DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE [Paperback]

After taking a brief respite--in the hardboiled yet outre crime thriller "Seven Footprints to Satan"--from the tales of adventurous fantasy at which he so excelled, Abraham Merritt returned in fine form with "Dwellers in the Mirage" (1932). In this terrific novel, Merritt revisits many of the themes and uses many of the ingredients that made his first novel, "The Moon Pool," such an impressive success. Like that early work, "Dwellers" features a lost civilization (of the type grandfathered by the great H. Rider Haggard), battling priestesses, civil wars, and otherdimensional creatures (in the earlier book, a light creature; in "Dwellers," an octopuslike nasty named Khalk'ru that dissolves whatever life-form it touches). In this marvelous fantasy, we meet Leif Langdon, who is hiking through the foothills of the Endicott Mountains in northern Alaska with his Native American buddy. Years before, Leif had witnessed an arcane religious ritual in Mongolia, and been told by the Uighur tribesmen there that he was a descendant of Dwayanu, an ancient Mongolian king. Leif and his buddy discover a hidden valley covered by a freak Alaskan mirage, and meet the golden-skinned pygmy peoples and the Mongolian descendants that reside therein. Before long, in an instance of extreme atavism, Dwayanu takes over Leif's mind and personality, and aids him in his upcoming trials. Leif must eventually encounter a civil war between the valley's inhabitants; the storming of the fugitive city of Sirk; the charms of a witch woman with the most appropriate name of Lur; giant leeches; AND the aforementioned Khalk'ru. The book is just brimming with marvelous imagination and endless wonder, and the reader will never guess what outrageous incidents will pop up next. Merritt was truly at the top of his form with "Dwellers," and threw in great detail to keep the whole conceit afloat. There are amusing side characters, interesting species of flora and fauna, some historical and metaphysical speculations, and bits of unusual anthropology. The tale proceeds with great drive and purpose, and concludes most satisfactorily, indeed. "Dwellers in the Mirage" has been included in Cawthorn & Moorcock's excellent overview volume "Fantasy: The 100 Best Books," and I can well understand why. It is a tale that Haggard himself may well have enjoyed, and if you knew me, you'd know that this is high praise, indeed! Seek this book out, by all means; it's a winner!