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Secret of the Sunless World
His name was Gondal, most feared of all creatures in the universe. But there was one ravenous ambition he had yet to sat-isfy. On a distant, sunless planet lay the key to the secret of the humanoids who had strangely vanished after reigning over all space. Gondal intended to dis-cover that secret - and become master of the galaxies.
But Gondal needed one man to help him - an Earthling named Vince Cullow. Prisoner on Gondal's spaceship, Cullow was forced to choose between robot-like sub-mission, and the kind of torture only the twisted mind of Gondal could conceive, as they sped toward the unknown...
But Gondal needed one man to help him - an Earthling named Vince Cullow. Prisoner on Gondal's spaceship, Cullow was forced to choose between robot-like sub-mission, and the kind of torture only the twisted mind of Gondal could conceive, as they sped toward the unknown...
204 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1969
30 people want to read
About the author
C.C. MacApp
67 books6 followersC. C. MacApp - pseudonym of Carroll Mather Capps - was an American science fiction author. He also wrote as Carroll J. Clem.
Capps was also a well-known chess player in the San Francisco area.
Capps was also a well-known chess player in the San Francisco area.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 3, 2020
The ending seemed a little rushed and was unsatisfying.
September 13, 2024
Fun, fast-reading, relatively short (204 pages) science fiction adventure story published in 1969. Written by Carroll Mather Capps (1917 – 1971), an American science fiction author. Also wrote under the pseudonym of C. C. MacApp, published six other novels and had short stories published in _Galaxy Science Fiction_ , _Worlds of If_, and _Worlds of Tomorrow_ (which later merged into _Worlds of If_).
This novel centers on Colonel Vince Cullow of the Space Force. He has contracted a rare disease not native to Earth, one that will leave him blind. There is no cure…though a friendly alien species, the furred humanoid Nesse, know someone who can cure the disease. Humanity doesn’t have faster-than-light travel yet, the Nesse do, and basically are offering Vince a FTL capable ship, passage as the first human being to leave the solar system and to take him to someone who will cure his blindness, and all he has to do is perform a secret mission for the Nesse. “Think it over?...When can I go?” asks Vince.
Vince’s contact is a pirate named Gondal, a member of a definitely non-humanoid species called the Onsians. Gondal is intensely curious what the Nesse have Vince doing, something Vince doesn’t share, but then Gondal adds his own conditions, basically “a favor to be named later.” Vince doesn’t really have any choice, and does what he has to get treatment on the permanently sunless (but very much life-bearing) world of Shann, one inhabited by still another alien species, the Vred, who are not native to the world, while performing the secret mission for the Nesse and keeping that mission secret from Gondal while figuring out how to satisfy Gondal’s own added conditions.
There are other alien species, notably the ipsisumoedans, the incredibly dangerous and war-like Chullwei, and the mysterious Lenj, who once ruled over this part of the galaxy and who gave not only the Nesse their current language but a language that is a common one throughout this part of the galaxy, but a species that completely disappeared thousands of years ago.
Good worldbuilding, some parts of the story are noirish, essentially crime and espionage science fiction, there are space opera/military science fiction elements, and some gee whiz epic golden age feel science fiction as well. Gondal was a hoot at times, with a definite personality and way of talking. Interesting aliens, some action, cool worlds, I wish it had been a little longer actually.
This novel centers on Colonel Vince Cullow of the Space Force. He has contracted a rare disease not native to Earth, one that will leave him blind. There is no cure…though a friendly alien species, the furred humanoid Nesse, know someone who can cure the disease. Humanity doesn’t have faster-than-light travel yet, the Nesse do, and basically are offering Vince a FTL capable ship, passage as the first human being to leave the solar system and to take him to someone who will cure his blindness, and all he has to do is perform a secret mission for the Nesse. “Think it over?...When can I go?” asks Vince.
Vince’s contact is a pirate named Gondal, a member of a definitely non-humanoid species called the Onsians. Gondal is intensely curious what the Nesse have Vince doing, something Vince doesn’t share, but then Gondal adds his own conditions, basically “a favor to be named later.” Vince doesn’t really have any choice, and does what he has to get treatment on the permanently sunless (but very much life-bearing) world of Shann, one inhabited by still another alien species, the Vred, who are not native to the world, while performing the secret mission for the Nesse and keeping that mission secret from Gondal while figuring out how to satisfy Gondal’s own added conditions.
There are other alien species, notably the ipsisumoedans, the incredibly dangerous and war-like Chullwei, and the mysterious Lenj, who once ruled over this part of the galaxy and who gave not only the Nesse their current language but a language that is a common one throughout this part of the galaxy, but a species that completely disappeared thousands of years ago.
Good worldbuilding, some parts of the story are noirish, essentially crime and espionage science fiction, there are space opera/military science fiction elements, and some gee whiz epic golden age feel science fiction as well. Gondal was a hoot at times, with a definite personality and way of talking. Interesting aliens, some action, cool worlds, I wish it had been a little longer actually.
July 28, 2020
A 50¢, 50 year old Sci-Fi found in the recycle bin. A nice break from my regular fare, only 202 pages.
The author avoids technicalities by saying "It's from a superior race."
An Astronaut becomes the first human to be afflicted with an inter stellar virus leaving him blind & dying. He jumps at a chance when a Space pirate offers a cure, for a price.
Big bad Gondal cures the virus and gives our Major Vince eyes that can see in total darkness. Vince is sent to a sunless planet to investigate rumors of a lost artifact.
Better than expected light and fast. 3.6 stars.
The author avoids technicalities by saying "It's from a superior race."
An Astronaut becomes the first human to be afflicted with an inter stellar virus leaving him blind & dying. He jumps at a chance when a Space pirate offers a cure, for a price.
Big bad Gondal cures the virus and gives our Major Vince eyes that can see in total darkness. Vince is sent to a sunless planet to investigate rumors of a lost artifact.
Better than expected light and fast. 3.6 stars.
March 23, 2021
This one is old but the story is readable because it isn't too dated technologically. A man is recruited to do some spying for some aliens in return for Earth getting a working Starship. In the course of his mission, he explores a dark "wanderer" and discovers the way to an older vanished more advanced alien race. Another old Sci-Fi Classic Adventure on par with Andre Norton's Galactic Derelict.
March 14, 2014
Stare, dobre SF. Wartka akcja, świetnie zarysowani bohaterowie, ciekawe uniwersum z imponującą techniką i tajemniczą starą supercywilizacją w tle. Intrygi, werbunki i społeczne dylematy. Fajnie się czyta tę literaturę z lat 70-tych. Ona się nie starzeje...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews