The brass dragon

O dear, did we forget anything? Let's see, we have a sympathetic amnesiac boy-hero, an attractive (red-haired!) young nurse he will get in the end and an evil alien race uncapable of anything that ressembles empathy (in dragon-gestalt, no less). Furthermore, a friendly doctor who falls victim to uncalled-for violence, a long trek on Mars under improbably adverse conditions (but Mars does have edible lichens, of course) and a bond of friendship between the hero and the ''good'' aliens. Oh, yes, a loving and lovable little sister, a homely father and a worried mother, too. Did I mention the longest and most boring list of cliché-ridden circumstances ever found within SF? You figured that out for yourself already? O dear...

This is a fairly early Marion Zimmer Bradley books, one of her stand alones not tied in with her popular Avalon or Darkover series. No, it's not what I'd recommend as an introduction to her, it's pretty forgettable compared to her other books, I had to browse through the books and other reviews to remember the details while other books by her remain fresh decades after reading. And yes, this is based on that hoariest of cliches, a hero suffering from amnesia. For all that I remember it as an entertaining read. Marion Zimmer Bradley is a strong storyteller and there's very little by her that isn't at least enjoyable. But yes, there are a lot of better books out there--including from her.

diciamo fantascienza anni 60 anche se in realtà è poco più di un incoerente favoletta della buonanotte