Outlanders is a long-running series of science-fiction novels created by Mark Ellis and published by Gold Eagle, an imprint of Harlequin Enterprises.
Plot Set in the same fictional universe as The Trader and Deathlands but separated by a century, Outlanders follows the adventures of a core group of explorers—Kane, Grant, Brigid Baptiste, and Domi—who operate out of a secret military base known as the Cerberus Redoubt.
Although The Trader, Deathlands, and Outlanders all bear the "James Axler" byline, Outlanders is primarily (although not exclusively) written by its creator Mark Ellis whereas multiple authors produce Deathlands.
Two hundred years after a nuclear holocaust devastated the Earth, the chaos and barbarism depicted in The Trader and Deathlands have given way to a centralized, despotic government ruled by nine mysterious barons.
Material taken from redoubts, secret preholocaust military installations with stores of weapons and the home of the gateways, mat-trans (matter-transfer) devices, supplied the baronial rule in what was known as the “Program of Unification.”
Rearmed from redoubt stockpiles, the barons consolidated their power and reclaimed very advanced technology created two centuries before by the so-called “Totality Concept.”
Their power bolstered by the invisible authority known only to an elite few as the Archon Directorate extended beyond the fortified city-states into what came to be called the Outlands. There, the rootstock of humanity survived, eking out an existence in hellzones and hounded by black-armored Magistrates, the enforcers of the barons’ laws.
When Cobaltville Magistrates Kane and Grant came across a piece of misplaced technology and Brigid Baptiste, an archivist began an investigation on their behalf, they found themselves branded as seditionists, their citizenship stripped from them and they were reclassified as Outlanders.
Since 1997’s Exile to Hell, the first book in the series, the heroes and heroines of Outlanders slowly uncovered the truth behind the barons, the Archons and the nuclear holocaust and finally the hidden history of humanity.
They learn that Earth and humankind has been influenced since the dawn of time by the reptilian Anunnaki and the Tuatha Dé Danann. They realize that the baronies are a revival of the god-king system of ancient Sumeria.
Besides the nine barons, other threats arise in the early books, namely Sindri, a brilliant but deranged dwarf who rules a secret colony on Mars. First appearing in Parallax Red (1998), Sindri becomes the most persistent foe of the Cerberus warriors, appearing in several novels.
Other recurring enemies include Colonel Thrush, Sam the Imperator, Grigori Zakat and MacCann, the last prince of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
In Shadow Scourge (2000), the heroes contend with Ocajinik, apparently one of H. P. Lovecraft’s Old Ones.
In Children of the Serpent (2005), the Cerberus warriors discover that the nuclear holocaust and the institution of the baronies were part of an ancient plan formulated over a thousand years before by Enlil, the last Anunnaki on Earth in order to reincarnate the pantheon of Sumerian gods and re-establish their rule over the world.
The reincarnated Enlil becomes the Outlanders' main villain. He is considerably more evil and powerful than any of the barons, and has much of the knowledge and technology of the Anunnaki.
Employing conspiracy theories and myths from all cultures as underpinnings, 'Outlanders' quickly distanced itself from the survivalist tone of 'Deathlands' and struck out in new directions, providing explanations and a backstory for many of the unresolved science-fiction elements in the earlier series.
Series History According to series creator Mark Ellis, Outlanders was not originally conceived as having any connection whatsoever to Deathlands.Statements made on Jamesaxler.com and MarkEllisInk.com by Mark Ellis The link between the two series came after all the other elements had been envisioned and was suggested by Ellis who had already authored several novels in the Deathlands series.
The “Axlerverse,” a term coined by Mark Ellis, is inclusive of events in both Outlanders and Deathlands—however, there is very little in the way of a cohesive fictional universe in the latter series.
Deathlands did not develop much depth in the way of setting and Ellis introduced many new concepts to make the Axlerverse into a plausible fictional world, particularly important in the books published post-2001.
Outlanders has established a reputation for featuring strong yet sexy female characters both in the books and on the covers, particularly those produced by artist Cliff Nielsen.
Other writers who have contributed to Outlanders are Mel Odom and Victor Milán.
Outlanders is also available as unabridged full-cast audio dramas up to #56: Cradle of Destiny through GraphicAudio.
Series # Title Author(s) First Edition ISBN Date Released 001 Exile to Hell Mark Ellis June 1997 002 Destiny Run Mark Ellis September 1997 003 Savage Sun Mark Ellis December 1997 004 Omega Path Mark Ellis March 1998 005 Parallax Red Mark Ellis June 1998 006 Doomstar Relic Mark Ellis September 1998 007 Iceblood Mark Ellis December 1998 008 Hellbound Fury The Lost Earth Saga Book 1 Mark Ellis March 1999 009 Night Eternal The Lost Earth Saga Book 2 Mark Ellis, Mel Odom June 1999 010 Outer Darkness The Lost Earth Saga Book 3 Mark Ellis September 1999 011 Armageddon Axis Mark Ellis December 1999 012 Wreath of Fire Mel Odom, Mark Ellis March 2000 013 Shadow Scourge Mark Ellis May 2000 014 Hell Rising Mark Ellis August 2000 015 Doom Dynasty The Imperator Wars Book 1 Mark Ellis November 2000 016 Tigers of Heaven The Imperator Wars Book 2 Mark Ellis February 2001 017 Purgatory Road The Imperator Wars Book 3 Mark Ellis May 2001 018 Sargasso Plunder Mel Odom, Mark Ellis August 2001 019 Tomb of Time Mark Ellis November 2001 020 Prodigal Chalice Mel Odom February 2002 021 Devil in the Moon The Dragon Kings Book 1 Mark Ellis May 2002 022 Dragoneye The Dragon Kings Book 2 Mark Ellis August 2002 023 Far Empire Mark Ellis November 2002 024 Equinox Zero Mark Ellis February 2003 025 Talon and Fang Heart of the World Book 1 Mark Ellis May 2003 026 Sea of Plague Heart of the World Book 2 Mark Ellis August 2003 027 Awakening Victor Milán November 2003 028 Mad God's Wrath Mark Ellis February 2004 029 Sun Lord Victor Milán May 2004 030 Mask of The Sphinx Mark Ellis, Chris Van Deelen August 2004 031 Uluru Destiny Victor Milán November 2004 032 Evil Abyss Mark Ellis February 2005 033 Children of the Serpent Mark Ellis May 2005 034 Successors Victor Milán August 2005 035 Cerberus Storm Mark Ellis November 2005 036 Refuge Victor Milán February 2006 037 Rim of the World Mark Ellis May 2006 038 Lords of the Deep Victor Milán August 2006 039 Hydra's Ring Mark Ellis November 2006 040 Closing the Cosmic Eye Victor Milán February 2007 041 Skull Throne Mark Ellis May 2007 042 Satan's Seed Mark Ellis August 2007 043 Dark Goddess Mark Ellis November 2007 044 Grailstone Gambit Mark Ellis February 2008 045 Ghostwalk Mark Ellis May 2008 046 Pantheon of Vengeance Douglas Wojtowicz August 2008 047 Death Cry Rik Hoskin November 2008 048 Serpent's Tooth Douglas Wojtowicz February 2009 049 Shadow Box Rik Hoskin May 2009 050 Janus Trap Rik Hoskin August 2009 051 Warlord of the Pit Mark Ellis November 2009 052 Reality Echo Douglas Wojtowicz February 2010 053 Infinity Breach Rik Hoskin May 2010 054 Oblivion Stone Rik Hoskin August 2010 055 Distortion Offensive Rik Hoskin November 2010 056 Cradle of Destiny Douglas Wojtowicz February 2011 057 Scarlet Dream Rik Hoskin May 2011 058 Truth Engine Rik Hoskin August 2011 059 Infestation Cubed Douglas Wojtowicz November 2011 060 Planet Hate Rik Hoskin February 2012 061 Dragon City Rik Hoskin May 2012 062 God War Rik Hoskin August 2012 063 Genesis Sinister Rik Hoskin October 2012 064 Savage Dawn Douglas Wojtowicz February 2013 065 Sorrow Space Rik Hoskin May 2013 066 Immortal Twilight Rik Hoskin August 2013 067 Cosmic Rift Rik Hoskin November 2013 068 Wings of Death Douglas Wojtowicz February 2014 069 Necropolis Douglas Wojtowicz May 2014 070 Shadow Born Douglas Wojtowicz August 2014 071 Judgment Plague Rik Hoskin November 2014 072 Terminal White Rik Hoskin February 2015 073 Hell's Maw Rik Hoskin May 2015 074 Angel of Doom Douglas Wojtowicz August 2015 075 Apocalypse Unseen Rik Hoskin November 2015
References
External links Official site of Mark Ellis Mark Ellis interviewed JamesAxler.com Fan site of the Outlanders and Deathlands series