The Venom Trees of Sunga

The Venom Trees of Sunga

Infobox Book |
name = The Venom Trees of Sunga
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = First edition of "The Venom Trees of Sunga"
author = L. Sprague de Camp
illustrator =
cover_artist = Darrell K. Sweet
country = United States
language = English
series = "Kukulkan"
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Del Rey Books
release_date = 1992
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 211 pp
isbn = ISBN 0345375513
preceded_by = The Stones of Nomuru
followed_by =

"The Venom Trees of Sunga" is a science fiction novel written by L. Sprague de Camp, the twelfth book in the his "Viagens Interplanetarias" series and the second in its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Kukulkan. It was first published in paperback by Del Rey Books in November 1992.

Plot summary

The lead character Kirk Salazar, a second-generation Terran colonist on the planet Kukulkan, is near the end of his education to become a biologist, lacking only field research to complete his studies. Interested in the evolutionary background of the dominant native species, the intelligent reptilian Kukulkanians, he focuses on a related animal species whose habitat is the poisonous "venom trees" on the remote island of Sunga. To reach his destination he joins a tour group headed for the island, among whom are some family friends worried about their daughter, who has joined a band of Terran cult members there. They discover she has become the cult's leader, and Salazar finds himself caught in the crossfire of a power struggle between the cultists and a Terran logging magnate intent on clear-cutting the venom trees. He is able to save his neck and preserve the habitat of his research subjects by an unorthodox use of his findings, a spectacularly unlikely disguise, and a healthy dose of dumb luck.

etting

Kukulkan, a planet of the star Epsilon Eridani, is inhabited by intelligent dinosaur-like creatures possessed of a civilization far older than Earth's. Due to the natives' inherent conservatism and an environment deficient in fossil fuels, its technology has not advanced beyond edged weapons and steam-driven vehicles. The Kukulkanians, or "Kooks" as they are known among Terrans, are honest, honor-bound, and dull in personality. Terrans have obtained land for a colony by treaty, and the colonists, comprised primarily of descendants of North American, Russian, and Chinese settlers, co-inhabit the planet in a somewhat uneasy relationship with the natives. The cultural level of the aboriginal race places the Kukulkan stories firmly within the Sword and Planet genre, though the non-humanoid inhabitants are an unusual feature. The Kooks' rational and dispassionate observations allow the authors to present a rather arch perspective on the comparatively less stable Earthlings.

Problematic placement in the "Viagens" series

The status of the Kukulkan novels as part of the "Viagens" series has been disputed on three grounds.

The first objection is that the "Viagens Interplanetarias" is never actually mentioned in the novels. This difficulty is explicable; as the Terran settlements on Kukulkan are well-established they are not dependent on the space organization for support as are Terrans on other worlds. The fact that all the action in the Kukulkan novels takes place on-planet also lessens the likelihood of "Viagens" involvement.

The second objection is that the novels portray a future in which Americans, Russians and Chinese appear prominent, while the Brazilians usually portrayed as the dominant Earth society go unmentioned. This difficulty has also been rationalized; emigrant societies are more commonly drawn from struggling countries than affluent ones, and America and Russia, at least, are no longer great powers in the "Viagens" future. Therefore it is reasonable for these nations, and not the prosperous Brazil, to have sent settlers to Kukulkan.

The third objection is that the name of the planet Kukulkan appears to violate the naming system previously established for the planetary system of Epsilon Eridani, which according to the introduction and title story of "The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens" utilized the names of Norse gods like Thor, not Mayan gods like Kukulkan. This discrepancy remains unresolved, but since no "Viagens" story is actually set on any of the Norse worlds, the identification of their star as Epsilon Eridani is perhaps best regarded as an error.

Regardless of these issues, an explicit reference to the key "Viagens" planet Krishna in "The Venom Trees of Sunga" definitively places Kukulkan in the "Viagens" universe.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Undesired Princess —   Dust jacket …   Wikipedia

  • The Queen of Zamba —   …   Wikipedia

  • The Stones of Nomuru — Infobox Book | name = The Stones of Nomuru title orig = translator = image caption = first edition of The Stones of Nomuru author = L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp illustrator = cover artist = country = United States language =… …   Wikipedia

  • Viagens Interplanetarias — The Viagens Interplanetarias series is a sequence of science fiction stories by L. Sprague de Camp, begun in the late 1940s and written under the influence of contemporary space opera and sword and planet stories, particularly Edgar Rice… …   Wikipedia

  • Novarian series — The Reluctant King by L. Sprague de Camp, Nelson Doubleday, 1985 The Novarian series is a sequence of fantasy stories by L. Sprague de Camp, published between 1968 and 1989. The series contains some of de Camp s most innovative works of fantasy,… …   Wikipedia

  • List of fictional planets by medium — This is a list of fictional planets organized by the medium in which they primarily appear.Novels and short stories =Adams, Douglas= *Brontitall The Hitchhiker s Guide to the Galaxy (radio series); planet of bird people who live in the ear of a… …   Wikipedia

  • Lest Darkness Fall —   First edition c …   Wikipedia

  • Man and Power —   Cover of Man And Power …   Wikipedia

  • Darwin and His Great Discovery —   Author(s) L. Sprague deCamp and Catherine Crook de Camp …   Wikipedia

  • Ancient Ruins and Archaeology —   Dust jacket for …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”