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The Lord of Death and the Queen of Life
The geologist, who had held down the lower end of a quartet in his university days, growled an accompaniment under his breath as he blithely peeled the potatoes.
154 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1919
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 26, 2017
I'm struck by Flint's inventiveness, once he got away from describing inaccurate physics and bizarre propulsion systems.
While there's likely no direct influence, his concept of Mercury as an inexorably dying planet takes Burrough's Barsoom and doubles down on the terminal endgame. A Mercury headed toward tidal lock is losing atmosphere and its seasons, and animals other than human are extinct. Competition for remaining resources leaves the inhabitants in a brutally Darwinian social structure full of strife and conquest and indifference. The human explorers wander a scorched, blasted landscape filled with the leavings of a long-dead civilization, and it is only the record of Strokor the conquerer that provides context and story.
The Queen of Life continues the exploration, bringing those same travelers to the ultra-civilized Venus that has mastered all social and personal conflicts but one. A neat conflict develops as male scientists unveil a way to induce perpetual, immortal preadolescence in male children (only)...and then female spiritualists / mentalists reveal a method for women to conceive parthenogenetically. There is of course an uprising and violence, and the story fails to take advantage of its implications: this is among physically frail Venusians who barely have the strength to walk from room to room. How they are supposed to wreak mob destruction is never quite explained. Also, in this environment the robust Earth people should be John Carter in comparison. It felt like the story missed an important set piece along those lines.
There's an exuberance in the author's creation, a gleeful disregard of practicality as he reaches for grand constructions. Ceiling off an entire planet? Why sure!
While there's likely no direct influence, his concept of Mercury as an inexorably dying planet takes Burrough's Barsoom and doubles down on the terminal endgame. A Mercury headed toward tidal lock is losing atmosphere and its seasons, and animals other than human are extinct. Competition for remaining resources leaves the inhabitants in a brutally Darwinian social structure full of strife and conquest and indifference. The human explorers wander a scorched, blasted landscape filled with the leavings of a long-dead civilization, and it is only the record of Strokor the conquerer that provides context and story.
The Queen of Life continues the exploration, bringing those same travelers to the ultra-civilized Venus that has mastered all social and personal conflicts but one. A neat conflict develops as male scientists unveil a way to induce perpetual, immortal preadolescence in male children (only)...and then female spiritualists / mentalists reveal a method for women to conceive parthenogenetically. There is of course an uprising and violence, and the story fails to take advantage of its implications: this is among physically frail Venusians who barely have the strength to walk from room to room. How they are supposed to wreak mob destruction is never quite explained. Also, in this environment the robust Earth people should be John Carter in comparison. It felt like the story missed an important set piece along those lines.
There's an exuberance in the author's creation, a gleeful disregard of practicality as he reaches for grand constructions. Ceiling off an entire planet? Why sure!
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May 24, 2016Lesenotizen
Homer Eon Flint ist 1924 gestorben, seine SF-Stories wurden zu seinen Lebzeiten in Pulp-Magazinen wie Argosy veröffentlicht. Wem seine Name nichts sagt, muss also nicht gleich in Sack und Asche gehen, denn das ist alles lange her, und wenn ACE Books seine Stories nicht in den 60er Jahren neu gedruckt hätte, wären sie heute wohl fast vergessen (oder vielleicht richtiger: noch vergesssener, als sie es ohnehin schon sind), Opfer des sich auflösenden billigen Papiers der Magazine und der Silberfischchen.
Die beiden Stories LORD OF DEATH und QUEEN OF LIFE wurden im Mai bzw. August 1919 erstveröffentlicht und erinnern noch an die frühe klassischen SF-Literatur zum Beispiel Jules Vernes und den noch recht naiven Schilderungen interplanetarischer Reisen.
Homer Eon Flint ist 1924 gestorben, seine SF-Stories wurden zu seinen Lebzeiten in Pulp-Magazinen wie Argosy veröffentlicht. Wem seine Name nichts sagt, muss also nicht gleich in Sack und Asche gehen, denn das ist alles lange her, und wenn ACE Books seine Stories nicht in den 60er Jahren neu gedruckt hätte, wären sie heute wohl fast vergessen (oder vielleicht richtiger: noch vergesssener, als sie es ohnehin schon sind), Opfer des sich auflösenden billigen Papiers der Magazine und der Silberfischchen.
Die beiden Stories LORD OF DEATH und QUEEN OF LIFE wurden im Mai bzw. August 1919 erstveröffentlicht und erinnern noch an die frühe klassischen SF-Literatur zum Beispiel Jules Vernes und den noch recht naiven Schilderungen interplanetarischer Reisen.
May 27, 2016
While the writing was somewhat stiff, the two connected stories making up this volume were surprisingly interesting. One reason was that Flint actually made a few good guesses about technology, and tossed off what we think of as television and tape recorders in 1919, well before either invention.
Another has to do with a plot point that I don't want to spoil, but attitudes about women aren't quite as old-fashioned as one might expect from the original date of the story.
The basic premise is that a small group of scientists take off in one's invention, a space ship which works a lot like the ones in the later Dick Tracy comics. Flint used what was then best guesses about the planet Mercury, and while his cosmology is now known to be wrong, it was interesting for its time, and the idea that there could have been remnants of an early civilization there were interesting, especially with the hints that he dropped about a connection to life on Earth. Thus, the Lord of Death section is about Mercury. The Queen of Life segment works a bit less well, because he was trying to exaggerate some things to make various points. The idea of a civilization turning itself into "hothouse" beings no longer interested in the outside world was, I think, about the start of a trend which continues today. Even in 1919, he saw that technology might cause people to prefer to stay at home or ride in powered vehicles, rather than take a simple walk in the park for a picnic. Sadly, he was correct, but the making of that point is a bit forced, especially in the extremes toward the climax of the story.
So, I can only give this three stars, although for its place in literary history, this quick read will be of great value. Flint doesn't have the legendary status of a Verne or a Wells, but he was very much a forerunner of modern science fiction, and deserves more recognition than he usually gets.
Another has to do with a plot point that I don't want to spoil, but attitudes about women aren't quite as old-fashioned as one might expect from the original date of the story.
The basic premise is that a small group of scientists take off in one's invention, a space ship which works a lot like the ones in the later Dick Tracy comics. Flint used what was then best guesses about the planet Mercury, and while his cosmology is now known to be wrong, it was interesting for its time, and the idea that there could have been remnants of an early civilization there were interesting, especially with the hints that he dropped about a connection to life on Earth. Thus, the Lord of Death section is about Mercury. The Queen of Life segment works a bit less well, because he was trying to exaggerate some things to make various points. The idea of a civilization turning itself into "hothouse" beings no longer interested in the outside world was, I think, about the start of a trend which continues today. Even in 1919, he saw that technology might cause people to prefer to stay at home or ride in powered vehicles, rather than take a simple walk in the park for a picnic. Sadly, he was correct, but the making of that point is a bit forced, especially in the extremes toward the climax of the story.
So, I can only give this three stars, although for its place in literary history, this quick read will be of great value. Flint doesn't have the legendary status of a Verne or a Wells, but he was very much a forerunner of modern science fiction, and deserves more recognition than he usually gets.
February 13, 2018
Two early 1920's scifi stories published in a single volume. The science part is roughly what would be expected from pulp stories from the time they were written. But enjoyable reading regardless.
November 17, 2015
Four people set out from 1919's United States in a scientifically new flying cube. They go to Mercury and explore the remains of an ancient civilization, and then to Venus to meet a thriving, far-advanced society.
This author appears to predate most of my collection, hopefully I'll find more of his work. I enjoyed the story and the writing style, though the structure of the novel was unique--perhaps poorly balanced.
The stories had amusing plot twists. I liked the finding of the old tapes on Mercury and reading its old patchwork story. The book struck me as surprisingly gender-fluid, and mostly gender progressive(!), though my perspective here is by no means informed. The book was unfortunately racist, mostly through unnecessary offhand remarks that did not seem relevant to the story.
The action took place in two approximately equal sections, the trip to Mercury and the trip the Venus--which suggested to me an equal interest in both of them, or a parallel structure between them. The first story, the trip to Mercury, had a long flashback reading the history of the last emperor of Mercury from thousands of years ago, . The second story essentially followed the explorers for a day on Venus, without any flashback or even a change in setting. It was an important and eventful day on Venus, but I really feel like the novel peaked in the flashback story--the second quarter of the book!
Nonetheless I would recommend it as similar to Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, I was also reminded of Frankenstein and Metropolis--I suspect the endearingly quaint mannerisms increased my appreciation.
This author appears to predate most of my collection, hopefully I'll find more of his work. I enjoyed the story and the writing style, though the structure of the novel was unique--perhaps poorly balanced.
The stories had amusing plot twists. I liked the finding of the old tapes on Mercury and reading its old patchwork story. The book struck me as surprisingly gender-fluid, and mostly gender progressive(!), though my perspective here is by no means informed. The book was unfortunately racist, mostly through unnecessary offhand remarks that did not seem relevant to the story.
The action took place in two approximately equal sections, the trip to Mercury and the trip the Venus--which suggested to me an equal interest in both of them, or a parallel structure between them. The first story, the trip to Mercury, had a long flashback reading the history of the last emperor of Mercury from thousands of years ago, . The second story essentially followed the explorers for a day on Venus, without any flashback or even a change in setting. It was an important and eventful day on Venus, but I really feel like the novel peaked in the flashback story--the second quarter of the book!
Nonetheless I would recommend it as similar to Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, I was also reminded of Frankenstein and Metropolis--I suspect the endearingly quaint mannerisms increased my appreciation.
May 22, 2013
This book was clearly written as two separate short stories, and then published together in this ebook. The characters are the same, and the second story (The Queen of Life) follows directly from the first (The Lord of Death).
The Lord of Death tells the story of our heroes' journey to Mercury. It is a straight pulp adventure story. The science is dubious, but this story was written in 1919 :)
The Queen of Life is a much more ambitious story, and introduces social commentary, some of which would have been quite controversial for the period. In this story the humans travel to Venus, where they find an apparently utopian society. The story examines themes such as gender equality and roles. Admittedly, the examination is not very in depth (it is a short story), but it is admirable that they were raised at all.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, not up to the quality of Wells or Verne, but better than most of the pulps from that era.
The Lord of Death tells the story of our heroes' journey to Mercury. It is a straight pulp adventure story. The science is dubious, but this story was written in 1919 :)
The Queen of Life is a much more ambitious story, and introduces social commentary, some of which would have been quite controversial for the period. In this story the humans travel to Venus, where they find an apparently utopian society. The story examines themes such as gender equality and roles. Admittedly, the examination is not very in depth (it is a short story), but it is admirable that they were raised at all.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, not up to the quality of Wells or Verne, but better than most of the pulps from that era.
March 6, 2016
The first two of four novellas or stories in Homer Eon Flint's Dr. Kinney series. Very fun, engaging, and thought provoking. Highly recommended representation of the Radium Age of science fiction, written in the early years of the 20th century.
May 3, 2016
A more detailed examination at Fantasy Author's Handbook:
https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com...
https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com...
April 18, 2019
A demolition team of the world's worst archaeologists since Indiana Jones head to Mercury to destroy all traces of the civilisation they find there. Despite their best efforts to the contrary, some Mercurian phonographs survive and are later decoded, telling the story of Strokor and the brutal world he lived in. Then they head to Venus for a show and tell of the utopian society they find there, but an inane plot twist at the end makes the reader wonder whether utopia is all it cracked up to be.
What separates the Lord of Death and the Queen of Life from the run-of-the-mill dystopia/utopia novel is that only half of it is in the show and tell format. The dystopia is portrayed via a story told by one of its inhabitants to posterity, and not as an attempt to justify it to a bumbling visitor from Earth. This is the strongest part of the book, and in fact I feel the book would have gained a lot had the cover story been trimmed or dropped entirely, and the Mercurian episode given more stage time. It leaves many questions unanswered, and could have kept the reader engaged for much longer than it did.
The quality drops sharply once Strokor exits. There is a remarkable scene where one of the archaeologists is revealed to be a woman, and goes on a long rant about the equality of the sexes whilst putting on an apron, pushing the chef out of the kitchen, and making lunch for the crew. Which ends up tasting much better than the chef's because she's, well, a woman. I did not detect a shred of irony in that scene, bizarre as it may be. But this does give the author a female character to play with, which proves invaluable as he tries to hamfist not one, but two unconvincing love stories into the remainder of the book.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book is the science. I presume the author was trying to stay true what he felt was the cutting edge of his day, which gives us a weird Teslapunk world with the heavens brimming with electricity and Lamarckian evolution guiding the evolution of the Venusians. Unfortunately the author does not see fit to stick to the conclusions of his own science, as the feeble Venusians who have previously been described as being hardly able to walk, form a murderous mob at the end of the book and tear down doors with their bare hands.
What separates the Lord of Death and the Queen of Life from the run-of-the-mill dystopia/utopia novel is that only half of it is in the show and tell format. The dystopia is portrayed via a story told by one of its inhabitants to posterity, and not as an attempt to justify it to a bumbling visitor from Earth. This is the strongest part of the book, and in fact I feel the book would have gained a lot had the cover story been trimmed or dropped entirely, and the Mercurian episode given more stage time. It leaves many questions unanswered, and could have kept the reader engaged for much longer than it did.
The quality drops sharply once Strokor exits. There is a remarkable scene where one of the archaeologists is revealed to be a woman, and goes on a long rant about the equality of the sexes whilst putting on an apron, pushing the chef out of the kitchen, and making lunch for the crew. Which ends up tasting much better than the chef's because she's, well, a woman. I did not detect a shred of irony in that scene, bizarre as it may be. But this does give the author a female character to play with, which proves invaluable as he tries to hamfist not one, but two unconvincing love stories into the remainder of the book.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book is the science. I presume the author was trying to stay true what he felt was the cutting edge of his day, which gives us a weird Teslapunk world with the heavens brimming with electricity and Lamarckian evolution guiding the evolution of the Venusians. Unfortunately the author does not see fit to stick to the conclusions of his own science, as the feeble Venusians who have previously been described as being hardly able to walk, form a murderous mob at the end of the book and tear down doors with their bare hands.
May 29, 2022
Entertaining space listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi space opera adventure thriller short story by Homer Eon Flint about a space adventure to Mars and Venus where they find life but not like earth 🌎. They are shown around and learn a lot with an unexpected ending. I would recommend this novella to readers of space fantasy novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 👒😢
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi space opera adventure thriller short story by Homer Eon Flint about a space adventure to Mars and Venus where they find life but not like earth 🌎. They are shown around and learn a lot with an unexpected ending. I would recommend this novella to readers of space fantasy novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 👒😢
March 15, 2025
Some scientists discover some ancient civilizations and retell the story of a particularly legendary character, Strokor, who tried to dominate all life.
I really enjoyed the first half--The Lord of Death. It was mysterious and suspenseful and actually had me halfway scared. I loved that.
The second half I wasn't keen on.
3.7
I really enjoyed the first half--The Lord of Death. It was mysterious and suspenseful and actually had me halfway scared. I loved that.
The second half I wasn't keen on.
3.7
May 12, 2018
An OK scifi novel that also ponders about masculinity and femininity, Adam and Eve, with interesting conclusions.
August 23, 2024
Part 1: https://archive.org/details/Famous_Fa...
Part 1 + 2: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5703
Part 1 + 2: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5703
March 23, 2016
Awalnya iseng pengen baca ini, gara-gara judulnya Hades x Persephone banget. Setelah baca sinopsisnya, ealah~ gak ada Hades-Hades nya blas. XD
Tapi toh akhirnya dibaca juga sekarang, setelah hampir setahun nganggur di reading list. Kesan pertama : WTF banget nih buku?! XDDD
Mungkin di jamannya (tahun 1919) buku macam gini udah keren banget kalik ya? Fenomenal. Inspirational. Walaupun yah, pengarangnya berusaha banget bikin teori yg make sense, tapi tetep aja hati dan otak ini sulit menerima. #halah
Tapi meskipun dari segi cerita, plot dan (apalagi) setting-nya agak kurang, buku ini mempunyai beberapa kelebihan. Selain bahasanya yg tipikal literatur klasik (terutama yg POVnya Stokor itu) buku ini juga memberikan "positive vibe". Sesuatu yg jarang saya temukan di buku-buku yg saya baca. Pesan moral yg terkandung dalam sebuah buku kadang tidak dipaparkan dengan eksplisit, tapi tidak di di buku ini. Banyak pembelajaran yg bisa diambil, hal-hal sederhana tentang kemuliaan manusia yg sering kita lupakan.
Overall, ini buku singkat yg super absurd. Tapi kaya makna. Yah, begitulah kira-kira.
Tapi toh akhirnya dibaca juga sekarang, setelah hampir setahun nganggur di reading list. Kesan pertama : WTF banget nih buku?! XDDD
Mungkin di jamannya (tahun 1919) buku macam gini udah keren banget kalik ya? Fenomenal. Inspirational. Walaupun yah, pengarangnya berusaha banget bikin teori yg make sense, tapi tetep aja hati dan otak ini sulit menerima. #halah
Tapi meskipun dari segi cerita, plot dan (apalagi) setting-nya agak kurang, buku ini mempunyai beberapa kelebihan. Selain bahasanya yg tipikal literatur klasik (terutama yg POVnya Stokor itu) buku ini juga memberikan "positive vibe". Sesuatu yg jarang saya temukan di buku-buku yg saya baca. Pesan moral yg terkandung dalam sebuah buku kadang tidak dipaparkan dengan eksplisit, tapi tidak di di buku ini. Banyak pembelajaran yg bisa diambil, hal-hal sederhana tentang kemuliaan manusia yg sering kita lupakan.
Overall, ini buku singkat yg super absurd. Tapi kaya makna. Yah, begitulah kira-kira.
February 16, 2016
Death life
An interesting variation in both stories. In both cases, the final outcome was dealt with, with very human anger. Whether very barbaric or very advanced, there can be the same outcome. 1938 Germany as an example.
An interesting variation in both stories. In both cases, the final outcome was dealt with, with very human anger. Whether very barbaric or very advanced, there can be the same outcome. 1938 Germany as an example.
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May 5, 2009The Lord Of Death And The Queen Of Life by Homer Eon Flint (2000)
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