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Green Star #2
When the Green Star Calls
To him, Earth was a prison of the mind and body. Only on the world of the Green Star would he walk -- in the borrowed body of a primitive youth.
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1973
9 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Lin Carter
417 books171 followersLin Carter was an American author, editor, and critic best known for his influential role in fantasy literature during the mid-20th century. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, he developed an early passion for myth, adventure stories, and imaginative fiction, drawing inspiration from authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, and J. R. R. Tolkien. After serving in the U.S. Army, Carter attended Columbia University, where he honed his literary skills and deepened his knowledge of classical and medieval literature, myth, and folklore — elements that would become central to his work.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.
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December 17, 2019
Lin Carter has respect for and admiration of the classic fantasy writers. In many ways, his World of the Green Star series is an homage to that era covering such giants as R. E. Howard and E. R. Borroughs.
Thus, it may seem a bit old fashioned and stilted to current readers.
"but for the moment let me remark that one of their most remarkable scientific attainments was in the preservation of food. They had known a technique for instantly preserving food and it was upon these supplies of perfectly preserved nutriment that my master and I subsisted. Each apartment in the Scarlet Pylon contained a certain niche in one wall, protected by a panel. When this panel was opened, a switch caused a variety of foods encased in transparent cubes to revolve past the eye of the beholder in a recess. Roast meats and stews and all manner of vegetables and fruits, pastries and deserts, and a considerable variety of unfamiliar beverages, were on display in this manner, all in a condition of perfect preservation. Having chosen the repast you desired, pressure on a certain switch caused the transparent cube containing the food of your choice to be detached from the continuous sequence of stacked cubes. The cubes themselves were easily unsealed and when this was done the food or drink you had chosen was before you—steaming hot or cool and frosted, ready to be devoured. The supplies of these preserved foods set aside by the Ancients, as I soon came to think of them, seemed virtually infinite in variety and number."
Our “hero” is quite infirm on Earth but he has discovered a way for his essence to travel from Earth to the Green Star where, with some determination he can inhabit a dying body and begin a whole new life. In the first book he becomes the muscular protector of a princess. (Yes, it is a remarkable coincidence but the dominant species on this Green Star planet are humans physiologically exactly like us.)
This time, he finds his way to another part of the planet carpeted in trees “as large as mountains.” He is taken to a lost city where technology from a previous race is being sought*.
Here are some selections of Carter’s descriptions of this fantastic world. "Yet here on the world of the Green Star there had dwelt a people capable of tapping the energy-lattice frozen in solid crystal, able to navigate the atmosphere of their planet in magnetic sleds, and to imprison lightning in wands of artificial manufacture."
"The energy-impregnated crystals whereof the buildings of Sotaspra were constructed more than a million years ago (he told me) fed the mechanisms of the city with an inexhaustible flow of power. But the builders of the city had, in the course of ages, lost all control over the energy crystals, which went wild, their radiations breeding monstrous hybrid creatures which in time destroyed the city and slew the Ancients themselves."
"As it threshed madly about, shedding green, saplike gore, I perceived other such vegetable horrors slithering toward it from the further aisles of the fungi grove. In an instant they had coiled about their injured fellow, insinuating their bristling rootlets into its open wound, and clung to it, feeding like vegetable vampires."
"It was darker here than on the floor above, and the floor underfoot was carpeted with slimy mosses. Huge fungoid structures rose about me as I crept cautiously down the ramp—bloated and unhealthy fungi of enormous size, glazed with putrescent moisture, splotched with huge discolorations."
What I cannot rationalize is that Carter does not give us a finished book, nor did he intend to. He adopts the guise of a researcher looking over the posthumous chronicles of our protagonist.
"For the unfortunate reader, thus left hanging, as it were, I believe I can offer some slight amelioration of his uncomfortable position. While I have yet to penetrate very deeply into the unpublished portions of the narrative which is in longhand, by the way, and has to be laboriously and slowly rendered into typescript—and while I myself do not as yet know how the story ends..."
Obviously now, waiting isn’t a real issue since the subsequent books are all published. If you want, you can read them. For me, while the story was interesting, I found little to compel me to move on the other novels in this series. 3.5* for the part of this story in this book, but 2.5* for the hoax perpetrated on readers who expected at least some resolution of the plot.
Spoiler……….read no further
* His impatience grows as he really wants to search for the princess who was captured when his previous character met an untimely end defending her. (Book 1)
Thus, it may seem a bit old fashioned and stilted to current readers.
"but for the moment let me remark that one of their most remarkable scientific attainments was in the preservation of food. They had known a technique for instantly preserving food and it was upon these supplies of perfectly preserved nutriment that my master and I subsisted. Each apartment in the Scarlet Pylon contained a certain niche in one wall, protected by a panel. When this panel was opened, a switch caused a variety of foods encased in transparent cubes to revolve past the eye of the beholder in a recess. Roast meats and stews and all manner of vegetables and fruits, pastries and deserts, and a considerable variety of unfamiliar beverages, were on display in this manner, all in a condition of perfect preservation. Having chosen the repast you desired, pressure on a certain switch caused the transparent cube containing the food of your choice to be detached from the continuous sequence of stacked cubes. The cubes themselves were easily unsealed and when this was done the food or drink you had chosen was before you—steaming hot or cool and frosted, ready to be devoured. The supplies of these preserved foods set aside by the Ancients, as I soon came to think of them, seemed virtually infinite in variety and number."
Our “hero” is quite infirm on Earth but he has discovered a way for his essence to travel from Earth to the Green Star where, with some determination he can inhabit a dying body and begin a whole new life. In the first book he becomes the muscular protector of a princess. (Yes, it is a remarkable coincidence but the dominant species on this Green Star planet are humans physiologically exactly like us.)
This time, he finds his way to another part of the planet carpeted in trees “as large as mountains.” He is taken to a lost city where technology from a previous race is being sought*.
Here are some selections of Carter’s descriptions of this fantastic world. "Yet here on the world of the Green Star there had dwelt a people capable of tapping the energy-lattice frozen in solid crystal, able to navigate the atmosphere of their planet in magnetic sleds, and to imprison lightning in wands of artificial manufacture."
"The energy-impregnated crystals whereof the buildings of Sotaspra were constructed more than a million years ago (he told me) fed the mechanisms of the city with an inexhaustible flow of power. But the builders of the city had, in the course of ages, lost all control over the energy crystals, which went wild, their radiations breeding monstrous hybrid creatures which in time destroyed the city and slew the Ancients themselves."
"As it threshed madly about, shedding green, saplike gore, I perceived other such vegetable horrors slithering toward it from the further aisles of the fungi grove. In an instant they had coiled about their injured fellow, insinuating their bristling rootlets into its open wound, and clung to it, feeding like vegetable vampires."
"It was darker here than on the floor above, and the floor underfoot was carpeted with slimy mosses. Huge fungoid structures rose about me as I crept cautiously down the ramp—bloated and unhealthy fungi of enormous size, glazed with putrescent moisture, splotched with huge discolorations."
What I cannot rationalize is that Carter does not give us a finished book, nor did he intend to. He adopts the guise of a researcher looking over the posthumous chronicles of our protagonist.
"For the unfortunate reader, thus left hanging, as it were, I believe I can offer some slight amelioration of his uncomfortable position. While I have yet to penetrate very deeply into the unpublished portions of the narrative which is in longhand, by the way, and has to be laboriously and slowly rendered into typescript—and while I myself do not as yet know how the story ends..."
Obviously now, waiting isn’t a real issue since the subsequent books are all published. If you want, you can read them. For me, while the story was interesting, I found little to compel me to move on the other novels in this series. 3.5* for the part of this story in this book, but 2.5* for the hoax perpetrated on readers who expected at least some resolution of the plot.
Spoiler……….read no further
* His impatience grows as he really wants to search for the princess who was captured when his previous character met an untimely end defending her. (Book 1)
June 10, 2020
DAW Collectors #62
Cover Artist: Luis Dominguez
Name: Carter, Linwood Vrooman, Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, (9 June 1930 - 7 February 1988)
Alternate Names: , H. P. Lowcraft, Grail Undwin.
once again The unnamed narrator thrusts his soul towards the Green Star. On the way, he passes over the moon and sees an iron pillar in a crate.
When he reaches the Green Star planet, he sees a boy about 16 spreadeagled to a branch with rawhide, so as to be killed by marauding animals (or to die of starvation, so his body may be scavenged). A huge scorpion a 'phuol' attacks the boy and then withdraws (waiting for its venom to paralyse, so it can then eat his still-living flesh later.
Adventure ensues.
The Series:
Under the Green Star (1972)
When the Green Star Calls (1973)
By the Light of the Green Star (1974)
As the Green Star Rises (1975)
In the Green Star's Glow (1976)
An anonymous, rich, crippled American gets books from the Tibetan monastery at Qanguptoy, from which he learns the art of soul projection. Longing for an adventure, and restricted by his earthly body, he looks at the sky one night and sees a green star (referred to later as The Green Star) and projects his soul to a cloud-covered planet revolving around it. The texts of the five volumes of the series are ostensibly transcripts of first-person narratives by the anonymous author recounting his adventures: the first after he took the (preserved) body of Chong The Mighty, and returned to earth after Chong was killed by a brigand; the rest, in his second incarnation as Karn The Hunter (where the author had taken over Karn's just-dead body). Through a bequest.
Cover Artist: Luis Dominguez
Name: Carter, Linwood Vrooman, Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, (9 June 1930 - 7 February 1988)
Alternate Names: , H. P. Lowcraft, Grail Undwin.
once again The unnamed narrator thrusts his soul towards the Green Star. On the way, he passes over the moon and sees an iron pillar in a crate.
When he reaches the Green Star planet, he sees a boy about 16 spreadeagled to a branch with rawhide, so as to be killed by marauding animals (or to die of starvation, so his body may be scavenged). A huge scorpion a 'phuol' attacks the boy and then withdraws (waiting for its venom to paralyse, so it can then eat his still-living flesh later.
Adventure ensues.
The Series:
Under the Green Star (1972)
When the Green Star Calls (1973)
By the Light of the Green Star (1974)
As the Green Star Rises (1975)
In the Green Star's Glow (1976)
An anonymous, rich, crippled American gets books from the Tibetan monastery at Qanguptoy, from which he learns the art of soul projection. Longing for an adventure, and restricted by his earthly body, he looks at the sky one night and sees a green star (referred to later as The Green Star) and projects his soul to a cloud-covered planet revolving around it. The texts of the five volumes of the series are ostensibly transcripts of first-person narratives by the anonymous author recounting his adventures: the first after he took the (preserved) body of Chong The Mighty, and returned to earth after Chong was killed by a brigand; the rest, in his second incarnation as Karn The Hunter (where the author had taken over Karn's just-dead body). Through a bequest.
April 12, 2019
Taking up Volume Two of Lin Carter’s “Green Star” series, titled “When The Green Star Calls.” And of course now you will get the standard disclaimer. If you haven’t read Volume One of the series then you need to go back and start there. None of the books in this series can be read as stand-alones with the exception of the first adventure. But since the remainder of the series is dependent on the set-up and world-building contained in “Under The Green Star,” then it only makes sense to pick things up at the beginning. You can check out my review of the first volume here, if you so desire:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I won’t burden you much with information about the author, Lin Carter. I’ve covered a bit of his historical significance as a writer and editor of pulp science-fiction and fantasy in other places, and you can glean most of what you need to know about him from his Wikipedia page, which can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Carter
I will, however, reiterate my admiration for Carter’s abilities as a writer of pastiche, as his abilities to imitate other authors of fantastic fiction is almost unparallelled. The “Green Star” series was a bit of an anomaly for him in as much as it was not really a pastiche so much as an homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs. Though these books are certainly inspired by ERB’s “John Carter of Mars” series, they are definitely not a direct rip-off. Carter went to great lengths to develop a world that differentiated itself greatly from the “Mars” universe, though there are some obvious similarities that reveal the “Green Star” series to be something of a love letter from Carter to Burroughs.
“When The Green Star Calls” picks up directly from where “Under The Green Star” left off. Our nameless (in his human incarnation) hero has returned to Earth, his astral form once again inhabiting his broken body. He dawdles for a time, having vowed never to return to the distant world of the Green Star. But of course he can’t stay away for too long, else we would not have a five-volume series to talk about, so with due formality our man decides to once again take the astral journey to that far-away and alien sun. Being unable to return to the first host body he inhabited, our traveler must figure out a way to take corporeal form or else be destined to float helplessly as a formless spirit. As fate would have it, he descends upon the planet of massive forests in time to witness a struggle for life. A young man in his late teens has been staked out to die, a giant scorpion advancing upon him menacingly. The boy is bitten, but ultimately saved by a strange figure who cuts him loose, flies him to safety in a strange craft, and then tends to his wounds. But the scorpion venom is strong, and the boy dies during the night, his spirit leaving the husk of his body behind as a convenient receptacle for the bodiless astral form of the nameless man from Earth……
Reborn into this new life as Karn the Hunter, our main character resumes his search for the love of his life, Niamh the Fair - Princess of Phaolon, whom we last saw riding away on a gigantic dragonfly at the end of the first book. His adventures take him from a lost city of the ancients all the way to Ardha, a rival city-state on the planet of clouds and trees. He eventually ends up a member of the Assassins Guild where he…...hold on…..you won’t get any more spoilers out of me. Suffice to say that this book, like the first, reads much like you would expect any respectable pulp novel to read. You pretty much get nonstop action on every page with occasional breaks for exposition. The story moves from adventure to adventure smoothly and swiftly, and ends all too soon after an economical 176 pages.
I will add one amusing observation: Lin Carter had a devastatingly snarky sense of humor where his influences and contemporaries among fantastic fiction were concerned. In the first novel, his unnamed hero descends astrally upon Mars first, only to discover the remains of a long dead civilization. It was an obvious tribute to Edgar Rice Burroughs. In “Green Star Calls,” his adventurer travels to the moon in his astral form to find what can only be a stand-in for “The Monolith,” Arthur C. Clarke’s iconic and mysterious alien sentinel from “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I couldn’t help but chuckle as I realized that Carter was taking a bit of a piss at Clarke’s expense. You would, of course, never confuse Carter’s work with that of the Grand Master, so maybe Clarke had the last laugh in the end, but the whole thing still made me smile.
I am lucky enough to have a first edition DAW paperback with fabulous Luis Dominguez cover art and five extra full-page black & white line illustrations. It’s the next best thing to an actual pulp magazine for my money. Don Wollheim put a lot of care and craftsmanship into his mass-market books, and it really shows. I would always take care to look for that little yellow square up in the top right-hand corner of the front cover, as it was a guarantee of quality for the discerning science-fiction and fantasy reader back in the day. That familiar little logo (DAW BOOKS = SF) with the sequential numbering system was a signpost to adventure.
Carter’s writing style is a bit more lean and straightforward in this volume as compared to the first. It’s as if he stopped trying to CONSCIOUSLY pay homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs and just let the text speak for itself. That might be a sign that he was a bit more comfortable with the material and was more willing to let it stand on its own as a story. Carter also employs a neat trick of pacing whereby the central protagonist is abandoned for a time while the peripheral characters get a chance to take over the narrative. I thought that a refreshing change of pace and one that Carter almost never used in any other series or story. Everything ties up neatly at the end, but it was a neat trick of writing to see how the events in the tale looked from the different perspectives of each player. Carter also employs a bit of a dodge here whereby he writes an afterword claiming that the manuscripts for the “Green Star” stories have been entrusted to him by an unnamed yet very influential Connecticut family, and he is only acting in the role of editor for the unusual texts. This is a new angle for Carter, as the first installment was presented strictly as a straightforward homage with no embellishments. It’s a neat little deception, but unnecessary as far as I am concerned.
Last but hardly least, I am remiss if I don’t mention that there really is no such thing as a “green star.” In astronomy, a green star is an optical illusion whereby bright red stars nearby can cause another star to “look” greenish in hue. The Antares system is a good example of this. I’m not sure whether or not Carter knew this to be the case, but he nonetheless stuck with his “Green Star” all the way to the end.
These books touch my memory and my need for nostalgia in such a good way. My fondness for them may cause me to award a star too many here and there while reviewing, and for that you will have to forgive me. My inner teenager is still thrilled by this kind of storytelling, and my sincere hope is that YOUR inner teenager is a bit excited, too…..we can all grow old, but to hell with growing UP. Onwards to the third book in the series…..”By The Light Of The Green Star.”
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I won’t burden you much with information about the author, Lin Carter. I’ve covered a bit of his historical significance as a writer and editor of pulp science-fiction and fantasy in other places, and you can glean most of what you need to know about him from his Wikipedia page, which can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Carter
I will, however, reiterate my admiration for Carter’s abilities as a writer of pastiche, as his abilities to imitate other authors of fantastic fiction is almost unparallelled. The “Green Star” series was a bit of an anomaly for him in as much as it was not really a pastiche so much as an homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs. Though these books are certainly inspired by ERB’s “John Carter of Mars” series, they are definitely not a direct rip-off. Carter went to great lengths to develop a world that differentiated itself greatly from the “Mars” universe, though there are some obvious similarities that reveal the “Green Star” series to be something of a love letter from Carter to Burroughs.
“When The Green Star Calls” picks up directly from where “Under The Green Star” left off. Our nameless (in his human incarnation) hero has returned to Earth, his astral form once again inhabiting his broken body. He dawdles for a time, having vowed never to return to the distant world of the Green Star. But of course he can’t stay away for too long, else we would not have a five-volume series to talk about, so with due formality our man decides to once again take the astral journey to that far-away and alien sun. Being unable to return to the first host body he inhabited, our traveler must figure out a way to take corporeal form or else be destined to float helplessly as a formless spirit. As fate would have it, he descends upon the planet of massive forests in time to witness a struggle for life. A young man in his late teens has been staked out to die, a giant scorpion advancing upon him menacingly. The boy is bitten, but ultimately saved by a strange figure who cuts him loose, flies him to safety in a strange craft, and then tends to his wounds. But the scorpion venom is strong, and the boy dies during the night, his spirit leaving the husk of his body behind as a convenient receptacle for the bodiless astral form of the nameless man from Earth……
Reborn into this new life as Karn the Hunter, our main character resumes his search for the love of his life, Niamh the Fair - Princess of Phaolon, whom we last saw riding away on a gigantic dragonfly at the end of the first book. His adventures take him from a lost city of the ancients all the way to Ardha, a rival city-state on the planet of clouds and trees. He eventually ends up a member of the Assassins Guild where he…...hold on…..you won’t get any more spoilers out of me. Suffice to say that this book, like the first, reads much like you would expect any respectable pulp novel to read. You pretty much get nonstop action on every page with occasional breaks for exposition. The story moves from adventure to adventure smoothly and swiftly, and ends all too soon after an economical 176 pages.
I will add one amusing observation: Lin Carter had a devastatingly snarky sense of humor where his influences and contemporaries among fantastic fiction were concerned. In the first novel, his unnamed hero descends astrally upon Mars first, only to discover the remains of a long dead civilization. It was an obvious tribute to Edgar Rice Burroughs. In “Green Star Calls,” his adventurer travels to the moon in his astral form to find what can only be a stand-in for “The Monolith,” Arthur C. Clarke’s iconic and mysterious alien sentinel from “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I couldn’t help but chuckle as I realized that Carter was taking a bit of a piss at Clarke’s expense. You would, of course, never confuse Carter’s work with that of the Grand Master, so maybe Clarke had the last laugh in the end, but the whole thing still made me smile.
I am lucky enough to have a first edition DAW paperback with fabulous Luis Dominguez cover art and five extra full-page black & white line illustrations. It’s the next best thing to an actual pulp magazine for my money. Don Wollheim put a lot of care and craftsmanship into his mass-market books, and it really shows. I would always take care to look for that little yellow square up in the top right-hand corner of the front cover, as it was a guarantee of quality for the discerning science-fiction and fantasy reader back in the day. That familiar little logo (DAW BOOKS = SF) with the sequential numbering system was a signpost to adventure.
Carter’s writing style is a bit more lean and straightforward in this volume as compared to the first. It’s as if he stopped trying to CONSCIOUSLY pay homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs and just let the text speak for itself. That might be a sign that he was a bit more comfortable with the material and was more willing to let it stand on its own as a story. Carter also employs a neat trick of pacing whereby the central protagonist is abandoned for a time while the peripheral characters get a chance to take over the narrative. I thought that a refreshing change of pace and one that Carter almost never used in any other series or story. Everything ties up neatly at the end, but it was a neat trick of writing to see how the events in the tale looked from the different perspectives of each player. Carter also employs a bit of a dodge here whereby he writes an afterword claiming that the manuscripts for the “Green Star” stories have been entrusted to him by an unnamed yet very influential Connecticut family, and he is only acting in the role of editor for the unusual texts. This is a new angle for Carter, as the first installment was presented strictly as a straightforward homage with no embellishments. It’s a neat little deception, but unnecessary as far as I am concerned.
Last but hardly least, I am remiss if I don’t mention that there really is no such thing as a “green star.” In astronomy, a green star is an optical illusion whereby bright red stars nearby can cause another star to “look” greenish in hue. The Antares system is a good example of this. I’m not sure whether or not Carter knew this to be the case, but he nonetheless stuck with his “Green Star” all the way to the end.
These books touch my memory and my need for nostalgia in such a good way. My fondness for them may cause me to award a star too many here and there while reviewing, and for that you will have to forgive me. My inner teenager is still thrilled by this kind of storytelling, and my sincere hope is that YOUR inner teenager is a bit excited, too…..we can all grow old, but to hell with growing UP. Onwards to the third book in the series…..”By The Light Of The Green Star.”
March 9, 2012
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Wildside Press has recently been producing Lin Carter’s books in audio format and, since I read the first of his GREEN STAR series on my Kindle last year, I picked up the second book, When the Green Star Calls, on audio. These novels are short planetary SF adventures similar to the tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
In the first volume, Under the Green Star, we met our narrator who has been crippled since childhood. After discovering the ancient Tibetan eckankar, a method of freeing the soul from the body so that it can travel unhindered, he found an exotic planet with a green star, entered the body of one of the planet’s ancient heroes, and fell in love with a princess. While defending her, he died and was abruptly brought back to his unsatisfactory earthly body.
Some time has passed when we meet him again in When the Green Star Calls. This time when he travels to the green star planet, he enters the dying body of a teenage boy. He hopes to find out if the princess he loves is alive, captured, or dead, but he doubts she’ll be interested in his new youthful self.
I knew what I was in for with When the Green Star Calls — a fast pulpy adventure requiring few working synapses, so I read it when I was in the mood for that sort of thing, and it was indeed entertaining. Besides the beautiful scenery, there’s also a decaying city to explore, mutant vegetable vampires, man-eating insects, and mad scientists.
Lin Carter’s narrative is sometimes repetitive, the dialogue is sometimes stilted, and the writing is sometimes overdone to the point of hilarity. For example, a map is a “cartographic guide” and a hairless man is not simply “bald,” he’s “devoid of hirsute adornment.” And then there are comical sentences like this one: “...he had an indescribable accent I can only describe as the Laonese equivalent of cockney.” I think these little kinks make the story even more fun — it‘s just so pulpy.
Wildside Press is new to audiobooks. They’re using Audible’s new do-it-yourself ACX system with narrators I’ve never heard of, so I was concerned about the quality of the production. At least in this case, I needn’t have worried. When the Green Star Calls was narrated by Joel Richards, who isn’t going to be declared my favorite narrator any time soon, but who was quite pleasant to listen to nonetheless. Some of Mr. Richards’ dialogue was stilted, but that could very well have been Lin Carter’s fault. Overall, this was a nice performance and I will definitely be picking up some more of Wildside Press’s offerings at Audible. When the Green Star Calls ended, kind of annoyingly, on a cliffhanger, so I’ve already downloaded the next adventure: By the Light of the Green Star.
Wildside Press has recently been producing Lin Carter’s books in audio format and, since I read the first of his GREEN STAR series on my Kindle last year, I picked up the second book, When the Green Star Calls, on audio. These novels are short planetary SF adventures similar to the tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
In the first volume, Under the Green Star, we met our narrator who has been crippled since childhood. After discovering the ancient Tibetan eckankar, a method of freeing the soul from the body so that it can travel unhindered, he found an exotic planet with a green star, entered the body of one of the planet’s ancient heroes, and fell in love with a princess. While defending her, he died and was abruptly brought back to his unsatisfactory earthly body.
Some time has passed when we meet him again in When the Green Star Calls. This time when he travels to the green star planet, he enters the dying body of a teenage boy. He hopes to find out if the princess he loves is alive, captured, or dead, but he doubts she’ll be interested in his new youthful self.
I knew what I was in for with When the Green Star Calls — a fast pulpy adventure requiring few working synapses, so I read it when I was in the mood for that sort of thing, and it was indeed entertaining. Besides the beautiful scenery, there’s also a decaying city to explore, mutant vegetable vampires, man-eating insects, and mad scientists.
Lin Carter’s narrative is sometimes repetitive, the dialogue is sometimes stilted, and the writing is sometimes overdone to the point of hilarity. For example, a map is a “cartographic guide” and a hairless man is not simply “bald,” he’s “devoid of hirsute adornment.” And then there are comical sentences like this one: “...he had an indescribable accent I can only describe as the Laonese equivalent of cockney.” I think these little kinks make the story even more fun — it‘s just so pulpy.
Wildside Press is new to audiobooks. They’re using Audible’s new do-it-yourself ACX system with narrators I’ve never heard of, so I was concerned about the quality of the production. At least in this case, I needn’t have worried. When the Green Star Calls was narrated by Joel Richards, who isn’t going to be declared my favorite narrator any time soon, but who was quite pleasant to listen to nonetheless. Some of Mr. Richards’ dialogue was stilted, but that could very well have been Lin Carter’s fault. Overall, this was a nice performance and I will definitely be picking up some more of Wildside Press’s offerings at Audible. When the Green Star Calls ended, kind of annoyingly, on a cliffhanger, so I’ve already downloaded the next adventure: By the Light of the Green Star.
November 29, 2017
Nice SiFi from the 1960 in the mold of the John Carter Stories by Burroughs. For some reason as I read these I am reminded of the Dying Earth stories by Jack Vance that were written around the same time. Not sure if it is the writing style of that era or something else. Good easy and fun read. Recommended
July 26, 2008
My version is the Daw paperback.
March 7, 2017
Review
When the Green Star Calls.
2/5 stars
I read this book, the second of a series, more or less by mistake. For some reason, I thought it was a standalone book and not some over blown set of “chronicles”. The cover art looked neat, the title inviting, and I really wanted to read a book by Lin Carter. In the end, I don’t think that call made much play in my negative opinion of the title.
Let me state that I really wanted to like this book. I respect Lin Carter’s legacy in genres I dig and wanted to check out some of his writing. However, despite this biased view going in. When the Green Star Calls is an unoriginal and mediocre fan fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter saga with a weak, splintered plot, dull characters, and rushed themes that prove to undo and overcome any pulpy nostalgia the book may harbor.
A few notes before my review:
This was my first Lin Carter book. As stated, I was familiar with his reputation; as a middling writer but perhaps a more iconic editor, organizer and enthusiast of 1960s and 70s fantasy, specifically influential in the elevation of the “Sword and Sorcery” genre made famous by perhaps more talented writers like Robert Howard, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock. (all stuff I like, though I’m mixed on Leiber) Likewise, I was familiar with his affinity and work for/with HPL and his work on several collections of Lovecraft I treasure.
As for Green Star, the e-copy I purchased was filled with typos, misspellings and character errors. While this likely was not Carter’s fault, it was wholeheartedly atrocious and detracted from my enjoyment of the read. Certainly, Lin as a former editor extraordinaire would have been upset at this sloppy edition.
Pros;
A short and light book, nothing dense and could be considered “fun”. The prose is not terrible, and at times strafes the line of “acceptable”. Lin Carter succeeds in slightly toning down even the dated Burroughs –esque sentence structure and dialogue. In fact, halfway through reading this book I took a break and attacked a re-read of Princess of Mars via a low budget free audio recording online. I actually did not finish, and got too frustrated with some of the drifty sentences and motivations. I think Burroughs’ prose maybe even was more flowery and meandering. (Side note; I love everything about what Burroughs’ work stands for as historical and lighthearted pulp, but I do think his reading comes off dated)
Negatives;
Archaic dialogue, outdated character morality and superficial drive. When the Green Star Calls brings more of that and more. Unlike many gasbags of the current climate, I prefer to evaluate stuff at its own merit and not bring modern tastes and senses to bare when reviewing or evaluating older writers, but in this case it’s just too mired in mediocrity to tell what’s what. My gut tells me this Carter effort was a bit vapid and dull in the 1960s and 70s as well.
Thus, Karn, the main protagonist in the book, proves to be no John Carter. Sure Karn’s benefactor has a somewhat neat twist to his back a story. Turns out he’s actually a frail human on his deathbed who “astral projects” from Earth to steal the body of a recently deceased alien hunter. It’s woefully the same type of cool pulpy mumbo-jumbo science/magic of John Carter, that is, if it weren’t a complete jack.
Despite Karn’s neat back history, I think Burroughs even did a better job showing John Carter as a character with demons and more fleshed out motivations. Burroughs’ supporting cast likewise, was far more complicated and affable. Had (Lin) Carter used his Karn’s deepest motivations as a “physically handicapped” man in a fit body more effectively, the character may have blossomed…however we get little of that, and soon Karn may as well be a waxen version of John Carter, albeit with a few minor differences. The book is simply too short to flesh out any of the other characters with anything but superficial glimpses.
Homage is all fine. I can accept homages and do them in my own creative writing. So you name a starship the “Night Gaunt” or a Ghoul character “Pickman”. This, however, goes way beyond that. So too, Pastiche is acceptable to me. Hell, Watchmen , one of the greatest literary/artistic fantasy works ever published was pastiche. It can be quite good when done right, and it doesn’t always need to be so profound as Moore’s comic. I liked Conan-style pastiche like Jake’s Brak the Barbarian and many others. Simple and fun. Yet, here the material is just not good enough. Solid pastiche needs a good twist on the source material for my tastes to prove worthwhile…or, at the least, it just needs to be better. At times, Green Star is so bad, it burdens on (gulp) bad fan fiction and/or intellectual infringement.
The most tangible problem with the book, however, is not the issues of homage, pastiche, and weak characters and is instead the drifting plot and fractured pacing. Here, Lin Carter does not come anywhere near approaching Burroughs’ plotting. As such, the book’s paltry cohesiveness breaks down under the sloppy structure.
Frankly, the first section is the best; here, Carter paints a weird and frondy version of the sorcerer’s apprentice. He should have focused the entirety of this tale with this arc and expanded upon it. I liked the oddness of the vegetative antagonists and the muddled morality of the evil sorcerer. This section has a well-executed development of Karn’s exploration, errand running, the anticipation of his escape and sense of mystery. This first part should have led to a larger tie-in to the second act, but Lin missed the opportunity.
After this section the narrative just falls apart. That is, because there really is no narrative. The book devolves into that same old Burroughs “pastiche” and really loses its original alien sylvan-esque uniqueness in a soup of digressing into Barsoomish political alliances, flying zippers (dragonflies called “Zaiphs” here) princess rescues, city-state rivals, and factionalism. More weirdness would have been nice. As it stands, there’s nothing here worth reading.
The kicker is the end…or lack thereof, because Carter basically just cuts the sucker short at a cliff hanger without resolving any of the books plot points. He even breaks the fourth wall with a faux history and tells us all to “suck it up” because he’s busy with other stuff. It’s beyond cheesy and aggravating. It gets even more cringe worthy when he tells us basically that everything was “ok” with the assortment of characters. Turns out Lin did have something in mind with this as there are three more books in the series, installments which thankfully will remain unexplored for me.
Sorry Lin, it was just not that good to keep going here. It’s horribly pretentious to assume the ride had the gravitas to continue.
And so old Karn for me will be left on the side of that tower, high and dry and in the lurch forever, so it seems. Pity… sucks to be him.
In the end, the best I can say about this book is that “I finished it”, which is something to be said. As I’ve stated, it is a quick read, so if you have a moldy copy on some dusty bookshelf at a summer camp, it’s not the worst thing you could read on the porch while the wind blows. Otherwise, I’d look elsewhere.
When the Green Star Calls.
2/5 stars
I read this book, the second of a series, more or less by mistake. For some reason, I thought it was a standalone book and not some over blown set of “chronicles”. The cover art looked neat, the title inviting, and I really wanted to read a book by Lin Carter. In the end, I don’t think that call made much play in my negative opinion of the title.
Let me state that I really wanted to like this book. I respect Lin Carter’s legacy in genres I dig and wanted to check out some of his writing. However, despite this biased view going in. When the Green Star Calls is an unoriginal and mediocre fan fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter saga with a weak, splintered plot, dull characters, and rushed themes that prove to undo and overcome any pulpy nostalgia the book may harbor.
A few notes before my review:
This was my first Lin Carter book. As stated, I was familiar with his reputation; as a middling writer but perhaps a more iconic editor, organizer and enthusiast of 1960s and 70s fantasy, specifically influential in the elevation of the “Sword and Sorcery” genre made famous by perhaps more talented writers like Robert Howard, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock. (all stuff I like, though I’m mixed on Leiber) Likewise, I was familiar with his affinity and work for/with HPL and his work on several collections of Lovecraft I treasure.
As for Green Star, the e-copy I purchased was filled with typos, misspellings and character errors. While this likely was not Carter’s fault, it was wholeheartedly atrocious and detracted from my enjoyment of the read. Certainly, Lin as a former editor extraordinaire would have been upset at this sloppy edition.
Pros;
A short and light book, nothing dense and could be considered “fun”. The prose is not terrible, and at times strafes the line of “acceptable”. Lin Carter succeeds in slightly toning down even the dated Burroughs –esque sentence structure and dialogue. In fact, halfway through reading this book I took a break and attacked a re-read of Princess of Mars via a low budget free audio recording online. I actually did not finish, and got too frustrated with some of the drifty sentences and motivations. I think Burroughs’ prose maybe even was more flowery and meandering. (Side note; I love everything about what Burroughs’ work stands for as historical and lighthearted pulp, but I do think his reading comes off dated)
Negatives;
Archaic dialogue, outdated character morality and superficial drive. When the Green Star Calls brings more of that and more. Unlike many gasbags of the current climate, I prefer to evaluate stuff at its own merit and not bring modern tastes and senses to bare when reviewing or evaluating older writers, but in this case it’s just too mired in mediocrity to tell what’s what. My gut tells me this Carter effort was a bit vapid and dull in the 1960s and 70s as well.
Thus, Karn, the main protagonist in the book, proves to be no John Carter. Sure Karn’s benefactor has a somewhat neat twist to his back a story. Turns out he’s actually a frail human on his deathbed who “astral projects” from Earth to steal the body of a recently deceased alien hunter. It’s woefully the same type of cool pulpy mumbo-jumbo science/magic of John Carter, that is, if it weren’t a complete jack.
Despite Karn’s neat back history, I think Burroughs even did a better job showing John Carter as a character with demons and more fleshed out motivations. Burroughs’ supporting cast likewise, was far more complicated and affable. Had (Lin) Carter used his Karn’s deepest motivations as a “physically handicapped” man in a fit body more effectively, the character may have blossomed…however we get little of that, and soon Karn may as well be a waxen version of John Carter, albeit with a few minor differences. The book is simply too short to flesh out any of the other characters with anything but superficial glimpses.
Homage is all fine. I can accept homages and do them in my own creative writing. So you name a starship the “Night Gaunt” or a Ghoul character “Pickman”. This, however, goes way beyond that. So too, Pastiche is acceptable to me. Hell, Watchmen , one of the greatest literary/artistic fantasy works ever published was pastiche. It can be quite good when done right, and it doesn’t always need to be so profound as Moore’s comic. I liked Conan-style pastiche like Jake’s Brak the Barbarian and many others. Simple and fun. Yet, here the material is just not good enough. Solid pastiche needs a good twist on the source material for my tastes to prove worthwhile…or, at the least, it just needs to be better. At times, Green Star is so bad, it burdens on (gulp) bad fan fiction and/or intellectual infringement.
The most tangible problem with the book, however, is not the issues of homage, pastiche, and weak characters and is instead the drifting plot and fractured pacing. Here, Lin Carter does not come anywhere near approaching Burroughs’ plotting. As such, the book’s paltry cohesiveness breaks down under the sloppy structure.
Frankly, the first section is the best; here, Carter paints a weird and frondy version of the sorcerer’s apprentice. He should have focused the entirety of this tale with this arc and expanded upon it. I liked the oddness of the vegetative antagonists and the muddled morality of the evil sorcerer. This section has a well-executed development of Karn’s exploration, errand running, the anticipation of his escape and sense of mystery. This first part should have led to a larger tie-in to the second act, but Lin missed the opportunity.
After this section the narrative just falls apart. That is, because there really is no narrative. The book devolves into that same old Burroughs “pastiche” and really loses its original alien sylvan-esque uniqueness in a soup of digressing into Barsoomish political alliances, flying zippers (dragonflies called “Zaiphs” here) princess rescues, city-state rivals, and factionalism. More weirdness would have been nice. As it stands, there’s nothing here worth reading.
The kicker is the end…or lack thereof, because Carter basically just cuts the sucker short at a cliff hanger without resolving any of the books plot points. He even breaks the fourth wall with a faux history and tells us all to “suck it up” because he’s busy with other stuff. It’s beyond cheesy and aggravating. It gets even more cringe worthy when he tells us basically that everything was “ok” with the assortment of characters. Turns out Lin did have something in mind with this as there are three more books in the series, installments which thankfully will remain unexplored for me.
Sorry Lin, it was just not that good to keep going here. It’s horribly pretentious to assume the ride had the gravitas to continue.
And so old Karn for me will be left on the side of that tower, high and dry and in the lurch forever, so it seems. Pity… sucks to be him.
In the end, the best I can say about this book is that “I finished it”, which is something to be said. As I’ve stated, it is a quick read, so if you have a moldy copy on some dusty bookshelf at a summer camp, it’s not the worst thing you could read on the porch while the wind blows. Otherwise, I’d look elsewhere.
June 25, 2022
Lin Carter writes a lot of knock offs of earlier and better writers. This series is a clear ripoff of Burrough's John Carter of Mars series, which had a mammoth influence in the history of Science Fantasy (Swords and Planets type). I'm a big fan of most of the Burroughs Mars books, deriving considerable enjoyment from his distinctive style and role as a pioneer and arguably best practitioner of the sub-genre. But I struggle to understand what role Lin Carter plays with such derivative and inferior work. Hey, I assume there was a market.
So let's take a brief look at this second in a series, because it lines up almost precisely with the second book of Burrough's "Barsoom" series, "The Gods of Mars." They start the same way - the hero returned to Earth and miserably trapped, waiting to magically soul-tranfer back to his princess on - and finish the same way - cliffhanger for the next in the series. And much of the stuffing in between is parallel. Burroughs did it in 1913 and set a standard that irrevocably changed popular culture and still receives nods and homages from writers and filmmakers. Carter did it in, ahem, 1973. You know when the potboiler serialized pulp fiction planetary science fantasy novel is no longer needed? The 70s. But Carter is repetitive, lacks Burroughs clear skill with language but doesn't shrink from walls of descriptive text. These were typically fun with Burroughs, containing little gems and sometimes unintentional comedy. With Carter they are the great failure: dull.
So the simple take home is go with the genuine and authentic John Carter, not the ersatz Lin Carter. I recommend Barsoom novels #1, 2 (probably the best), 3, 5, 6, 7 (runner up), 9 and a decent 10. There's a machete version for Star Wars movies. Let's call this the Longsword version of John Carter.
So let's take a brief look at this second in a series, because it lines up almost precisely with the second book of Burrough's "Barsoom" series, "The Gods of Mars." They start the same way - the hero returned to Earth and miserably trapped, waiting to magically soul-tranfer back to his princess on - and finish the same way - cliffhanger for the next in the series. And much of the stuffing in between is parallel. Burroughs did it in 1913 and set a standard that irrevocably changed popular culture and still receives nods and homages from writers and filmmakers. Carter did it in, ahem, 1973. You know when the potboiler serialized pulp fiction planetary science fantasy novel is no longer needed? The 70s. But Carter is repetitive, lacks Burroughs clear skill with language but doesn't shrink from walls of descriptive text. These were typically fun with Burroughs, containing little gems and sometimes unintentional comedy. With Carter they are the great failure: dull.
So the simple take home is go with the genuine and authentic John Carter, not the ersatz Lin Carter. I recommend Barsoom novels #1, 2 (probably the best), 3, 5, 6, 7 (runner up), 9 and a decent 10. There's a machete version for Star Wars movies. Let's call this the Longsword version of John Carter.
November 25, 2022
When the Green Star Calls 🪐
This is the second book in Lin Carter's science-fantasy pulp epic, and another old-fashioned yarn that doesn't disappoint! Where the first Green Star novel felt like a standalone book with plenty of room to continue, this one feels a bit more like the "beginning" of the rest of the series. New characters are introduced (seemingly for the long haul), the world is fleshed out a little more, and more science-fiction/technological elements are revealed - especially in the first couple of parts of the book, which I absolutely loved!
All that being said, this series is slightly dragged down by Carter's very dry, lengthy, technical descriptions, and his tendency to monotonously repeat the same pieces of information over and over again - often taking a couple of pages, or even almost entire chapters at a time, to do so. There are also a few other little flaws; most notably, Carter stating that the inhabitants of the World of the Green Star don't measure time or age, then immediately contradicting this by having one of them directly refer to a character's age.
Still, these kinds of flaws can be mostly forgiven in a story filled with as much burning passion and riveting adventure as this! The literal cliffhanger ending especially left me yearning to leap straight into the third book and see how this adventure continues.
Another four (green) stars from me for this one!
This is the second book in Lin Carter's science-fantasy pulp epic, and another old-fashioned yarn that doesn't disappoint! Where the first Green Star novel felt like a standalone book with plenty of room to continue, this one feels a bit more like the "beginning" of the rest of the series. New characters are introduced (seemingly for the long haul), the world is fleshed out a little more, and more science-fiction/technological elements are revealed - especially in the first couple of parts of the book, which I absolutely loved!
All that being said, this series is slightly dragged down by Carter's very dry, lengthy, technical descriptions, and his tendency to monotonously repeat the same pieces of information over and over again - often taking a couple of pages, or even almost entire chapters at a time, to do so. There are also a few other little flaws; most notably, Carter stating that the inhabitants of the World of the Green Star don't measure time or age, then immediately contradicting this by having one of them directly refer to a character's age.
Still, these kinds of flaws can be mostly forgiven in a story filled with as much burning passion and riveting adventure as this! The literal cliffhanger ending especially left me yearning to leap straight into the third book and see how this adventure continues.
Another four (green) stars from me for this one!
February 3, 2022
Intended as a tribute to Edgar Rice Burroughs by copying his writing style and plotting, using similar characters and settings (forest world and winged men from PIRATES OF VENUS, mad scientist and chamber of horrors from MASTERMIND OF MARS), but falls flat because author could not capture ERB's spirit and essence in creating this Green Star world.
This is the second in a five-book series but has only vague references to the first book and introduces new characters. In fact, the first third of the book reintroduces the Green Star world and explains how an earthman found himself on a distant planet in another galaxy in the body of Karn the Hunter; the second third goes into the mad scientist's experiments and a new hero, Janchan, emerges. Only in the final third is there any action but missing is the "jungle romance" theme that is always central to ERB.
I have read all of ERB's books in print and was hoping Carter could recapture the spirit of ERB, but was greatly disappointed. Forming an opinion of ERB based on Carter is a great disservice to ERB. You should just read the master's works directly. My favorites: the early Tarzan and Mars novels and the entire Pellucidar series.
This is the second in a five-book series but has only vague references to the first book and introduces new characters. In fact, the first third of the book reintroduces the Green Star world and explains how an earthman found himself on a distant planet in another galaxy in the body of Karn the Hunter; the second third goes into the mad scientist's experiments and a new hero, Janchan, emerges. Only in the final third is there any action but missing is the "jungle romance" theme that is always central to ERB.
I have read all of ERB's books in print and was hoping Carter could recapture the spirit of ERB, but was greatly disappointed. Forming an opinion of ERB based on Carter is a great disservice to ERB. You should just read the master's works directly. My favorites: the early Tarzan and Mars novels and the entire Pellucidar series.
August 14, 2017
This book was a gift from a former co worker many years ago ( 2005 ) and I finally read it on my vacation during Pennsic XLVI, August 2 ~ 7, 2017. It is the sequel to Under The Green Star that I read last year during the previous Pennsic. It, like its predecessor easily met the criteria for what I call vacation reading. Something I would not read in other circumstances becomes acceptable leisure reading on vacation. It had the usual tired plot points for novels of that age, but it met its goal as a love letter to Edgar Rice Burroughs and the fiction of that age. A very fine homage, and it was even better than the first book, which is quite rare. Recommended for those who seek light reading and high science fiction and fantasy adventure.
May 28, 2018
Lin Carter is always more fun than he is good. Gives you worlds you wish to day dream in but rather mediocre stories. The Green Star world seems a bit more imaginative than Callisto or Thongor. The book starts out better than much of his works. However the second half goes down hill as it is not only derivative of his inspirations but also his own prior works. He has a formula he sticks to. All in all it was okay little romp.
July 10, 2020
In an interesting twist, at the end of the book (not the story, because it cuts off due to number of words constraints of its era)the author proclaims this to be someone else's story, and himself to be merely the editor.
July 4, 2022
Great classic Sci-Fi.
The plot keeps building up into a great climax. The characters are very well thought out and realistic. These books be appreciated for a hundred years, I'm sure. I highly recommend them.
The plot keeps building up into a great climax. The characters are very well thought out and realistic. These books be appreciated for a hundred years, I'm sure. I highly recommend them.
January 20, 2024
“When the Green Star Calls” is the second volume of the Green Star” series of “sword-and-planet” tales. This series was written in the 1970’s as Carter’s contribution (along with the “Callisto” series) to this sub-genre, pioneered by Edgar Rice Burroughs, A. Merritt, Ray Cummings and Otis Adelbert Kline. Typical elements include the hero being transported to the planet in question by some mystical means (in this case, transmigration of the soul into another body), and then battling fearsome monsters; evil sorcerers or other villains, using primitive weapons; rescuing a fair damsel (who tends to wear very little clothing, since these tales had an overwhelmingly male readership!); and finally being unwillingly pulled back to the point of origin and his own body, there to await the next adventure. In this volume, our hero finds himself in a different body than the one he inhabited in the first book and sets out to find the beauteous Princess Niamh of Phaolon from whom he was separated at the end of the previous volume, encountering fearsome monsters and evil villains and exploring new cities amidst the trackless 15000-ft. high forests of the World of the Green Star.
Readily seen in the author’s descriptions of this world, its miles-high forests, the exotic and terrifying beasts and insects inhabiting them, the various cities and peoples of the forests and the wars and intrigues always going on between them, the additional influences of Robert E. Howard’s Conan tales of the Hyborian Age and the monster-infested stories of Clark Ashton Smith (see, for example, “The Tale of Satampra Zeiros”). It seems as though the “sword-and-planet” stories and the “sword-and-sorcery” tales of Howard and others are at least first cousins, if not blood brothers!
Carter’s interest in eastern mysticism and occultism is evidenced by the (perhaps excessive, and if so, this reviewer’s only negative observation) amount of space devoted to the protagonist’s search for information on transmigration of the soul, and the discovery of an ancient manuscript in a monastery in a for-off corner of Tibet, zealously guarded for centuries by devoted monks; and his long effort to learn how to travel through space in a bodiless state and instantly arrive at his destination, no matter how far away.
Carter was troubled by various health problems through much of his too-short life (he died in his 50’s) and one cannot help but see that in these books, and in the Callisto series, he was identifying with his characters and expressing his desire to live the same kind of life and experience the same sorts of adventures as they did. While this may not be the motivation for most readers of these tales, they can definitely be called “escapist” literature and for anyone desiring to wander the limitless vistas of the imagination, they are highly recommended.
***** review by Chuck Graham *****
Readily seen in the author’s descriptions of this world, its miles-high forests, the exotic and terrifying beasts and insects inhabiting them, the various cities and peoples of the forests and the wars and intrigues always going on between them, the additional influences of Robert E. Howard’s Conan tales of the Hyborian Age and the monster-infested stories of Clark Ashton Smith (see, for example, “The Tale of Satampra Zeiros”). It seems as though the “sword-and-planet” stories and the “sword-and-sorcery” tales of Howard and others are at least first cousins, if not blood brothers!
Carter’s interest in eastern mysticism and occultism is evidenced by the (perhaps excessive, and if so, this reviewer’s only negative observation) amount of space devoted to the protagonist’s search for information on transmigration of the soul, and the discovery of an ancient manuscript in a monastery in a for-off corner of Tibet, zealously guarded for centuries by devoted monks; and his long effort to learn how to travel through space in a bodiless state and instantly arrive at his destination, no matter how far away.
Carter was troubled by various health problems through much of his too-short life (he died in his 50’s) and one cannot help but see that in these books, and in the Callisto series, he was identifying with his characters and expressing his desire to live the same kind of life and experience the same sorts of adventures as they did. While this may not be the motivation for most readers of these tales, they can definitely be called “escapist” literature and for anyone desiring to wander the limitless vistas of the imagination, they are highly recommended.
***** review by Chuck Graham *****
April 30, 2010
I was originally going to give this one a wide berth, given my dismal reaction to the first of the series. But online chatter and a review of the synopsis changed my mind. And as it turns out, it was entirely worth the risk.
The series appears based upon Edgar Rice Burrough's Carson Napier of Venus (at least in the 'giant trees' and 'bird people' aspects), but there are a few refinements and embellishments that make the difference. The first of these is how the protagonist met his demise in the first book, only to return now in another body. As a narrative device this has all kinds of potential, not that I'm sure it was ever continued later in the series.
It did usefully reset the conditions of the first book and created an interesting dramatic tension: the protagonist has the memories of his previous visit to the planet but inhabits the body of a teenager. He is at an extreme disadvantage with regard to resuming his relationship with the princess of the first book, and further has difficulty in making his companions take him seriously.
There were many small moments and scenes that played out well. The Dead City of Sotaspra is an intriguing place, filled with the mutant monsters of a dead technology and the mysteries of a lost civilization picked over by a half dozen greedy, competitive 'science magicians' from the glory of their restored tower/fortresses. In the framing device of the journey to the planet, there's some entirely throwaway text that borders on having a Lovecraftian frission about it, and it's a shame that the ideas weren't developed or recycled elsewhere.
The book is no great shakes as literature, of course, but I was well pleased by reading it and may go to the trouble of looking up the next in the series. Plotwise it was fairly typical of the genre and the ending was abrupt, as though the story itself wanted more. The writing style tries to emulate Burroughs but it comes off as an affectation.
The series appears based upon Edgar Rice Burrough's Carson Napier of Venus (at least in the 'giant trees' and 'bird people' aspects), but there are a few refinements and embellishments that make the difference. The first of these is how the protagonist met his demise in the first book, only to return now in another body. As a narrative device this has all kinds of potential, not that I'm sure it was ever continued later in the series.
It did usefully reset the conditions of the first book and created an interesting dramatic tension: the protagonist has the memories of his previous visit to the planet but inhabits the body of a teenager. He is at an extreme disadvantage with regard to resuming his relationship with the princess of the first book, and further has difficulty in making his companions take him seriously.
There were many small moments and scenes that played out well. The Dead City of Sotaspra is an intriguing place, filled with the mutant monsters of a dead technology and the mysteries of a lost civilization picked over by a half dozen greedy, competitive 'science magicians' from the glory of their restored tower/fortresses. In the framing device of the journey to the planet, there's some entirely throwaway text that borders on having a Lovecraftian frission about it, and it's a shame that the ideas weren't developed or recycled elsewhere.
The book is no great shakes as literature, of course, but I was well pleased by reading it and may go to the trouble of looking up the next in the series. Plotwise it was fairly typical of the genre and the ending was abrupt, as though the story itself wanted more. The writing style tries to emulate Burroughs but it comes off as an affectation.
July 23, 2011
Aside from some annoying typos in the e-book, I enjoyed re-reading this second in the Green Star series by Lin Carter. Carter initially wrote the first novel "in the spirit of Edgar Rice Borroughs." The fantastic adventure on a distant world full of horrendous beasts, noble men and beautiful women is truly in the "Burroughs tradition" and a thoroughly enjoyable read. The Green Star series is being made available for Kindle; I have the first two of the series and eagerly await the release of the addtional books in the series (I believe there were 5 all together, but it has been a long time since I had the pleasure of owning the books!). This type of sci fi novel is the ancestor of modern stories such as Avatar - sweeping adventures on distant worlds, full of daring and larger-than-life characters. The books of this series are very like Burroughs "John Carter of Mars" series in structure and plot, but with a bit more self-deprecating humor. If you'd like to take a trip back into a more innocent age when wonders were the stuff of sci fi and pulp fiction, I heartily recommend the Green Star as your next port of call!
August 25, 2023
Mithilfe einer geheimen Schrift aus dem Himalaya gelingt es dem querschnittsgelähmten, reichen Erben, seinen Geist aus dem Körper zu lösen. Es zieht ihn zurück zum grünen Stern. Auf dessen Planet, der von einem Wald aus monströsen Bäumen bewachsen ist, hofft er, die Prinzessin wiederzufinden, die er bei seinem früheren Besuch retten wollte.
Zweiter Band einer Science Fantasy Triologie, im Stil der klassischen Pulp-Fantasy-Bücher von Edgar Rice Burroughs oder Robert E. Howard. Auch mit dem typischen schwülstig-altmodischen Schreibstil, der recht gut passt.
Die Handlung ist Ok, für ein Pulp-Fantasy-Büchlein sogar recht komplex mit etlichen Personen, mit Politik und Intrigen. Es hat nette, fantasievolle Elemente und eine exotische Umgebung.
Allerdings ist die Art, wie die Helden immer wieder aus Gefahrensituationen entkommen, doch zu unglaubwürdig, als dass man das ganze allzu ernst nehmen oder dass echte Spannung aufkommen könnte.
Insgesamt aber ein nettes, harmloses Lesevergnügen.
Das Buch endet mit einem Cliffhanger
Zweiter Band einer Science Fantasy Triologie, im Stil der klassischen Pulp-Fantasy-Bücher von Edgar Rice Burroughs oder Robert E. Howard. Auch mit dem typischen schwülstig-altmodischen Schreibstil, der recht gut passt.
Die Handlung ist Ok, für ein Pulp-Fantasy-Büchlein sogar recht komplex mit etlichen Personen, mit Politik und Intrigen. Es hat nette, fantasievolle Elemente und eine exotische Umgebung.
Allerdings ist die Art, wie die Helden immer wieder aus Gefahrensituationen entkommen, doch zu unglaubwürdig, als dass man das ganze allzu ernst nehmen oder dass echte Spannung aufkommen könnte.
Insgesamt aber ein nettes, harmloses Lesevergnügen.
Das Buch endet mit einem Cliffhanger
September 18, 2017
These are pretty cheesy planetary adventure stories (or whatever this sub-sub genre is called nowadays). A fairly blatant rip-off/homage of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars and Venus stories, but with a little less flair and passion. This is the second in the series, and while it is a bit more exciting than the first, they aren't as good as Burroughs and other, similar authors.
Still, it's kind of fun to read this sort of pulpy thing for insight on what Sci-Fi is and was, and it's a short read (with the obligatory cliffhanger to get you to buy the next in the series). The author does take great pains to make sure his world "makes sense" at least as much as possible and necessary in an adventure story on another planet accessed by occult means by an invalid from Earth.
Also, it's still creepy that the hero constantly professes his love for a very young princess whom he notes is still a girl. At least the body he inhibits this time around is younger as well.
Still, it's kind of fun to read this sort of pulpy thing for insight on what Sci-Fi is and was, and it's a short read (with the obligatory cliffhanger to get you to buy the next in the series). The author does take great pains to make sure his world "makes sense" at least as much as possible and necessary in an adventure story on another planet accessed by occult means by an invalid from Earth.
Also, it's still creepy that the hero constantly professes his love for a very young princess whom he notes is still a girl. At least the body he inhibits this time around is younger as well.
Read
July 29, 2011I was not aware this was part of a series, it was decent for a misc fantasy, I'm afraid my low opinion has to do with the fact it ended exactly when it had reached what it was building up to. The editors comments in the back were along the lines of "I know it sucks to stop here, but I'm busy and transcribing hand written notation by a person of questionable sanity is difficult guys...". I picked it up because the theme of the green sun is one I happened upon a while back, and which greatly amuses me. I hope to stumble upon the rest in the series, maybe my opinion will be raised to three, perhaps three and a half stars.
August 10, 2016
Much of Lin Carter's work is a pastiche of a other storytellers he enjoyed. The Green Star series is clearly an homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs. Carter does not lack his own style though, and he can spin a pretty good yarn.
August 5, 2011
My very first sword & planet book, My gateway drug.
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