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Category: Science Fiction
Description: The tale of a man who tried to blackmail the Earth, using threats of alien invasion! "This present volume, Voice of the Conqueror, was one of Fearn's later novels. Despite being a quintessential Fearn story, it has never been published in book form. As Fearn's literary executor, I am delighted to have this opportunity of introducing to new readers what is essentially a "lost" novel. "There is no mystery as to why it has never appeared in book form--nor has it anything to do with the quality of the novel (or lack of it). Voice of the Conqueror was written in 1954, at a time when Fearn was under an exclusive contract (so far as science fiction was concerned) with the UK paperback publishers Scion Ltd. His one permitted "outside market" was the Canadian magazine, the Toronto Star Weekly. Fearn had established himself as a leading contributor to this prestigious magazine in the 1940s, before becoming contracted to Scion Ltd. Naturally, he had taken took good care to retain, in an otherwise exclusive contract, this one lucrative outside market. "Voice of the Conqueror first appeared in the Star Weekly in its 10 July, 1954 issue. Normally, it would then have subsequently appeared in book form in the UK from Scion Ltd, under Fearn's contractual "Vargo Statten" pseudonym--as had Fearn's earlier Star Weekly sf novels. However, in 1954 Scion had decided to experiment with a monthly science fiction magazine. Their new magazine was initially launched as the Vargo Statten Science Fiction Magazine, and was edited by Scion's general book line Editor, Alistair Paterson. With the magazine's seventh issue, Paterson was replaced as editor by Fearn himself, who promptly changed the name of the magazine to The British Science Fiction Magazine. During the (relatively short) lifetime of the magazine, two of Fearn's sf novels were thereafter serialized within its pages, rather than being issued in book form. The only publication of Voice of the Conqueror in England was as a five-part serial in Fearn's magazine (November 1954-March 1955). "Such is the rarity of surviving copies of both the Star Weekly and Fearn's magazine, that most modern readers will never have seen--nor indeed heard of--Voice of the Conqueror. Now they have a chance to read one of Fearn's best novels, and one which he clearly enjoyed writing. It is, in fact, partly based on Fearn's own personal experiences."--Philip Harbottle, from the Introduction
eBook Publisher: Wildside Press, 1954 UK
eBookwise Release Date: July 2003

4 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [218 KB]
Words: 48870
Reading time: 139-195 min.