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Chieftain of Andor
“Great entertainment of epic scope” – Poul Anderson
An outcast, beleaguered and betrayed. Now, he will live again…
Robert Cleve does not belong. On Earth, he is out of his depth – a semi-barbarian, an atavist in the modern world.
But one day, he answers an ad that will change his life forever.
He is offered an opportunity to live in another man’s body – on another planet, many parsecs away. A man with no ties, decisive mind, and sound body, Cleve is selected to take over the body of warrior chief Doralan Andrah, who is pivotal on his world of Andor, but whose mind is dying.
Cleve’s adjustment to the semi-primitive world is hard and fast – just how Cleve thrives.
He quickly adapts to the new body and skills, learning to become the warrior he knew he always could be.
But his memories of Earth and our treatment of sorcery leaves him vulnerable in a way he never anticipated.
Soon, he finds himself surrounded by a cloud of confusion, assaulted from all sides by unfamiliar and unalloyed powers.
His odyssey begins into the deepest depths of Andor, but he is woefully underprepared for the nameless terrors that await him…
Chieftain of Andor is a gripping sci fi/fantasy adventure, as one man finds himself beset from all sides in a world that is not his own. Will he thrive, or will Andor claim him as its prize?
Praise for Andrew J Offutt:
“Great entertainment of epic scope” – Poul Anderson
“One of the major players from the sword and sorcery boom from the 70s” – Adventures Fantastic
“Offers a new dimension in heroic fantasy.” – Jerry Pournelle
“This is only the first of many adventures to come.” – Andre Norton
Andrew Jefferson Offutt was an American science fiction and fantasy author who wrote prolifically under a variety of pseudonyms and genres, including John Cleve, John Denis, Jeff Morehead, and Turk Winter. He is the father of novelist Chris Offutt and professor Jeff Offutt. A sterling author of both science fiction and fantasy, primarily in the subgenre of Sword and Sorcery, he was most active throughout the 1970s and 80s.
An outcast, beleaguered and betrayed. Now, he will live again…
Robert Cleve does not belong. On Earth, he is out of his depth – a semi-barbarian, an atavist in the modern world.
But one day, he answers an ad that will change his life forever.
He is offered an opportunity to live in another man’s body – on another planet, many parsecs away. A man with no ties, decisive mind, and sound body, Cleve is selected to take over the body of warrior chief Doralan Andrah, who is pivotal on his world of Andor, but whose mind is dying.
Cleve’s adjustment to the semi-primitive world is hard and fast – just how Cleve thrives.
He quickly adapts to the new body and skills, learning to become the warrior he knew he always could be.
But his memories of Earth and our treatment of sorcery leaves him vulnerable in a way he never anticipated.
Soon, he finds himself surrounded by a cloud of confusion, assaulted from all sides by unfamiliar and unalloyed powers.
His odyssey begins into the deepest depths of Andor, but he is woefully underprepared for the nameless terrors that await him…
Chieftain of Andor is a gripping sci fi/fantasy adventure, as one man finds himself beset from all sides in a world that is not his own. Will he thrive, or will Andor claim him as its prize?
Praise for Andrew J Offutt:
“Great entertainment of epic scope” – Poul Anderson
“One of the major players from the sword and sorcery boom from the 70s” – Adventures Fantastic
“Offers a new dimension in heroic fantasy.” – Jerry Pournelle
“This is only the first of many adventures to come.” – Andre Norton
Andrew Jefferson Offutt was an American science fiction and fantasy author who wrote prolifically under a variety of pseudonyms and genres, including John Cleve, John Denis, Jeff Morehead, and Turk Winter. He is the father of novelist Chris Offutt and professor Jeff Offutt. A sterling author of both science fiction and fantasy, primarily in the subgenre of Sword and Sorcery, he was most active throughout the 1970s and 80s.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1976
12 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Andrew J. Offutt
209 books72 followersAndrew Jefferson Offutt was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He wrote as Andrew J. Offutt, A.J. Offutt, and Andy Offut. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, had his name in all lower-case letters. His son is the author Chris Offutt.
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story And Gone Tomorrow in If. Despite this early sale, he didn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story Blacksword to Galaxy in 1959. His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.
Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the Thieves World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which featured his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His Iron Lords series likewise was popular. He also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Those known include John Cleve, J.X. Williams, and Jeff Douglas. His main works in this area are the science fiction Spaceways series, most of whose volumes were written in collaboration, and the historical Crusader series.
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story And Gone Tomorrow in If. Despite this early sale, he didn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story Blacksword to Galaxy in 1959. His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.
Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the Thieves World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which featured his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His Iron Lords series likewise was popular. He also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Those known include John Cleve, J.X. Williams, and Jeff Douglas. His main works in this area are the science fiction Spaceways series, most of whose volumes were written in collaboration, and the historical Crusader series.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 16, 2016
I thought I would enjoy Chieftain of Andor but this reprint of a 1976 classic wasn't to my liking. Unfortunately, the anachronistic treatment of a majority of the women in the writing of the story, as either sex object or victim, ruined any possible enjoyment that I might have had in the adventure.
As for the story itself, it's straight forward and may appeal to true fans of pulp science fiction. Robert Cleve is seeking an adventure. A shadowy company on Earth offers to transfer his consciousness to a man on a hugely distant planet where magic is real: "You will have adventures, Mr. Cleve- yes, plural, and in abundance. The opportunity for greatness- although your friends will never know of your achievements. And the opportunity to die. In which case your friends will never be certain. For once you agree, Robert Cleve- ... you vanish from this world." loc 27, ebook.
The women are the ones who are able to do magic on the planet, Andor. In this aspect, it was vaguely reminiscent of Dune: "..she was Starpowered, and of Starinor, oldest of families. Down to her had come centuries of generations of Andorite witchery." loc, 289, ebook. But, even with these magical powers, the females are never able to secure power, which I found puzzling. They act primarily as a sort of supporting role for the chieftains because... that's how it's done, I suppose. Offutt tries to dissect gender roles a little bit in Chieftain of Andor but I never found it satisfying.
Robert Cleve doesn't believe in magic and so, his troubles begin from almost the first moment that he arrives in his new body: "...Robert Cleve was of Earth. Worse, he was of America, where belief in magic is laughed at and sneered at, save only in church and on Wall Street. ...despite all he had seen and heard here, despite the beliefs of his peers and of the memories he now possessed... Cleve found it most difficult to accept witches and witchery. loc 419, ebook. Of course, the sorceress does not care if he believes in her or not...
As I mentioned before, readers who loved Dune may eat this up with a spoon as it has some similar themes. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it for the modern female reader.
Thank you to NetGalley and Endeavor Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
As for the story itself, it's straight forward and may appeal to true fans of pulp science fiction. Robert Cleve is seeking an adventure. A shadowy company on Earth offers to transfer his consciousness to a man on a hugely distant planet where magic is real: "You will have adventures, Mr. Cleve- yes, plural, and in abundance. The opportunity for greatness- although your friends will never know of your achievements. And the opportunity to die. In which case your friends will never be certain. For once you agree, Robert Cleve- ... you vanish from this world." loc 27, ebook.
The women are the ones who are able to do magic on the planet, Andor. In this aspect, it was vaguely reminiscent of Dune: "..she was Starpowered, and of Starinor, oldest of families. Down to her had come centuries of generations of Andorite witchery." loc, 289, ebook. But, even with these magical powers, the females are never able to secure power, which I found puzzling. They act primarily as a sort of supporting role for the chieftains because... that's how it's done, I suppose. Offutt tries to dissect gender roles a little bit in Chieftain of Andor but I never found it satisfying.
Robert Cleve doesn't believe in magic and so, his troubles begin from almost the first moment that he arrives in his new body: "...Robert Cleve was of Earth. Worse, he was of America, where belief in magic is laughed at and sneered at, save only in church and on Wall Street. ...despite all he had seen and heard here, despite the beliefs of his peers and of the memories he now possessed... Cleve found it most difficult to accept witches and witchery. loc 419, ebook. Of course, the sorceress does not care if he believes in her or not...
As I mentioned before, readers who loved Dune may eat this up with a spoon as it has some similar themes. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it for the modern female reader.
Thank you to NetGalley and Endeavor Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
October 31, 2025
This a fairly good sword and planet book with enough differences from Burroughs, Carter, Fox etc to make it somewhat of its own. Unfortunately Offutt sacrifices the usual non stop action pace by dribbling in too much explanation and philosophy by the “Earthman” Cleave. It was an entertaining read, and the book was set up to be the first in a series that never followed. It makes you feel left wanting.
February 12, 2014
It starts out with a device similar to The Swordsman of Mars: a mysterious benefactor/organization offers to exchange the protagonist with a counterpart living on a distant primitive planet. In this case, it's never clear what the nature of this exchange or transmission actually is (neither alternative makes any sense), and further it's never explained what motivation the organization has for such pointlessly mad science.
The story follows this (inauspicious) sword-and-planet style start by surrounding itself in sword-and-sorcery trappings, justifying the magic-slash-witchcraft-slash-sorcery present on Andor as being part of some reality-bending "enigmatical zone" that also explains the miracles of Earth's early history. This in turn becomes modified by Cleve's theories regarding radioactive materials in cave walls, and even later by the distinction between 'witchcraft' and 'psychic'. All of the justification and discussion and thinking only highlights the fact that Offutt was mashing stuff together and feeling guilty about having done so.
The mystery organization at the beginning plus the way it cuts away from unfinished events at the city of Mor, plus events at the end all point to this being the start of a series possibly similar to Dray Prescot (which seems the closest comparison in any case). But there never appeared to be a follow-up, so the loose ends just dangle.
The story follows this (inauspicious) sword-and-planet style start by surrounding itself in sword-and-sorcery trappings, justifying the magic-slash-witchcraft-slash-sorcery present on Andor as being part of some reality-bending "enigmatical zone" that also explains the miracles of Earth's early history. This in turn becomes modified by Cleve's theories regarding radioactive materials in cave walls, and even later by the distinction between 'witchcraft' and 'psychic'. All of the justification and discussion and thinking only highlights the fact that Offutt was mashing stuff together and feeling guilty about having done so.
The mystery organization at the beginning plus the way it cuts away from unfinished events at the city of Mor, plus events at the end all point to this being the start of a series possibly similar to Dray Prescot (which seems the closest comparison in any case). But there never appeared to be a follow-up, so the loose ends just dangle.
August 8, 2020
Robert Cleve of Earth is offered a chance to go to a planet just barely out of the stone age to live a life of a chieftain who is dying of a brain tumor. The agent arranging all this proposes to put Cleve's mind into the body of Doralan Andrah and promises that he will acquire all of Andrah's memories on transfer. Sounds like a great deal, right? But then Cleve finds out that Andor is a planet where magic works and he finds out that he is a prime target for the Starpowered, as the magicians are called. It doesn't take long before Robert Cleve awakens, stark naked, on a raft in the river with none of Doralan Andrah's memories, only his own. Now he has to navigate this hostile world using his own memories. He's probably lucky that the language is equivalent, because nothing else is. I liked the book!
April 3, 2020
This is a pretty good sword & planet adventure from 1976; it concerns a contemporary Earthman who answers an ad for interplanetary adventure and ends up on Andor, where he has many adventures and amorous escapades. The female witch society is well rendered, but it's a very male-oriented book. (Which was usually regarded as okay back then.) It's amusing that the protagonist is named Robert Cleve, because for many years andrew j. offutt (as he then preferred his name to be printed) used the name John Cleve as his pseudonym for a lot of erotic work. The cover is a quite nice depiction of Cleve as a barbarian swordsmen facing a trio of Yeti-like creatures; I'm not sure who the artist was.
July 17, 2025
Was looking forward to this with the description on the back and the wonderful cover, but... just could not get into it. Too many characters and places mention too quickly. Cleve has already been transported to another planet by page six! The world building and set-up just seemed really rushed and I lost interest fast.
October 28, 2017
Stand alone swords and planets for ERB Pellucidar fans.
April 6, 2021
It was the bad kind of good.
December 16, 2016
A wonderful read, I truely enjoyed reading this book. I hope there is a sequel to this.
December 26, 2016
Chieftain of Andor by Andrew J. Offutt- With the re-emergence back in the late 60's and early 70's of many Conan The Barbarian stories, most the originals by Ron E. Howard, but many by other authors, the warrior chieftain dressed in leather and furs became a staple of fantasy and adventure mode at nearly every publishing house. This tradition has gone on undiminished for the last fifty years and still thrives today in greater and lesser form.
Andrew J. Offutt joined this group of authors, writing several Conan novels and in 1976 delivered Clansman of Andor, which became Chieftain of Andor. It has the standard plot of intrigue and treachery as rival clans vie for power using their swords and their sorcery to defeat the dark foes. This story also owes much to Edgar Rice Burroughs's Martian adventures as the principle character is an earthman who by strange powers unknown takes over the body of an Andorian clansman and leads his clan into battle.
I found this a quick easy read and more enjoyable than some more recent entries in this field. If you like Sword & Sorcery fantasy, this might be a safe bet.
Andrew J. Offutt joined this group of authors, writing several Conan novels and in 1976 delivered Clansman of Andor, which became Chieftain of Andor. It has the standard plot of intrigue and treachery as rival clans vie for power using their swords and their sorcery to defeat the dark foes. This story also owes much to Edgar Rice Burroughs's Martian adventures as the principle character is an earthman who by strange powers unknown takes over the body of an Andorian clansman and leads his clan into battle.
I found this a quick easy read and more enjoyable than some more recent entries in this field. If you like Sword & Sorcery fantasy, this might be a safe bet.
July 25, 2008
Sword and Planet fiction with a twist. Pretty good.
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September 2, 2015Thoroughly undistinguished piece of fiction.
December 10, 2016
A classic novel by a classic science fiction author. Great to see this one back in print. Hopefully we will see more of his back in print.
January 8, 2017
Received free from Freebooksy.com.
Another fantasy adventure that Conan the Barbarian wouldn't have touched with a 12-foot spear. Readable enough to while away a couple of hours.
Another fantasy adventure that Conan the Barbarian wouldn't have touched with a 12-foot spear. Readable enough to while away a couple of hours.
January 23, 2017
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This is an old fashioned fantasy.
Unfortunately this is a reprint of a 1976 story and it shows its age.
This is an old fashioned fantasy.
Unfortunately this is a reprint of a 1976 story and it shows its age.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews