Search Worlds Without End

One of the best-selling novels of the 19th century, King Solomon's Mines has inspired dozens of adventure stories, including Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan books and the Indiana Jones movies. Vivid and enormously action-packed, Henry Rider Haggard's tale of danger and discovery continues to shock and thrill, as it has since it was first presented to the public and heralded as "the most amazing book ever written."

The story begins when renowned safari hunter Allan Quatermain agrees to help Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good search for King Solomon's legendary cache of diamonds. Eager to find out what is true, what is myth, and what is really buried in the darkness of the mines, the tireless adventurers delve into the Sahara's treacherous Veil of Sand, where they stumble upon a mysterious lost tribe of African warriors. Finding themselves in deadly peril from that country's cruel king and the evil sorceress who conspires behind his throne, the explorers escape, but what they seek could be the most savage trap of all--the forbidden, impenetrable, and spectacular King Solomon's Mines.

We have met the intrepid hunter-tracker Allan Quatermain before, in Rider Haggard's marvellous King Solomon's Mines. This time, grieving from the tragic loss of his son, Quatermain longs to return to his beloved Africa. He sets out in search of a lost white tribe, the Zu-Vendis, ruled by two beautiful sister Queens. Once again, Quatermain's companions are the indefatigable Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, and the magnificent Zulu warrior Umslopogaas. The journey is incredibly dangerous, and thrillingly told. After a fantastic underground journey by canoe, our heroes are embroiled in a bloody civil war when both queens fall in love with the irresistibly handsome Curtis.

Allan Quatermain has determined to go farther afield than he had ever traveled before, into the depths of the African jungle -- on a march inland to the hills between lands controlled by the chiefs Wambe and Nala. Quatermain has heard of the elephants dwelling in the dense forests at the foot of the mountains edging Wambe's lands -- and also stories of Wambe himself, so ruthless a ruler he murdered in cold blood an entire party of English party who, seven years before, entered his country to hunt elephants.

Quatermain determines to go elephant-hunting all the same. Before he has gone far, however, he faces rebellion among his own men, unexpected dangers from massive beasts of the jungle -- and then receives from an old friend a strange message, hidden within a bowl of bartered food!

Table of Contents:

• Allan's Wife - (1889) - novel
• Hunter Quatermain's Story - (1885) - novelette
• A Tale of Three Lions - (1887) - novelette
• Long Odds - (1886) - short story

Allan Quatermain may be British born, but that doesn't stop him from loving Marie Marais, a Boer maiden in South Africa. Nor does it stop her from returning his love, although their marriage ends in tragedy born of racial hatred. Shelly Frasier transitions easily among British, French, Dutch, and American accents in her sober performance of this classic, sometimes within the scope of the same character. While this occasionally leads to confusion, her thoughtful narration of the sad and frustrating story keeps the listener riveted from one distressing scene to the next. While the cultural disputes of 1830s Africa seem insurmountable, Frasier's compassionate portrayal of Haggard's text makes the listener yearn for a peaceful solution.

Amidst the black veils and funeral orations of the Victorian Age, a literature of adventure - to outer space, to African jungles, to mythological kingdoms - was born. The genre was called "The Lost World", and Henry Rider Haggard, Knight Commander of the British Empire, was a chief architect.

In Child of Storm, book two of Haggard's Quatermain series, Shelly Frasier's dulcet voice takes the listener to Zululand, a kingdom of warring brothers in Southern Africa. Loosely based on historical fact, Child of Storm follows a prototypical Indiana Jones - the intrepid Englishman, Allan Quartermain - straight into trouble and the arms of Mameema, a beautiful pawn in the warring brothers' game. This audiobook is perfect through headphones at the back of a funeral.

Brother John, who has been wandering in Africa for years, confides to Allan a huge and rare orchid, the largest ever found. Allan arrives to England with the flower and there he meets Mr. Somers, an orchid collector who is willing to finance an expedition to find the plant.

While Quartermain visits Lord Randall, two foreigners come asking for Macumazana -- that is, asking for Allan Quartermain by the name he used among the Africans. The two visitors are Harut and Marut, priests and doctors of the White Kendah People and they have come to ask Allan Quartermain for his help. The White Kendah people are at war with the Black Kendah people who have an evil spirit for a god. And that spirit of the god resides in the largest elephant they have ever seen, an elephant that no man can kill -- save Allan Quartermain. And now our intrepid hero must return to Africa and destroy this evil spirit before it kills every one of the White Kendah People.

Finished is a 1917 novel by H. Rider Haggard featuring Allan Quatermain. It is the last in a trilogy about the Zulu kingdom, which also includes Marie and Child of Storm, and involved the dwarf Zikali. It is set against the background of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, covering events leading up to the war, and ending with the death of Cetewayo. Quatermain is depicted as being one of the few survivors of the Battle of Isandhlwana.

Allan Quatermain, the swashbuckling adventurer who is H. Rider Haggard's best-remembered character, often faced down formidable adversaries in exotic lands around the globe. But in The Ancient Allan, the perilous journey that Quatermain undertakes is one that leads him into the murky depths of his own distant past, where he learns more about his adventures in a previous existence that took place long ago.

Wanting to learn if he can communicate with deceased loved ones, adventurer Allan Quartermain seeks a meeting with the feared Zulu witch-doctor Zikali. Zikali tells Allan he must seek out a great white sorceress who rules a hidden kingdom far to the north, and he charges Allan to take a message to her.

So begins Allan's treacherous journey into unknown and dangerous country where he encounters wild animals and cannibals, narrowly escaping death. Upon reaching the lost kingdom of Kôr Allan is summoned to meet Ayesha who seeks Allan's help. A rebel fraction lead by the dreaded Rezu is trying to overthrow Ayesha and she asks Allan to lead the army of Kôr against attack. He reluctantly agrees as only once he has completed his task will Ayesha teach him the terrifying trick to travel to the spiritual realm.

At the end of the 19th century African hunter Allan Quatermain and his clever and brave helpmate Hans are set on a mission by the wizard Zikali, as already mentioned in other adventures with Allan Quatermain. The two companions are set out to bring some of the leaves of the Tree of Illusions. This special tree only grows in the garden of priests of a mythic moribund people who worship a semi-gorilla-like god by sacrificing humans to him. By the attempt to fulfill their mission they step into the mystery of this ape-like god: Heu Heu, a twelve-foot-tall gigantic semi-gorilla-monster, red-bearded with claws at hands and feet...

Treasure and the occult are vividly blended in this stirring tale of Africa. Allan Quatermain finds a village in the middle of the Dark Continent ruled by a huge, pale man with a strange knowledge of future events.

Once more Quatermain takes the hallucinogenic taduki drug, as he did in previous novels, and he relives a previous incarnation. He finds himself in pre-historic time, "cave-men" times, and enjoys a variety of adventures.