The Fall of the Towers

The Fall of the Towers is a trilogy of science fantasy books by American writer Samuel R. Delany.

The Fall of the Towers
Covers of first omnibus edition
AuthorSamuel R. Delany
Cover artistKelly Freas
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fantasy
PublisherAce Books
Publication date
1970
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages413 pp
OCLC425974

First published in omnibus form in 1970,[1] the trilogy was originally published individually as Captives of the Flame (1963, rewritten as Out of the Dead City in 1968[2]), The Towers of Toron (1964), and City of a Thousand Suns (1965). The first two books were somewhat rewritten for the omnibus edition. Delany describes the extent of the rewriting in a final note in the one-volume text.

The stories of the Fall of the Towers trilogy were originally set in the same post-holocaust Earth as Delany's earlier The Jewels of Aptor; however, linking references were removed in later revised editions.[3]

Contents

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Plot

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The trilogy follows the journey of Jon Koshar, a man who awakens to find himself in a new world and sets out on a quest to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Towers that dominate the landscape. Along the way, he meets mutants and telepaths who help him navigate a dangerous political landscape and overthrow the ruling elite. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as they fight to bring about a better future for all.

References

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  1. ^ Barbour 1979, p. 162.
  2. ^ Tuck 1974, p. 136.
  3. ^ Clute and Nicholls 1995, p. 316.

Sources

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  • Barbour, Douglas (1979). Worlds Out Of Worlds: The SF Novels of Samuel R. Delany. Frome, Somerset, UK: Bran's Head Books Ltd. ISBN 0-905220-13-7.
  • Clute, John; Nicholls, Peter (1995). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2 ed.). New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-13486-X.
  • Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. ISBN 0-911682-20-1.
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