The Moon That Vanished - Leigh Brackett

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Résumé :
They say that Venus once had a moon. It rode in the clouds like a disc of fire and the god who dwelt within it was supreme over all the other gods. He watched the surface of the planet and all that was done upon it. But the lesser gods were jealous, and one day they were able to destroy the palace of the Moon-god. David Heath, an earthman, is an outcast on Venus. He lost everything when he and his partner, Ethne, went searching for the legendary Moonfire. Racked by visions that torment him he wonders if the visions are the trauma of losing the love of his life or if they are something more. The Moonfire is believed to give its finder godlike powers. But it can also strip men of their vitality and cause them to waste away. His life in tatters Heath has but one choice go back out and find the Moonfire again and use its powers to bring back his lost love. But can it be done, will a second encounter with the Moonfire kill him?...

Biographie:
Leigh Brackett (1915-1978) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy, and screenplays whose work helped shape both pulp-era planetary romance and mid-century Hollywood cinema. Emerging in the 1940s pulp magazines, Brackett became known for vivid depictions of Mars and other alien worlds, blending swashbuckling adventure with atmospheric, almost mythic landscapes.Her fiction-often set in a romanticized, dying solar system-earned her the reputation as the Queen of Space Opera. Stories and novels such as The Sword of Rhiannon and the Eric John Stark series combined frontier grit with cosmic scope, influencing later generations of science fiction writers.Beyond prose fiction, Brackett had a distinguished career as a screenwriter, contributing to films including The Big Sleep and, late in her career, an early draft of The Empire Strikes Back. Her work bridges pulp adventure and cinematic storytelling, securing her place as a foundational figure in modern speculative fiction....

Sommaire:
They say that Venus once had a moon. It rode in the clouds like a disc of fire and the god who dwelt within it was supreme over all the other gods. He watched the surface of the planet and all that was done upon it. But the lesser gods were jealous, and one day they were able to destroy the palace of the Moon-god. David Heath, an earthman, is an outcast on Venus. He lost everything when he and his partner, Ethne, went searching for the legendary Moonfire. Racked by visions that torment him he wonders if the visions are the trauma of losing the love of his life or if they are something more. The Moonfire is believed to give its finder godlike powers. But it can also strip men of their vitality and cause them to waste away. His life in tatters Heath has but one choice go back out and find the Moonfire again and use its powers to bring back his lost love. But can it be done, will a second encounter with the Moonfire kill him?...