Poul Anderson 1 hr 6 min read

Out of the raw desert rides the wanderer Alfric toward the ancient city of Valkarion, scouting the ruined hills with hard-learned caution, unaware of the destiny and intrigue that await him there.

Poul Anderson's 1951 story is a rousing sword-and-planet fantasy adventure. Vivid, atmospheric, superbly told. Read it for early Anderson in full-blooded heroic mode, a lone adventurer swept into palace intrigue, prophecy, and warfare in a decaying far-future city, in a colorful tale that blends sword-and-sorcery with science fiction.

In its time

Published in 1951, during the 1950s, post-war optimism meets cold war anxiety.

Reading it

1 hr 6 min read (a novelette, room for a turn or two).

Illustrated by

Earl Mayan