From: 4224_5201@uwovax.uwo.ca (Dark Lord of the Sith)
Subject: LEIGH BRACKETT (ESB) SF STORIES
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 02:14:59 GMT

     Those who have watched The Empire Strikes Back (I assume all readers)
will recognize the name of one of the scriptwriters to be Leigh Brackett.
Unlike the other authors for the scripts, she was also a professional sci-fi
writer specializing in space-opera and her work is definitely worth checking
out. Her stories were of the stuff that we all Star Wars for. I would assume
that George Lucas chose her to write Empire. In fact, she turned in the first
draft of Empire before she died a few days later.

     For the interest of Star Wars fans I am listing all of her SF works and
some of her other novels. She also wrote a number of mystery stories, but I
haven't gone through the right indeces to gather the full information. I will
also list all of the movies that she co-scripted or scripted. I have seen most
of them and they are all quite good. I urge all readers to look them up as
well as to obtain her stories and novels in original or collected form. A
number of stories as yet are still uncollected. I have most of the originals
and can't see why. Herein is a complete list of the SF and films of an author
who has unfortunately been neglected.

STORIES

Planet Stories

WIN 1940     - The Stellar Legion
SUM 1941     - The Dragon Queen of Jupiter
WIN 1942     - Biographical Sketch
FEB 1942     - Child of the Sun
NOV 1942     - Outpost on IO
MAR 1943     - Citadel of Lost Ships
MAY 1943     - Blue Behemoth
FAL 1943     - Thralls of the Endless Night
SPR 1944     - Jewel of Bas
SUM 1944     - Terror out of Space
SPR 1945     - The Vanishing Venusians
SUM 1946     - Lorelei of the Red Mist (with Ray Bradbury)
WIN 1948     - Beast Jewel of Mars
FAL 1949     - Enchantress of Venus
SUM 1949     - Queen of the Martian Catacombs
MAR 1951     - Black Amazon of Mars
NOV 1952     - Shannach-the Last
SEP 1953     - The Ark of Mars
JAN 1954     - Mars Minus Bisma
WIN 1955     - Teleportress of Alpha C
SUM 1955     - Last Call From Sector 9G

Startling Stories

JAN 1941     - The Demons of Darkside
MAR 1941     - Interplanetary Reporter
FEB 1944     - Shadow Over Mars
FAL 1944     - Biographical Sketch with Photo
JUL 1950     - The Truants
MAR 1951     - The Starmen of Llydris
JUL 1951     - The Woman From Altair
FEB 1952     - The Shadows
APR 1952     - The Last Days of Shandakar
SPR 1954     - Runaway

Thrilling Wonder Stories

SPR 1944     - The Veil of Astellar
OCT 1948     - The Moon that Vanished
APR 1949     - Queen of the Starhope
JUN 1949     - Sea Kings of Mars
OCT 1949     - The Lake of the Gone Forever
FEB 1950     - The Dancing Girl of Ganymede
DEC 1950     - Citadel of the Lost Ages

Astonishing Stories

NOV 1941     - Retreat to the Stars
JUN 1942     - Out of the Sea
FEB 1943     - The Halfling

Super Science Stories

JAN 1941     - Water Pirate
FEB 1942     - Child of the Green Light
AUG 1942     - Cube From Space

Astounding Science Fiction

FEB 1940     - Martian Quest
APR 1940     - Treasure of Ptakuth
FEB 1942     - The Sorcerer of Rhiannon

Science Fiction

JUN 1941     - Lord of the Earthquake

Comet Stories

JUL 1941     - A World is Born

Amazing Stories

JUL 1941     - No Man's Land in Space
MAY 1963     - The Road to Sinharat

Space Stories

FEB 1953     - The Big Jump

Venture Science Fiction

MAR 1957     - The Queer Ones
NOV 1957     - All the Colours of the Rainbow

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

FEB 1955     - The Tweener
OCT 1964     - Purple Priestess of the Mad Moon


     Some of these stories were reprinted in other pulps which was a common
practice in those days. However I have listed only original appearances. On a
side note, the comic company Conquest Press is doing some adaptations of some
of the stories listed above. What they've published so far has been fantastic.
The art is stunning, and later comics will be written by professional authors
such as Poul Anderson. Chances are the local comic shop won't carry them but
if interested send E-Mail for an address.

SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS (original year of publication)

1951 - Shadow Over Mars (Fall 1944 Startling Stories)
1951 - The Nemesis From Terra
1952 - The Starmen (also as The Galactic Breed and The Starmen of Llydris)
       (From Startling Stories Mar 1951)
1953 - The Sword of Rhiannon (originally The Sea-Kings of Mars from June 1949
       Thrilling Wonder Stories)
1955 - The Big Jump (from Space Stories Feb. 1953)
1955 - The Long Tomorrow
1963 - Alpha Centauri or Die (enlarged version of Teleportress of Venus from
       Planet Stories Win. 1955)
1964 - The Secret of Sinharat (from Planet Stories Sum. 1949 originally titled
       Queen of the Martian Catacombs)
1964 - People of the Talisman (revised version of Black Amazon of Mars from
       Mar. 1951 Planet Stories)
1967 - The Coming of the Terrans (contains The Beast Jewel of Mars, Mars Minus
       Bisha, The Last Days of Shandakar, Purple Priestess of the Mad Moon,
       The Road to Sinharat from Planet Win. 1948, Planet Jan. 1954, Startling
       Apr. 1952, Mag of F@SF Oct. 1964 and Amazing May 1963)
1973 - The Halfling and Other Stories (contains The Halfling, The Dancing Girl
       of Ganymede, The Citadel of Lost Ages, All the Colors of the Rainbow,
       The Shadows, Enchantress of Venus, The Lake of the Gone Forever and The
       Truants from Astonishing Stories Feb. 1943, Thrilling Wonder Feb. 1950,
       Thrilling Wonder Dec. 1950, Venture SF Nov. 1957, Startling Spr. 1954,
       Planet Fal. 1949, Thrilling Wonder Oct. 1949 and Startling Jul. 1950)
1974 - The Ginger Star
1974 - The Hounds of Skaith
1976 - The Reavers of Skaith
1976 - The Book of Skaith (collection of the above three)
1977 - The Best of Leigh Brackett (don't know what's in this one)

As Editor

1974 - The Best of Planet Stories Vol #1
1977 - The Best of Edmond Hamilton (Hamilton was her husband and a space-opera
       writer)


Other Stuff

     She wrote also a number of mystery stories and novels. Here is a scant
list of them. She also wrote a western but I don't know the title. I do know
that by 1967 she had only written five non SF novels. One novel was under a
pseudonym.

The Tiger Among Us (date unknown but book on juvenile delinquency)
1958 - An Eye For an Eye

     I'll get to posting her mystery stories once the research is finished.

Films

1945 - The Vampire's Ghost (story, sc.)
1945 - Crime Doctor's Manhunt (sc.)
1946 - The Big Sleep (co. sc.)
1959 - Rio Bravo (co. sc.)
1961 - Gold of the Seven Saints (co. sc.)
1962 - 13 West Street (based on novel The Tiger Among Us)
1962 - Hatari! (sc.)
1967 - El Dorado (sc.)
1970 - Rio Lobo (co. sc.)
1973 - The Long Goodbye (sc.)
1980 - The Empire Strikes Back (co. sc.)

     The science fiction listings and the films are complete (except for the
contents of the one book) and I beg all Star Wars fans to check the stuff out.
They will not be dissapointed. In fact they'll probably ask why they have not
heard of this writer. If Lucas continues to rely on professional science
fiction writers (witness Timothy Zahn) then the future of Star Wars will be
guaranteed. Look at Star Trek: The Next Generation which is written by
professional T.V. writers. Recent episodes have not been good. (The
original Star Trek had many episodes written by authors. ex. Sturgeon, Bloch
Ellison)
     All in all, good luck searching out for this stuff and expect sometime
her mystery stories and... the films which inspired George Lucas for Star
Wars. (I won't give any hints as to what they were.)
 
-- 

John P. LaRocque
4224_5201@uwovax.uwo.ca

"Farm chores sure could be dull, and Luke Skywalker was bored beyond belief.
He yearned for adventures out among the stars - adventures that would take him
beyond the furthest galaxies to distant and alien worlds.

"But Luke got more than he bargained for..."
                            from Star Wars the paperback (1976, first edition)

"Urk..urk..."
"Apologies accepted", Darth Vader