''Nebula Alert'' is a 1967 science fiction novel by Australian author A. Bertram Chandler. The novel forms a part of the author's "Empress Irene" series of stories and was originally released as an

Ace Double American company Ace Books began publishing genre fiction starting in 1952. Initially these were mostly in tête-bêche format with the ends of the two parts meeting in the middle and with a divider between them which functioned as the rear cover ...

(G-632), backed by ''The Rival Rigelians'' by

Mack Reynolds Dallas McCord "Mack" Reynolds (November 11, 1917 – January 30, 1983) was an American science fiction writer. His pen names included Dallas Ross, Mark Mallory, Clark Collins, Dallas Rose, Guy McCord, Maxine Reynolds, Bob Belmont, and Todd Har ...

.Austlit - ''Nebula Alert'' by A. Bertram Chandler
/ref>A. Bertram Chandler - ''Nebula Alert''
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Plot outline

The novel features the author's minor series character the ex-Empress Irene, who has by this time abdicated her throne, and Benjamin Trafford. The husband-and-wife team crew the ''Imperial Yacht Wanderer'' and are ferrying a number of ex-slave Iralians back to their home planet. But the ''Wanderer'' runs into pirates, and they are forced to escape through the

Horsehead Nebula The Horsehead Nebula (also known as Barnard 33 or B33) is a small dark nebula in the constellation Orion. The nebula is located just to the south of Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion molecular ...

. Space inside the nebula is strange, and they emerge into an alternate timeline where they encounter the author's major series character, John Grimes.

Critical reception

Rich Horton, on ''SFF.net'' site, found the novel rather thin: "It's all pretty silly stuff -- Chandler really never seemed to care about little things like logic. That said, it's tolerable fun in its breezy way. Nothing I'd go out of my way to find, but not a story I regret reading, either."

Notes

The novel is the third in the author's "Empress Irene" series, preceded by ''Empress of Outer Space'' (1965) and ''Space Mercenaries'' (1965). Dedication: "To all those excellent storytellers who, as well as affording us hours of enjoyment, have provided the inspiration for the Dream Sequence."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nebula Alert 1967 science fiction novels Australian science fiction novels Ace Books books

Plot outline

Critical reception

Notes

See also

References