Futures-Past Editions: FuturesPast Editions Publishes Newly Discovered 3rd and Final Book in Pulp Magazine King Edmond Hamilton's Classic Star Kings Saga

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

FuturesPast Editions Publishes Newly Discovered 3rd and Final Book in Pulp Magazine King Edmond Hamilton's Classic Star Kings Saga

Edmond Hamilton's The Star Kings (first published in Amazing Stories in 1949) is one of the jewels in the crown of early space opera, rivaled only by E. E. Smith's Lensmen Series and Jack Williamson's Legion of Space Saga. In 1966, in response to continuing reader demand, Hamilton penned a sequel titled Return of the Stars. These two novels, along with a short story called Stark and the Star Kings—written in collaboration with his wife, Leigh Brackett—were thought to comprise the entire Star Kings saga.

…That is, until earlier this year when the editors of Futures Past Editions discovered, in a series of 1950s digest magazines, two further "complete novels" by Hamilton set in the Star Kings universe. One, The Star Hunter, takes place a few thousand years before the events of the Star Kings. The second, The Tattooed Man, is the capstone of the saga, taking place tens of thousands of years after the era of the Star Kings, when they are a half-forgotten legend believed only by children. It is possible that this story's connection with The Star Kings was overlooked because it was issued under a pseudonym bestowed by the magazine's publisher. It was identifiable as part of the Star Kings saga only because the climactic scene took place at one of The Star Kings' key locations.

The Last of the Star Kings is a Futures Past pulp reprint "Ultimate Edition". In addition to the original magazine text of the story, Ultimate Editions typically feature a new introduction, material by the author about her or his own life or the story itself, the original unaltered magazine cover (or covers), and other special material.

The Last of the Star Kings includes these and a very special extended version of Edmond Hamilton's future history (as given in The Star Kings), which covers the two thousand centuries between our own time and that of the Star Kings. (According to an earlier statement by the author, more than half of his science fiction stories are set in this future history, which also includes his famed Captain Future novels). This iteration of his future history charts the events of the millennia which follow The Star Kings, from a long Golden Age through the fall of the star kingdoms and onward to an era when they are almost forgotten and considered only a myth.

The Last of the Star Kings will be issued in both ebook and paperback formats.

The ebook edition of The Last of the Star Kings is $2.99. (Click here for Kindle edition)

The paperback will be $9.99.

Click here for the FuturesPast Editions kindle edition of the original magazine version of The Star