Read/Watch 'em In Order #154
The May 1940 issue of Amazing Stories brought us the third tale in the epic life of Hok, the prehistoric warrior and leader, written by Manly Wade Wellman.
(By the way, the International Science Fiction Database is a wonderful resourse for looking up the publication histories of science fiction, horror and fantasy tales. But they did make a slight error with Wellman's Hok series. They include "Day of the Conquerers," published in Thrilling Wonder Tales in 1940, as part of the series. But that tale, though wonderful in its own right and also about prehistoric men, does not feature Hok. It's a cavemen vs. invading aliens story. And, having written that last sentence, I am now driven to re-visit it soon and review it on this blog.)
Anyway, "Hok Draws the Bow" begins with Hok being saved from Neanderthals (called Gnorrls) by a man named Romm. Romm soon proves himself to be arrogant and greedy, looking for ways to discredit Hok and take over leadership of the tribe. He also casts lustful eyes in the direction of Hok's wife Oleana. He is smart, though. He's invented a way of using a piece of rawhide to put spin on a thrown javelin, thus increasing its range.
But Hok is smart himself. He foils Romm's plans to discredit him. The angry man throws a punch, violating the tradition of hospitality that forced Hok to tolerate him. Romm leaves the village, but he's later seen teaming up with the Gnorrls. In fact, this prehistoric con artist has convinced the Gnorrls to worship him.
That can't be good. But for a time, there is peace. This allows Hok to think about Romm's javelin-throwing trick and experiment with it. Eventually, Hok invents the first working bow.
(There's another blink-and-you'll-miss-it technological advancement in Hok's tribe. They are now living in huts rather than caves. The story doesn't dwell on this, but the implication is that Hok's experience in a doomed Bronze Age city during the last story gave him the idea of the tribe building their own shelters.)
Anyway, Hok has a bow and arrows for himself now, but doesn't have time to teach this new skill to his people before the Gnorrls attack. What follows here is yet another epic battle scene--something Wellman excells at throughout the Hok series. The Gnorrls come in large numbers, using tactics taught to them by Romm. Hok's tribe is forced to retreat and all but eight of its thirty warriors are killed. Desperate fighting and rear-guard actions allow most of the women and children to get away.
Hok asks for help from other clans, but his reputation as a warrior is tarnished by the loss. So he realizes its up to him alone. Armed with his bow, he will attempt to find and kill Romm. If he can do that, the Gnorrl army will cease to be an organized threat.
Well, Hok means to go alone. His wife Oleana refuses to stay behind. So when Hok is captured and about to be burned at the stake, Oleana is nearby to take action. A perfectly thrown javelin frees her husband. And, while Romm leads the Gnorrls in a chase after Oleana, Hok recovers his bow and uses a few well-placed fire arrows to turn the tables on his enemies.
We are now 3/5s of the way through the Hok series and it continues to shine as a great example of how entertaining pulp fiction was. The action scenes are expertly crafted and always exciting. Characterizations are strong and we continue to easily believe in Hok as a great leader and kick-butt warrior. These stories are among Wellman's finest.
You can read this one online HERE.
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