Eric John Stark

The people of Mars were perverse. They did not want Earth's proffer of rich land, much water, new power. They fought rehabilitation. And with them fought Carey, the Earthman who wanted only the secret that lay at the end of the road to Sinharat. Leigh Brackett was the undisputed Queen of Space Opera and the first women to be nominated for the coveted Hugo Award. She wrote short stories, novels, and scripts for Hollywood. She wrote the first draft of the Empire Strikes Back shortly before her death in 1978.

The people of Mars were perverse. They did not want Earth's proffer of rich land, much water, new power. They fought rehabilitation. And with them fought Carey, the Earthman who wanted only the secret that lay at the end of the road to Sinharat. Leigh Brackett was the undisputed Queen of Space Opera and the first women to be nominated for the coveted Hugo Award. She wrote short stories, novels, and scripts for Hollywood. She wrote the first draft of the Empire Strikes Back shortly before her death in 1978.

Leigh Brackett may be best known for her screenplay for "The Empire Strikes Back," but her lush tales of interplanetary adventures were thrilling readers long before "Star Wars." Collected here are the short novel "Black Amazon of Mars" (the final magazine appearance of her hero, Eric John Stark), as well as "A World Is Born" and "Child of the Sun."

Grimly Eric John Stark slogged toward that ancient Martian city-with every step he cursed the talisman of Ban Cruach that flamed in his blood-stained belt. Behind him screamed the hordes of Ciaran, hungering for that magic jewel-ahead lay the dread abode of the Ice Creatures-at his side stalked the whispering spectre of Ban Cruach, urging him on to a battle Stark knew he must lose!

Grimly Eric John Stark slogged toward that ancient Martian city-with every step he cursed the talisman of Ban Cruach that flamed in his blood-stained belt. Behind him screamed the hordes of Ciaran, hungering for that magic jewel-ahead lay the dread abode of the Ice Creatures-at his side stalked the whispering spectre of Ban Cruach, urging him on to a battle Stark knew he must lose!