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Green Star #5
In the Green Star's Glow
He was Karn, the savage of the sky-high trees. He was protector and defender of the princess Niamh, whose very city was lost in the mapless jungles of the world under the Green Star.
But he was also an Earthling, whose helpless body lay in suspended animation in a guarded mansion in New England. It was his alien mind that drove Karn through perils that no other wold dare...
In the Green Star's Glow is a science fantasy novel in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Written by American author Lin Carter, it is the final book in his Green Star series. It was first published in 1976.
But he was also an Earthling, whose helpless body lay in suspended animation in a guarded mansion in New England. It was his alien mind that drove Karn through perils that no other wold dare...
In the Green Star's Glow is a science fantasy novel in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Written by American author Lin Carter, it is the final book in his Green Star series. It was first published in 1976.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
6 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Lin Carter
426 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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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 17, 2019
I have just finished “In The Green Star’s Glow,” the final volume of Lin Carter’s “Green Star” series. Time to put this five-volume pulp epic to bed. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that I will put this five-volume pulp epic in acid-free plastic sleeves and back on the shelf with the rest of my vintage paperback collection. I have previously reviewed the first four books in the series, and you can find those here if you wish:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The only book that can really be read as a stand-alone is the first installment. All of the other volumes end in cliffhangers or rely upon the reader having previous knowledge of the universe of the “Green Star.”
This series was Lin Carter’s attempt at a tribute to Edgar Rice Burroughs, and his effort was largely successful. Carter was a mediocre writer at best, but here he abandons his tendency to write pastiche in favor of inventing a world which managed to evoke Burroughs without being imitative. As such it’s a bit of a treat, stylistically familiar and yet original enough to hold the reader’s attention. It’s not a great swords & planets saga by any means, but it is a perfectly serviceable pulp series that really doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is.
“In The Green Star’s Glow” picks up right where we left off at the end of the previous volume. Karn, our titular hero of the story, decides to set out on his own to discover the whereabouts of his beloved Princess of Phaolon. She was last seen soaring off in a sky-sled as the captive of Delgan of the Isles, the barbarian chieftain whose failed plot to rule the kingdom of Komar provided the climax to the penultimate book. Along with her was Zorak the Bowman, a Tharkoonian warrior who managed to grasp the sky-sled as it left it’s moorings. A battle for control of the sky-sled ensues, and one of the three occupants falls to a supposed death...but which one?
Answers to this question and more abound as Carter bobs and weaves his way to a final wrap of all of his interweaving storylines. A few new characters are introduced and a few older ones are forgotten completely as the plot builds to a tense but predictable conclusion. It was clear by this time that Carter was a bit tired of the whole thing and was eager to put an end to the entire affair as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thus there are some major coincidences and economies of scale that stretch the boundaries of believability, even for THIS series. Nonetheless, Carter manages to tie things up in a satisfying bow as he concludes the tale EXACTLY as you figured he would. It’s a pulp adventure yarn, guys. Great literature, this is not.
Overall, though, it wasn’t bad. I enjoyed the earlier installments the best, mostly because they seemed fresher and moved at a more logical pace. Carter seemed to get bored by the time the fourth book went into production, and it shows on the page. I’ll stop short of saying that he got lazy as the series went on, but the astute reader can tell that he had definitely lost some level of interest in the plot and the characters. I first read these books as a youngster not long after they were first published. Reading them again as an adult gave me the requisite amount of nostalgic enjoyment, even though I probably didn’t embrace them as much as I did the first time around.
I will still award extra geek points to the care and quality that DAW books gave to these paperback editions. “In The Green Star’s Glow” has exceptional cover and interior art by the legendary Michael Whelan, and it joins the other volumes in the series as specimens of the great respect that Donald Wollheim had for his authors, artists, and audience. I managed to put a collection of first printings together and they will hold a prize place in my pulp paperback holdings.
The “Green Star” series was some of Lin Carter’s more interesting output. I have also managed to collect a first printing DAW set of Carter’s “Gondwane” books, but those will obviously have to wait for another day. Fans of swords & sorcery, swords & planets, and plain old adventure yarns would be well advised to keep an eye out for a few of these titles the next time they go combing through the used paperback bins at their favorite hole-in-the-wall bookseller.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The only book that can really be read as a stand-alone is the first installment. All of the other volumes end in cliffhangers or rely upon the reader having previous knowledge of the universe of the “Green Star.”
This series was Lin Carter’s attempt at a tribute to Edgar Rice Burroughs, and his effort was largely successful. Carter was a mediocre writer at best, but here he abandons his tendency to write pastiche in favor of inventing a world which managed to evoke Burroughs without being imitative. As such it’s a bit of a treat, stylistically familiar and yet original enough to hold the reader’s attention. It’s not a great swords & planets saga by any means, but it is a perfectly serviceable pulp series that really doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is.
“In The Green Star’s Glow” picks up right where we left off at the end of the previous volume. Karn, our titular hero of the story, decides to set out on his own to discover the whereabouts of his beloved Princess of Phaolon. She was last seen soaring off in a sky-sled as the captive of Delgan of the Isles, the barbarian chieftain whose failed plot to rule the kingdom of Komar provided the climax to the penultimate book. Along with her was Zorak the Bowman, a Tharkoonian warrior who managed to grasp the sky-sled as it left it’s moorings. A battle for control of the sky-sled ensues, and one of the three occupants falls to a supposed death...but which one?
Answers to this question and more abound as Carter bobs and weaves his way to a final wrap of all of his interweaving storylines. A few new characters are introduced and a few older ones are forgotten completely as the plot builds to a tense but predictable conclusion. It was clear by this time that Carter was a bit tired of the whole thing and was eager to put an end to the entire affair as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thus there are some major coincidences and economies of scale that stretch the boundaries of believability, even for THIS series. Nonetheless, Carter manages to tie things up in a satisfying bow as he concludes the tale EXACTLY as you figured he would. It’s a pulp adventure yarn, guys. Great literature, this is not.
Overall, though, it wasn’t bad. I enjoyed the earlier installments the best, mostly because they seemed fresher and moved at a more logical pace. Carter seemed to get bored by the time the fourth book went into production, and it shows on the page. I’ll stop short of saying that he got lazy as the series went on, but the astute reader can tell that he had definitely lost some level of interest in the plot and the characters. I first read these books as a youngster not long after they were first published. Reading them again as an adult gave me the requisite amount of nostalgic enjoyment, even though I probably didn’t embrace them as much as I did the first time around.
I will still award extra geek points to the care and quality that DAW books gave to these paperback editions. “In The Green Star’s Glow” has exceptional cover and interior art by the legendary Michael Whelan, and it joins the other volumes in the series as specimens of the great respect that Donald Wollheim had for his authors, artists, and audience. I managed to put a collection of first printings together and they will hold a prize place in my pulp paperback holdings.
The “Green Star” series was some of Lin Carter’s more interesting output. I have also managed to collect a first printing DAW set of Carter’s “Gondwane” books, but those will obviously have to wait for another day. Fans of swords & sorcery, swords & planets, and plain old adventure yarns would be well advised to keep an eye out for a few of these titles the next time they go combing through the used paperback bins at their favorite hole-in-the-wall bookseller.
October 29, 2012
Originally posted at FanLit. Come visit us!
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Finally, our hero Karn, the crippled Earthman whose soul has been implanted in the body of a boy on a planet under a green star, comes to the end of his grand adventure. He has been through a series of harrowing events while trying to save the princess he has fallen in love with. In this last installment, he gets a short rest and then everything comes to a head. Old enemies resurface, new monsters appear and, perhaps most challenging of all, he’s captured by a band of man-hating teenage girls. Meanwhile, Karn’s allies are dealing with a race of hive-minded warrior ants and — would you believe it? — another evil scientist (actually, he was my favorite part of the book). It can’t possibly be a spoiler to say that everything eventually turns out okay in the end.
In the Green Star’s Glow is a fast read and, if you’ve enjoyed the GREEN STAR books so far, you won’t be disappointed. Basically, it’s more of the same except that this time it ends. As usual, the narrative is overly dramatic, often repetitive (how many times must each female be described as “lithe” and “supple”?) and sometimes just plain laughable. Here’s a particularly dreadful example, when Karn is a slave to a 13-year-old female who, he notices, is looking at him lustily:
I had been at work for about an hour and my naked hide glistened with perspiration which ran in long wet rivulets down my belly and thighs, cutting paths through the bark dust. The daylight gleamed in highlights along the raised ridges of the muscles of my legs and the great thews which swelled upon my back and shoulders. Each time I drew erect and lifted the heavy axe above my head, my powerfully developed pectoral muscles stood forth in sharp relief and the corded muscles of my taut midsection grew rock-ribbed and hard… I did not like the languid glow in her eye, nor the way she moistened her lips with the small pointed tip of her soft pink tongue. I opened my mouth, about to protest…
Not that’s just really bad writing, but I chose to laugh at it and be entertained. At the same time, I found it kind of creepy that Lin Carter, who was over 40 when he wrote this, would think that a 13-year-old girl who has just run away from a gang of men who were abusing her, would be turned on by a sweaty axe-wielding man. Also, I think Carter forgot here that Karn’s body is only about 13 or 14 years old. I’ve never seen “great thews” on a boy that age. And the protesting part? The gentleman doth protest too much, methinks.
What I did like about GREEN STAR was Carter’s lush and beautiful world where the people live in cities built on the limbs of huge trees and fear to explore the forest floor. Our hero never discovers whether the trees and insects are magnified compared to Earth, or whether the people are smaller than humans. Though we see plenty of the Green Star world during the course of the series, it loses a little of its luster after the third book. The fourth book feels like Carter is just milking it, but this last book is a decent, if completely predictable, ending.
If you like these sorts of male-oriented pulpy adventures in the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and if you find these novels cheap somewhere (I read the audio versions by Wildside Press which are pretty inexpensive), you may find it worthwhile to read the first three GREEN STAR books at least.
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Finally, our hero Karn, the crippled Earthman whose soul has been implanted in the body of a boy on a planet under a green star, comes to the end of his grand adventure. He has been through a series of harrowing events while trying to save the princess he has fallen in love with. In this last installment, he gets a short rest and then everything comes to a head. Old enemies resurface, new monsters appear and, perhaps most challenging of all, he’s captured by a band of man-hating teenage girls. Meanwhile, Karn’s allies are dealing with a race of hive-minded warrior ants and — would you believe it? — another evil scientist (actually, he was my favorite part of the book). It can’t possibly be a spoiler to say that everything eventually turns out okay in the end.
In the Green Star’s Glow is a fast read and, if you’ve enjoyed the GREEN STAR books so far, you won’t be disappointed. Basically, it’s more of the same except that this time it ends. As usual, the narrative is overly dramatic, often repetitive (how many times must each female be described as “lithe” and “supple”?) and sometimes just plain laughable. Here’s a particularly dreadful example, when Karn is a slave to a 13-year-old female who, he notices, is looking at him lustily:
I had been at work for about an hour and my naked hide glistened with perspiration which ran in long wet rivulets down my belly and thighs, cutting paths through the bark dust. The daylight gleamed in highlights along the raised ridges of the muscles of my legs and the great thews which swelled upon my back and shoulders. Each time I drew erect and lifted the heavy axe above my head, my powerfully developed pectoral muscles stood forth in sharp relief and the corded muscles of my taut midsection grew rock-ribbed and hard… I did not like the languid glow in her eye, nor the way she moistened her lips with the small pointed tip of her soft pink tongue. I opened my mouth, about to protest…
Not that’s just really bad writing, but I chose to laugh at it and be entertained. At the same time, I found it kind of creepy that Lin Carter, who was over 40 when he wrote this, would think that a 13-year-old girl who has just run away from a gang of men who were abusing her, would be turned on by a sweaty axe-wielding man. Also, I think Carter forgot here that Karn’s body is only about 13 or 14 years old. I’ve never seen “great thews” on a boy that age. And the protesting part? The gentleman doth protest too much, methinks.
What I did like about GREEN STAR was Carter’s lush and beautiful world where the people live in cities built on the limbs of huge trees and fear to explore the forest floor. Our hero never discovers whether the trees and insects are magnified compared to Earth, or whether the people are smaller than humans. Though we see plenty of the Green Star world during the course of the series, it loses a little of its luster after the third book. The fourth book feels like Carter is just milking it, but this last book is a decent, if completely predictable, ending.
If you like these sorts of male-oriented pulpy adventures in the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and if you find these novels cheap somewhere (I read the audio versions by Wildside Press which are pretty inexpensive), you may find it worthwhile to read the first three GREEN STAR books at least.
January 8, 2018
Overall a fun and entertaining read. If you enjoy the John Carter Swords and Planets style stories then you will enjoy this series. Recommended
June 12, 2018
This book kind of mirrors the whole series. It started out well with a fun setting. Then goes down hill. The amazon plot is just bad and there are some continuity issues with the distance between places. It is a really cool setting but the series lets it down. Having read Carter’s Callisto series I find this series lacking in comparison. Which is too bad because it’s a much better setting than Callisto.
July 28, 2010
Number 5 in the series. The Green Star books was Lin Carter's best series in my opinion. Good action and, although there are a lot of similarities to ERB's work, I thought Carter achieved some pretty good originality here.
January 6, 2019
I began this book on August 9th during my vacation at Pennsic War XLVII ( first 46 pages ) and this series has been a staple of that vacation since 2016 ( with Lin Carter's hilariously bad Conan of the Isles preceding it in 2015 ) But this is the last. Lin Carter has been a great source of amusement to me, my campmates and to other people on the block in the last few years ~ his choice in words sometimes is as perplexing as it is amusing, but his output, for what it is is entertaining vacation reading and a reasonably decent homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs. I finished the last book on Epiphany during the break between the Fall and Spring Semesters 2018 - 19 and it ended predictably but pleasantly. I have a vintage 1976 printing so it includes early illustrations by Michael Whelan which is nice. His work is probably the best in illustration that this series has seen. I do highly recommend this series for vacation reading and will in time read more of Carter's output but perhaps after a while pick up another. I'm actually glad to see stuff like this still in print. It has inspired me to pick up Burroughs next summer for the first time since childhood!
August 18, 2022
Read all 5 in the series, which is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Venus series, because I sometimes enjoy illogical, mindless, lightweight fluff. This book contains elements of ERB's THE MONSTER MEN as well, which is like FRANKENSTEIN. ERB with his Victorian standards would have been shocked with some of the characters and plotlines in this Green Star series. In this book there is a group of Amazon warriors, all teenagers or younger, nude and sexually precocious. This is stuff ERB would never have touched. Lin Carter is the poor man's ERB with his stilted language, preposterous plotlines, and weak characters. For a rich, enjoyable experience, read ERB's original Pellucidar, Venus, or Mars series and absorb the flavor, atmosphere, and interesting characters he creates.
November 30, 2020
A nice wrap-up to the series. We even get to see a male character show restraint when a woman, who isn't the one he proclaims himself to love, throws herself at him.
January 30, 2023
In the Green Star's Glow 🪐
And so ends Lin Carter's Green Star saga, and not with the bang I was hoping for. Although there were some highlights in this book that any pulpy reader would love, this and the previous instalment, As the Green Star Rises, were definitely the weakest Carter had to offer in the series.
I'll start with the problems. This book wastes far too much time with a brand new and entirely unestablished character that the reader has no investment in, whilst heavily neglecting or downright forgetting other more beloved characters (AND villains) from previous books. Even the main character is wasted; this is the second book in which he does nothing of note, spends most of the book incapacitated, and needs to be saved by other people. Practically every other character is more heroic than Karn, and it's a waste of a character I was once heavily invested in.
Carter is a great pulpy writer when he keeps his cast small and his stories streamlined... but here, he keeps introducing new characters and plot points with every book, eventually to the detriment of the original story. Then, when it all gets too much, he seems to get bored, doesn't know what to do with everyone/everything, and rushes it all towards a sloppy conclusion. This, paired with many plot holes, inconsistencies, and ludicrous coincidences, really made me lose interest by the end.
Now, it wasn't ALL bad. There were some awesome pulpy elements and ideas, including the Kraan army, the sheer body horror of Quoron and his grotesque servant, and the tribe of young warrior women. These could ALL have been effective, had they been implemented better or earlier in the series... but the grand finale of a saga should be about bringing everything together, not forcing in new plot points and characters whilst neglecting what previous books have built up.
It pains me to do this, because I mostly really like Carter's work... but In the Green Star's Glow gets two lacklustre (green) stars from me. A weak ending to a story that started with so much promise. I still think this series is VERY much worth a read, as the first three books are awesome - especially the third, By the Light of the Green Star, which is probably one of my favourite pulpy sci fi/fantasy books. If only Lin had stuck the landing.
And so ends Lin Carter's Green Star saga, and not with the bang I was hoping for. Although there were some highlights in this book that any pulpy reader would love, this and the previous instalment, As the Green Star Rises, were definitely the weakest Carter had to offer in the series.
I'll start with the problems. This book wastes far too much time with a brand new and entirely unestablished character that the reader has no investment in, whilst heavily neglecting or downright forgetting other more beloved characters (AND villains) from previous books. Even the main character is wasted; this is the second book in which he does nothing of note, spends most of the book incapacitated, and needs to be saved by other people. Practically every other character is more heroic than Karn, and it's a waste of a character I was once heavily invested in.
Carter is a great pulpy writer when he keeps his cast small and his stories streamlined... but here, he keeps introducing new characters and plot points with every book, eventually to the detriment of the original story. Then, when it all gets too much, he seems to get bored, doesn't know what to do with everyone/everything, and rushes it all towards a sloppy conclusion. This, paired with many plot holes, inconsistencies, and ludicrous coincidences, really made me lose interest by the end.
Now, it wasn't ALL bad. There were some awesome pulpy elements and ideas, including the Kraan army, the sheer body horror of Quoron and his grotesque servant, and the tribe of young warrior women. These could ALL have been effective, had they been implemented better or earlier in the series... but the grand finale of a saga should be about bringing everything together, not forcing in new plot points and characters whilst neglecting what previous books have built up.
It pains me to do this, because I mostly really like Carter's work... but In the Green Star's Glow gets two lacklustre (green) stars from me. A weak ending to a story that started with so much promise. I still think this series is VERY much worth a read, as the first three books are awesome - especially the third, By the Light of the Green Star, which is probably one of my favourite pulpy sci fi/fantasy books. If only Lin had stuck the landing.
June 13, 2017
Last of Lin Carter's Green Star series, and if you liked one, you will like them all (or the opposite, of course). They are planetary adventures in the same vein as Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series (or his Venus series) or any number of other adventure stories.
This one wraps everything up quickly and neatly, and still has time to throw in a lot of fun, silly, goofy adventures, including a crazed scientist who wants to cut off his own head (shades of Burroughs' Mastermind of Mars), a gang of feral girls who kidnap our hero, Karn, a climactic battle with giant ants, and lots of jumping around between Karn and all his Green Star pals.
Carter writes these books in short chapters heavy on cliffhangers and economical prose, so he doesn't get into too many meaty issues. Sometimes that's nice, other times it leaves you wanting more, especially when he gets into racial and gender issues (you could write a Master's thesis on the "beautiful black immortals" and all that's implied with a race of immortal, perfect black men who see everyone else as inferior). Carter stops just short of making a point with this race's representative, as he does with the pack of feral girls and their hatred of men (which inevitably ends up with a crush and convenient shift to honest love for an ancillary character).
I mentioned it once before, but these books definitely have a semi-creepy facet when it comes to underage women--Karn has a series-long crush on a nubile princess who may or may not be of age, which is fine until you remember Karn is inhabited by a much older, immobile man from Earth. Maybe Carter had just read Lolita, I don't know. Then there's the 13 year old wild girl with the crush on Karn, both of whom are described in detail as they attract each other, mostly by proximity.
Anyway, hopefully there's nothing amiss there, and the ages were intended to correspond with Carter's expected readership. All in all, I enjoyed the series and would recommend it for a quick, fun read. It certainly carries on all the sci-fi and fantasy tropes and attractions of the era, many of which you still see in modern entertainment, from Star Wars to Marvel's Avengers and even Game of Thrones. As they say, all art is derivative--certainly things are on the World of the Green Star.
This one wraps everything up quickly and neatly, and still has time to throw in a lot of fun, silly, goofy adventures, including a crazed scientist who wants to cut off his own head (shades of Burroughs' Mastermind of Mars), a gang of feral girls who kidnap our hero, Karn, a climactic battle with giant ants, and lots of jumping around between Karn and all his Green Star pals.
Carter writes these books in short chapters heavy on cliffhangers and economical prose, so he doesn't get into too many meaty issues. Sometimes that's nice, other times it leaves you wanting more, especially when he gets into racial and gender issues (you could write a Master's thesis on the "beautiful black immortals" and all that's implied with a race of immortal, perfect black men who see everyone else as inferior). Carter stops just short of making a point with this race's representative, as he does with the pack of feral girls and their hatred of men (which inevitably ends up with a crush and convenient shift to honest love for an ancillary character).
I mentioned it once before, but these books definitely have a semi-creepy facet when it comes to underage women--Karn has a series-long crush on a nubile princess who may or may not be of age, which is fine until you remember Karn is inhabited by a much older, immobile man from Earth. Maybe Carter had just read Lolita, I don't know. Then there's the 13 year old wild girl with the crush on Karn, both of whom are described in detail as they attract each other, mostly by proximity.
Anyway, hopefully there's nothing amiss there, and the ages were intended to correspond with Carter's expected readership. All in all, I enjoyed the series and would recommend it for a quick, fun read. It certainly carries on all the sci-fi and fantasy tropes and attractions of the era, many of which you still see in modern entertainment, from Star Wars to Marvel's Avengers and even Game of Thrones. As they say, all art is derivative--certainly things are on the World of the Green Star.
June 1, 2012
This series had great potential. The world created was wonderful, vibrant, and alive with fantasy, but the characters that lived in this world were shallow objects who's emotions were as unbelievable as their antics. Though these types adventure novels are supposed to be spiced with a bit of coincidence this book made that endearing theme obnoxious. That, combined with the story line of the Zarkoonian archer, who I couldn't have cared less about, made this final installment of the Green Star series a disappointing flop.
All in all I must say I'm glad I read the first, second, and third books to this series, if for no other reason than to study Lin Carter's brilliant use of descriptive adjectives. But I could have done without reading the last two books and been perfectly happy.
All in all I must say I'm glad I read the first, second, and third books to this series, if for no other reason than to study Lin Carter's brilliant use of descriptive adjectives. But I could have done without reading the last two books and been perfectly happy.
December 4, 2011
The good news is that despite Carter's insistence on paying equal weight to all protagonists, he overcomes a structural problem of the earlier books. Here he spends less time shuttling his characters to and from the desired set pieces, which allows him to develop each one.
September 29, 2012
I liked this sword and planet series better than the "Callisto" books,
and this last novel is a better end than the last "Zanthodon" book.
and this last novel is a better end than the last "Zanthodon" book.
March 16, 2016
Schlock ? Yes.
Cheesy, full of plot holes, and questionable continuity.
And yet there are some fantastic worlds, interesting characters, and great adventure in there.
Cheesy, full of plot holes, and questionable continuity.
And yet there are some fantastic worlds, interesting characters, and great adventure in there.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews