The novel “The Killing Machine” by Jack Vance was published for the first in 1964. It’s the second book in the Demon Princes series and follows “The Star King“.

Kirth Gersen agrees to work as a spy for the police but only after completing his mission does he discover that one of the criminals he had to face was actually Kokor Hekkus. Nicknamed The Killing Machine, he’s one of the demon princes Gersen wants to kill and was operating under a false name.

A trace leads Kirth Gersen to investigate a series of kidnappings carried out by Kokor Hekkus to obtain large ransoms. Interchange is an unofficial organization that acts as an intermediary between kidnappers and anyone who wants to pay the ransom. Gersen discovers that among Interchange’s “guests” is Alusz Iphigenia Eperje-Tokay, a girl who claims to come from the mythical planet Thamber, where Hekkus is said to have a base.

“The Killing Machine” continues the series in which Jack Vance chronicles the adventures of Kirth Gersen in his quest for revenge against the five criminals known as the Demon Princes. Each novel shows the protagonist trying to kill one of them, and that means that each of them has an ending but the novels form a series that must be read in its entirety to be fully appreciated.

Kokor Hekkus is an extraordinary criminal even by the standards of that category because he’s a so-called hormagaunt, a person who extends his life by stealing hormones and other substances from other people. His atrocities tie him to Thamber, a planet that many believe is just a myth.

Kirth Gersen grew up obsessively preparing to exact his revenge, but he’s only human and not infallible. What for him is the mission of his life risked failing right from the start. As he prepares to face the second of his sworn enemies, he finds himself reflecting on himself and his motivations, also thinking about what future awaits him.

“The Killing Machine” is short by today’s standards because it was written in years when long novels were still the exception and not the rule. However, there’s some room for introspection in this novel. This element gives greater depth to the protagonist and strength to a story which in its plot already offers a great adventure told with Jack Vance’s extraordinary inventiveness and inimitable style.

Finding Kokor Hekkus is a task that is made even more difficult by the fact that this criminal proves to be a master of disguise. Kirth Gersen must resort to a complex plan that exploits the activities of Interchange in a plot that mixes action and careful preparation. For the protagonist, it’s crucial to defeat his enemy in a battle of wits.

“The Killing Machine” has its own ending but continues what was written from the beginning as a series that has become a classic of adventurous science fiction. The Demon Princes series has become one of Jack Vance’s best known and I recommend it to anyone who appreciates this author and this type of science fiction. It’s available on Amazon USA, UK (part 1), and Canada (part 1).