Slan Hunter

By: Kevin Anderson, A.E. Van Vogt

Narrated by: Scott Brick

This startling SF adventure novel is a collaboration between the classic SF grand master A. E. van Vogt and contemporary master Kevin J. Anderson. At the time of his death in 2000, van Vogt left a partial draft and an outline for the sequel to his most famous novel, Slan. Now the story is completed by Anderson and is sure to be one of the most popular SF novels of the year.

Slans are a race of superior mutants, smarter and stronger than homo sapiens and able to read minds. Thousands of years in the future on Earth, the Slan Wars are over, and the slans were largely wiped out, but people still fear and distrust them. They are now a persecuted minority who live in hiding from the greater population.

SLAN HUNTER tells of this towering conflict in the far future, a war among the races of mankind, as humanity–all types of humanity–struggles to survive. Mutant Jommy Cross, the hero of Slan, and the other great characters from that book return, including Kier Gray, Gray’s beautiful daughter Kathleen, and the villainous John Petty. The final Slan War now begins.©2007 Kevin J. Anderson and A. E. van Vogt; (P)2007 Books on Tape

Narrator is so so

I feel like the narrator is lecturing me from a church pulpit. All of the phrasing sounds as if it were delivered in a sermon of brimstone and fire.

Great Sequel

What was most enjoyable was that even though some 50 or more years had passed the language of the original was maintained and was quite well integrated with the original. A Golden age of Sci-FI story was extended without a hitch

A Lesser Story

This is a long-desired sequel to A. E van Vogt's golden-age classic, _Slan_. According to the book's introductory material. A. E. van Vogt started this project late in life, creating an outline for the story and some scattered writing before sliding into progressively worsening dementia. The rest of the book was finished by a writer who definitely lacked the master's skill.

The story follows the familiar characters from _Slan_ picking up with events just after that book's end. John Petty, the head of the secret police, pulls off a palace coup, captures almost all of the other main characters, along with Jommy Cross' weapon, and proceeds to do dastardly deeds. Petty is one of two characters to whom the title, _Slan Hunter_ might apply. The second possible title character is a tendriless slan, out to destroy both "true slans" and human beings. A major premise of the book is that Jommy Cross is unable to replicate his father's atomic weapon (despite his repeated use of atomic weapons of his own, based on his father's design, in _Slan_). The story develops along predictable lines. For me, there was only one surprise in the whole book. The story relies too much on narrative "telling" rather than the author putting the reader into the scene, with the result that we don't really care much about the characters, and the story lacks tension and excitement. The story isn't "terrible," but if you enjoyed _Slan_, you may wish to leave this book unread or unheard.

part of 3 of slan

i enjoyed it.i.love all this authors
books i read slan when it first
came out

Didn't like the ending.

I liked the book as much as the original except for the ending. It was too creepy having the memories of a grown man downloaded into a baby. I think also seemed like too abrupt a conclusion when less significant things got lots of exposition. it was like."Oops times up, gotta wrap this up.". I think regardless of the original author secumbing to Alzheimer's, the ending could have been better plotted.