Stark and the Star Kings

The Star Kings (Amazing Stories, Sep '47; revised book edition, Frederik Fell 1949)

"Queen of the Martian Catacombs" (Planet Stories, Sum, '49)

"Enchantress of Venus" (Planet Stories, Fall '49)

"Black Amazon of Mars" (Planet Stories, Mar '51)

Return to the Stars (fix-up of four novelettes: "Kingdoms of the Stars," Amazing Stories, Sep '64; "The Shores of Infinity," Amazing Stories, Apr '65; "The Broken Stars," Fantastic, Dec '68; "The Horror from the Magellanic," Amazing Stories, May '69; revised book edition, Lancer 1969)

"Stark and the Star Kings" (first publication)

"(on The Star Kings) "Fantasy fans won't regret the price of admission."
—The New York Times

". . . heady, action-packed tales that should never have gone out of print. The star-spinning allure of Hamilton, the against-all-odds underdog triumphs of Brackett both are utterly bewitching, the roots of such later phenomena as Star Wars."
—Paul di Filippo, Washington Post BookWorld

" A 'must-have' omnibus collection especially recommended for golden age science fiction fans."
—Midwest Book Review

"There's only one Leigh Brackett, and there's only one Eric John Stark, both stand along in their field!"
—Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451 and Forever Summer

"Hamilton and Brackett's type of 1940s/1950s space adventures blazed the trail for Star Trek, Star Wars, and numerous books and films that define the genre for legions of fans. A tad pricey, but beautifully done; a labor of love for the publisher. Classic sf fans will be hot for this one.
—Michael Rogers, Library Journal

"Stark and the Star Kings is a truly gorgeous book . . . I knew the three Leigh Brackett novellas previously, but it is wonderful to have them in so permanent and esthetically satisfying a form. The Star Kings I had never read, and I must say that I enjoyed it thoroughly."
—Thomas F. Bertonneau Ph.D., author of The Truth is Out There

"Haffner has turned out some very useful retrospective collections in the past few years, to which list this new title is a very welcome addition. Hamilton and Brackett were married but, insofar as I had known, never collaborated on any of their fiction. It appears that they did so in at least one case, a crossover story which I believe appears here for the very first time. Hamilton wrote primarily space opera on a grand scale, and the Star Kings series is perhaps his best known, although personally I think it inferior to many of his other novels. Leigh Brackett produced a variety of excellent stories and novels, but is perhaps best remembered for Eric John Stark and his adventures in the now improbable towns on a wild western colonial Mars. Brackett wrote two series of Stark novels, of which this is the earlier, three short novels two of which appeared from Ace books under different titles and now appear here as they were known in the magazines. Some nice interior illustrations and an introduction by John Jakes complete this very attractive and very welcome package."
—Don D'Ammassa

"A very handsome book. I love the jacket and the illustrations. Leigh and Ed would be proud!"
—Jack Williamson, author of Darker Than You Think and The Stonehenge Gate

". . . an extremly handsome oversized collection . . . You've got two novels here by Hamilton, three long stories from Brackett and one collaboration. You've got a beautifully made book and knockout covers. If you have any fondness for the old pulp days, this is the collection for you."
—Ed Gorman, author of Fast Track and Fools Rush In

". . . good old-fashioned outer-space slam-bang action. A lot of fun . . . (a) major collectible . . . a very beautifully, lovingly produced book . . . lavishly illustrated volume . . . you'd think it was 1943 and you were picking up Startling Stories . . . if that's your kind of thing—you will love this book."
—Richard A. Lupoff, KFPA Cover to Cover

". . . there's enough high-quality reprinted material in Stark and the Star Kings to make it a desireable purchase."
—Nick Gevers, Locus