ted@usceast.UUCP (Ted Nolan) (09/19/84)
[feather the rast!]
I gave up on John Norman long ago. I enjoyed the first few Gor books
(back when Ballentine was doing them) , but after that I just got
completely disgusted by his weird ideas and refused to wade through them
even when the plot had some interesting points.
To my mind, the best Swords & Planets type of series going today is
Alan Burt Akers' (probably Kenneth Bulmer) Dray Prescott series,
also from DAW. It started off over 10 years ago as a fairly straight
Burroughs' imitation, but picked up rapidly as the main character
(Dray Prescott) actually grew and changed during the course of the
series.
Prescott was brought to the planet Kregan as the unwilling errand boy for two
super human factions, who are apt at any time to drop him naked into
some confused situation and have him sort things out. If he doesn't,
he is banished to Earth for extended periods. In between jobs,
he has started to work on goals of his own (including freeing all
slaves) and has amassed a large number of lands and titles (Emperorship
of the ravaged island empire of Vallia chief among them). Unlike Burrough's
heroes, Prescott is painfully aware that he is not the best swordsman
on Kregan (having been shatteringly beaten once) and expects more from his
wife and other women than that they be easy prey for the hostage plot device.
If there's any justice (and I've heard that there isn't) Dray Prescott
will be around long after Tarl Cabot & co have died from brain rot.
Ted Nolan
PS : in one early Prescott book, he mentions the continent "gar" on Kregan
where people believe women are only fit for slavery : I'm still waiting
for him to clean it up..
PPS : this discussion should probably move to net.sf-lovers
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Ted Nolan ...decvax!mcnc!ncsu!ncrcae!usceast!ted
6536 Brookside Circle ...akgua!usceast!ted
Columbia, SC 29206
("We pray for one last landing on the globe that gave us birth..")
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