The Lion Game

Telzey and Trigger #2

by James H. Schmitz

The future of earth and control of the universe is at stake when a highly intelligent fifteen-year-old becomes involved in a game played by her protean kidnappers
Expansion of 3 previously published stories - "Goblin Night" (1965), "Sleep No More" (1965), and "The Lion Game" (1971).

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Paranormal, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy

197 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 16, 1973

About the author

James Henry Schmitz (October 15, 1911–April 18, 1981) was an American writer born in Hamburg, Germany of American parents. Aside from two years at business school in Chicago, Schmitz lived in Germany until 1938, leaving before World War II broke out in Europe in 1939. During World War II, Schmitz served as an aerial photographer in the Pacific for the United States Army Air Corps. After the war, he and his brother-in-law ran a business which manufactured trailers until they broke up the business in 1949.

Schmitz is best known as a writer of space opera, and for strong female characters (including Telzey Amberdon and Trigger Argee) that didn't fit into the damsel in distress stereotype typical of science fiction during the time he was writing. His first published story was Greenface, published in August 1943 in Unknown. Most of his works are part of the "Hub" series, though his best known novel is the non-Hub The Witches of Karres, concerning juvenile "witches" with genuine psi-powers and their escape from slavery. Karres was nominated for a Hugo Award.

In recent years, his novels and short stories have been republished by Baen Books (which bought the rights to his estate for $6500), edited (sometimes heavily edited) and with notes by Eric Flint. Baen have also published new works based in the Karres universe.

Schmitz died of congestive lung failure in 1981 after a five week stay in the hospital in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Betty Mae Chapman Schmitz.

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

DAW Collectors #38

Cover Artist: Kelly Freas

Name: Schmitz, James Henry

Birthplace: Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg, German Empire Birthdate: 15 October 1911 - 18 April 1981.

The book's POV character is The hero and title character, Telzey, is a fifteen-year-old law student in the far-future universe of a star-spanning loose federation called the Hub. She discovers in the first story that she has previously unknown psychic powers, which develop considerably over the course of the collection. The stories are space opera, not particularly challenging or deep, generally built around a puzzle that Telzey has to figure out or a villain that she has to defeat, but they're still notable for a couple of reasons.



The Telzey Amberdon series consists ofthree stories:
"Goblin Night", Analog, April 1965
"Sleep No More", Analog, August 1965
"The Lion Game, Analog, August & September 1971

The book should be read as the sequel to "The Universe Against Her"; or read the earlier stories, along with these, in the larger collection "Telzey Amberdon".


The Universe Against Her. 1964
The Telzey Toy and other stories. 1973
The Lion Game. 1973
Legacy. 1962
A Tale of Two Clocks (?)

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lion Game is a fix-up novel comprised of novelettes that were originally published in Analog magazine featuring telepathic Telzey Amberdon, who was arguably Schmitz's most popular character creation. I didn't like this version quite as well as some of the other books in the series, as I found the last sequence to be a little confusing when she's embroiled in a battle of wits and political intrigue with a very alien group of invaders. The earlier sections were just as fun and entertaining as I'd remembered, but I had trouble following the nuances of the concluding section. I have to note that this first edition, published by DAW in 1973, has a very lovely Kelly Freas cover, but it's entirely inappropriate. A very attractive and robust Telzey is depicted, wearing nothing more than a few swaths of red ribbon. There's nothing like that in the story, and it's quite clearly stated in the book that she's only fifteen years old. Telzey was a great character and deserved more respect.

[Markos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more complex (and complicated) a story compared to the first novel. Interesting read.

[Ian Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Lion Game” by James H. Schmitz (1973) First Edition

Overall Rating 5/10 – A lack of roar!

Plot
Telzey, a young human female, is a telepath and finds herself kidnapped and trapped in a place where aliens also have PSI abilities. The aliens are hostile and are seemingly at war with themselves. Can she escape alive?

Writing Style
Simple sentence structures. Fairly modern, excessive created nouns and proper nouns. A lack of flowing prose. Difficult to read

Point of View/Voice
Written in the 3rd Person / Past Tense (standard convention)

Critique
Firstly, I have to say that the book cover illustration (on this edition) is utterly misleading. If you are looking for any science-fiction “spice”, “adult storyline” or “liaisons” of any kind, forget it. There is not even a whiff.

That aside, there are much bigger issues that you, as a reader, will have to contend with. I found this book to be “almost” unreadable. I persisted because of the cover illustration, hellbent on finding some salvation. Unfortunately, the author has chosen to invent character names that are somewhere “out there” on the rim of space itself. Some are totally unpronounceable (you can’t even say them in your head as you read). Add to that, Schmitz has also created new names for “ranks” or “social standings”, again, with some being unpronounceable. In addition to even that, he has created new names for races of aliens that are (yes, you have guessed it) also sometimes unpronounceable. It gets worse – he doesn’t bother to explain which words refer to names or ranks or races, which leaves you completely fogged in a mire of unintelligible words.

I am afraid the criticism does not end there … Schmitz also fails to adequately describe the characters and the surroundings leaving you to guess what you like about what you “think” this world looks like. Since it is such a bizarre place, your guess will be wrong and you will have to make eternal adjustments to your created mindset. Add to that, the author snaps from one thing to something else literally, from one sentence to the next (in the same paragraph) causing you (well, me anyway) to have to re-read many things to make sure I hadn’t missed something.

All in all, a very frustrating read. That said, as I neared the end I began to wish I hadn’t and the last line did make me smile.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fix-up novel comprising three novellas: “Goblin Night” (Analog April 1965), “Sleep No More” (Analog August 1965), and “The Lion Game”. I have reviewed the first two elsewhere. On a field trip in Melna Park Telzey met a physically handicapped man, Robane, who, while not himself a psi, had developed a psi machine of great power. There she also encountered a teleporting psi beast, Bozo. Once that escapade came to a close Telzey returned to school at Pehanron where she was contacted by Klayung of the Psychology Service and makes a sudden trip to Tinokti, where a number of different alien psis have taken an unhealthy interest in her and kidnapped her via secret teleportation chambers. Thanks to some advanced training from Sams Larking however, Telzey is now a formidable psi and takes over the mind of an aged and insane giant Elaigar. With some escaped human slaves she tries to get back to Tinokti but one of her number turns out to be a traitor. If you’re familiar with the world of James H. Schmitz’s psi Telzey Amberdon you know what you’ll get. If you read the stories in Analog you won’t get anything extra.

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read.

[Gmc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lion Game by James H. Schmitz

[Connie Hirsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third in an informal series (before series were such a thing). Telzey casually mindrapes people -- in the service of good and protecting the universe, without acknowledging any regrets.

[Jammies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a full novel about Telzey Amberdon from The Telzey Toy, and although it is set earlier than the short stories, I'm glad I read it after I read the collection. Again, this is perfect vintage sci-fi and very enjoyable.

Also, a big bonus for me is that the dog lives.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strong and young female heroine, with rapidly growing psi powers, who, of course, beats all odds. But at least she beats the odds with careful guile and planning. An enjoyable character that I'd like to read more of, though this particular book doesn't shine extremely bright.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I remembered, a great action/adventure story with a novel maze, plot twists and PSI. This is one of the last novels Schmitz wrote and shows what he can do with the short novel/novella format. At a 150 some odd pages a very fast read.

[bluetyson]

LION GAME by JAMES H SCHMITZ (1979)

[bluetyson]

The Lion Game by James H. Schmitz (2000)

[Sffgeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the original in Analog and liked it so much I bought it as a book.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up as a cheapie in the Kindle store. I loved the book when I was 18-19, but it didn't do it for me this time.

[JoAnn Ainsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humor throughout with the protagonist hero that lightens the 926 pages, especially in the middle where detailed steps for interagency investigation of terrorists are inserted.

[Kees Witteman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of Telzey Amberdon

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Famously never describes his heroine, Telzey Amberdon.

[Marko]

I have the german edition: Das PSI-Spiel