Henry Kuttner is one of my favorite science fiction writers. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel or story by him that didn’t entertain me. CRYPT-CITY OF THE DEATHLESS ONE is no exception. This novella was published originally in the Winter 1943 issue of the pulp magazine PLANET STORIES (with a cover by the great George Gross) and is available now as a stand-alone e-book, which is how I read it, and as a trade paperback. Set on Ganymede, it’s the story of a drunken, tragedy-haunted Earthman who signs on as the guide for an expedition to a lost city in the middle of an unexplored wilderness. The goal is to discover the power source used by an ancient, vanished civilization, as well as finding the cure for a plague that’s ravaging Earth. Science, of course, has long since rendered the setting pure fantasy, but who cares? The story races along, the characters are interesting, and things come to a surprisingly powerful, satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed it. Kuttner never disappoints.
2 comments:
I love your posts for either stories or magazines that I can easily put my hands on--metaphorically speaking of course-- especially Planet Stories posts. While I love my Weird Tales, Planet Stories is the only magazine I ever printed more than one issue to read as if I actually had one in hand. Any post you have for Kuttner (and/or Moore), Brackett, Williamson, Bradbury, or Bond will always be appreciated.
There's one I don't have by Kuttner. Need to get it
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