Julian Jay Savarin

Julian Jay Savarin (born 1950)[1] is a British musician, songwriter, poet and science fiction author.

Biography

Born in Dominica, Savarin moved to Great Britain in 1962. He was the organist and main songwriter of Julian's Treatment, a group that recorded two albums, A Time Before This (1970, but some sources claim 1969, 1971 and 1973) and Waiters on the Dance (1971); the latter album credits Savarin alone, rather than the group, on its cover.

Both are science fiction concept albums. A Time Before This was originally released as a double album, although the individual album sides were sufficiently short to allow the entire work subsequently to be reissued as a single CD. According to the sleeve notes, the songs tell the story of the last surviving man from planet Earth, who journeys across interstellar space to the Alpha Centauri system, where a conflict is raging. On one side stand Alda, Dark Lady of the Outer Worlds, and her ally the Mule (whose name, and his description as physically weak but megalomaniac with an over-devoloped brain, are clearly inspired by the chief villain of Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy). On the other is Altarra, Princess of the Blue Women and Supreme Ruler of the planet Alkon. It is implied that the Earthman will become Altarra's ally and lover, and will help her to overthrow Alda and the Mule. Waiters on the Dance shares its title with the first novel of Savarin's Lemmus trilogy (see below), with which both albums share storylines.

As a writer, Julian Savarin is best known for his science fiction trilogy Lemmus: A Time Odyssey, which also serves as the basis for the two concept albums by the musical group of Julian's Treatment. The first work in the series, Waiters on the Dance (1972), tells of the Galactic organisation and dominions, which existed long before earth's historic times. There are three primary, sometimes interwoven, threads to the story, played against the backdrop of the mighty but allegedly benevolent G.O.D. One is of the incredibly brilliant and extra sensory perception-adept Alda, a woman of Serius, who wants to rule the galaxy through behind-the-scenes efforts. The second is about her distant, evil relatives, the Kizeesh male line, eventual rulers of Hulio from the neighbouring Cetus system, who also want to rule the galaxy after breaking with G.O.D. The third thread is played out from a skein about an experiment by G.O.D. to send an amalgam of humans from around the galaxy to the planet Terra under the leadership of Jael Adaamm. The pioneers are screened off from the rest of humanity. Terra subverts the humans, causing them to inexorably sink into meanness and war. This is caused by a vermoid growth (apparently the appendix) that appears in increasing numbers in infants not born on Atlantis, the heart-land of the human pioneers on Terra. Meanness turns to ugliness and that to murder and war, until all the rest of Terra wages war on Atlantis, eventually destroying it.

Savarin wrote a series of action thrillers featuring the exploits of Gordon Gallagher and David Pross, who had been pilot and navigator, respectively, of a Phantom in the British Royal Air Force. Gordon subsequently became a secret agent, and Pross an accomplished pilot of helicopter gunships. Gallagher is an excellent lead character in the mould of James Bond, whereas Pross is more grounded with a family life and business interests. Pross has an unusual relationship with a young agent that is almost brother/sister, and has a dual persona in the books – as an individual he is mild mannered and fairly timid. When piloting a gunship Pross becomes an amazing and ruthless pilot.

Bibliography

Lemmus: A Time Odyssey

  1. Waiters on the Dance, London, Arlington Books, 1972. x, 221 p. ISBN 0-85140-199-6[2][3]
    • Reprint: New York, St. Martin's Press, 1978. 252p. ISBN 0-312-85416-1 $8.95
  2. Beyond the Outer Mirr, New York, St. Martin's Press, 1980. 252 p. ISBN 0-312-07781-5 $8.95
  3. The Archives of Haven, London, Corgi Books, 1977.
    • Reprint: New York, St. Martin's Press, 1980. 205 p. ISBN 0-312-04816-5 $8.95

Gordon Gallagher

Water Hole, London, Allison & Busby, 1982. 267p. ISBN 0-85031-458-5

David Pross (Helicopter Gunship Pilot)

MacAllister

  1. MacAllister's Run (1995)
  2. MacAllister's Task (1997)

Muller and Pappenheim

  1. A Cold Rain in Berlin (2002)
  2. Romeo Summer (2003)
  3. Winter and the General (2003)
  4. A Hot Day in May (2004)
  5. Hunters Rain (2004)
  6. Summer of the Eagle (2005)
  7. Seasons of Change (2005)
  8. The Other Side of Eden (2006)
  9. Sunset and the Major (2006)

Standalone novels

Sources

References

  1. SFE : Science Fiction Encyclopedia
  2. Nicholls, Peter (1987), The science in science fiction, Crescent Books, p. 180, ISBN 978-0-517-65335-7
  3. Pringle, David (1995), The ultimate guide to science fiction: an A-Z of science-fiction books by title (2 ed.), Scolar Press, p. 208, ISBN 978-1-85928-071-3
  4. Murray, Ian (3 August 1985). "Glimpse of power politics". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
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