Khai of Khem
Khai of Khem is also known as Khai of Ancient Khem.
Considered by many to be among Brian Lumley's greatest works, the exciting Khai of Khem is little-known in the US. This time-traveling adventure story spans centuries and cultures in Lumley's trademark mix of horror and science fiction, much like his internationally-bestselling Necroscope series. Like the Necroscope novels, Khai of Khem is packed with fast-paced action, hair's-breadth escapes, all-consuming love, endless horror, and, in the person of Khai himself, quick wits and bravery in the teeth of danger.
Khai begins life in ancient Egypt as the son of Pharaoh Khasathut's chief architect. Believing Pharaoh to be a god, Khai is stunned to learn that the supposedly great and wise leader is a shriveled, ancient fossil of a man whose chief desires are to deflower young virgins and achieve eternal life through the powers of his black magicians. When Khai dares to raise a hand to Pharaoh, he is condemned to be a slave.
Escaping, Khai flees to neighboring Kush where he earns the rank of general in the army of Queen Ashtarta... and a place in Ashtarta's bed. In the heat of battle against Pharaoh's armies, Khai is betrayed by his best friend and falls victim to the evil spells of Khasathut's magicians, who send his soul winging centuries into the future.
In modern America, Khai searches for the reincarnated souls of his love, Ashtarta, and of his betrayer. Khai is amazed by many of the wonders of the modern world-television, air conditioning, and especially guns, bombs, and other weapons.
Returning to his own time, Khai uses the technologies he saw in the future to rewrite the past. But will he and Ashtarta be in time to prevent Khasathut from attaining immortality and using newly-gained alien powers to destroy all of Khem and Kush?
Originally published in the US in mass market in the early 1980s and unavailable for nearly twenty years, Khai of Khem is one of Brian Lumley's most sought-after novels. Tor Books is pleased to bring it to a new generation of Lumley's readers.
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Brian Lumley
Brian Lumley, 1937-2024, was an English horror fiction writer.
Born in County Durham, he joined the British Army's Royal Military Police and wrote stories in his spare time before retiring with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1 in 1980 and becoming a professional writer.
He added to H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos cycle of stories, including several tales featuring the character Titus Crow. Others pastiched Lovecrafts's Dream Cycle and featured the characters David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer. Lumley once explained the difference between his Cthulhu Mythos characters and Lovecraft's: "My guys fight back. Also, they like to have a laugh along the way."
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