Title: The Reign of the Ray
Author: Irvin Lester & Fletcher Pratt
Magazine: Science Wonder Stories, Vol 1, No. 2 (1929)
The Reign of the Ray marks the thrilling conclusion of this audacious pulp saga—a tale that spans nations and shatters the old rules of war.
In the first part, readers were introduced to Robert Adams, a man whose genius would alter the course of history. Adams built a Coolidge tube unlike any other, capable of destroying explosive materials at a distance with terrifying precision. Naturally, such a device didn’t remain a secret for long. Once unveiled, it became the centrepiece of a desperate global conflict, as the great powers scrambled for advantage. Armies marched, fleets manoeuvred, and strategies unfolded like moves on a vast chessboard.
Now, in this final chapter, the world faces the consequences of that invention. Traditional weapons have been rendered obsolete, leaving nations scrambling to adapt. Moreover, while leaders cling to outdated notions of power, the battlefield shifts beneath their feet. And the machinery of war, once so reliable, fails them at every turn.
As events race towards their climax, the story asks unsettling questions. When technology makes war impossible, what comes next? Can humanity rise above its baser instincts, or will it find new, more terrible ways to destroy itself? Through vivid scenes of intrigue, desperation, and fleeting hope, The Reign of the Ray offers a vision of a world at a crossroads.
Though the tale began as a struggle for dominance, it ends as something far more complex—a meditation on invention, consequence, and the fragile nature of peace. And as the last pieces fall into place, no reader will leave unshaken.
