Gardner F. Fox 1 hr 3 min read

In the black pools of Karr, Red Angus finds the fifty-thousand-year-lost wisdom of the Ancients, and for one day holds victory in his sword-hand against the iron guard of the Citadel.

Gardner F. Fox's 1952 story is a rousing sword-and-planet space opera. Vivid, driven golden-age pulp. Read it for a colorful Planet Stories epic of a barbarian hero, ancient wisdom, and a rebellion against tyranny, blending swordplay with cosmic mystery, in the breathless, action-packed sword-and-planet style of the classic pulp adventure magazines.

In its time

Published in 1952, during the 1950s, post-war optimism meets cold war anxiety.

Reading it

1 hr 3 min read (a novelette, room for a turn or two).

Illustrated by

Herman B. Vestal