The jewels of Aptor - SFBA Book Club

158 pages

English language

Published Dec. 26, 1976 by Gregg Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-8398-2329-2

(1 review)

Delany's first novel, written when he was about 19. The story follows a small group through a post-nuclear war future setting, on a quest to rescue a priestess of the goddess Argo from the land of the dark god Hama. If you're going to start reading his science fiction novels, this would be a good start - or read it after reading several of his later ones and gain an interesting perspective on his evolution as an author. For a book written in 1962 by a nineteen-year-old, it is imaginative and extraordinary. Even reading it now and seeing the marks of youth in the author's style, it's a fun story, and you can also notice the gift for description that make Delany's works so vivid.

5 editions

Dysmorphia reviewed The Jewels of Aptor by Samuel R. Delany

Review of 'The Jewels of Aptor' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This piece of Delany juvenilia reminds me above all of Andre Norton's sciencefictional fantasy. Think Forerunner Foray or Witch World. Incarnations of Goddess and Gods run around, advanced technology left over from an apocalyptically ruined world looks like magic, telepathy, mutants, evil priests, and young adventurers. It's lots of fun and the characters and motivations are interesting. It's hard not to compare this to what Delany would later become and if you read this after say Dhalgren or Stars in My Pocket of Grains of Sand, expecting more like that, you will not be satisfied. On the other hand if you like your pulpy scifi/fantasy adventure, then you will like it.

It's out of copyright and you can get it free from the Gutenberg Project