Slan Hunter

By: A. E. van Vogt, Kevin J. Anderson

Narrated by: Scott Brick

This startling science-fiction adventure novel is a collaboration between the classic SF grand master A. E. van Vogt and contemporary master Kevin J. Anderson. At the time of his death in 2000, van Vogt left a partial draft and an outline for the sequel to his most famous novel, Slan. Now the story has been completed by Anderson and is sure to be one of the most popular SF novels of the year.

Slans are a race of superior mutants, smarter and stronger than homo sapiens and able to read minds. Thousands of years in the future, the Slan Wars are over and the slans have been largely wiped out, but people still fear and distrust them. They are now a persecuted minority who live in hiding from the larger population.

Slan Hunter tells of this towering conflict in the far future, a war among the races of mankind, as humanity - in all its variations - struggles to survive. Mutant Jommy Cross, the hero of Slan, returns, along with the other great characters from that book, including Kier Gray, Gray's beautiful daughter Kathleen, and the villainous John Petty. The final Slan War begins.

©2007 Kevin J. Anderson and A. E. van Vogt (P)2007 Books on Tape

A Lesser Story

This is a long-desired sequel to A. E van Vogt's golden-age classic, _Slan_. According to the book's introductory material. A. E. van Vogt started this project late in life, creating an outline for the story and some scattered writing before sliding into progressively worsening dementia. The rest of the book was finished by a writer who definitely lacked the master's skill.

The story follows the familiar characters from _Slan_ picking up with events just after that book's end. John Petty, the head of the secret police, pulls off a palace coup, captures almost all of the other main characters, along with Jommy Cross' weapon, and proceeds to do dastardly deeds. Petty is one of two characters to whom the title, _Slan Hunter_ might apply. The second possible title character is a tendriless slan, out to destroy both "true slans" and human beings. A major premise of the book is that Jommy Cross is unable to replicate his father's atomic weapon (despite his repeated use of atomic weapons of his own, based on his father's design, in _Slan_). The story develops along predictable lines. For me, there was only one surprise in the whole book. The story relies too much on narrative "telling" rather than the author putting the reader into the scene, with the result that we don't really care much about the characters, and the story lacks tension and excitement. The story isn't "terrible," but if you enjoyed _Slan_, you may wish to leave this book unread or unheard.

part of 3 of slan

i enjoyed it.i.love all this authors
books i read slan when it first
came out

Great Sequel

What was most enjoyable was that even though some 50 or more years had passed the language of the original was maintained and was quite well integrated with the original. A Golden age of Sci-FI story was extended without a hitch

Didn't like the ending.

I liked the book as much as the original except for the ending. It was too creepy having the memories of a grown man downloaded into a baby. I think also seemed like too abrupt a conclusion when less significant things got lots of exposition. it was like."Oops times up, gotta wrap this up.". I think regardless of the original author secumbing to Alzheimer's, the ending could have been better plotted.

Substandard when compared to the original.

Jommy has been sadly dumbed down in this
sequel. Virtually all of the times he's caught or in peril are a result of his poor planning, emotionally blinders, or lack of observational acuity. He only resembles a true slan externally. internally, he's just another generic action man. Even thugs on the street can best this "superior " man. Every advantage he has is either forgotten or underutilized.

Worst Sf novel of the year

I like KJ Anderson's stuff and I like Scott Brick as a reader but this was simply 50's juvenile pulp Science Fiction and not that good at that. Awful dialog, silly premise. Tendillls and tendrillLESS? Give me break. In some ways it reminded me of Doc Smith's old Lensman series but less well thought out. No real sense of drama. No inspiration. No real characterization. Johnny Cross is sort of a Tom Swift kind of character.

I'd say save your credits and get something by Anderson and/or Brick that you'd enjoy like the Dune series or the Seven Suns Saga.

Don't bother

Not sure why I wasted my time listening to this, I used to like A. E. van Vogt, but this was terrible.