Jindřich Smékal Books

Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written. Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's life-span to making intersteller travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world Arrakis. Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe. When the Emperor transfers stewardship of Arrakis from the noble House Harkonnen to House Atreides, the Harkonnens fight back, murdering Duke Leto Atreides. Paul, his son, and Lady Jessica, his concubine, flee into the desert. On the point of death, they are rescued by a band for Fremen, the native people of Arrakis, who control Arrakis' second great resource: the giant worms that burrow beneath the burning desert sands. In order to avenge his father and retake Arrakis from the Harkonnens, Paul must earn the trust of the Fremen and lead a tiny army against the innumerable forces aligned against them. And his journey will change the universe.

Set on the perilous planet Pyrrus, the story follows professional gambler Jason dinAlt, who possesses psionic powers that allow him to manipulate games of chance. After successfully winning a significant amount at a government casino, he is challenged by the planet's ambassador, Kerk Pyruss. Choosing to accompany Kerk back to Pyrrus, Jason faces the dangers of a world notorious for its lethal environment. The novel explores themes of survival and the consequences of gambling, making it a thrilling classic in science fiction.

Druhá kniha trilogie Land a Overland. V prvním díle hledala část ohrožených obyvatel Landu záchranu na neobydleném Overlandu. Přelet z jedné planety na druhou se uskutečnil pomocí řiditelných teplovzdušných balonů, neboť atmosféry obou blízkých planet se prolínají. Nebezpeční smrtelné nákazy však trvá i po dvaceti letech, proto se bizarní bitvy dřevěných kosmických lodí odehrávají v beztížné zóně. Novému království však hrozí skrytá invaze ze vzdáleného Farlandu…... celý text

Mankind has conquered space and moved toward the starry heart of the galaxy. Earth is a planet of no importance, riddled with radioactivity by long-forgotten wars.

High above the planet Florinia, the Squires of Sark live in unimaginable wealth and comfort. Down in the eternal spring of the planet, however, the native Florinians labor ceaselessly to produce the precious kyrt that brings prosperity to their Sarkite masters. Rebellion is unthinkable and impossible. Not only do the Florinians no longer have a concept of freedom, any disruption of the vital kyrt trade would cause other planets to rise in protest, ultimately destabilizing trade and resulting in a galactic war. So the Trantorian Empire, whose grand plan is to unite all humanity in peace, prosperity, and freedom, has stood aside and allowed the oppression to continue. Living among the workers of Florinia, Rik is a man without a memory or a past. He has been abducted and brainwashed. Barely able to speak or care for himself when he was found, Rik is widely regarded as a simpleton by the worker community where he lives. But as his memories begin to return, Rik finds himself driven by a cryptic message he is determined to deliver: Everyone on Florinia is doomed . . . the Currents of Space are bringing destruction. But if the planet is evacuated, the power of Sark will end--so some would finish the job and would kill the messenger. The fate of the Galaxy hangs in the balance.

Zvláštní číslo zpravodajů zájmových kroužků vědecké fantastiky AF 167 Brno a Pulsar Štětí. Sestavil Jindřich Smékal.