Armageddon--2419 A.D. and the Airlords of Han

by Philip Francis Nowlan

Book Overview

Meet fiction's great pioneer of space exploration in his very first adventures. The swashbuckling character who ultimately became world-famous as Buck Rogers made his debut in the 1920s in these two tales from the legendary pulp magazine Amazing Stories. The intrepid voyager, who emerged from a state of suspended animation into the twenty-fifth century, became a star of movies, radio, television, and video games and inspired a host of imitators...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486795403
• ISBN13: 9780486795409
• Release Date: February 2017
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

You have to put yourself in the proper mindset in order to enjoy this book

To enjoy this book, you have to put yourself in the mindset of the pulp stories of the thirties. It was a time of great economic struggle; American phobias and fears regarding other races were intense. The greatest fear was against the "Asiatic hordes", which was a common theme among escapist stories of the time and the Buck Rogers stories were no exception. The premise of the story is that Buck Rogers, an American veteran of the First World War, enters a mysterious cavern and is put into hibernation by a mysterious gas present there. He awakens in 2419 to find an Asiatic race called the Hans in control of North America. The Hans have built great cities, forcing the few surviving Americans into the forests. In keeping with the racial prejudice of the 1930's the Hans are depicted as soulless, completely lacking in morals and ruthless killers of even their own race when deemed necessary. Of course, Rogers becomes the leader of the American gangs and defeats the Han forces, who commit mass suicide rather than surrender. In true pulp fashion, Nowlan invents new elements when needed and explains them with simplistic, unscientific and incomplete descriptions. If you are capable of putting yourself into the proper mental state, it is possible to read and enjoy this book. However, if you keep your disbelief meter at too high a level, it will be a dull read.

Original Buck Rogers Part 1 in Kindle Edition

This is one of those books I read many years ago (the ACE paperback edition with both this book and The Airlords of Han printed together) and introduced me to sci-fi classics but also the wonderful world of Buck Roger comic strips. This is a book every sci-fi fan should read at least once. It is something "modern" writers should take note that many of Nowlan's predictions came true; many yet to come. He created science out of nothing and hit the target many times. I bought this and The Airlords of Han for my new Kindle because I thought a "Buck Rogers device" needed to have Buck Rogers on it.

Super Reader

Anthony Rogers enters suspended animation in 1927 and wakes up in 2419. He soon finds himself surrounded by some pretty cool technology, and in a military conflict. His military skills are still transferable to the present day, so he becomes an important player in the fight against the Han, especially with Wilma Deering by his side.

the real buck rogers

this book is a combination of the two original buck rogers stories together as one. these stories lead to the orignial comic strip. it tells how world war one veteran anthony rogers after investigating an incident at a remote mine wakes up five hundred years in the future. to an occupied america ruled by the air lords of the han with there gleaming cities and giant air ships suspended on beams of force. they supress the remants of the american population who live by stealh in the forests with there hidden factories and their plans to liberated thier homeland from the han invaders. into this mess in dumped buck rogers with his knowledge of combat and tactics long forgotten and with his help the han's days are numbered.