Hip, hip, hurrah! It's time for another Mark Allen Vann compilation of wonderment, as served through the innovative Xepico Press. Vann's latest is called Saturn's Child and Other Tales.
Vann's eclectic volume begins with its titular lady, the gorgeous Princess Xian Xenn (commemorated by Douglas Klauba's scintillating cover), who phases into Earth, circa the 70s, landing in Las Vegas where she quarrels with bad bikers and all the consequential trouble that such brings. Through her bawdy battles, she seeks an audience with (and assistance from) the sandy realm's beloved King, an entertainer of iconic caliber.
Along with Xian Xenn's exciting, fish-out-of-water escapade, Vann treats his readers to the gritty plight of Marshal Payne, a no-nonsense lawman and his clash with the nasty Yancy boys and a revenge-prone, spectral shaman; Richard Solles' John Carter-esque jaunt across the weird and beautiful land of Lianaxa; the monstrous mishaps of USS Indianapolis survivor, Colt Kendricks, who deters death by sharks only to face the horrors of a lizard-infested island; the exuberant hi-jinks of a mechanical Kal-El (and the elderly couple who adopt him) in a nutty mix of The Iron Giant and The Day the Earth Stood Still; the terrifying trail of Jana Dhark, a former Justice Squadron member who enters the Deadzone, where Richard Matheson-type vampires hold a teenager captive; and last but not least, the clammy case of paranormal negotiator, Richard Mordane (aka Geist), who lives in a world where spirits mingle with the fleshly. (For what it's worth, I do believe the latter would make a splendid television show, but then all of Vann's tales hold that special potential.)
As each yarn proves, Vann is a remarkable raconteur, who weaves inspiring worlds that are aimed to please fans of his prior, acclaimed anthologies, Eight Against the Darkness and The Fateful Eight.
As with the aforementioned winners, Saturn's Child and Other Tales should be a launching pad for sequel volumes galore, and I do trust and pray that the accomplished Vann will deliver them.
Order the sensational Saturn's Child and Other Tales at
https://www.amazon.com/Saturns-Child-Other-Tales-Allen/dp/1734511842/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=mark+allen+vann&qid=1634077144&s=books&sr=1-4
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