The Hands of Aten (1931)

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by H.G. Winter (AKA Harry Bates)



An adventurer discovers three long-frozen Egyptians, thaws them, and tracks them back to the ancient colony from which they came. This is lower tier pulp page filler, dull mechanical by-the-numbers lost world storytelling. If anyone ever tries to tell you that there is no craft or skill involved in penning pulp fiction that stands the test of time, hand them a copy of this. It does manage to build to a suspenseful standoff toward the end, but that is nowhere near enough to redeem this tale. The author of this short novel, which appeared in the July 1931 issue of Astounding Stories, also wrote "Farewell to the Master," the story that inspired the classic film The Day the Earth Stood Still.


Harry Bates


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