Transit To Scorpio - Dray Prescott Book 1 - Kenneth Bulmer writing as Alan Burt Akers - cover artist Tim Kirk
DAW Collectors # 33 - 1st printing - December 1972. Book 1 of the seriers and also 1st printing but what is real special are the 5 full page Tim Kirk B&W drawings included throughout the text...nice! CR
comments by CR written 07-02-2015
Transit To Scorpio - Alan Bert Akers (Kenneth Bulmer 1921-2005) - [SF novel - 07-02-2015 - 0615]
”Transit To Scorpio", published in 1972, is book 1 in the series titled Dray Prescott. There are a total of 52 books chronicling the science fictional adventures of Drey Prescott published during the period 1972-97.
On the cover of the DAW No. 33 paperback titled ”Transit To Scorpio", the first printing of this novel incidentally, is the sub-title "Destiny Awaits Dray Prescott on Far Antares". Destiny indeed.
One question that needs to be addressed is the necessity to read the books in sequence. I believe that you don't have to - but your enjoyment of plot discovery and series adventure will be enhanced greatly if you do.
The narrative in this book is fast paced and chock full of incredible occurrences. One Dray Precott, an English sailor from the 18th century is instantaneously transported 600 light-years to an earth-like planet Kregan circulating the star Antares. He finds himself floating on a leaf like boat confronting a 5-foot scorpion like creature. A mystifying multi-colored falcon-like being and a white dove observes him - both fly off. After discovering basic survival skills along the river he encounters the Savanti a race of inscrutable human-like individuals that treat him kindly but are reluctant to answer any of his questions...and that's just in chapter 1.
It is difficult to pass an impartial judgment on this series based upon Book 1. There were some aspects of the story I enjoyed and some that frankly confused me. The author, I believe, wanted to create a large canvas of people, beings, locations, motivations and mysteries. If you look up "Dray Prescott series" on Wiki it's nine pages long! One 190 pages paperback is just barely adequate to maintain a creditable narrative and to fill in the some of the background blanks. Nonetheless I was sufficiently entertained to continue reading this attention-grabbing series.
I just want to be clear these "Drey Prescot" stories are pure escapist fiction in the mode of Robert Howard's Conan stories or Edgar Rice Burrough's Mars books. Although Bulmer carefully crafts his world with it's geography, alien races, mysterious beings (The Star Lords) and religion it's still just a planetary swords adventure - abet a darn good one.
The paperback editions are long out of print but still available. Fortunately the books are now on e-book. Nonetheless as a buyer, collector and seller I'll always love holding a yellowing paperback 1st edition with the far-out cover and slowly open it to page one to see what's up with Prescot on far Kregan circulating the star Antares!
Transit To Scorpio - Dray Prescott Book 1 - Kenneth Bulmer writing as Alan Burt Akers - cover artist Tim Kirk
DAW Collectors # 33 - 1st printing - December 1972. Book 1 of the seriers and also 1st printing but what is real special are the 5 full page Tim Kirk B&W drawings included throughout the text...nice! CR
comments by CR written 07-02-2015
Transit To Scorpio - Alan Bert Akers (Kenneth Bulmer 1921-2005) - [SF novel - 07-02-2015 - 0615]
”Transit To Scorpio", published in 1972, is book 1 in the series titled Dray Prescott. There are a total of 52 books chronicling the science fictional adventures of Drey Prescott published during the period 1972-97.
On the cover of the DAW No. 33 paperback titled ”Transit To Scorpio", the first printing of this novel incidentally, is the sub-title "Destiny Awaits Dray Prescott on Far Antares". Destiny indeed.
One question that needs to be addressed is the necessity to read the books in sequence. I believe that you don't have to - but your enjoyment of plot discovery and series adventure will be enhanced greatly if you do.
The narrative in this book is fast paced and chock full of incredible occurrences. One Dray Precott, an English sailor from the 18th century is instantaneously transported 600 light-years to an earth-like planet Kregan circulating the star Antares. He finds himself floating on a leaf like boat confronting a 5-foot scorpion like creature. A mystifying multi-colored falcon-like being and a white dove observes him - both fly off. After discovering basic survival skills along the river he encounters the Savanti a race of inscrutable human-like individuals that treat him kindly but are reluctant to answer any of his questions...and that's just in chapter 1.
It is difficult to pass an impartial judgment on this series based upon Book 1. There were some aspects of the story I enjoyed and some that frankly confused me. The author, I believe, wanted to create a large canvas of people, beings, locations, motivations and mysteries. If you look up "Dray Prescott series" on Wiki it's nine pages long! One 190 pages paperback is just barely adequate to maintain a creditable narrative and to fill in the some of the background blanks. Nonetheless I was sufficiently entertained to continue reading this attention-grabbing series.
I just want to be clear these "Drey Prescot" stories are pure escapist fiction in the mode of Robert Howard's Conan stories or Edgar Rice Burrough's Mars books. Although Bulmer carefully crafts his world with it's geography, alien races, mysterious beings (The Star Lords) and religion it's still just a planetary swords adventure - abet a darn good one.
The paperback editions are long out of print but still available. Fortunately the books are now on e-book. Nonetheless as a buyer, collector and seller I'll always love holding a yellowing paperback 1st edition with the far-out cover and slowly open it to page one to see what's up with Prescot on far Kregan circulating the star Antares!