June 4, 2015—Altus Press is proud to announce the first new Tarzan novel in several years!
Written by the prolific adventure writer, Will Murray, author of The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage series, Tarzan: Return to Pal-ul-don is an authorized sequel to one of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ most celebrated Tarzan novels, Tarzan the Terrible.
“Having been an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan since 1968,” says Murray, “the opportunity to bring this iconic character back to life means a great deal to me. I’ve pulled out all the stops to faithfully replicate the storytelling style of the great Edgar Rice Burroughs and recreate the original era of Tarzan of the Apes.”
During World War II, John Clayton, Lord Greystoke has just completed flight training with the Royal Air Force when his superiors assign him to a secret mission: Locate the enigmatic British Military Intelligence operative codenamed Ilex, whose plane has gone down in a vast primeval wilderness that only Tarzan of the Apes dares brave. Flying Officer Clayton does not suspect that his superiors harbor an ulterior motive for assigning him this dangerous mission. Before it’s all over, the Lord of the Jungle will plunge into his wild past and confront dangers both familiar and unfamiliar in the prehistoric lost land where carnivorous triceratops and saber-tooth tigers roam.
Jim Sullos, President of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., notes, “We couldn’t be more pleased to have such a talented writer as Will Murray write a sequel to one of Mr. Burroughs’ Tarzan novels. The pace is fast and the suspense never lets up, just what a reader expects when following the adventures of our Ape-Man.”
Tarzan: Return to Pal-ul-don features a startling cover illustration by award-winning artist Joe DeVito, who executes the covers for Altus Press’ Wild Adventures of Doc Savage series.
“It is always a treat painting covers for Will’s Doc Savage adventure yarns,” says DeVito. “And now, Tarzan, the granddaddy of all the great action-adventure characters. After sculpting the Centennial Tarzan statue for ERB, Inc. in 2012, I was hoping to get a crack at a Tarzan painting as well. This book provided an opportunity to combine them both!”
Altus Press publisher Matt Moring adds, “As a long-time fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs—beginning with the quest to put together a complete collection of ERB’s Ace paperbacks many years ago—it’s almost unbelievable that I’d one day be able to say that I’d actually publish an authorized Tarzan novel. And based on Will’s long track record, there can be no doubt that this will be an epic story.”
Tarzan: Return to Pal-ul-don will be released in paperback in June, to be followed by a deluxe hardcover edition with a wraparound cover and a bonus Tarzan short story by Gary A. Buckingham, “Tarzan and the Secret of Katanga,” a sequel which ties into the lead novel. There will also be an e-book edition released in all popular formats.