by Gary Romeo
Probably old news for most. Conan the Cimmerian appears in this story. But he is on Mars. The main character is Lee Thorsten. But he is in the body of Theseus. (The Greek hero who killed The Minotaur.) And Thorsten/Theseus is on Mars as well. So is the Minotaur! Let’s take a look at this convoluted “Conan” adventure.
Per Wikipedia: Space Stories was a pulp magazine which published five issues from October 1952 to June 1953. It was published by Standard Magazines and edited by Samuel Mines. Mines’ editorial policy for Space Stories was to publish straightforward science fiction adventure stories. Among the better-known contributors were Jack Vance, Gordon R. Dickson and Leigh Brackett, whose novel The Big Jump appeared in the February 1953 issue.
“The Man of Two Worlds” was published in the first issue of the magazine, dated October 1952.
The easiest way to read this story is by buying Planetary Adventures, published by DMR Books. DMR Books, named after publisher/editor D. M. Ritzlin, is worth supporting. Check out their webpage. They publish many a book that will appeal to pulp fans. This book is available from Amazon as well:
Bryce Marvis Walton was born on May 31, 1918 in Blythedale, Missouri. He became a prolific short story writer. He wrote at least one novel, Sons of the Ocean Deeps, published in 1952. He also wrote for the television series, Captain Video and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He died on February 5, 1988.
We know that he was a fan of Weird Tales. Four of his letters were published in “the unique magazine.” None of the letters mention REH but his love of the magazine is apparent.
Ok, lots of introductory material, but now… our feature attraction. “Man of Two Worlds” is a pretty wild story. Greek myths, Conan the Cimmerian, and a Sword & Planet adventure on Mars. The story starts rather confusingly, Lee Thorsten has just returned from a black basalt pyramid, sword in hand, unsure about what just happened in that pyramid. Lori Saunlon, his lover, had remembered the pyramid through a racial memory and directed Thorsten to investigate it as it conceals a gateway to the past. “She had insisted that sometime, incomparable ages before – she had been a part of a lost Martian civilization.”
Thorsten and Saunlon are involved in a rebellion against the Martian government. Thorsten receives a radio message that he needs to hide as troops are on the way to capture the rebels. Thorsten decides to try to rescue his friends and lead them back to the pyramid. “The great room beneath the pyramid. And the vaulted room opening into other worlds, into other times. They would furnish an escape the Colonial Guards would never dream of.”
Thorsten encounters the guards, a chase ensues, Thorsten and Lori make it back to the pyramid and enter the portal. Saunlon starts having more racial memories. “King Minos, and the scientist Daedalus – they built it. The dread Palace of Knossos, and Talos, the Metal Giant. And Lee [Thorsten] – you were there – with me! You had another name, a hero’s name…”
One would think the gateway was to Earth’s past but that would be too simple (and not a Sword & Planet story). All this ancient Greek myth stuff occurs on Mars, not Earth. Somehow and sometime in the long ago past the Martians came to Earth and told these stories of real events, and then they became the myths of the Greeks. Apparently, Walton wanted this story to be both a Sword & Planet and a “racial memory” REH type story.
It all gets rather complicated and if you really care, buy the DMR reprint. But to summarize, Thorsten goes after the Minotaur and finds that Theseus was defeated and killed. Thorsten takes over Theseus’s body and proceeds to kill the Medusa (while realizing that Greek Myth assigns that task to Perseus). Lori becomes Princess Ariadne who helped Theseus in the myth. In Walton’s version of this myth, Theseus is from Cimmeria, not Athens. (Cimmerians are mentioned by Homer so I’d say Walton was within bounds to make Theseus a Cimmerian.)
Bryce Walton really seems to have written this story just to re-introduce readers to Conan the Cimmerian. (Which is cool AF.) Conan appears near the end of the story: “Thorsten whipped his sword free and tossed it to a giant, splendid figure of a man, bronzed and half naked, his torso crossed with scars and long oily black hair shining in the moonlight, a ferocious barbarian from the Outer Islands of Mars.” Then later: “I thank you, Theseus! I am Conan the Cimmerian. I came from your land, Theseus. From the wilds of Cimmeria.” And lastly:
So, Conan defeats Talos, the giant robot of Greek Mythology. Some more action follows. Thorsten has identity issues while being in Theseus’s body. He starts yelling to a crowd, “Remember MY name too – remember me! Me! ME! Do you hear? THOR – ” So, Theseus, Conan the Cimmerian, and Thor (the God of Thunder) all end up being remembered once the Martians migrated to Earth. But Thorsten, hero that he was, is forgotten.
The story concludes with a science-fictional twist ending (at least I think so) that I’m not going to spoil. All in all, I thought the story was fun, but very messy and not all that great. I didn’t reread it before writing this post. It wasn’t a complete “turkey” but it was enough of one to make this my Thanksgiving post for the week.
spraguedecampfan 
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