The Cometeers

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The Cometeers is a two-novel collection by Jack Williamson, part of the Legion of Space series. It was first issued in 1950 by Fantasy Press and brings together two connected adventures that were originally serialized in Astounding in 1936 and 1939. A later British edition added Nowhere Near as a fourth story in the sequence.

Part 1: The Cometeers
The Legion of Space faces a mysterious green comet-like ship that seems to be controlled by intelligent beings—the Cometeers. The Green Hall initially wants to destroy the comet, but Commander Jay Kalam prefers peaceful contact. A key turn comes when it’s revealed that a man named Merrin is alive; he is actually Stephen Orco, a former Legionnaire who became a Cometeer and a brilliant but dangerous foe.

Orco’s capture and the Cometeers’ attack lead the Legion to a secret asteroid base where a brilliant scientist, Eldo Arruni, had created dangerous technology. On the asteroid they encounter Kay Nymidee, a young woman who can speak an unknown language and is connected to the Cometeers’ origins. The heroes discover that a weapon hidden in a mysterious box could destroy the Cometeers, but the box also holds revelations about Orco: he is an android, not a human, created by Arruni.

Giles Habibula, the Legion’s master lock-picker, opens a hidden compartment in the box and retrieves a real weapon. In a climactic confrontation, Bob Star overcomes his own fears and uses the weapon to kill Stephen Orco and destroy the Cometeers, freeing the enslaved humans. AKKA, the Keeper’s powerful defense system, is restored for humankind. The story ends with the Legion rescuing Bob Star’s parents and plans forming for the future.

Part 2: One Against the Legion (often read as the second novel in this collection)
Chan Derron, Giles Habibula’s grandson, becomes a central figure in a new crisis. A mastermind known as the Basilisk begins kidnapping wealthy gamblers from a space casino, leaving behind small clay snakes as clues. Derron, Hal Samdu, and Giles chase the mystery while more about Giles’s past is revealed. They discover that Derron is linked to Giles in surprising ways, including a family ring that helps prove their connection.

The Basilisk’s scheme unfolds on a distant rocky island, where a large group of people, including the Legion’s leaders and the Keeper of AKKA, are trapped. A brilliant young woman named Stella Eleroid (the daughter of scientist Max Eleroid) uses her father’s invention, a geofractor, to aid the escape. Derron, Stella, and Giles uncover the Basilisk’s true identity: Abel Davian, a top gambler who seeks revenge and a return to power for his family.

In a tense showdown, Derron and Stella work to rescue the remaining captives while Derron acts against Davian. The Basilisk plans to be the sole survivor, but Derron and Stella manage to outmaneuver him using the geofractor’s power and clever tricks. Derron learns that he and Giles are linked in a way that brings them closer, and the pair—with Stella—bring the hostage situation to a dramatic end. The Basilisk is defeated, and the island’s crisis subsides.

Reception
The Cometeers stories were praised as swashbuckling, adventurous space fiction that still felt thoughtful and engaging. Critics highlighted Giles Habibula as a standout character, and noted that the books were more intricate and thought-provoking than Williamson’s earlier Legion of Space tale.

Publication details
The collection appeared in 1950 and drew on material from the mid-to-late 1930s. The British edition in 1970 added Nowhere Near as a fourth entry in the extended Legion of Space saga.