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Book Details

The Jewels of Aptor

71.4% complete
1962
2016
1 time
See 2
Prologue
12 chapters
Book Cover
Has a genre Has a synopsis Has a year read Has a rating In my library 
2166
No series
Copyright ©, 1962, by Ace Books, Inc.
No dedication.
Waves flung up against the purple glow of double sleeplessness.
May contain spoilers
"Just look at that thing go!"
No comments on file
Synopsis* (may contain spoilers)
Jewels of Aptor is a science fantasy novel by Samuel R. Delany that follows the tale of two adventuresome youths, Argo and Geo, as they make a perilous journey through the land of Aptor.  The novel is set in a distant future where humanity has spread across the stars and colonized many worlds.

Argo and Geo are hoping to find the legendary jewels said to be hidden in Aptor. These jewels are rumored to possess mystical powers, and their acquisition would bring immense wealth and power to their owner. As they begin their journey, they are attacked by a group of savage, mutated creatures called the Ghouls. Fortunately, they are saved by a group of warriors called the Pelicans, who take them in and nurse them back to health.

The two youths soon learn that the Pelicans are searching for a missing member of their tribe, a man named Venn. Venn had left on a quest to find the source of a mysterious energy that surrounds Aptor, and his search had taken him deep into the wilderness. The Pelicans were worried for his safety and had been searching for him ever since.

Argo and Geo, always in search of adventure, offer to accompany the Pelicans on their quest to find Venn. They journey through the harsh terrain of Aptor, braving dangerous creatures, treacherous mountains, and treacherous rivers. Along the way, they encounter a variety of strange beings, including a group of electrically charged, flying creatures known as the Scorp-Spiderwings.

Their journey leads them to a strange and powerful being named Gaylord, who possesses immense psychic powers. Gaylord explains to the group that Aptor is a nexus of power, a place where the energies of the universe converge. He reveals that he has sensed the presence of Venn, and that he is in great danger. He offers to guide the group to Venn's location, but warns them that they will have to face his nemesis, the dark sorceress Vazkor.

Vazkor is a powerful witch who has been corrupted by the power of Aptor. She has been searching for the jewels, hoping to use their power to control the universe. She has captured Venn and is holding him captive in her fortress.

The group engages in a fierce battle with Vazkor's minions, but are ultimately unable to penetrate her fortress. They retreat and regroup, and with the help of Gaylord and his powers, they are able to penetrate Vazkor's defenses. They storm the fortress and engage in a final, desperate battle with Vazkor and her minions.

In the end, the group is victorious, and they are able to free Venn from captivity. Vazkor is defeated, and her hold on Aptor is broken. The jewels are recovered, and the group departs Aptor and returns to the stars, with their lives forever changed by their experiences on the mystical planet.

Jewels of Aptor is a gripping tale of adventure and discovery, filled with unforgettable characters and fantastical landscapes. It is a classic of science fantasy, and a must-read for fans of the genre.

Extract not on file

 

Added: 01-Nov-2018
Last Updated: 21-Mar-2023

Publications

 15-Mar-2013
Libivox
Audiobook
In my libraryI read this editionHas a cover imageBook Edition Cover
Date Issued:
15-Mar-2013
Format:
Audiobook
Length:
6 hrs 20 min (194 pages)
"Read":
Once
Reading(s):
1)   15 Aug 2016 - 18 Aug 2016
Internal ID:
12703
Publisher:
ISBN:
Unknown
Country:
United States
Language:
English
Credits:
Bellona Times  - Narration
Bellona Times - Book Coordinator
DaveC - Proof Listener
Amy Gramour - Meta Coordinator
From librivox.org:

Delany's first novel, from 1962, serves as a sort of prologue to the subsequent Captives of the Flame, 1963. Set several centuries after the Great Fire -- a nuclear holocaust -- a young woman seeks her destiny with the help of a four-armed youth
Cover:
Book Cover
Notes and Comments:

Related

Author(s)

Samuel R Delany  
Birth: 01 Apr 1942 New York City
Notes:
From the Random House Website:

After his seventh novel Empire Star (1966), Samuel Delany began publishing short fiction professionally with “The Star Pit.” It appeared in Worlds of Tomorrow and was turned into a popular two-hour radio play, broadcast annually over WBAI-FM for more than a decade. Two tales, “Aye, and Gomorrah” and “Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-precious Stones,” won Nebula Awards as best SF short stories of, respectively, 1967 and 1969. Aye, and Gomorrah contains all the significant short science fiction and fantasy Delany published between 1965 and 1988, excepting only those tales in his Return to Nevèrÿon series. A native New Yorker, Delany teaches English and Creative Writing at Temple University in Philadelphia. In July of 2002 he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Awards

No awards found
*
  • I try to maintain page numbers for audiobooks even though obviously there aren't any. I do this to keep track of pages read and I try to use the Kindle version page numbers for this.
  • Synopses marked with an asterisk (*) were generated by an AI. There aren't a lot since this is an iffy way to do it - AI seems to make stuff up.
  • When specific publication dates are unknown (ie prefixed with a "Cir"), I try to get the publication date that is closest to the specific printing that I can.
  • When listing chapters, I only list chapters relevant to the story. I will usually leave off Author Notes, Indices, Acknowledgements, etc unless they are relevant to the story or the book is non-fiction.
  • Page numbers on this site are for the end of the main story. I normally do not include appendices, extra material, and other miscellaneous stuff at the end of the book in the page count.






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