Secret of the Lost Race

(aka) Wolfshead

~ A Novel by Andre Norton

secret of the lost race 1969 75830

 

Synopsis ~

Write-up from the back of the 1969 ACE paperback edition ~

The Constellation of the Wolf was an area of the Galaxy few spacemen wanted to visit, for its sparse worlds were home only to the outcasts of the civilized worlds. But now it had been learned that there was among is runaway refugees who was more than just a misfit – one who was a definite danger to all humanity.
The hunt was on for the desperate young man called Joktar – for if he was what they said he was, he could contaminate the universe!
Only Joktar didn’t believe it – and he rallied a world of courageous outlaws to defend him.

 

Write-up from the back of the 1978 ACE paperback edition ~

Constellation of the Wolf:
A lawless region whose sparse worlds are the last refuge for outcasts from more civilized sectors of the galaxy. But one of its refugees is more than just a misfit – he is a threat to all humanity!
The hunt is on for the desperate youth called Jaktor. But for a lifetime as an orphan fighting for survival in the spacemen’s helltown of N’Yok has taught Jaktor when to run – and when to fight. On the frozen world of Fenris he takes his stand – with a world of outlaws on his side.

 

Write-up from the back of the 1982 Ace paperback edition ~

Jokar was running for his life – and he didn’t even know why.
After growing up orphaned in the spaceman’s helltown of interstellar New York, Jokar was adept at dodging the law; but he knew of no special reason why all the police forces of the civilized galaxy should suddenly concentrate on him. All he knew was that he had to run – and run he did, out of the Solar System and straight across the galaxy to the aptly named Constellation of the Wolf. In the Freezing hell that was the Wolf world of Fenris he returned and awaited his hunters….

 

Write-up from the dust jacket of the Gregg Press edition ~

Secret of the Lost Race, the fifth volume of the Space Adventure Novels of Andre Norton, relates the struggle of young Joktar to escape from slavery on an ice age planet and discover the truth about his mysterious origins. He had been an orphan in the spacemen's hell town of interstellar N'Yok all his remembered life and had grown adept at dodging the law and outwitting the criminal. But suddenly to top rankers of the galactic service are out to get him, and he cannot figure out why. Running for his life Joktar crosses the galaxy first to ice age Fenris and then to Loki, where he faces a final confrontation with his powerful and irrational enemies.

 

Write-ups from fans ~

Who is Joktar? Other than the best Stars and Comets dealer N'yok has ever seen. A orphan, yes, looking about half the age he really is, well trained in every kind of unarmed combat, but carrying the highly illegal "Force Blade". Why are the strange men in gray uniforms after him? With no idea of who his parents were, their planet of origin, or any other personal history before he arrived in N'Yok with his mother just before she died, Joktar had no clue why anyone should take such interest in him. The story starts out very slowly with 2&1/2 pages of communications between people we don't meet until much later in the story. Then he gets picked up in a street raid to get some forced laborers to slave away in mines on Fenris*, a cold inhospitable planet. Through a series of unbelievable luck, he escapes his "Company" masters and hooks up with rebels who are plotting an overthrow of the mining companies who hold a monopoly on trade. Right near the end, his past catches up with him and the big question of who he is, is answered. ~ PG

 

Reviews ~

Various reviews ~ For more info and other listings see Articles Over the Years

1959 by S. E. Cotts in Amazing Science Fiction Stories, November
1960 by Frederik Pohl in Worlds of If, January
1960 by P. Schuyler Miller in Astounding/Analog Science Fact & Fiction, May
2015 by James Nicoll
2019 by Judith Tarr

 

Bibliography of English Editions ~

  • (1959) ACE Double Book containing Secret of the Lost Race and One Against Herculum by Jerry Sohl, Published by ACE, PB, # D-381, $0.35, 134pg+132pg – cover of Secret of the Lost Race by Edward Valigursky ~ cover of One Against Herculum by Ed Emshwiller

    Synopsis for One Against Herculum ~
    Corruption was the rule of order on the domed planetary colony of Herculum. Earthman Alan Demuth, for instance, couldn't get the job he had rightfully qualified for without paying a kickback to the man he hated, Jack Bohannen. Alan thought he could simply report Jack's graft, until he learned none would listen. There was one desperate recourse. Under provision of the law, Alan could apply for a crime license. His crime would be homicide, and the Victim Jack Bohannen. The law gave him 24 hours to make good his murder. Failure would mean Alan's death. Success would mean the clean-up of graft and dishonesty. But Alan never realized that in a graft-ridden society, even a license to kill is liable to prove a backfiring fraud!

  • (1969) Published by ACE, PB, 0-441-75830, $0.60, 144pg – cover by Edward Valigursky (With a profile of Andre Norton by Lin Carter) ~ #75831 1972 $0.75 144pg - #75832 1974 $1.25 5th print - covers by unknown ~ #75833 1978 $1.75 6th print - cover Eileen Astrahan ~ #75834-7 1982 $1.95 7th print - #75835-5 1982 $2.25 179pg 8th print - #75836-3 1985 $2.50 179pg 9th print - cover by Wayne Barlowe 

#75831 printed at least 3 times with same number and price. The first appears with ad codes 17B, 24E & 25D the second with codes 24B, 25A & 31A and a third printing with ad codes 24C, 25B & 12-7235B.

  • (1978) Published by Gregg Press, HC, 0-839-82419-X, LCCN 77025542, $7.95, 132pg ~ Space Adventure Novels of Andre Norton 5 ~ Dust Jacket by Jack Gaughan, Frontmatter by Elizabeth R. Cooke {Binding: 5.625 x 8.25 - Brown Cloth Boards with Gold Lettering (Publisher states the color is Burnt Orange), Orange End Papers}
  • Secret of the Stars (2014) Published by BAEN, TP, 978-1-476-73674-7, $14.00, 400pg ~ cover by unknown ~ omnibus containing Secret of the Lost Race (1959) & Star Hunter (1961)


Non-English Editions ~

  • (1960) Published in Rastatt, Germany; by Pabel, OCLC: 73753183, Utopia Großband 126, DM1.00, 95pg ~ translated by M. F. Arnemann ~ cover by Ed Valigursky ~ German title Das Geheimnis der Verlorenen [The secret of the lost]
  • (1966) Published in Munich, Germany; by Moewig, OCLC: 73892393, Terra Extra 122, DM0.80, 64pg ~ cover by Johnny Bruck ~ German title Das Geheimnis der Verlorenen [The secret of the lost]
  • (1991)-1 Published in Moscow, by Fiction, 5-280-02431-7, HC, 128pg ~ translation by P. Dimov ~ cover by Nikolay Zubkov and Dmitry Starks ~ Russian title Сокровище таинственной расы [Mystery Race Treasure] ~ Also released as a PB with the same publishing Info and cover

 

Russian Omnibus Editions ~

  • (1991)-2 Published in Moscow, by Fiction, 5-280-02474-3, HC, 334pg ~ cover by N. Zubkov ~ Russian title Убить бога [Kill God]

Contains:

    • "Night of Light" by F. Farmer as "Kill God" ~ translation by I. Nikolaev, pp. 3-98
    • "Catseye" as "The Horseman from Vorden" ~ translation by P. Dymov, pp. 99-226
    • "Secret of the Lost Race" as "Treasure of the mysterious race" ~ translation by P. Dymov, pp. 227-331

 

  • (1991)-3 Published in Moscow, by Interbrook, 5-280-02431-7, HC, 464pg ~ Russian title Сокровище таинственной расы. Человек в лабиринте. Планета обезьян [Treasure of the mysterious race. The man in the maze. Planet of the Apes]

Contains:

    • "Secret of the Lost Race" as "Treasure of the mysterious race" ~ translation by P. Dymov
    • "Planet of the Apes" by Pierre Bull ~ translation by F. Mendelssohn
    • "The Man in the Maze" by Robert Silverberg

Note:
The translator of the novel "Planet of the Apes" in the publication indicated "L. Mendelssohn."
Apparently, this copy of the publication is a convolute of three books:
1. Andre Norton. Treasure of the mysterious race (ISBN: 5-280-02431-7); ~ See: (1991)-1
2. Pierre Bull. Planet of the Apes (one of the editions of 1989-1991)
3. Robert Silverberg. The man in the labyrinth ( Interbook publishing house)

 

  • (1992)-1 Published in Ishin, by EYA, 5-85268-048-6, HC, 544pg ~ cover by O. Polishchuk ~ Russian title Рассвет в 2250 году [Dawn in the year 2250]

Contains:

    • "Star Man's Son" as "Dawn in 2250" ~ pp. 3-136
    • "Star Guard" ~ pp. 137-253
    • "The Last Planet" ~ pp. 254-376
    • "Seret of the Lost Race" as "Treasure of the Mysterious Race" ~ pp. 377-469
    • "Star Hunter" ~ pp 470-542

 

  • (1992)-2 Published in Zelenograd, by Zelenogradskaya Books, 5-863-14009-7, HC, 416pg ~ Russian title Янус [Janus]

Contains:

    • "Judgment on Janus" as "Court on Janus" ~ translation by L. Morgun, pp. 4-138
    • "Victory on Janus" ~ translation by L. Morgun, pp. 140-292
    • "Secret of the Lost Race" as "The Mystery of the Lost Race" ~ translation by K. Prilipko, pp. 294-413

 

  • (1994) Published in Zelenograd, by Zelenogradskaya Books, 5-863-14036-4, HC, 416pg ~ cover by V. Bjasso ~ Russian title Победа на Янусе [Victory on Janus]

Contains:

    • "Judgment on Janus" as "Court on Janus" ~ pp. 4-139
    • "Victory on Janus" ~ pp. 140-294
    • "Secret of the Lost Race" as "The Mystery of the Lost Race" ~ pp. 295-413

 

  • (2005) Published in Moscow, by Eksmo, 5-699-12410-1, HC, 448pg ~ Russian title Камень предтеч [Forerunner Stone] ~ Limited to 5000 copies

Contains:

    • "The Zero Stone" as "The Forerunner Stone" ~ translation by D. Arsenyev & O. Kolesnikov, p. 5-176
    • "Uncharted Stars" as "Stars not marked on the map" ~ translation by D. Arsenyev & O. Kolesnikov, p. 177-340
    • "Secret of the Lost Race" as "The Mystery of the Lost Race" ~ translation by D. Arsenyev & O. Kolesnikov, p. 341-446

 

  • (2015) Published in Moscow by Eksmo, 9785699827817, HC, 704pgs ~ cover art by A. Dubovik ~ Russian title Последняя планета [Last Planet] ~ Limited to 5000 copies

Contains:

    • "Secret of the Lost Race" as "The Mystery of the Lost Race" ~ translation by O. Kolesnikov, pp. 5-124
    • "The Sioux spaceman" as "Space Sioux" ~ translation by O. Kolesnikov, pp. 125-264
    • "Yurth Burden" as "The burden of yurts" ~ translation by O. Kolesnikov, pp. 265-374
    • "Star Guard" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 375-538
    • "The Last Planet" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 539-701

View the Original contract

View the original Copyright app.

View the 1972 ACE contract

View the 1986 ACE contract

View the 1988 Copyright renewal app.

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://andre-norton.com/works-of-a-master/long-works-of-a-master/436-secret-of-the-lost-race#sigProIdeec786c637

 

 

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