Martian Quest: The Early Brackett [Hardcover]

Leigh Brackett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 2002

Martian Quest: The Early Brackett is a collection of the twenty earliest stories by the undisputed "Queen of Space-Opera."

On a Venus that never was, on a Mars that can never be (but should have been), Leigh Brackett’s early stories laid the foundation for her later classic adventures, The Sword of Rhiannon, The Nemesis from Terra, and the "Eric John Stark" series.

Other stories in this collection draw inspiration from such diverse sources as the lost-race novels of H. Rider Haggard, the lush fantasies of A. Merritt, and the planetary romances of Edgar Rice Burroughs. With an appreciation for Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, Brackett’s prose is a unique display of vigorous swashbuckling adventure tempered with a harsh, hard-boiled economy.

Martian Quest: The Early Brackett also features a revealing introduction by acclaimed author Michael Moorcock, recent recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Brackett's first sale, "Martian Quest," was to John Campbell at Astounding. That story and nineteen others published over the next three years in such pulps as Planet Stories, Startling Stories, Amazing Stories and Super Science Stories, 478 pages of them, are collected in Martian Quest: The Early Brackett from Haffner Press.

As with many true originals, much of Brackett's work, for all its seeming diversity--hardboiled, standard mystery, Westerns, high fantasy, science fiction--falls in a remarkably straight line. Here in Martian Quest are adumbrated the themes and preoccupations she'll fulfill in later work: the creation of an entire world in precis, details forthcoming. Here, too, is clear demonstration of the power, the narrative inertia that once set in motion cannot be stopped, and the genius for description that will forever be her hallmarks and heritage. -- James Sallis, Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 2003

This volume should be an essential part of every hardcore SF reader's collection. And Haffner promises a followup volume focusing on Brackett's most famous creation, Eric John Stark. -- Paul di Filippo, SciFi Weekly, May 12, 2003

From the Inside Flap

Martian Quest: The Early Brackett is a long-overdue collection of the twenty earliest stories by the undisputed "Queen of Space-Opera."

On a Venus that never was, on a Mars that can never be (but should have been), Leigh Brackett's early stories laid the foundation for her later classic adventures, The Sword of Rhiannon, The Nemesis from Terra, and the "Eric John Stark" series.

Other stories in this collection draw inspiration from such diverse sources as the lost-race novels of H. Rider Haggard, the lush fantasies of A. Merritt, and the planetary romances of Edgar Rice Burroughs. With an appreciation for Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, Brackett's prose is a unique display of vigorous swashbuckling adventure tempered with a harsh, hard-boiled economy.

Martian Quest: The Early Brackett also features a revealing introduction by acclaimed author Michael Moorcock, recent recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: Haffner Press; First Edition edition (December 31, 2002)
• ISBN-10: 1893887111
• ISBN-13: 978-1893887114
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,171,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars That's the Dragon Queen of Venus right there on the cover, November 14, 2010

By 

John Middleton (Brisbane, QLD, AUST) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Martian Quest: The Early Brackett (Hardcover)

Martian Quest: The Early Brackett is the first of three volumes collecting the short "sword & planet" tales of Leigh Brackett (the other two being Lorelei of the Red Mist and Shannach - The Last). The contents are the first stories Brackett had published, in the pulps of the day:

"Martian Quest" (Astounding Stories, Feb '40)
"The Treasure of Ptakuth" (Astounding Stories, Apr '40)
"The Tapestry Gate" (Strange Stories, Aug '40)
"The Stellar Legion" (Planet Stories, Win '40)
"The Demons of Darkside" (Startling Stories, Jan '41)
"Water Pirate" (Super Science Stories, Jan '41)
"Interplanetary Reporter" (Startling Stories, May '41)
"The Dragon-Queen of Venus" (Planet Stories, Sum '41)
"Lord of the Earthquake" (Science Fiction, Jun '41)
"No Man's Land in Space" (Amazing Stories, Jul '41)
"A World is Born" (Comet, Jul '41)
"Retreat to the Stars" (Planet Stories, Nov '41)
"Child of the Green Light" (Super Science Stories, Feb '42)
"The Sorcerer of Rhiannon" (Astounding Stories, Feb '42)
"Child of the Sun" (Astonishing Stories, Spr '42)
"Out of the Sea" (Astonishing Stories, Jun '42)
"Cube from Space" (Super Science Stories, Aug '42)
"Outpost on Io" (Planet Stories, Win '42)
"The Hal'ing" (Astonishing Stories, Feb '43)
"The Citadel of Lost Ships" (Planet Stories, Mar '43)
Meet the Author­­ by Leigh Brackett (Amazing Stories, Jul '41)

The stories are generally what we would call today science-fiction - although that's not quite right, either. Some stories are space opera, some horror, some "fantasy". Often the tales are Westerns set in space - or at least on Mars or Venus. Brackett's heroes are hardbitten and tough, and the heroines beautiful and capable both. The style is cinematic - you can see why Lucas chose her to write the script for The Empire Strikes Back (even if, to be fair, not a lot of that made it to screen). For instance, the description of the Dragon Queen of Venus is lushly written - and one immediately thinks "hey, that's the girl on the cover" - and it is, painted by Virgil Finlay no less (go have a look). As well, that same story produces the interior cover line art - and it is immediately apparent that this is the story you have already seen in your mind's eye.

All of these stories are good; some are better than good. The science side of it is a little strained these days - and probably was in the 40's as well - but really, who cares. Leigh Brackett was, with C.L Moore, one of the great female pulp authors of the golden age of sci-fi, and should be more widely read today. This volume is probably not the vehicle for that - its an expensive limited edition - but it remains true nonetheless.