Lars Knudsen's Legends on the Wall (Dolchinor: Daimon Press, Year 0, 312 pg, 50 cr) reviewed by Inge Hong in The Arlean Times.

It is always tragic to see a great mind collapse in upon itself and spin endless fantasies. The formerly controversial and well known Arlean archaeologists, Lars Knudsen, has just issued his latest volume of antiquarian phantasms, Legends on the Walls. While it will undoubtedly be hailed as a triumph by his backers, fans, and groupies, it is no more than 312 pages of wholly unfounded speculation based on the obviously contaminated Arlean site of Mazanthi in the deep south.

Two pieces of evidence, a hoard of copper amulets, which he dates at 15,000 years b.p., and a somewhat more ancient chamber full of geometric mosaics, are adduced as evidence that Arlea was part of an extensive space-faring civilization prior to the advent of the Vilani, some 10,000 years ago. The amulets, which other researchers have interpreted as representing either a species of Dolchs - the so-called dagger- or delta-winged insects common in that region prior to drainage and deforestation - or as representations of early Vilani shuttles buried at a later date by a local cargo cult - are interpreted by Knudsen as space ships belonging to a possibly pre-human race or races he terms the Ancient Ones.

The geometric mosaics from Mazanthi are more problematical. These were first discovered in the Third Pyramid of Mazanthi over a century ago by Jane Ishi. Her interpretation of them as a map of major roads in the ancient Mazanthi state (which covered an area of over 100,000 km2) has not held up. More recent interpretations of them as charts of constellations with astrological significance has been equally hard to prove. Given that many of the tessallae were made from precious or semi-precious gems, and others from tiles of unknown composition, the mosaics have been heavily damaged by both ancient and modern thieves.

Knudsen interprets these mosaics as representations of the major star routes used by his Ancient Ones. He cites similar mosaics found on other planets in this sector as evidence of their existence. He fails to note that the construction techniques and materials used vary considerably in these mosaics. In several cases, the mosaics he sites have been shown to be related to local myths. More importantly, the Sylean psychologist, Gustav Sigismund, argues in his new books, Paths of Soul, that these mosaics are the product of the archetypal contents of the human mind and inevitably arise at a certain level of civilization.

In short, Knudsen's volume (like his previous books, Gods and Astrogators  and Relics of the Ancient Ones)  is a tissue of thinly veiled fantasies and erroneously interpreted evidence. It is hardly any wonder that his membership in the Imperial Academy of Sciences is being reconsidered and that his position at the University of Dolchinor is in potential jeopardy.

From the notes of the late Prof. Lars Knudsen. Comments in red are emendations by Artemus Vogel

On board the Bounty awaiting departure.

Arthur should check into the amulets Firzbaum is offering. They are of extraordinary quality. If genuine, they could prove invaluable in understanding the amulets I have already cataloged. Tell him to offer as much as 100kcr if he can get them authenticated.

Who is Arthur? Is that the same Firszbaum who was peddling fake scrolls a few years back?

On board the Bounty enroute to Trys.

Title for the next book in the series: Symbols of Transcendence - get Arthur to commission cover art from Kleman - an abstract based on the Mazanthi mosaics.

Kleman is a pretty big name - Knudsen must have thought this would be a hot property - or was he just obsessed with his own importance?

On board the Bounty on the surface of Trys.

is there some significance to the yellow sand? Could it be the radioactive remains of some ancient disaster that befell a base or colony here? Could it be evidence of the war that destroyed their civilization?

More likely just some naturally occurring, surface uranium deposits. He read too much into everything.

Was there life on Trys before it became hot? Who build the Pyramids - certainly not the nomads? The Ancient Ones were here!!!

On board the Bounty leaving the Marpi Ka system.

Could the Pyramid have had no religious significance? Perhaps, given the vital role of water, its religious significance was derived from its religious functions ... but, then again, it might be a purely technological object ... no, religion and technology must go hand in glove! To the Ancient Ones, there was no difference - would that it were so with us!

The "Ancient Ones" still among us? Surely not - that would be the biggest conspiracy of all time. Was the Professor a little nuts?

On board the Bounty in jump space.

The mosaics on Trys, so similar to the Mazanthi mosaics - but so different - could I have been wrong about their meaning all those years ago? Could they be some more abstract means of communication than just a map? If religion and technology are identical, then perhaps there is more to the mosaics than meets the eye. There must be.

What's he getting at? Religion and technology the same, abstract communications, could they simultaneously be maps of consciousness and of physical star routes? I have heard rumors of psionically manipulating jump space - is it possible - is that what the Professor thought he was on to?

Have Arthur get updated pics of the Mazanthi mosaics. The old ones won't look good against the pics we got of the Trys Pyramid mosaics.

The spongiform device is of the utmost importance. I surmise that it is a nano/bio-tech device designed to efficiently trap and distil water. That it has obviously survived so long is testimony either that the Ancient Ones were phenomenally more advanced or are still with us and maintaining their artifacts! Must get Korma to analyze it - will send him a sample as soon as we get to a real port.

Who took the spongiform device? Who is Korma? If only we hadn't eaten the meat from those creatures and fallen ill. Last time I let Niles talk me into adventures in cuisine.