The Red Rays by Manning Lee Stokes

Author Manning Lee Stokes deviated from Awards outline for the series. He wrote The Red Rays in 1st person. It is not quite clear on who introduced it into the series. According to The Armchair Detective volume 15 number 4, Stokes remembers it was his idea. But Lyle Engle recalls it was Arnold Abramson's idea in an effort to homogenize the various author's writing styles. Also at that time the Matt Helm series was popular and in 1st person. The 1st person will be standard later in The Cobra Kill in late 1969.

Tandem Reprints

It was impossible, but it happened. The headlines in the world's press told the facts:

Massive Blackout of World TV, All Channels Interdicted by Red Propaganda, President Urges Calm

Somewhere in the world a powerful transmitter was broadcasting a savory blend of Communist propaganda and pornography. So AXE got the job of wiping out the transmitter and the man to do it was Nick Carter. The trouble was that Nick had not counted on running into a Hollywood love goddess out for extra special kicks, or a beautiful blonde revolutionary out for his blood. And they were the least of the cards stacked against him. The assignment started out in a Hollywood costume party near Malibu Beach and all Nick had to do is pick up some information from a blond in a Peter Pan costume. For openers, the assignment seemed simple until Malibu turned into never-never land with the help of a Red nerve gas. Nick then finds himself lying to a half naked girl. Though bound and drugged, he recognized he was being framed as a rapist for his own execution.

1st Award Printing

Printing History

Written by Manning Lee Stokes

Award Series

1st (A423x) 1969

2nd (A423X) 1970

Charter (71114) Sept 1981

Tandem Series

1st (3666) 1969

Reprint (unkn) 1972

Reprint (426 7392) Dec 1972

Reprint (426 17435) unkn

Notes

First to be written in first person.

Charter Reprint