Lord of Thunder - Andre Norton (1962)

 

Rating: Admirable

Having recently moved house, which involved packing and unpacking dozens of boxes of books, I realised just how many unread books I have dating back decades. Time to read them then, and so I grabbed Lord of Thunder off one of my new book shelves. I've had this slight science fiction novel in my possession since the 1970s, perhaps since I was ten years old. Although I loved the cover, and still do (just look at it! It's a fantastic example of sleek minimalism), I remember trying to read it and realising that it was beyond my capabilities. By the time I noticed it again, in my twenties, I thought it beneath my capabilities, and so it lay dormant, saved only by its cover. What I didn't realise was that Lord of Thunder is a YA novel, before publishers realised that there was such a thing. What I also didn't realise it that Andre Norton was a woman, Alice Mary Norton, who used a male pen name in order to smooth her way in the male dominated world of science fiction. Alice Norton wrote both science fiction and fantasy, publishing at least a dozen different series, most notably the Witch World series, which began in the 1960s and was still going in the 1980s. Lord of Thunder is the sequel to The Beast Master (1959). Both novels feature Hosteen Storm, a 'Beast Master' hailing from Earth (Terra), who can telepathically communicate with an eagle called Baku and a big cat called Surra. Together they make a formidable team in this rather bracing adventure on the planet Arzor, populated by Norbie aliens and human settlers from Terra, apparently long since dead. 

Alice Mary Norton, cat master.

Lord of Thunder has a wild west type of vibe, with the Norbie tribes resembling American Indians, albeit with blue skin and horns. This is the kind of adventure oriented science fiction that was very attractive to teenagers back in the 60s and 70s. Hosteen is jarred out of his newly settled life when he is forced to mount a rescue operation into the searing hot landscape of the 'blue' region of the planet. Also the Norbie tribes are calling truces and heading into the blue region en masse, which alarms Hosteen, as he believes it could only mean war with the human settlers. Although it quickly became clear that Norton could turn out a great adventure narrative, with a nice pared back style that wastes no time, I was surprised at just how good Lord of Thunder turned out to be. Perhaps the nostalgia of reading a proper sci-fi adventure (I grew up reading the likes of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat novels...) made it that more pleasurable. The novel also features one of the great science fiction tropes, the ruins of a lost alien civilisation. Even better is that the ruins are underground and embedded in cave systems within mountains. Hosteen and his brother, Logan (who was living with one of the Norbie clans) become trapped within the ruins and have to find their way out. These sections are the best part of Lord of Thunder, full of tension and mystery and not overdone or melodramatic. Since reading the novel I discovered that Norton is still much admired within the fantasy community, and I can see why, she was a classy writer. However Lord of Thunder is not without its flaws, with the denouement coming across as rushed and a tad predictable, which weakens the overall impact of the plot. Despite this I really enjoyed the novel and am pleased that I held onto it for so long, which just proves that hoarding books is totally justifiable and worthwhile.

Just one of many alternate covers.

The Predicament - William Boyd (2025)

 

Rating: Admirable

William Boyd is another writer with a connection to David Bowie, having co-engineered an infamous art hoax when they were both on the board of Modern Painters journal. Boyd wrote and Bowie published a book, Nat Tate: An American Artist 1928-1960 (1998) about a lost American artist called Nat Tate. Launched on April Fools day, both Bowie and Gore Vidal read excerpts and fooled the world, for a while at least. Boyd's current literary excursion is the second part of a trilogy (the first being Gabriel's Moon, published in 2024), featuring travel writer and reluctant spy, Gabriel Dax. Set in 1963 Dax is again called into action by his MI6 handler, the seductive Faith Green, whom Gabriel is romantically drawn to, despite his best, but ultimately pathetic efforts. Dax is a quintessential charming Englishman, who's general befuddlement regarding his circumstances remains despite being drawn ever further into the world of cold war espionage. He's posing as a double agent to reel in (attractive) KGB female agents and then he's sent to Guatemala to gain intel on a popular left-wing leader. Of course it all goes pear-shaped, but at least he makes some progress on his travel book about famous rivers. Later, in West Berlin, he's liaising with another (attractive) agent, and, of course, Faith Green, to head off a potential assassination attempt on John F Kennedy during his famous visit to West Berlin. This part of the book is convincingly rendered, with period flourishes bringing some authenticity to proceedings. 

Bowie and Boyd, April Fools tricksters

Boyd is a self professed fan of Graham Greene and despite mentioning in an interview that he believes that he is not channelling the author, I couldn't help but think of Greene when reading The Predicament. Greene split his works into more serious literary fiction and what he called his 'entertainments', light and humorous excursions aimed at the everyday reader. The Predicament definitely has a light tone and although Boyd's writing is sophisticated and erudite, it is an easy read, with the narrative moving along with an engaging pace, and yes, it is entertaining. Dax is a relatable character, convincingly out of his depth, yet plucky in his resolve to rise to the various challenges in his path. He has a tendency for self reflection and therefore does moan a bit, but fortunately he does see a therapist, an (attractive) Dr Haas, which provides some insight into his character and also some humour. The main problem, for me anyway, was that there was little tension generated throughout, even when Dax's life was in danger. There's some spy thriller action tropes that play out that are very well written, but the overall light tone means that there doesn't seem to be that much at stake. Still, the plot is good enough and there are some great satirical scenes that are also homages to the spy genre; Dax is schooled in tailing suspects by an amiable agent, who takes Dax on a merry chase, whilst also pausing to eat at every available opportunity. Dax is also given a lesson in self defence by an old hand, which comes across as a playful James Bond moment, without any gadgets, just good old fashioned practical advice. This was a book club read and about half of the members were impressed and rated The Predicament highly, whilst some others were less impressed, citing Dax's tendency for having a good old moan and the lack of palpable tension. Still, a fine novel that serves a particular purpose - to engage and entertain, and there's nothing wrong with that.