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The Demon Of Scattery
Ace Books, 1980. Mass market paperback. A romantic fantasy story set in the 9th century. Vikings! With many illustrations by Alicia Austin.
207 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1979
2 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Poul Anderson
1,621 books1,107 followersPseudonym A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, Winston P. Sanders, P. A. Kingsley.
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.
Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]
Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.
Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.
Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]
Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.
Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 6, 2016
The book was first published in 1979. It is not a graphic novel in the regular format. About seventy-five percent of the pages consist of text. Illustrations are inserted to complement the narrative. Mildred D Broxon’s pen and ink artwork is stylistically softly sentimental, emphasizing curvilinear designs. Although her drawings are beautiful in composition and harmonic balance I was disappointed to see the Vikings wearing inauthentic horned helmets. I also was unhappy with her portrayal of most Vikings as clone-like perfect physical specimens, indistinguishable one from the other.
Most of the story reflects the historically true habits of eight century Viking marauders in Ireland. Two characters dominate: the Norwegian Halldor, leader of a three-ship raiding expedition, and the Irish Brigit, a young beautiful nun, the sole female survivor of the brutal Viking assault on Scattery Island. Brigit becomes brutalized but manages to survive by stealthy submission and a determined strength undergirded by her twofold faith in Christos, her Savior, and also resorting to the pagan folklore practices of her ancestors. Ranulf, Halldor’s son suffers a critical injury. Brigit, who has skills in the healing arts volunteers to nurse Ranulf. I response Halldor vows that she will gain her freedom if she can restore Ranulf to health.
In the latter part of the book the author, Paul Anderson, leaves most of realism behind to indulge in fictional fantasy. Although I knew the plot had to go there I would rather have had it continue on in the more realistic vein. However, this work is a worthy contribution to literary and artistic fiction in the viking, and the Irish legends genres. Anderson (1926-2001) was a wonderful prolific author of science fiction and fantasy who received many awards. I would also strongly recommend his ‘The Last Viking’ trilogy. Most of his books are still available from third parties on Amazon.
Most of the story reflects the historically true habits of eight century Viking marauders in Ireland. Two characters dominate: the Norwegian Halldor, leader of a three-ship raiding expedition, and the Irish Brigit, a young beautiful nun, the sole female survivor of the brutal Viking assault on Scattery Island. Brigit becomes brutalized but manages to survive by stealthy submission and a determined strength undergirded by her twofold faith in Christos, her Savior, and also resorting to the pagan folklore practices of her ancestors. Ranulf, Halldor’s son suffers a critical injury. Brigit, who has skills in the healing arts volunteers to nurse Ranulf. I response Halldor vows that she will gain her freedom if she can restore Ranulf to health.
In the latter part of the book the author, Paul Anderson, leaves most of realism behind to indulge in fictional fantasy. Although I knew the plot had to go there I would rather have had it continue on in the more realistic vein. However, this work is a worthy contribution to literary and artistic fiction in the viking, and the Irish legends genres. Anderson (1926-2001) was a wonderful prolific author of science fiction and fantasy who received many awards. I would also strongly recommend his ‘The Last Viking’ trilogy. Most of his books are still available from third parties on Amazon.
February 13, 2020
Uneven - the setting, the cultures depicted, and a lot of the action are excellent and based on solid historical research; the two main characters' actions and interactions are harder to swallow. Without giving away too much - as another reviewer commented, from the perspective of a supporter of the Me Too movement, I knocked off 3 stars because of that although Poul Anderson is an author I've always really liked.
TRIGGER WARNING: If you're a survivor of sexual assault, this would be a rough read.
TRIGGER WARNING: If you're a survivor of sexual assault, this would be a rough read.
June 12, 2020
Meh - perhaps in 1979 this may have been interesting, as a young adult. I've had this book since 1979 and never read it. Now I'll donate it to the library for pulp.
Didn't feel comfortable with the off-hand depiction of rape and pillage (it's a historical novel... no it's not, its a fantasy novel written in 1979) nor with the tired trope that the most beaten down character will rise to be the savior of the book (and she was loved afterall by Hallidor the whole time, on her own hidden merits...).
This was my downstairs bathroom book, so I didn't spend much time sequentially reading - difficult to get any momentum going. Book never was interesting enough to be promoted to a different reading space. ;-)
Didn't feel comfortable with the off-hand depiction of rape and pillage (it's a historical novel... no it's not, its a fantasy novel written in 1979) nor with the tired trope that the most beaten down character will rise to be the savior of the book (and she was loved afterall by Hallidor the whole time, on her own hidden merits...).
This was my downstairs bathroom book, so I didn't spend much time sequentially reading - difficult to get any momentum going. Book never was interesting enough to be promoted to a different reading space. ;-)
February 20, 2018
A sea serpent is called by a young Christian nun in order to save Ireland from viking raiders.
An odd book to read in this age of the #MeToo movement. The young woman is kidnapped, raped and becomes the property of the leader of the raiding vikings. Meanwhile, she takes care of his severely injured son (since it's the Christian thing to d0) and becomes romantically involved with her captor.
To say more will give away plot details. It's not a "deep" book, and moves quickly.
An odd book to read in this age of the #MeToo movement. The young woman is kidnapped, raped and becomes the property of the leader of the raiding vikings. Meanwhile, she takes care of his severely injured son (since it's the Christian thing to d0) and becomes romantically involved with her captor.
To say more will give away plot details. It's not a "deep" book, and moves quickly.
November 1, 2017
This book was much better than I thought it would be, the authors did a lot of very good research that brought a richness to the story that sf doesn't always have.
November 23, 2022
It was okay, not great. It was hindered, I think, by not being sure if the Vikings were the villains or the protagonists.
August 16, 2025
3.5/5, tip my toes into Poul Anderson's Nordic historical fantasy.
January 18, 2011
Grade C-. GoodReads book record lists co-author Mildred Downey Broxon, but doesn't list in shelf author column, nor does this book turn up for her in personal shelf search.
October 18, 2023
The atmosphere and setting are exceptional. The characters are excellent. A good visceral read. But this is not a modern book and treats sexual violence far too casually.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews