Leigh Brackett

[Falconer]

I'm interested in getting into the Sci-Fi/Fantasy works of this author. It seems that these two collections of her works currently in-print serve as an excellent introduction to her writings:

Martian Quest: The Early Brackett

• Martian Quest (Astounding Science Fiction February 1940)
• The Treasure of Ptakuth (Astounding April 1940)
• The Stellar Legion (Planet Stories Winter 1940)
• The Tapestry Gate (Strange Stories August 1940)
• The Demons of Darkside (Startling Stories January 1941)
• Water Pirate (Super Science Stories January 1941)
• Interplanetary Reporter (Startling Stories May 1941)
• The Dragon-Queen of Jupiter (Planet Stories Summer 1941)
• Lord of the Earthquake (novelette; Science Fiction (magazine) June 1941)
• No Man's Land in Space (novelette; Amazing Stories July 1941)
• A World Is Born (Comet Stories July 1941)
• Retreat to the Stars (Astonishing Stories November 1941)
• Child of the Green Light (Super Science Stories February 1942)
• The Sorcerer of Rhiannon (novelette; Astounding February 1942)
• Child of the Sun (novelette; Planet Stories Spring 1942)
• Out of the Sea (novelette; Astonishing Stories June 1942)
• Cube from Space (Super Science Stories August 1942)
• Outpost on Io (Planet Stories Winter 1942)
• The Halfling (novelette; Astonishing Stories February 1943)
• The Citadel of Lost Ships (Planet Stories March 1943)

Sea-Kings of Mars and Otherworldly Stories

• The Sorcerer of Rhiannon (novelette; Astounding February 1942)
• The Jewel of Bas (novelette; Planet Stories Spring 1944)
• Terror Out of Space (Planet Stories Summer 1944)
• Lorelei of the Red Mist (novella; Planet Stories Summer 1946), with Ray Bradbury
• The Moon That Vanished (novelette; Thrilling Wonder Stories October 1948)
• Sea-Kings of Mars (Thrilling Wonder Stories June 1949)
• Queen of the Martian Catacombs (Planet Stories Summer 1949)
• Enchantress of Venus (novella; Planet Stories Fall 1949)
• Black Amazon of Mars (Planet Stories March 1951)
• The Last Days of Shandakor (novelette; Startling Stories April 1952)
• The Tweener (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction February 1955)
• The Road to Sinharat (novelette; Amazing Stories May 1963)

I just wonder if anyone has read a lot of Brackett and has any other suggestions or thoughts. Regards.

[Melan]

Falconer--

1) I don't recommend Martian Quest as an introduction. It contains Brackett's earlier writing, where she hadn't yet developed her trademark style yet. Read it only if you have already seen the rest, and are interested in basic 40s space pulp.

2) Sea-Kings of Mars is a much better selection, the titular novellette (also published as The Sword of Rhiannon) being the best known. This showcases Brackett's most fertile period, and also gives you that particular mixture of action and melancholy/loss which characterises her as a writer. Two of the short stories were also developed into individual novels later on.

3) The Book of Skaith, a trilogy of three shorter novels (The Ginger Star, The Hunds of Skaith, The Reavers of Skaith, is kind of a swan song; since she wrote it in the 1970s, it is a bit different, but builds on the earlier themes (the decline and fall of ancient civilisations, harsh wilderness environments, no-nonsense heroes) expertly. It is also nice to see science-fantasy where hippie types are portrayed as a degenerate mob...

Start with 2), read 3) if you wish, and only go on to 1) if you are really curious. Also avoid The Nemesis from Terra: it is a substandard work without anything remarkable.

[Falconer]

Thanks for the tips, Melan.

[Melan]

You are welcome. BTW, I wrote a short recommendation for The Book of Skaith in the opening post of this topic.