''Ylana of Callisto'' is a

science fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...

novel by American writer

Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...

, the seventh in his

Callisto series The ''Callisto series'' is a sequence of eight science fiction novels by Lin Carter, of the sword and planet subgenre, first published by Dell Books from 1972-1978. They were written in homage to the Barsoom and Amtor novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs ...

. It was first published in paperback by

Dell Books Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and s ...

in October 1977. Its working title was evidently ''Jungle Maid of Callisto'', as announced in Locus #198, January 30, 1977; the title used appears to be a nod to that of

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...

's ''

Llana of Gathol ''Llana of Gathol'' is a collection of four science fantasy stories by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, which were originally published in ''Amazing Stories'' in 1941. The first collected edition of ''Llana of Gathol'' was published in 1948 ...

'', a book in the

Barsoom Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The first Barsoom tale was serialized as ''Under the Moons of Mars'' in 1912 and published as a novel as ''A Princess of Mars' ...

series that inspired Carter's Callisto books. The character of Ylana, however, was established in ''

Mind Wizards of Callisto ''Mind Wizards of Callisto'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Lin Carter, the fifth in his Callisto series. It was first published in paperback by Dell Books in March 1975. It includes a map by the author. Plot summary A force of f ...

'', an earlier volume in the series. The novel includes an appendix ("The Men of Thanator") collating background information from this and previous volumes.

Plot summary

The storyline begins during events covered in the previous volume in the series, ''

Lankar of Callisto ''Lankar of Callisto'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Lin Carter, the sixth in his Callisto series. It was first published in paperback by Dell Books in June 1975. It is noted for the author writing himself into the story. Plot ...

'', in which most of the evil Mind Wizards threatening the Jovian moon of

Callisto Callisto most commonly refers to: *Callisto (mythology), a nymph *Callisto (moon), a moon of Jupiter Callisto may also refer to: Art and entertainment *''Callisto series'', a sequence of novels by Lin Carter *''Callisto'', a novel by Torsten Kro ...

, or Thanator, were wiped out in the climactic battle. One last survivor of the villainous band seizes as hostages Ylana the jungle girl and her lover Tomar, and flees to take refuge with the Cave People, a tribe dominated by his race. Together with Ylana's father, lately deposed as chief of the tribe, the two captives escape and head for the territory of the rival River People, pursued by a hunting party. Ylana is kidnapped by a River faction intent on fomenting war between the tribes, but the eventual conflict is limited to young malcontents from both, strengthening the power of the traditional authorities. The threat of the Mind Wizard is ended when he is devoured by a

plesiosaur The Plesiosauria (; Greek: πλησίος, ''plesios'', meaning "near to" and ''sauros'', meaning "lizard") or plesiosaurs are an order or clade of extinct Mesozoic marine reptiles, belonging to the Sauropterygia. Plesiosaurs first appeared ...

, and all ends happily for Ylana and Tomar.

Reception

According to Den Valdron, assessing the series in ''ERBzine'', the book is " tter than ''

'', ndCarter makes a real effort to keep the pages turning. But sadly, he offers nothing new and nothing remarkable, ndthe plot is thin with complications literally shoehorned in."Valdron, Den.
Lin Carter's Callisto Series (Part 1 of a series of 12)
in ''ERBzine'' 1731.

References

External links

1977 American novels 1977 fantasy novels 1977 science fiction novels American science fiction novels Fiction set on Callisto (moon) Novels by Lin Carter {{1970s-fantasy-novel-stub