paragonabile, ma funziona e in più Kuttner ci mette dell'umorismo ribaldo legato al fatto che Elak e Lycon non sono in alcun modo dei "nobili selvaggi" o delle "simpatiche canaglie" – sono dei tagliagole e basta. Ah e molto bello il dato di continuity che collega la saga di Elak al romanzo The Creature from Beyond Infinity
3. "Beyond the Phoenix" è l'elemento debole della catena: chiaramente c'è dello sviluppo psicologico in Elak e Lycon, chiaramente la nuova coprotagonista femminile cerca di differenziarsi dalle precedenti, chiaramente la trama mira a un ampio respiro che mi ricorda il romanzo conaniano The Hour of the Dragon... ma l'esecuzione in forma di racconto castra il tutto in un ritmo troppo veloce che lascia appena abbozzati i conflitti e acerbi gli scavi psicologici.
4. "Dragon Moon" è una conclusione senza infamia e senza lode in cui Kuttner ricicla situazioni e scenari di Thunder in the Dawn, contando sui tre anni di iato fra il primo e il quarto episodio; di fatto il racconto finge di completare circolarmente un arco di sviluppo che Elak non ha mai vissuto, sa di già visto ma si riprende grazie a un'ulteriore coprotagonista femminile dalla psiche delicata e malinconica.
Raynor
Due parole sull'ambientazione: in teoria siamo in un deserto del Gobi preistorico che allora era fertile, di fatto di atmosfere centro-asiatiche non c'è nulla e l'ambientazione è un generico Vecchio Mondo preindustriale visto da uno yankee. L'idea verrà riproposta brevemente ma decisamente meglio (indovinate un po') in The Creatures from Beyond Infinity.
1. "Cursed Be the City" da una parte è una origin story con tutti i prevedibilissimi elementi del caso, dall'altro ha una trama che è un orologio svizzero, personaggi dal carattere forte e un climax che mette un filo di pelle d'oca. Menzione d'onore sia al demonio Necho sia alla bandita Delphia (coprotagonsita che non diventa interesse amoroso) sia allo scudiero Eblik, che non solo è più interessante di Lycon ma è pure un maggiordomo africano eroico – in un racconto del 1939.
2. "The Citadel of Darkness" non regge il confronto con il primo episodio sia perché Delphia è degaradata a donzella in pericolo, sia perché Raynor si dimostra un po' scemo, sia perché gli interessanti antagonisti sono sprecati in un conflitto banalissimo di esplorazione del castello infestato. Ugualmente sprecata è l'idea della magia astrologica, ben riuscita la scena di orrore cosmico.
Ora, una doverosa messa in prospettiva: dalla mia panoramica questi sei testi sembrano uscire con le ossa rotte, in realtà sfigurano solo se messi a confronto con i lavori di qualità medio-alta dei due maestri dello sword & sorcery, Robert E. Howard e Fritz Leiber – se presa di per sé, questa produzione giovanile di Kuttner si assesta su un livello più che degno e dà la birra alle porcherie contemporanee che ho letto in Mediterranea, Eroica - Antologia Sword & Sorcery, Impero. Antologia gladius & sorcery, Zappa e spada e Thanatolia!
Infine, due parole sulla realizzazione: rispetto agli altri ebook Gollancz delle opere di Kuttner questo è praticamente privo di refusi, la bibliografia resta così cosà come sempre, ma l'introduzione di Joe Lansdale è sia informativa sulla vita e l'opera di Kuttner sia toccante nel trasporto con cui ne elogia i meriti artistici – un risultato tanto raro quanto lodevole. 3/5 meritatissimo.
December 26, 2020
I know Kuttner from his Mythos fiction and his fine collaborations with his talented wife, Fantasy Grandmaster C L Moore, so I was curious to see how his early pulp fantasy, written in the years just after Robert E. Howard's death held up to the years.
Not well.
Although there are glimpses of fine prose and ideas, the Elak stories have thin characters, beyond the sidekick Lycon, unconvincing locales (it is hard to get excited about an "Atlantis" that has "Vikings" and "Druids" with little to tie it all together), rushed plots and just generally are forgettable, with the exception of "Dragon Moon" which is the final tale and shows a hint of what might have come had Kuttner not oved on. The collection gets three stars only because of its importance of showing how the genre continued in the immediate loss of Howard, and a fourth for the two "bonus" tales of Prince Raynor, which, while still flawed, are far more evocative.
A disappointment to be certain.
Not well.
Although there are glimpses of fine prose and ideas, the Elak stories have thin characters, beyond the sidekick Lycon, unconvincing locales (it is hard to get excited about an "Atlantis" that has "Vikings" and "Druids" with little to tie it all together), rushed plots and just generally are forgettable, with the exception of "Dragon Moon" which is the final tale and shows a hint of what might have come had Kuttner not oved on. The collection gets three stars only because of its importance of showing how the genre continued in the immediate loss of Howard, and a fourth for the two "bonus" tales of Prince Raynor, which, while still flawed, are far more evocative.
A disappointment to be certain.
July 22, 2015
Le quattro storie di ELAK raccolte nel volume ci presentano Atlantide con i suoi territori e città.
La prima e l’ultima storia riguardano da vicino Elak, il suo passato, sebbene non troppo approfondito, e la sua famiglia. Sono state scritte a distanza di anni e l’ultima sembra quasi non ricordare la prima, sebbene gli eventi descritti siano piuttosto importanti. Le due centrali sono classiche avventure dove Elak ha a che fare con nemici che deve sconfiggere, sempre affiancato dal fedele compagno ubriacone. [...]
Recensione completat
La prima e l’ultima storia riguardano da vicino Elak, il suo passato, sebbene non troppo approfondito, e la sua famiglia. Sono state scritte a distanza di anni e l’ultima sembra quasi non ricordare la prima, sebbene gli eventi descritti siano piuttosto importanti. Le due centrali sono classiche avventure dove Elak ha a che fare con nemici che deve sconfiggere, sempre affiancato dal fedele compagno ubriacone. [...]
Recensione completat
May 22, 2009
Sword and sorcery in Atlantis. Some perfectly entertaining stuff. Playful too. Kuttner adds a touch of humor to these tales of dark gods, sorcerers, would be conquerors and deposed royalty. He uses Lovecraft a bit much maybe, or is it that others have used it a bit much since then? For my money I think he's the better writer of the marriage (C.L. Moore), at least for fun sword and sorcery. As with all Planet Stories releases (well, maybe not all the Gygax): recommended.
September 7, 2013
I found it difficult to actually like the characters, they all seemed so very unrealistic - they seemed to lack realistic flaws and issues, having been built upon stereotypes of characters/heroes of other fantasy based adventures - I'm thinking stereotypes had to begin some where and so maybe continued in other stories that to others would be interesting - but lately I seemed to be getting put off such clichés and for me, characters that are not interesting.
January 20, 2018
OCENA: ★★★✫ 3.5/5
Radnja: ★★★★ 4
Okruženje: ★★★✫ 3.5
Pripovedanje: ★★★✫ 3.5
UTISAK - Tipičan pulp-fiction u duhu Hauarda sa primesama Lavkrafta. Vidi se da je pisac imao uzore u obojici. Sadrži ukupno 6 priča, 4 o Elaku iz Atlantisa i 2 od princu Rejnoru, s tim što je Elak više "Konanovski" junak i same priče su za nijansu interesantine (plus ga prati večito pijan lopov Lycon).
Radnja: ★★★★ 4
Okruženje: ★★★✫ 3.5
Pripovedanje: ★★★✫ 3.5
UTISAK - Tipičan pulp-fiction u duhu Hauarda sa primesama Lavkrafta. Vidi se da je pisac imao uzore u obojici. Sadrži ukupno 6 priča, 4 o Elaku iz Atlantisa i 2 od princu Rejnoru, s tim što je Elak više "Konanovski" junak i same priče su za nijansu interesantine (plus ga prati večito pijan lopov Lycon).
January 10, 2016
An inferior Conan (a contemporary hero) or less satisfying Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser, the Elak stories were entertaining enough but not more than that. Two Prince Gaynor stories are included as well; they're like shadows of the Elak stories, and the collection would be stronger without them (but too short).
June 27, 2018
La edición es excelente. Pocas erratas. Las historias no son gran cosa. A diferencia de Howard, aquí no hay fuerza narrativa, los personajes son poco definidos y planos. Howard creía en lo que escribía. Aquí todo parece un escenario de cartón piedra y el mundo se extiende sólo dos metros más allá de lo que ves.
July 28, 2008
My favorite Planet Stories book so far. An adventure story, pure as a baby seal. It rings my D&D bell like few other fantasies.
Read
August 22, 2008Elak of Atlantis (Planet Stories) by Henry Kuttner (2007)
September 19, 2009
OK, but not a top of the pile
February 9, 2010
This Kuttner fellow could really write. Going to dig into more of his and C.L. Moore's work soon!
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