Skook

Up in the Pacific Northwest, folks whisper about big hairy human-like creatures they call skooks. Others might refer to them as sasquatch, or Big Foot. A down-on-his-luck ex-newspaperman lives there on the plateau with his family, not far from the Gorge where strange sightings take place. When his son is kidnapped by one of these mysterious creatures, he hunts it down and retrieves his son. But according to an old mountaineer known as Joe Consonant, the boy is “marked” and the mysterious visitors will come back for him. Is a 30.06, a trusty dog, and an elephant bell enough to protect his family? Maybe not.

William R. Burkett, Jr. wrote this classic science fiction novel at the age of 18. John W. Campbell, Jr., legendary editor of Analog Science Fact & Fiction Magazine, published it as a three-part story. It won the reader’s poll as favorite sci-fi story of the year. That led to a hardcover publication by Doubleday, a paperback edition, and several foreign editions. However, the acclaimed book has long been out of print. This return of Sleeping Planet marks a resurgence of Bill Burkett, with several new works by this reclusive writer appearing for the first time.