Princess of the Sea

The Riotous Science Fantasy Classic

De: Don Wilcox

Narrado por: Desmond Manny

"Give Us More Wilcox, Please!" begged award-winning sf writer-editor Terry Carr in a letter to Fantastic Adventures in the early 1950s. Princess of the Seas, which has never been reprinted since its original pulp magazine appearance, is one of Don Wilcox's most celebrated science fantasy novels. Like all Don Wilcox's best work, it is a dream extravaganza. In an era when other writers were aiming for scientific accuracy, Wilcox, who knew his science, aimed at a different effect. For Wilcox wrote Science-Fantasy, with the accent on fantasy. His tales were more like what a wide-screen, Technicolor MGM adventure epic come sf film, starring, say, Errol Flynn, would be like if any had ever been made.

If you love wacky, off-the-wall sf, then you won't be able to resist the writer the 1940s hailed as Don "the madman" Wilcox. Come along as the hero, the explorer, Stupe (for Stupendous) Smith, the cook, Gypsy Brown, whose Yiddish is as thick a her wits are nimble, plus a number of spies and moles, rocket off to the ocean world of Venus in search of a beautiful woman said to ride its sapphire seas on a horse. There you will meet, and fall in love with the princess Zaleese-Ocella-dudu-Valletha-Kolello-Enyuperra-dudu-Ferroteela-Conzanzi-Methopop Ling, her white stallion, Marble Boy, who courses the ocean waves with the same nimbleness with which he breasts its deepest depths; not to mention such unforgettable characters as the fearsome Wingmen, the Earth magnate, J.J. Wellington, whose treacherous actions unleash war between Earth and Venus, and Gooyay, the little boy who just may be the key to peace or total carnage.

Be prepared for zany situations, off-beat puns, daffy characters, and plenty of laughs! (SF critics and Wilcox's colleagues of the period are divided over whether his particular approach to sf was tongue-in-cheek and intended to be funny, or merely the result of the copious quantities of whiskey needed to keep him typing at full speed to meet deadlines). No wonder, Lin Carter, the award-winning fantasist, hailed Don Wilcox's work as "Adult fairy tales!" Don Wilcox (1905-2000) was one of the most popular science fiction writers of the 1940s and early 1950s. The letter columns of Amazing, Other Worlds, Fantastic Adventures and other Golden Age science fiction pulps are filled with letters from fans, among them soon to be Hugo Award winners like Terry Carr and Robert Silverberg, praising his work and begging for more. Most popular of all were Wilcox's novels, such as The Ice Queen, Cats of Kadenza, The Serpent Has Five Fangs, Land of Big Blue Apples.

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Princess of the Sea review

Overall, this was interesting with an excellent performer/narrator. As far as the story goes, it was an excellent one.

Great story t

Don Wilcox wrote a great story. Desmond Manny did a great job on the narration. The story is interesting and refreshing. This story is an old story form a readers digest. It’s a great fantastic sci-fi story for all ages. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.would recommend

Sea Princess in Space?

I did not find this book at all funny. It was interesting, but not funny.

Refreshing and quaint

From the time before we knew so much about what isn’t out there in our solar system, this is a charming piece of sci-fi. It brings to mind fantasy stories and legends.

But there is plot, mystery, love, self-discovery snd a happy ending (sort of).

It’s a refreshing change from the commonalities of more recent sci-fi. No epic wars. No being stranded on a spaceship. No having to explain faster than light travel.

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for a review.

To be enjoyed on its own terms

Talk about dated sci fi! This fits all the standard expectations of having rich entrepreneurs, honest but gullible heroes, loyal sidekicks, honest governmental authorities (remember those days?) and, of course, an objectified beautiful young woman who is a pawn in all the various machinations. Oh, and did I mention that love conquers all? A delightful respite from the present world and much of the more recent and fascinating but doomsday-themed sci fi.

Vintage sci-fi

I enjoyed Princess of the Seas by Don Wilcox. The story was very entertaining. The narration by Desmond Manny was great. I received a free copy of the book for my honest review.