The Legion of Space
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| The Legion of Space | |
 Dust-jacket from the first edition |
|
| Author | Jack Williamson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | A. J. Donnell |
| Cover artist | A. J. Donnell |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Legion of Space Series |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Fantasy Press |
| Publication date | 1947 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 259 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
| Followed by | The Cometeers |
The Legion of Space is a science-fiction novel by the American writer Jack Williamson. It was first published in book form by Fantasy Press in 1947 in an edition of 2,970 copies. The novel was revised from a version that was originally serialized in the magazine Astounding in 1934.
[edit] Plot introduction
The story takes place in an era when humans have colonized the Solar System but dare not go farther, as the first extra-solar expedition to Barnard's Star failed and the survivors came back as babbling, grotesque, diseased madmen. They spoke of a gigantic planet, populated by ferocious animals and the single city left of the evil "Medusae." The Medusae bear a vague resembance to jellyfish, but are actually elephant-sized, four-eyed, flying beings with hundreds of tentacles. The Medusae cannot speak and communicate with one another via a microwave code.
[edit] Plot summary
A Falstaffian character, named Giles Habibula, was once a criminal, and can open any lock ever made. In his youth he was called Giles The Ghost. Jay Kalam (Commander of The Legion) and Hal Samdu (an anagram of Dumas) are the names of the two other warriors.
These warriors of the 30th Century battle the Medusae, the alien race from the lone planet of Barnard's Star. The Legion itself is the military and police force of the Solar System after the overthrow of an empire called the Purple Hall that once ruled all humans.
Renegade Purple pretenders ally themselves with the Medusae as a means to regain their empire. But the Medusae, who are totally unlike humans in all ways, turn on the Purples, seeking to destroy all humans and move to the Solar System, as their own world, far older than Earth, is finally spiraling back into Barnard's Star.
One of the Purples, John Ulnar, supports the Legion from the start, and he is the fourth great warrior. His enemy is the Purple pretender Eric Ulnar, who sought the Medusae out in the first place, seeking to become the next Emperor of The Sun.
The Medusae conquered the Moon, set up their bases there, and went on to attempt conquest of the Solar System. The Medusae had for eons used a greenish, artificial greenhouse gas to keep their dying world from freezing. The Medusae learned from the first human expedition to their world that the gas rots human flesh, and the Medusae use it as a potent chemical weapon, attempting ecological destruction by means of projectiles fired from the Moon. Their vast spaceships also have very effective plasma weapons.
This story also features a secret weapon called AKKA. Using a space/time distortion,it could erase from the Universe any matter, of any size, anywhere, even a star or a planet. This weapon of mass destruction was entrusted to a series of women.
AKKA was used in the past to overthrow the Purple tyranny. The Medusae tried to steal the secret weapon, but failed and their invasion force was destroyed. When they were wiped out, the Moon, where they had established their base, was erased out of existence.
At the end of the story, John Ulnar falls in love with the keeper of AKKA, Aladoree Anthar, and marries her. Aladoree Anthar is described as a young, blonde woman, beautiful as a goddess.
[edit] References
- Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd., 235.
- Tuck, Donald H. (1978). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent, 462. ISBN 0-911682-22-8.
