Kandar by Kenneth Bulmer – Science Fantasy without Science

by Faizan Fahim · Published 23/06/2019 · Updated 23/06/2019

I am reading sci-fi and fantasies of 50-60-70s time. Kandar by Kenneth Bulmer is the first one I read.

And it is really disappointing. I thought that they must have some unique storytelling or some different story structure. But nah !! The writer of that time was not that different. But it would be too early to make such a notion.

I am gonna read at least 20 books to decide my mind.

But I am sure I don’t like this book.

What I hate about this book:

Nothing new
Where is Science?
Fast
Boring Humour
That Printing

Here is the Blurb of Kandar by Kenneth Bulmer

Kandar Kenneth Bulmer Blurb - Kandar by Kenneth Bulmer - Science Fantasy without Science

Nothing New?

Well if you listen to the story, you will find it dusty.

A city was attacked by some superpowers. And both the attacker and defendant, do some kind of magic for fighting, or whatever, but somehow, their magic collide, and the city goes to dream state. Dream state or a stuck state, nothing moves in the radius, everything goes still.

Now, the young prince has to go to collect three books, powerful Magic for Dummies type of book, that he will read. And from them, he will find a spell to break the trans state of the city.

In the journey, he gets girls, and he does steamy stuff. In the end, he kind of summon some powerful lady, that help him to win the war, healing the wounded people of the kingdom, and destroying the enemies.

In the exchange, he gave them his soul.

That’s pretty much. With filler of course.

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I am Speed

It’s very fast. Not only the story, even the book.

There is no white space to calm my nerves. I hate reading stuff with no white space. The book has no blank page in the whole print. It is a stupid way to print copies. You should never start the new chapter from the same page one ends.

A new chapter from the new Page.

Other than this, the story moves really fast. He was reading those book and remembering spells with the speed of light. Then he can’t use them because he forgets.

Aaaah, he found those hidden books in one chapter. One chapter each. And the sword person he is. The best in the world.

Where is Science?

‘Oh, I know sorcery, I know swords, I can fighting with 6 men alone, and I am gonna summon the most powerful deities, but I wish I can use science instead of all of this.’

This attitude of Kandar was a headache.

The book is totally Fantasy, but it was sold with the tag of Sci-Fi.

Boring Humour

You know you are not going to get humor right when you are moving story so fast. But doing with the voices in the head is not a good way.

Sometimes the voice could be snark and can produce the joyous comments, but in Kandar, the voices in the head are plain annoying.

One of them swears all the time. By this and by that. By what funny god name he swear, I really don’t care, Bulmer. Few moments in the books, I start doubting if the writer was serious with this book. Or he has just wanted a book out.

That Printing

I really hate printing.

I don’t understand, why the publication houses of that time were printing a book of these standards.

All and Over

Well, I can’t recommend Kandar by Kenneth Bulmer. I did not enjoy it at all.

Right now I am reading Voyage to a Forgotten Sun, and it really seems interesting.

So don’t read this one, find a better book for yourself. I own this book for the cover, tbh. I am collecting the books with such covers, and the cover is really awesome.

By the way, here is a post about the cover of this book.