Mind Wizards of Callisto
Encyclopedia
Mind Wizards of Callisto is a science fiction
novel written by Lin Carter
, the fifth in his Callisto series
. It was first published in paperback by Dell Books in March 1975. It includes a map by the author.
(or Thanator), to seek and destroy Kuur, the secret stronghold of the evil Mind Wizards. The fleet is attacked by a flock of flying creatures called Zarkoons, and Jandar and the cabin boy Tomar are captured. Flown to the Zarkoons' lair, they meet another captive, the jungle girl Ylana, with whom they manage to escape. A flier piloted by Jandar's allies Lukor and Koja spots and retrieves them, but damaged by the pursuing Zarkoons it subsequently crash lands. The five find themselves in the Cor Az, forest home of the Cave People, Ylana's tribe, where all but Ylana are again imprisoned, the Cave People being under the thumb of the enemy. With Ylana's assistance they escape once more, only to be retaken and held for the Mind Wizards. Their ultimate fate is a mystery. An airship from the fleet later finds the memoir Jandar composed in captivity and returns with it to the civilized hemisphere of Thanator, whence it is afterwards teleported to Earth to become the basis of the present volume. The other three ships continue the quest for Kuur, but nothing has been heard from them as of the time of the last notation on the manuscript. With this cliffhanger the novel ends.
as a high point in the series, a "rousing, fast paced adventure . . . filled with genuine tension and strangeness, and the cliff hanger ending as Jon Dark conceals his notes even as his pursuers close in on him is genuinely gripping."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel written by Lin Carter
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
, the fifth in his Callisto series
Callisto series
The Callisto series is a sequence of eight science fiction novels by Lin Carter, of the sword and planet subgenre, first published by Dell Books from 1972-1978...
. It was first published in paperback by Dell Books in March 1975. It includes a map by the author.
Plot summary
A force of four airships bearing Jonathan Dark (Jandar) and his allies explores the unknown far side of the Jovian moon of CallistoCallisto (moon)
Callisto named after the Greek mythological figure of Callisto) is a moon of the planet Jupiter. It was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. It is the third-largest moon in the Solar System and the second largest in the Jovian system, after Ganymede. Callisto has about 99% the diameter of the...
(or Thanator), to seek and destroy Kuur, the secret stronghold of the evil Mind Wizards. The fleet is attacked by a flock of flying creatures called Zarkoons, and Jandar and the cabin boy Tomar are captured. Flown to the Zarkoons' lair, they meet another captive, the jungle girl Ylana, with whom they manage to escape. A flier piloted by Jandar's allies Lukor and Koja spots and retrieves them, but damaged by the pursuing Zarkoons it subsequently crash lands. The five find themselves in the Cor Az, forest home of the Cave People, Ylana's tribe, where all but Ylana are again imprisoned, the Cave People being under the thumb of the enemy. With Ylana's assistance they escape once more, only to be retaken and held for the Mind Wizards. Their ultimate fate is a mystery. An airship from the fleet later finds the memoir Jandar composed in captivity and returns with it to the civilized hemisphere of Thanator, whence it is afterwards teleported to Earth to become the basis of the present volume. The other three ships continue the quest for Kuur, but nothing has been heard from them as of the time of the last notation on the manuscript. With this cliffhanger the novel ends.
Reception
Den Valdron, assessing the series in ERBzine, calls the book "one of the best, or better of the Callisto books, with enough novelty and action, and genuine sexiness to keep things fresh all the way," though noting "for the record, not a single damned Mind Wizard actually shows up anywhere in this book." He pairs it with its predecessor, Mad Empress of CallistoMad Empress of Callisto
Mad Empress of Callisto is a science fiction novel written by Lin Carter, the fourth in his Callisto series. It was first published in paperback by Dell Books in February 1975...
as a high point in the series, a "rousing, fast paced adventure . . . filled with genuine tension and strangeness, and the cliff hanger ending as Jon Dark conceals his notes even as his pursuers close in on him is genuinely gripping."