Outlanders

[jbcohen]

I have just started reading the Outlanders Sci-Fi novels and I am a bit confused by the history of the novels. Can some one explain the environment in which the books take place. In other words can someone please set the stage for the novels.

 

[Erfael]

jb, you'll maybe want to ask this in the sci-fi forum on this very site. I know you may be shocked and awed(tm) to find out that we have a sci-fi forum specifically devoted to sci-fi. There you may receive fair and balanced(tm) assessments regarding your enquiry.

 

[jbcohen]

Thanks for the advice. I actually knew about the Sci-Fi forum its just that I had forgotten. I will go ask them about the mattter now.

 

[jbcohen]

I have just started reading the Outlanders Sci-Fi series and need a little background information to enjoy my reading to its fullest extent. Would someone please tell me about the background that led up to the Outlanders series. Talon and Fang has filled me on some of the background, but I would like to make sure that I have it right.

 

[Hobbit]

Thanks, jb & Erf.

Thread in Fantasy closed to avoid confusion, and merged with this one.

Hobbit

 

[Kamakhya]

Um, Hobbit, you actually locked this thread, which I don't think you meant to do. I reopened it.

Wish I could help you with the Outlanders series. I hate to say it, but I've never heard of it. Who wrote it?

 

[Hobbit]

Oops - apologies, all - thanks, K for sorting it out.

The series is by James Axler (a pseudonym), who also wrote the Deathlands series. The Outlanders series is set after the Deathlands series. They are a post-apocalyptic space-opera-style series.

According to the websites, In the aftermath of the Russian-American conflict in that end-of-the-world year 2001, America became the Deathlands. Two centuries later, a new order emerges to inflict its rule on the fortified cities. Beyond the walls are the Outlands, where a fragile freedom remains. Once a fearsome warrior of the new order, Kane discovers a secret that has damned humanity since the dawn of history. Now, banished to the outlands, he joins forces with Baptiste, golden-haired keeper of the archives, and Grant, brother-in-arms and weapons specialist. In the place that was once called New Mexico, Kane finds the first hidden clues to humanity's future.

Exile to Hell is the first Outlanders book, set 94 years beyond the current Deathlands timeline. There are about 25 in the Outlanders series, as far as I can see. The authors website is here. Quite a bit there.

Other than that, jb, I can't help you They are not easily available in the UK.

Hobbit

 

[jbcohen]

Just to make sure that I understand the books right and have all of the characters straight, who are the major characters in the series? I understand Kane is one of them. Who are the other major groups of people in the books? I understand that there is a group called the Barons and that these people are a hybrid of human and machines. These barons each rule one of the major cities which in tern are named after them. One of the barons is named Cobalt and his city is Cobaltville. I understand that Death Lands takes place before Outlands, true? Who are the major religious groups on the planet at the time? In the book that I read one of the characters is currently sitting in a room dangling some sort of pendant, what is the name of her religious group and what is she doing with this pendant? What are the names of the major redoubts throughout North America at the time? What is the state of science in the books? I understand that there is something called a gateway that is used for quick transport around the continent? Are the other earth continents as bad off as North America is in the books? Did Europe, Asia, Africa and/or South America manage to escape the Skydark and Nukecast?

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Just to make sure that I understand the books right and have all of the characters straight, who are the major characters in the series?

The major characters are Kane, Brigid Baptiste, Grant, Mohandus Lakesh Singh and Domi. There is a supporting cast made up of people from the 20th century who were rescued from an abandoned Moon base, back in Devil In The Moon and Dragoneye.

[

I understand that there is a group called the Barons and that these people are a hybrid of human and machines.

Actually the barons are hybrids of human and what appears to be alien genetic material. The character Sam the Imperator is a hybrid of human, Anunnaki and machine.

I understand that Death Lands takes place before Outlands, true?

It takes place about 100 years before Outlanders. I think DL takes place in 2099 and Outlanders takes place in 2199 or 2200

In the book that I read one of the characters is currently sitting in a room dangling some sort of pendant, what is the name of her religious group and what is she doing with this pendant?

That's from Talon and Fang which if you read it and the next book you know took place in an alternate future. It wasn't really a religion, only a means of communication. Sam created a fake religion called the Nirodha movement in those two books but there's no major religion.

What are the names of the major redoubts throughout North America at the time?

The major redoubts are Cerberus (Redoubt Bravo) and others that have been mentioned over 32 books are Tango, Zulu, Echo, Charlie, Yankee and Oscar.

What is the state of science in the books? I understand that there is something called a gateway that is used for quick transport around the continent?

The state of science depends on where you are but it's pretty bad most places but better than whats been shown in the DL series.

The gateway is like a transporter from Star Trek, but can only beam somebody from mat-trans chamber to chamber, and most of the jump chambers are in the redoubts. It was created in 1989 by Mohandus Lakesh Singh.

The gateways first appeared in the DL series. Recently in Outlanders they've been using a device called an interphaser that works in conjunction with naturally occuring earth energies, vortexes which allows them to make long-distance jumps without all the rigamorale of gateway chambers and redoubts.

Are the other earth continents as bad off as North America is in the books? Did Europe, Asia, Africa and/or South America manage to escape the Skydark and Nukecast?

Parts of Europe were messed up...the UK has been featured a couple of times as has Ireland (Savage Sun, Hell Rising), parts of Asia don't seem too bad off, like Mongolia, Tibet and Cambodia (Destiny Run, Iceblood and the most recent, Evil Abyss), South America seemed okay (Shadow Scourge) as does Australia.

Apparently there's a major change in direction for OL in the upcoming Children of the Serpent, out in May of 2005.

To sum up what I know of the Outlanders series--I've been reading it faithfully since the summer of 1997 when I was 13 :

It was created by Mark Ellis who took over the DL series for a while after the main writer on that, Laurence James left. He created Outlanders and was asked by the publishers to tie it in with DL since they were putting the same "James Axler" house name on it. From what I understand from the message boards at Jamesaxler.com, Mark Ellis has written more books as James Axler than anybody.

Since the whole backstory takes place in an alternate reality (after a nuclear holocaust destroyed everything in 2001 which obviously didn't happen here), Mr. Ellis went in a high adventure/science fiction direction with Outlanders instead of the low-brow idiocy of DL.

If you want the details of the backstory, you can visit Jamesaxler.com and click on the Outlanders Archive link and then go to the chronology there. There was a very impressive chronlogy site but its down.

Anyway, Outlanders is one of the most over-looked science fiction series out there. It's a real gem, full of interesting, likable characters, great concepts, blazing action and surprises. Unlike DL, it's still written mainly by one writer, Mark Ellis even though there's been a few fill-in books by lesser talents. Hint: avoid Sargasso Plunder, Awakening, Sun Lord and Uluru Destiny like they were radioactive!

DL has been written for the last five years by a revolving door group of hacks whose idea of science fiction action is shooting children or mutant rats so the "heroes" can claim buried caches of creamed corn.

There's no series identity, no connection between the books. Excreable, vile crap with almost no redeeming features that I can see.

There's quite a bit of similarity between Outlanders and Stargate SG-1, so if you like one you'll probably like the other.

>whew!< Hope that helps!

 

[Rob B]

I came across a couple of copies of the Outlanders series so I thought I would resurrect this thread. Any further thoughts from people in the three years since this thread has been active?