Forgotten Books: Ki-Gor: The Beast-Gods of Atlantis - John Peter Drummond

Art by George Gross

Since I’ve finished with the Altus Press volumes reprinting the Ki-Gor series in order that have been published so far, it’s time to start skipping around in the series. I just read an e-book version of THE BEAST GODS OF ATLANTIS, the 47^th novel in the series, originally published in the Summer 1950 issue of the pulp JUNGLE STORIES. That entire issue can be found for free on-line.

This one begins in the middle of the action, with Ki-Gor, his wife Helene, and their friends Tembu George (the chief of the Masai tribe) and the pygmy warrior N’Geeso in a canoe, fleeing down a river gorge from a couple of boats full of river pirates. They have to shoot a rapids between two high stone walls, and when they come out on the other end they find themselves in an even worse fix, because they’re trapped by the survivors of a colony from ancient Atlantis. Before you know it, they’re enmeshed in some dangerous political intrigue involving the beautiful empress, a stalwart (but possibly scheming) soldier, an evil high priest and his minions, and another soldier who’s definitely a craven plotter.

This yarn moves like the wind. Admittedly, the whole colony-from-ancient-Atlantis setup is overdone and already was even in 1950, but whoever was behind the John Peter Drummond house-name this time around takes that stale concept and springs a few welcome surprises along the way in terms of both plot and character development. And he does so in tough, lean, hardboiled prose that delivers with a vivid setting and plenty of gritty, brutal action. Ki-Gor is almost Conan-like in places in this novel. Helene doesn’t have a lot to do, but the author keeps Tembu George and N’Geeso busy being the fine sidekicks they are. By this time in the series, George’s origin as an American from Chicago seems to have been completely forgotten, but he’s still a good character. No mention of Marmo the elephant.

The author crams so much into this tale that he sets up a few things and then never gets back to them, but that’s all right in a story that has so much else going for it. THE BEAST-GODS OF ATLANTIS is regarded by some Ki-Gor fans as one of the best in the series, and I can see why: good writing, good characters, plenty of action, and an epic ending. It’s certainly one of the best I’ve read so far, and as always, I’m looking forward to reading more Ki-Gor novels in the near future.

Forgotten Books: Blood Priestess of Vig N'Ga - John Peter Drummond

For the final Forgotten Books post of the year, we return to a series I’ve really enjoyed: the fourteenth Ki-Gor novel, BLOOD PRIESTESS OF VIG N’GA, from the Summer 1942 issue of JUNGLE STORIES.

This is generally regarded as one of the best yarns of the entire series, and I can see why. It begins with Ki-Gor and Helene searching for an anthropologist friend of theirs, David Gray, who has gone missing. (Gray previously appeared in the novel KI-GOR—AND THE PARADISE THAT TIME FORGOT.) They have received word of Gray’s disappearance through the secret society to which Ki-Gor belongs, the Brotherhood of the Dog (a reference to KI-GOR—AND THE TEMPLE OF THE MOON GOD). After a dangerous encounter with a gorilla, they run into a native who tries to kill them, a fracas that alerts them to a possible uprising led by a fanatic known as El Hakim. This is going to complicate their search for David Gray, and so will their discovery of the remains of a 900-year-old Viking ship in a dry riverbed.

It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that from that point, BLOOD PRIESTESS OF VIG N’GA turns into a Lost Race novel, and of course we all know from reading Edgar Rice Burroughs that Africa is just teeming with lost races and civilizations. With a plot like this, a story’s appeal depends almost entirely on the author’s skill in executing it, and the unknown pulpster responsible for BLOOD PRIESTESS OF VIG N’GA does a great job with it, keeping the action moving at a very satisfying pace and providing some epic action scenes along the way, especially when Ki-Gor battles his enemies using one particular weapon retrieved from that old Viking ship . . .

I have no idea who wrote this story. The references to those earlier entries in the series might indicate that the same author did all three, or it might not. Whoever wrote this one might have just read those earlier stories. There’s no mention of any of the regular supporting cast, only Ki-Gor and Helene. But the author does a very good job of capturing their characters. Helene’s no dummy in this one; for the most part, she’s smart and competent, although she does wind up getting captured and having to be rescued. That was just standard pulp plotting, though. My only real complaint is that the ending seemed a little rushed, as if the author realized that the story was getting too long. I also have a hunch that the cover was done before the story was written, because while the fight with the gorilla depicted on the cover does take place in the story, it’s a throwaway scene that doesn’t really have anything to do with the rest of the novel.

Although I missed Tembu George, the writing in this story is good enough that I have to say it’s the best Ki-Gor yarn I’ve read so far. I’m looking forward to continuing with the series.

Forgotten Books: Slaves for the Renegade Sultan - John Peter Drummond

Continuing in my reading of the Ki-Gor series in order, I’m up to “Slaves for the Renegade Sultan”, which originally appeared in the Spring 1942 issue of JUNGLE STORIES, with a cover by George Gross, one of my favorite pulp and paperback cover artists. This one doesn’t have a very high reputation among Ki-Gor fans, and I thought it was kind of a step back in a steadily improving series, too.

First of all, I suspect this is another case of the cover being done, title and all, before the story was ever written, because while the villain is a slave trader, no actual slaves appear and that activity plays no part in the plot. Who’s the renegade sultan? Don’t know, because no such character appears in the story or is even mentioned.

What drives the plot of this yarn is a drought, and the clashes over land and water in such extreme circumstances could have produced a good story. It’s an interesting set-up, and I’ll give the author credit for that. I’m almost certain this is a totally different author from the one who wrote the past few stories. Ki-Gor’s pygmy sidekick N’Geeso and the loyal elephant Marmo are nowhere to be found. Tembu George, the American-born leader of the Maasai, is back after being missing in the previous story, and although his stereotypical dialect is overdone, he’s still a great character, smart and brave and funny. Ki-Gor himself is as stalwart as ever.

Where the author really misses badly is his characterization of Helene, Ki-Gor’s beautiful redheaded wife and partner in adventure. Occasionally, the authors have had her do something dumb in the past, but without getting into spoilers, she’s an absolute idiot in this one, a far cry from the badass who mowed down bad guys with a Thompson submachine gun in an early novel in the series.

Having said all that, the story moves along fairly swiftly and features several good action scenes. I found it entertaining in some parts and annoying in others, and the ending is a bit of a letdown. However, the next story in the series is supposed to be a really good one, so I’m looking forward to reading it and will report back here on it in due time.

Forgotten Books: Tigress of T'Wanbi - John Peter Drummond

I’m moving on to the third volume in Altus Press’s complete reprinting of the Ki-Gor novels from the pulp JUNGLE STORIES. The first story in this volume is “Tigress of T’Wanbi” from the Winter 1941-42 issue. That scene on the cover actually happens in the novel, except for maybe the belt the ape is wearing, I don’t recall any mention of it. But there’s Helene in the background (oh, man, Helene! Be still my heart!) and the babe in the blue bikini is Queen Julebba, also know as the Tigress of T’Wanbi (she refers to herself that way exactly once and the name is never explained or has anything to do with the plot, which makes me suspect the cover was done first and handed to the author).

Speaking of the author, although we don’t know who he is, I’m convinced he’s the same guy who wrote the previous few entries in the series. The clean, fast-moving prose is the same, and the colorful Hindu physician and Ki-Gor’s reluctant ally, Hurree Das, make a return to the series after last being seen in “Lair of the Beast” from the Spring 1941 issue. Ngeeso the pygmy puts in an appearance, as does Marmo the elephant, but Tembu George is only mentioned.

As for the plot, a mysterious army is making bloody, no-quarter raids on border villages belonging to a tribe friendly to Ki-Gor, so he and Helene go along when the chief sends an expeditionary force against the invaders. This doesn’t go well. Ki-Gor and Helene are both captured (at different times), Ki-Gor is badly wounded, and Queen Julebba, who claims to be descended from the Carthaginians in northern Africa, comes up with a daring plan that, if it succeeds, will make her the ruler of a vast swath of Africa. Oh, and she wants Ki-Gor to marry her, too, and doesn’t mind at all getting rid of Helene to make that possible.

There’s not an abundance of action, but the battle scenes that do take place are really good and the author creates some genuine suspense more than once, even though we know Ki-Gor and Helene are going to survive. Hurree Das is a great character, shady and conniving and no better than he has to be, but he usually winds up on the right side, anyway. In his introduction to this volume, Howard Andrew Jones has good things to say about “Tigress of T’Wanbi”, and I agree with him. It’s one of the best Ki-Gor novels I’ve read so far, and the series has hit its stride.

Forgotten Books: Ki-Gor--and the Temple of the Moon-God - John Peter Drummond

Some minor spoilers ahead.

A legal thriller isn’t exactly what you’d expect to come across in the pages of a Ki-Gor novel, but that’s kind of what KI-GOR—AND THE TEMPLE OF THE MOON-GOD, from the Summer 1941 issue of JUNGLE STORIES, turns into at times. This one finds Ki-Gor and his beautiful redheaded wife Helene visiting with a friendly tribe of natives. Ki-Gor agrees to help them hunt down a giant killer leopard that’s been plaguing the village. The chief’s son accompanies the hunting party, and when a tragic accident leaves him dead, Ki-Gor finds himself accused of murder and put on trial in the Temple of the Moon-God, which is the center of the tribe’s rather elaborate legal system.

The proceedings end in what we would call a mistrial, and Ki-Gor’s fate is left to the Priestess of the Moon-God, who decrees that he must go on a quest to determine his guilt or innocence. He has to accomplish two things: he has to find a place where the stars shine at midday, and another place where the sun’s rays are cold instead of hot. If he fails to complete this quest, he will be judged guilty and executed by being put in a crocodile pit, but if he doesn’t get back in time, the sentence will be carried out on Helene instead, who will remain a prisoner until then.

All this is pretty interesting and handled well, and that continues as Ki-Gor sets off on his quest to prove his innocence and save Helene. KI-GOR—AND THE TEMPLE OF THE MOON-GOD is a little low on action, but the author keeps the pace moving right along anyway and gives us more of an effective suspense novel, with a hint of mystery, rather than a slam-bang yarn.

I suspect that the unknown author of the previous novel, LAIR OF THE BEAST, wrote this one as well. The smooth prose style is very similar, and there’s a colorful supporting character in this one as well, a brash young native named Ekka who attaches himself to Ki-Gor during the quest and proves to be helpful as well as being a huge annoyance and providing some comedy relief. Best of all, Ki-Gor’s main sidekick Tembu George returns and is, as always, a fine character, smart and brave and likable. I really enjoyed KI-GOR—AND THE TEMPLE OF THE MOON-GOD and look forward to continuing with the series as it seems to be hitting its stride.

Forgotten Books: The Empire of Doom - John Peter Drummond

I continue to be stubborn and read the Ki-Gor stories in order, which brings us to "The Empire of Doom" in the Winter 1940 issue of JUNGLE STORIES. I'm convinced that the same author who wrote the previous installment, "Ki-Gor—and the Paradise That Time Forgot" turned out this one as well. The style is the same, and Ki-Gor and his beautiful redhead American wife Helene still live on the same fortress-like island in the middle of a river and hang around with their Pygmy buddy N'Geeso and Marmo the elephant.

Ki-Gor's other main sidekick, Tembu George (really former railroad porter George Spelvin, who's now the chief of the Masai), shows up as well, and it's a welcome return. George is a great character: smart, brave, funny, loyal to his friends, and just an all around great guy. He has as much or more to do with saving the day than Ki-Gor does in this one.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of plot. Ki-Gor, Helene, and George get involved in the power struggle between the ruler of a neighboring kingdom and his ambitious nephew. That's about it. There are a couple of decent battles, one early and one late, and not much in between to amount to anything. The writing is okay for the most part, there's just not enough story.

So far the tone of this series has varied from goofy super-science to Nazi-fighing action/adventure to the more mundane fare of the last few stories. I like all three protagonists, though, and that's been enough to keep me going. Better stories will be coming along soon.

Forgotten Books: Ki-Gor--and the Cannibal Kingdom - John Peter Drummond

Well, I knew that if I continued reading the Ki-Gor novels in order, I'd get to some that weren't, shall we say, top-notch yarns. For the sake of completeness, though, a few words about KI-GOR—AND THE CANNIBAL KINGDOM, from the Summer 1940 issue of JUNGLE STORIES.

First of all, it's actually not badly written. The prose flows fairly well, the settings are described nicely, and the action scenes are okay, if rather sparse. I have no idea who was behind the John Peter Drummond house-name on this one. But whoever it was neglected to come up with much of a plot. Ki-Gor goes to the aid of his old friend and sidekick George Spelvin, the former railroad porter from Cincinnati who's become the chief of the M'Balla tribe in Africa, when George and his people are attacked and besieged by a horde of cannibals. That's all there is to it. A lot of the novel consists of Ki-Gor and his beautiful redheaded wife Helene (who's given nothing to do) traveling from one place to another. There's one nice bit near the end where Ki-Gor exposes a jungle con-man, but that's not enough to save a plot that really needed a few twists.

One other way in which KI-GOR—AND THE CANNIBAL KINGDOM is noteworthy is that it's the first story, as far as I recall, in which George Spelvin is referred to as Tembo George, Tembo meaning elephant (because he's a great big guy, of course). This is the name by which he's known for the most part in the rest of the series.

At some point I'll have to start skipping some of the stories because I don't have all of them, but I probably have 80% of the series in one form or another (all reprints except for one issue of JUNGLE STORIES). For now, though, I'm going to continue reading them in order and writing about them here from time to time. If you're following along at home, though, you could probably skip KI-GOR—AND THE CANNIBAL KINGDOM without missing much. Sad but true.

Forgotten Books: Ki-Gor--and the Forbidden Mountain - John Peter Drummond

What seems to be yet another new author comes on board this series with KI-GOR—AND THE FORBIDDEN MOUNTAIN, originally published in the Spring 1940 issue of JUNGLE STORIES. At first it appears that whoever wrote this novel never read the previous one, since the continuity that marked the first four stories is missing. Eventually, there are some references back to the previous novel, including the reappearance of one of the villains, which makes me wonder if the author of this one read the earlier story while he was in the middle of writing. There's a definite change in tone about halfway through KI-GOR—AND THE FORBIDDEN MOUNTAIN.

The biggest difference, though, between this novel and the previous ones is the characterization of Helene Vaughn, the beautiful redhead who shares Ki-Gor's adventures. In the earlier novels, Helene is a real bad-ass, picking up a rifle or a Tommy gun and fighting the bad guys right alongside the Lord of the Jungle. In this book, she's ditzy and incompetent almost all the way through, although she does quite a bit to save the day in the late going. She's certainly not the Helene the reader has come to know in the first four novels.

All that said, KI-GOR—AND THE FORBIDDEN MOUNTAIN does have some things going for it. The writing is reasonably good, the action scenes are okay, and as a lost race novel, it definitely shows a lot of Edgar Rice Burroughs influence. That lost race lives on top of a mysterious flat-topped mountain surrounded by a sinister force that kills invisibly, which leads the natives in the area to dub it the Invisible Death. (Well, what else would you call it?)

This is the weakest of the novels so far, an uneasy mixture of the goofiness of the early stories with the more hardboiled realism of KI-GOR—AND THE SECRET LEGIONS OF SIMBA. I enjoyed it enough to keep reading and I hope the next novel will pick up the pace again.