Tower of the Medusa

In the far future, when science has become indistinguishable from magic, Kirin, a thief dealing in precious relics, is forced to land on an alien world. After an attack by death dwarfs he finds himself involved in a quest to steal a magical gem from the Tower of the Medusa, crawling with guards and lethal traps, and reputedly impregnable. In an adventure replete with chases and battles, Kirin and his confederates must overcome the evil Witch Queen, a beautiful sorceress. Taken prisoner and held in her palace, he is aided by a captivating slave. After more fast paced action, events culminate in a battle highlighted by the intervention of ancient gods. ==Relation to other works==

The Tales of the Near Stars series comprises this novel plus The Star Magicians (1966) and Tower at the Edge of Time (1968), all of which take place after the fall of in the wake of the interstellar Carina Empire. Its collapse has left the civilization of the surviving planets in ruins, with some isolated and others reduced to barbarism. Their cultural diversity has produced an odd mix of advanced technology and seeming sorcery amid the inhabited worlds. Similarities in situation to Carter's History of the Great Imperium series have led critic John Clute to link this book and The Star Magicians to that sequence, though the Imperium books are usually considered to consist solely of three other novels, The Man Without a Planet (1966), Star Rogue (1970), and Outworlder (1971) ==Reception==

The book was reviewed by Anthony R. Lewis in Locus no. 44, Dec. 17, 1969, and Paul Walker in Science Fiction Review, Jan. 1971. ==References==