Martian britches

Some other examples of science fantasy novels are shown here. Don't let my juvenile scribblings in the genre put you off. And incidentally not all science fantasy series garb their characters in loincloths. The inhabitants of Krishna get to wear long trousers and jackets at times.

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“The World of Krishna” part 8: “The End of the Dasht”

Suddenly the Dasht found himself held from behind. Acer’s companions had come to their senses just in time.

With the strength of a madman, which is what he was, the Dasht broke away.

“You’ll never take me alive!” screamed the Dasht. He rushed over to a bank of switches and clicked them all into the on position. The Dasht rushed over to one of the disks and jumped on. In his haste, the Dasht stepped onto the receiving disk instead of the transmitting disk.

The computer that operated the disk now had to bring an object to the control room that was already there.

There was a blood-curdling scream and a terrible explosion. When the smoke had cleared, all that was left on the disk was a pulsating blob of protoplasm.

The Dasht’s guards were, of course, Earthmen and were sent back to Earth to serve a prison sentence.

As for Acer, he was very thirsty. He didn’t have to tell his aya where to go. It knew by habit.

How's this for racial stereotyping?

Scooby-Doo wasn't around when I wrote this science fantasy story aged 10, so I must have invented the "if not for you" cliché. Only one more instalment to go, you patient souls.

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“The World of Krishna” part 7: “The Unmasking”

Just then the Dasht walked into the room. He was about six and a half marts* tall.

Acer noticed that the Dasht’s cheekbones were wider than a normal Krishnan’s, more like an Earthman’s.

Acer took a flying leap into the room. As soon as he alighted he ran toward the Dasht. Before Acer could reach the evil Larock, three guards ran to him.

“Let me go, you fools,” shouted Acer. With a superhuman effort, the angry Krishnan wrenched free and flung himself at the Dasht.

Acer took hold of Dasht Larock’s antennae and, to everyone’s amazement, pulled them off! “You see, he’s an Earthman,” yelled Acer.

“Why you blasted Krishnan primitive,” screamed the Dasht. “If not for you, I’d have been the ruler of the planet Krishna! You’ll die for this, you’ll DIE!”

The hysterical Earthman levelled a gun at Acer’s head as his finger tightened on the trigger.

(*Mart: a Krishnan foot.)

To be continued.

Witchcraft

The very essence of science fantasy is that it's set on worlds where technology has become indistinguishable from magic. No doubt Professor M A R Barker, creator of Tekumel, was raised on Planet Stories and he too may have been a fan of L Sprague de Camp's Krishna books. Little did I know as I teased out this wee yarn in primary school English lessons that ten years later I would have my heart and at least half my psyche in Jakalla.

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“The World of Krishna” part 6: “Escape”

Acer slugged the turnkey and opened the cell doors. The prisoners flocked out. Acer led his fellow Krishnans to the Dasht’s room. They gasped when they saw inside the chamber. On the floor of the room was a glowing disk. A group of the Dasht’s soldiers stepped onto the disk and vanished. A few feet away, a soldier was materializing on a similar disk.

“So that’s how they got us here,” thought Acer. “Witchcraft.”

It wasn’t really magic but Krishnans are very superstitious.

To be continued.

If you want to get ahead...

With the fifth instalment of his Krishna story, my young self has introduced an element of mystery. I'm still astonished to think of the poor teacher having to follow thirty different kids' stories in such tiny weekly chunks.

I see that I had latched onto the technique of implying events and letting the reader fill in the gaps. After decades of movie-going, it's a little harder to write that way now.

That's L Sprague de Camp there, quaffing cragot.

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“The World of Krishna” part 5: “The Dasht” 

Within moments Acer had completely vanished. He reappeared in an old stone dungeon. Around him were a few of the missing people.

Acer asked one where he was. “In the castle of Dasht* Larock,” was the reply. “He’s caught us to be his slaves.”

About an hour later, one of the Dasht’s guards brought a tray full of food for the prisoners. Two minutes later, Acer left the cell in the guard’s clothes. Meanwhile the prisoners dragged the guard into the corner of the cell. He was out cold.

(*A dasht is a Krishnan baron.)

To be continued.

Pop goes the weasel

Ah, now we get to the fourth instalment of my old Krishna fanfic and it seems the 10-year-old Morris has finally grasped that this thing needs a plot. Teleportation was my dream mutant power (I wanted to be the Vanisher, even if it meant losing my hair) so that's where that came from. "Queer" had a different meaning in 1967, of course.

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“The World of Krishna” part 4

Acer performed a karate chop on his assailant’s arm and the attacker released him with a yell.

Acer drew his sword and brought an end to the matter. He turned to see the robber’s aya, which was tethered to a tree.

Acer released the aya and rode off on it.

Soon he came to the city. It was deserted!

Acer searched everywhere in the city but could find nobody.

Just then he felt queer. He looked down and saw that he was vanishing!

To be continued.

Wild in the country

Another thrilling instalment in my childhood attempt at fanfic for the world of Krishna. I suppose I had at least grasped the importance of reversals, though probably not in a form that would have impressed Aristotle. Or Robert E Howard, come to that. If the illustration (probably also by a 10-year-old) doesn't put you off, take a look at the GURPS sourcebook.

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“The World of Krishna” part 3

Quick as a flash, Acer drew his sword. He swung at the yeki. It jumped aside and the sword flew out of Acer’s hands, jamming point-upwards among some stones.

The yeki leapt at Acer. He ducked and it was impaled on the sword.

A little while later, Acer was walking along when he heard a rustle in the bushes. A person leapt on him and began to strangle him.

To be continued.

Carnage and a glass of cragot

More of my 10-year-old self's stab at fanfic.I see my obsession with having drinks served ice cold (Singha these days) was already firmly in place. And to think my primary school teacher had to wait a whole week between instalments...

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“The World of Krishna” part 2

Acer knew at once that he was being threatened by a robber. He leapt forward, spun around, and drew his sword.

The robber turned to run but he was too late. Acer’s blade came crashing down on his shoulder. The robber staggered to the wall, minus one ear and with his left arm hanging by a few strands of skin.

Having defeated the robber, Acer sat down and finished his roast shomal. He was then handed a bowl of live worms. He ate those and ordered another goblet of cragot. Cragot is like a mixture of champagne and shandy and must always be served ice cold.

An hour later, Acer was walking in the country when a wild yeki leapt in front of him.

To be continued.