Adventures Beyond Space and Time: DMR's Planetary Adventures

Planetary Adventures, the newest release by DMR publishing, brings together five tales from the golden age of science fiction in the same vein of the legendary John Carter of Mars and Captain Future that will transport you on adventures to worlds from across the universe. Distant stars, alien planets, and fantastical technologies are the backdrop of many of the tales found within the pages of this release, and there is plenty here that makes this collection of rare and lesser-known tales from some of the greatest fiction writers of the early 20th century a worthy addition to your library.

 The collection starts with a riveting story entitled The Temple of Earth by the esteemed Poul Anderson. Anderson’s seminal work, The Broken Sword, a novel that has influenced many future fantasy writers including Michael Moorcock, solidified him as one of the most important voices in 20th century fantasy. This short work shows that Anderson’s gift of storytelling is unquestionable and not bound by any specific genre. This tale begins on the surface of Earth’s moon as the sword wielding barbarian Rikard and his band of outlaws fight for their freedom and lives against the subterranean forces of Luna. Soon Rikard will find himself pulled into a greater struggle that will lead him through Coper City, and to his destiny as a pivotal leader in a war to save all those enslaved by the insidious forces that have long subjugated the underground world beneath the Luna. While a somewhat familiar story to those that are fans of sword & sorcery tales, the lunar backdrop and melding of fantasy and science fiction makes The Temple of Earth an quick and exciting read.

The next installment, World of the Dark Dwellers by Edmond Hamilton hearkens back to the heyday of pulp and the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs; specifically, the tales of John Carter of Mars.  A dying father passes on a family secret to his son Eric North that will lead him on a mysterious journey through the corridors of space and time to the crimson world of Krann. Generations before, Eric North’s ancestors were the rulers of Krann before being overthrown by a renegade cousin and the insidious dwellers in darkness. The people of Krann are now slaves to the whims of the Usurper’s descendants who regularly sacrifice them to the dwellers in darkness in order to keep their iron grip on the planet.  Eric North joins forces with the Brotherhood of the Redeemers, a ragtag group of freedom fighters that have been awaiting his return in order to finally put an end to the Usurper and the evil machinations of the dwellers in darkness.  The World of The Dark Dwellers is a personal favorite of this reviewer and stands as a perfect example of fantasy science fiction from the golden age.

Henry Kuttner’s story The Eyes of Thar is a solemn tale of the lone adventurer Samuel Dantan, an Earthling that is drawn back to Mars after years of traveling space by the memory of a lost lover. The corrupt forces of the Martian government known as the Redhelms soon hear of his return and seek to hunt him down for past transgressions. As Dantan plans his final stand against the Redhelms, the discovery of a mysterious laboratory in the red sands of Mars will force Dantan into an inter-dimensional battle to protect a young woman that is more than a simple damsel in distress. While Kuttner may be more recognizable to readers as a member of the Lovecraft circle and for his Elak of Atlantis works, this short story shows Kuttner’s versatility as a writer of multiple genres.  

The next to last tale in this volume, Ross Rocklynne’s The Empress of Mars follows Darek of Werg, a barbarian seeking to save the Princess of Werg from the self-proclaimed Empress of Mars and her army of warriors. To make matters more complicated, the princess has in her possession a powerful bracelet capable of remarkable feats of healing. If the princess cannot be saved, then Darek must ensure the artifact is returned to his people. Rocklynne’s Mars is far different than the desolate and desert world conjured by the previous story. Instead, we have a world teeming with various kingdoms and people. This Mars is full of its own unique fauna and flora that makes the world seem all the more alien. Rocklynne offers footnotes for the unique nomenclature found throughout the story in the form of passages from various imaginary books on the sociological, biological, and history of this imaginary Mars that fleshes out the story in brilliant ways. The trials and tribulations that Darek will face makes this a wonderfully imaginative epic that will have you reading it in one sitting. Sadly, Ross Rocklynne did not rise to popularity his contemporaries shared during the golden age of sci-fi, but luckily the fine folks at DMR saved this story from obscurity and presents it in this volume in all of its glory.

The final story of this collection is by a relatively obscure writer by the name of Bryce Walton entitled Man of Two Worlds. While initially unfamiliar with Walton, this captivating work of science fiction fantasy has now sparked a new interest in this reviewer for more works by this author. The backdrop of the story involves a mysterious black pyramid on the planet Mars in the distant future and a secret hidden within it that may, in reality, be a gateway to other worlds and other time periods. The story follows Lee Thorsten and Lora Saunlon, outcasts from the second generation of colonists from Earth that had settled upon Mars. The colony has fallen into a state of corruption and decay, and those who resist are hunted down by the colony’s guards under the auspicious leadership Mel Davis for use in sadistic science experiments.

With no way back to Earth, the hostile and unrelenting environment of Mars has slowly devolved the colonists into sadistic tyrants. The colonial outcasts are the last refuge of the decent and humane. As the guards slowly close in on Thorsten, Saunlon, and the rest of the outcasts, this potential gateway to other worlds may be their only salvation. Though greater questions arise as a hidden force is somehow guiding the outcasts into unlocking the black pyramid’s secrets. This force may very well be something written into the genetics of mankind itself. A lost history of man, or something else entirely.  The Man of Two Worlds is a fantastic final story for a superb collection of fantasy science fiction.

Without the tireless efforts of DMR, these fantastic gems from the golden age of science fiction and fantasy may very well have remained lost to obscurity. Make sure to check this collection out by visiting their website here. Planetary Adventures is available in paperback and digital version.

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