Deathlands is a series of novels written by Christopher Lowder under the pseudonym Jack Adrian and published by Gold Eagle Publishing . The first novel, Pilgrimage to Hell , was published in 1986. This series of novels was written by Lowder until he became ill following his development of the plot and writing most of the book. Laurence James , under the pseudonym James Axler , then completed the series.
29-492: The series exists in both an episodic style and a series format. Some novels can be read as standalone works, while others are dependent on the previous release. There are also a few trilogy sets within the series. On January 20, 2001, the climax of the Cold War turns the world into a postapocalyptic wasteland. The endgame began with a preemptive strike on Washington, DC . Underground nuclear bombs were detonated from within
58-456: A highly prolific career, publishing dozens of novels under his own name as well as the pen names James Darke, James McPhee, Jonathan May, and James Axler. His writings included books for the series "Dark Future," "Earth Blood," "Galactic Security Service" and "Survival 2000," as well as a number of independent novels and short stories. His biggest success was the post apocalyptic " Deathlands " series. " Pilgrimage to Hell " ( [1] ) which launched
87-530: A joint project by Christopher Lowder (pen name "Jack Adrian") and Laurence James (pen name "James Axler"), with the first book called Pilgrimage To Hell . Laurence James then solely wrote the Deathlands series up to and including Eclipse at Noon . However, due to failing health he was forced to leave the series in 1995. Prior to his death in February 2000, James wrote one last novel, Crucible of Time , which
116-571: A larger work also exist, such as the triptych or the three-movement sonata , but they are not commonly referred to with the term "trilogy". Most trilogies are works of fiction involving the same characters or setting, such as The Deptford Trilogy of novels by Robertson Davies , The Apu Trilogy of films by Satyajit Ray , The Kingdom Trilogy of television miniseries from 1994 to 2022 by Lars von Trier . Other fiction trilogies are connected only by theme: for example, each film of Krzysztof Kieślowski 's Three Colours trilogy explores one of
145-463: A low-budget telefilm that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel . Deathlands: Homeward Bound starred Vincent Spano and Traci Lords . Ryan, Krysty, J.B., and Jak were featured characters in the movie. Cannies (cannibals), sec men (security men), a war wag (war wagon), and a redoubt (bunker) were depicted in the movie. The characters of Doc Tanner and Lori Quint were absent from the movie. All of
174-636: A working shower or stored food, which they always use or take. The plot picks up speed once the characters leave the redoubt and explore the surrounding countryside. Frequently, the companions are apprehended or forced into a confrontation with the local barons. Each novel reveals a little about the characters' backgrounds, motivations, and the region in which they arrived. Over the course of the series, Ryan Cawdor and his band have fought and defeated countless power-mad villains, and most died within one book. Many villains were Barons- rulers of small dictatorships scattered across The Deathlands (notably, Barons are also
203-430: Is a remastered and remixed collection of his 2011 mixtapes House of Balloons , Thursday , and Echoes of Silence . Creators of trilogies may later add more works. In such a case, the original three works may or may not keep the title "trilogy". Laurence James Laurence James (21 September 1942 – 9 or 10 February 2000) was a British science fiction writer, especially known for his involvement with
232-430: Is called MAT-TRANS. Each novel typically begins with the companions arriving at a previously unknown redoubt via MAT-TRANS. If the situation is impossible or hostile, the companions can use the transporter's "last destination" feature to return to the sending point. If the redoubt is unknown, the companions usually explore in search of weapons and supplies, which they rarely come across. They occasionally get lucky and find
261-573: Is less often applied to music. One example is the Berlin Trilogy of David Bowie , which is linked together by musical sound and lyrical themes, all having been recorded at least partly in Berlin, Germany. Another example can be found in the Guns N' Roses songs " November Rain ", " Don't Cry " and " Estranged ", whose videos are considered a trilogy. The Weeknd 's 2012 compilation album Trilogy
290-579: The Deathlands and many of the Outlanders novels have been adapted to the Graphic Audio audiobook format. The Deathands Saga was initially produced by Random House Audio, but never completed. The adaptations have an average running time of nearly 8 hours, and utilizes a full cast, score, and sound effects. The Deathlands Graphic Audio series continued from the events of the books' end, with
319-575: The Wayfarers trilogy by Knut Hamsun , the Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz , The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy , and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman . A pivotal example is J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955), which was written as a three-volume novel but published (for economic reasons) as a trilogy, thus helping to popularize the trilogy format. The term
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#1732793163453348-515: The " Deathlands " series. After a variety of other jobs (scaffolding, teaching, bookselling, trawler-hand, lumberjack and short-order cook in a greasy spoon ) James worked publishing other people's books. In 1972 he embarked on the career of "a full-time freelance author and journalist". For several years thereafter he published short science fiction stories in both Britain and the US. In 1974 he published his first full-length novel, "Earth Lies Sleeping" –
377-575: The Angel Chronicles (Creation Books, ISBN 1-871592-43-7 ). Also in 1974 James' publisher at the time, Sphere Books , provided the reading public with a list of "what Laurence James likes" – including Alf Tupper , Wilson and Braddock , old films, old comics, and Rock 'n' roll . The biographical page of "New Life For Old" adds John Stewart, Buddy Holly, The Drifters and Sha Na Na to his likes. Among what he disliked were suits , gherkins and earwigs . Thereafter, James embarked on
406-896: The Axlerverse consists of 233 stories ( The Trader 1–3, Deathlands 0-154, and Outlanders 1-75), not including the 2003 television film. The Trader prequel series (audiobook exclusives) Gold Eagle novels Christopher Lowder, Laurence James Laurence James (Last ¼ of book) The Baronies Trilogy - Book 1 The Baronies Trilogy - Book 2 The Baronies Trilogy - Book 3 The Skydark Chronicles - Book 1 The Skydark Chronicles - Book 2 The Skydark Chronicles - Book 3 The Illuminated Ones - Book 1 The Illuminated Ones - Book 2 Scorpion God - Book 1 Scorpion God - Book 2 Altered States - Book 1 Altered States - Book 2 The Coldfire Project - Book 1 The Coldfire Project - Book 2 Empire of Xibalba - Book 1 Empire of Xibalba - Book 2 Post-shutdown titles (audiobook exclusives) Following
435-702: The basement of the Soviet embassy, by an elite group of Spetsnaz operatives, destroying the central command structure and political system of the United States. For an indefinite period of time, a nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union devastated both countries and, subsequently, the entire planet (but little details are known of what occurred outside the two countries). All manner of genetic contagions were released infecting
464-422: The closure of Gold Eagle Publishing in 2015, Graphic Audio, the primary provider of audiobook adaptations of the Deathlands franchise, acquired the rights to produce more content for the series. All titles produced in-house by Graphic Audio are exclusively in a narrated audio drama format. Cornerstone Saga - Book 1 Cornerstone Saga - Book 2 Cornerstone Saga - Book 3 Deathlands also made it to film in 2003 as
493-586: The festival in Athens in 458 BC. The three Theban plays , or Oedipus cycle, by Sophocles , originating in 5th century BC, is not a true example of a trilogy because the plays were written at separate times and with different themes/purposes. Technical changes in printing and film in the mid-to-late 20th century made the creation of trilogies more feasible, while the development of mass media and modern global distribution networks has made them more likely to be lucrative. Examples of trilogies in modern fiction include
522-513: The first completely original story, Survival in Doubt, released in Fall 2016. Created in 1996 by Mark Ellis, Outlanders is the official sequel series to Deathlands , set a century after the original series. Outlanders provides a more expansive and complete backstory for the "Axlerverse" and the causes for the nuclear holocaust rather than relying on the " US vs. USSR " template. After 75 novels,
551-501: The first in a series focused on the exploits of a galactic secret agent named Simon Rack . At the time he was living with his wife and their three children at Roydon, an Essex village. In addition, around 1974, James published the fantasy saga of Hells Angels in England & Wales in the early 1990s under the name Mick Norman. The four books, Angels from Hell, Angel Challenge, Guardian Angels, and Angels on my Mind, were compiled as
580-516: The legal status of Native Americans under U.S. law. Trilogies—and series in general—are common in speculative fiction . Trilogies ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : τριλογία trilogia ) date back to ancient times. In the Dionysia festivals of ancient Greece , for example, trilogies of plays were performed followed by a fourth satyr play . The Oresteia is the only surviving trilogy of these ancient Greek plays, originally performed at
609-546: The many hot spots are small plague pits ruled by warlords who have no limits to establish their rule and expand their influence. These individuals are known as the Barons. Their rabble pits are known as villes and baronies. Civilization unknowingly resembles the Dark Ages . Trading resumes between the villes: jack (a regional currency), jolt or "joltsky" (a hallucinogenic mixture of mescaline and heroin), ammunition, and slaves are
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#1732793163453638-509: The political ideals of the French Republic ( liberty, equality, fraternity ). Trilogies can also be connected in less obvious ways, such as The Nova Trilogy of novels by William S. Burroughs , each written using cut-up technique . The term is seldom applied outside media. One example is the " Marshall Trilogy ", a common term for three rulings written by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall from 1823 to 1832 concerning
667-445: The primary antagonists of the sequel series Outlanders, except there are now only a small number of technologically adept superhuman barons instead of the hundreds of lesser kingpins). Another notable group are the mutants- humanoid beings that have adapted and gained inhuman powers, psionic and otherwise, due to radiation exposure and natural selection. There are a few notable villains in this list, which include: The series had begun as
696-560: The primary forms of currency. Life is a strange mixture of ancient history and limited technology scavenged from the twentieth century. Military technology is the most prized possession of all and success is often measured by the number of bullets one possesses. Ryan Cawdor leads a group across the deathlands. Ryan has extremely secret knowledge of the 20th century — the understanding of hidden underground complexes, known as redoubts, that contains teleportation technology. He and his companions guard this knowledge with their lives. The technology
725-402: The rights transferred to Graphic Audio and all subsequent sequels being in an exclusive audio drama format. Graphic Audio have produced over one thousand hours of audio set in the Axlerverse. The Sci Fi Channel adapted Homeward Bound into a television movie in 2003. In January 2024, a ten-part television series adaptation to be directed by Jonathan Frakes was announced. As of February 2025,
754-595: The series ended in November 2015 with the closure of Gold Eagle. Graphic Audio have adapted the first 56 novels. In 2022, Graphic Audio launched an audio-exclusive prequel series entitled The Trader, set in the 2080s, over a decade before the original series . Trilogy A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature , film , and video games . Three-part works that are considered components of
783-495: The series was started in 1986 by Christopher Lowder , completed by James and published under the name James Axler . James then went on to write solely no fewer than 32 novels in this series, attracting a significant fandom, up to and including Eclipse at Noon' in 1995. Due to failing health, James was on that year forced to leave the series. He wrote one last novel, Crucible of Time that appeared in 1998. He died in February 2000. After his death, " James Axler " remained
812-444: The survivors of the firestorm with horrible illnesses. The remaining survivors lived harshly during a time of prolonged nuclear winter known as Skydark. The geography , climate , and ecosystems of the world changed dramatically. What was left of the United States came to be known as the Deathlands. Nearly a century later, civilization begun to reappear, albeit brutal, short lived, morally confused, and crazed from mutation. Between
841-423: Was released in 1998. All other Deathlands novels have been written by a number of other authors, including Mark Ellis who produced the first post-Laurence James entry, Stoneface . Gold Eagle is owned by Harlequin. In 2014, Harlequin was purchased by HarperCollins. It was decided that Gold Eagle would be shut down. After December 2015, Deathlands novels stopped being produced following the company's closure, with
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