OPUS#222 Valley of Creation, The

OPUS: #222
Title: The Valley of Creation (Complete Novel)
Author: Edmond Hamilton
Year: 1948
Variant Title of: The Valley of Creation (by Edmond Hamilton )
Type: novella
“In the darkness, there came to Eric Nelson a summons and a warning – a summons to a land where beast and human walked alike, a warning of war and massacre strange and terrible!”

Contents:
Chapter 1 Dream Shadows 9
Chapter 2 Witch-Girl 12
Chapter 3 Into Mystery 17
Chapter 4 Hidden Land 21
Chapter 5 Wolf Hatred 25
Chapter 6 Daring Plan 29
Chapter 7 Secret Mission 32
Chapter 8 Weird City 35
Chapter 9 Judgment of the Guardian 39
Chapter 10 Dread Metmorphosis 41
Chapter 11 Forest Danger 45
Chapter 12 Death in Anschan 48
Chapter 13 The Fight in the Palace 52
Chapter 14 Return to Doom 55
Chapter 15 The Wrath of the Clans 57
Chapter 16 The Covern of Creation 61
Chapter 17 The Day of the Brotherhood 65

「『最後の惑星船の謎』の中で、スペース・オペラを完全に捨て去っている。チベットにある人類未踏の谷には、人間と動物がテレパシーで結びついている文明が発達を遂げていた。だから美しいエンシャーラは、自分の飼っている鷲のエイ、狼のターク、虎のクォールとつねに連絡しあっている。ところがル・ランの谷に冒険家エリック・ネルスンがやってきたために、この小さな世界は戦乱に巻きこまれる。ネルスンの肉体から精神が分離して狼の身体にはいりこみ、彼自身、狼の姿となって四本足の同胞の側に立って戦わねばならなくなる。だが、最後には再び人間の姿に戻り、エンシャーラの愛をかちえて、永久にル・ランの谷に住むことになるのだ。」 – ジャック・サドゥール著; 鹿島茂,鈴木秀治訳『現代SFの歴史』(早川書房, 1984.12) p. 189-190

Publications:

  • Startling Stories, Vol. 32, no. 2, July 1948, (Jul 1948, ed. Sam Merwin, Jr., publ. Better Publications, Inc., $0.20, 148pp, Pulp, magazine), pp. 9-69. Cover: Earle Bergey; Illust: Finlay
  • The Valley of Creation, (1964, Edmond Hamilton, publ. Lancer, #72-721, $0.50, 159pp, pb) Cover: Emsh
  • The Valley of Creation, (1967, Edmond Hamilton, publ. Lancer, #73-577, $0.60, 159pp, pb) Cover: Emsh
  • The Valley of Creation, (1972, Edmond Hamilton, publ. Lodestone, #B-5006, $0.75, 159pp, pb) Cover: Emsh
  • The Valley of Creation, (Sep 2008, Edmond Hamilton, publ. Baen, 978-1-4377-3577-2, $4.00, ebook) Cover: Doug Chaffee
  • King of Stars, (Sep 2008, Edmond Hamilton, publ. Baen, $20.00, ebook, omni) Cover: Doug Chaffee

Reviews:

  • Review by P. Schuyler Miller (1965) in Analog Science Fact -> Science Fiction, February 1965
  • Review by P. Schuyler Miller (1967) in Analog Science Fiction -> Science Fact, August 1967
  • Gammell, Leon L., The Annotated Guide to Startling Stories, Starmont House, 1986, p. 24. “Probably Edmond Hamilton’s finest novel, at least in my personal estimation. Poetic, poignant, enthralling and exciting story of the hidden Valley of the Brotherhood, and how unscrupulous mercenaries from the outside world cane there to use their modern weapons to turn the tide in an ancient war between men and beasts—eagles, wolves, tigers, horses — with human intellect and understanding. In a real whale of a cliffhanger climax, author Hamilton surpasses himself in explaining the ultimate origin of the Brotherhood and how and why men and the beasts are really and literally brothers. I really have some reservations on the genetic credibility of the idea he proposes in the chapter about the Cavern of Creation, but the writing is so fine and the story is so good as to overshadow anything as comparatively unimportant as scientific plausibility. Long overdue for hardcover respectability, if only in the Science Fiction Book Club cheapo format. Reprinted in 1964 in a somewhat revised edition by Lancer paperbacks.”

ebook: http://www.unz.org/Pub/StartlingStories-1948jul-00009