The Wizard of Venus
Encyclopedia
The Wizard of Venus is a novella
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
, as well as the title of a collection in which it was later published together with an unrelated story. "The Wizard of Venus" is the final story in Burroughs's Venus series
(sometimes called the "Carson Napier of Venus series"). Written in 1941, the piece remained unpublished until 1964, fourteen years after the author's death. Burroughs intended it to be the opening piece in a sequence of stories to be brought together later in book form, as he had done in the instance of the previous Venus volume, Escape on Venus
. He began the first follow-up tale, only to abandon the project in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; the text of the aborted sequel is now lost.
"The Wizard of Venus" was first published in the 1964 Burroughs collection Tales of Three Planets together with the unrelated tales "The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw
" "Beyond the Farthest Star
" and "Tangor Returns." Afterwards it appeared in the collection The Wizard of Venus (Ace Books, August 1970), which also included the unrelated pirate adventure "Pirate Blood." A subsequent British edition (New English Library, 1975) omitted the unrelated story.
"Pirate Blood". A modern-day young man named Lafitte, a descendant of the New Orleans pirate of the same name, finds himself thrown by a bizarre set of events into his ancestor's profession. The tale is a semi-serious takeoff on the hoary theory that heredity equals destiny.
for this story has not expired, and thus is not public domain
.
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
, as well as the title of a collection in which it was later published together with an unrelated story. "The Wizard of Venus" is the final story in Burroughs's Venus series
Venus series
The Venus Series by Edgar Rice Burroughs is a science fiction series consisting of four novels and one novelette. Most of the stories were first serialized in Argosy, an American pulp magazine. It is sometimes known as the Carson Napier of Venus Series, after their fictional main character, Carson...
(sometimes called the "Carson Napier of Venus series"). Written in 1941, the piece remained unpublished until 1964, fourteen years after the author's death. Burroughs intended it to be the opening piece in a sequence of stories to be brought together later in book form, as he had done in the instance of the previous Venus volume, Escape on Venus
Escape on Venus
Escape on Venus is the fourth book in the Venus series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It consists of four interconnected stories published in Fantasic Adventures between 1941 and 1942: "Slaves of the Fishmen," "Goddess of Fire," "The Living Dead," and "War on Venus." A collected edition of these stories...
. He began the first follow-up tale, only to abandon the project in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; the text of the aborted sequel is now lost.
"The Wizard of Venus" was first published in the 1964 Burroughs collection Tales of Three Planets together with the unrelated tales "The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw
The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw
"The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw" is a 1937 short story by Edgar Rice Burroughs about an unfrozen 50,000 year-old caveman and his politically-incorrect views. Burroughs uses the story to air what are presumably some of his own politics...
" "Beyond the Farthest Star
Beyond the Farthest Star (novel)
Beyond the Farthest Star is a science fiction novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The novel consists of two novellas, "Adventure on Poloda" and "Tangor Returns", written quickly in late 1940...
" and "Tangor Returns." Afterwards it appeared in the collection The Wizard of Venus (Ace Books, August 1970), which also included the unrelated pirate adventure "Pirate Blood." A subsequent British edition (New English Library, 1975) omitted the unrelated story.
Plot
"The Wizard of Venus". Carson Napier is trapped in the castle of an insane Venusian "wizard" who holds the local population in thrall through the use of hypnotic powers. Napier, who is possessed of comparable powers he has hitherto utilized solely to transmit his account of his Venusian adventures back to Earth, successfully counters the tyrant and frees his victims."Pirate Blood". A modern-day young man named Lafitte, a descendant of the New Orleans pirate of the same name, finds himself thrown by a bizarre set of events into his ancestor's profession. The tale is a semi-serious takeoff on the hoary theory that heredity equals destiny.
Copyright
The copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
for this story has not expired, and thus is not public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
.