Banners of the Sa'yen was published by Daw Science-Fiction in 1981. It was supposed to have been the first of a ten volume series. Alas! The Three Ladies of Fate wove a different fabric. Even though the hoary tome sold enough to earn some royalty money, apparently it didn't sell enough to warrant continuing the series. Too bad. I thought the novel, and the series, had potential of expanding exponentially. But then, being its creator, I'm supposed to say that.
The basic plot goes like this: A ship wrecked space-farer, stranded on a wild planet who's civilization has barely risen up to the iron age, comes to the rescue of crew manning a small trading vessel. The vessels are a bit unusual as well. They look like wooden dirigibles---but with masts for sails on the upper decks and running down the dirigible's keel. They move through the air much like ships move through the water.
The blond bearded warrior appears from within the midst of a fierce thunderstorm and saves the few survivors of the transport. After the storm they ask this hero his name. He answers, 'Alexander Synn.' The natives believe he said 'The Say'en.' Their god of war. Prophecy foretold of their god falling from space onto their world not knowing, nor admitting, his divine nature.
The stranded sojourner tries to explain to one and all he is no god---but human, as they are, coming from a society for more advanced in science and technology. No one believes him. The faithful are convinced their god has returned to them to lead them to the Promised Land!
I wrote this novel in tribute to Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel, A Princess of Mars. In my youth that novel stirred the first waves of wanting to be a writer---a writer of heroic science-fiction. It is this novel, the main idea written in 1912, which introduced to the world a character by the name of John Carter . A man's man if there ever was one!
There is some talk of reviving The Sa'yen and making the book bigger and better. We'll see.
Banners of the Sa'yen sold well because of the cover artwork. This brilliant piece of fantasy artistry was created by Ken Kelly---one of the legends in the world of Fantasy art. Check out the history of his work visually by browsing through his web site at kenkellyart.com. You won't be disappointed!
