Raiders of the Second Moon

In Short

Set on a secret satellite of the Moon named Sekk, this pulp science fiction adventure follows a man known as Noork, who has lost his memory and lives among the indigenous tribes of a sunken, jungle-filled valley. When he encounters a woman named Sarna, he is drawn into a conflict against the mysterious "Misty Ones," a cult guarding a central island temple. Originally published in 1945, the story blends planetary romance with a high-stakes hunt for a fugitive scientist, capturing the adventurous, fast-paced spirit of mid-century speculative fiction.

The Story

The narrative opens in the lush, sunken valleys of Sekk, a small satellite hidden behind the Moon. Here, a man called Noork lives among the Vasads—hairy, ape-like beings—and his friend, a golden-skinned renegade named Gurn. Noork is an amnesiac with fragmented memories of a place called "New York" and a mysterious crash. While watching a trail, he encounters Sarna, a woman from the valley city of Grath, who is fleeing the "Misty Ones"—sinister, cloaked beings who abduct villagers for sacrifice at their island temple.

Noork rescues Sarna from an ambush by the Misty Ones and, by defeating one, discovers their secret: they are not ghosts or demons, but living creatures using cloaks of shifting mist to maintain an illusion of supernatural power. Donning the stolen cloak, Noork infiltrates the island of Manak, where he meets a slave named Rold. He learns that Sarna has been captured and is scheduled for sacrifice at the Temple of the Skull.

Noork navigates the grotesque, skull-shaped temple, witnessing the worship of wolf and lion-headed deities. He battles the temple guards and a corrupt High Priest, uncovering a "vision shield" that allows the wearer to see through the mist-cloaks. After a brutal, bloody fight, he liberates Sarna and Rold, using the stolen shield to navigate the heavily guarded island.

As the trio flees back to the mainland, they are cornered by a group of Misty Ones led by Doctor Karl Von Mark, a Nazi scientist whom Noork—revealed as the American pilot Stephen Dietrich—had been pursuing across space. Von Mark, having also crashed on Sekk, seeks to conquer Earth using the invisibility technology. However, before the Doctor can execute Dietrich, Gurn and his warriors arrive, having learned to hunt the Misty Ones themselves. They ambush the cultists, and Von Mark is killed by an arrow. With his memory restored and his mission accomplished, Dietrich abandons any hope of returning to Earth. He finds closure in his new life, choosing to stay on Sekk with Gurn and Sarna to help lead their people toward a more peaceful future.

How It Unfolds

The stranger in the jungle Noork lives in the forest canopy, struggling to reconcile his rudimentary life with flashes of a life in a place called New York. He observes the golden-skinned Sarna and intervenes when she is threatened by invisible pursuers.

The secret of the mist After defeating a Misty One, Noork realizes these feared entities are merely men in clever disguises. He adopts their mantle and infiltrates the temple island to uncover the extent of their control over the valley cities.

The infiltration of the temple Inside the Temple of the Skull, Noork navigates a hierarchy of priests and guards. He discovers Sarna in the prison pits and faces off against a High Priest who possesses a shield capable of cutting through the invisibility illusion.

The confrontation with the past Having rescued his companions, Noork encounters the antagonist, Doctor Von Mark, who reveals Noork’s true identity as Captain Dietrich. The arrival of Gurn’s forest warriors ends the threat, allowing Dietrich to reclaim his name and find a new home.

The People

Noork, later identified as Stephen Dietrich, is the story’s anchor. He begins as a blank slate, defined by his strength and a vague, persistent longing for a home he cannot reach. His journey from an amnesiac "savage" to a man who consciously accepts his new life is the core of his arc.

Sarna is a spirited resident of the valley city of Grath. While initially presented as a damsel in distress, she provides the necessary context for the political and religious tensions of Sekk. She serves as the bridge between Noork’s isolated life and the wider world of the valley states.

Gurn, the golden-skinned renegade, is a man of action. He is the catalyst for the rebellion against the Misty Ones. His loyalty to Noork and his practical approach to survival enable the final victory over the invaders.

Doctor Karl Von Mark acts as the antithesis to Dietrich. He is a remnant of a destructive, earthbound ideology, attempting to transplant his cruelty to a pristine, isolated world. His failure highlights the book’s theme that the inhabitants of Sekk—and the man who joins them—are better off leaving their old-world conflicts behind.

In Its Own Voice

"Beyond earth swings that airless pocked mass of fused rock and gray volcanic dust that we know as Luna."

The author establishes the setting by contrasting our familiar moon with the hidden, mysterious world of Sekk.

"A strange destiny had erased Noork's memory, and had brought him to this tiny world--to write an end to his first existence."

This passage underscores the theme of rebirth and the abandonment of the protagonist's past life.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book explores the tension between civilization and the primitive. It argues that power—whether in the form of religious terror or high-tech weaponry—is often just a veil used to control the vulnerable. Noork’s discovery that the "demons" are merely men with cloaks strips away the superstition that binds the valley people. Furthermore, the book tackles the idea of the "tabula rasa"; by losing his memory, the protagonist is forced to abandon the baggage of his past. The ultimate conclusion is a rejection of the destructive "civilization" of Earth in favor of a simpler, more honest life built on the foundations of loyalty and local community.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the brisk, no-nonsense storytelling of 1940s pulp magazines will find this a rewarding experience. It is a lean, efficient adventure that wastes no time on subplots or unnecessary exposition. The prose is functional and descriptive, effectively building a world of sunken valleys and misty temples in very few pages.

However, readers should be prepared for the stylistic conventions of the era. The dialogue is often melodramatic, and the characterizations are broad, focusing on archetypes like the "noble savage" and the "mad scientist" rather than complex psychological portraits. The period attitudes toward the "golden-skinned" people and the "hairy beast men" reflect the pulp sensibilities of the 1940s, which may feel jarring to modern readers. Additionally, the brevity of the story means that the world-building is intentionally shallow; Sekk is a backdrop for action rather than a deeply realized setting.

Despite these limitations, the story offers a satisfying, self-contained arc. The image of a man shedding his identity to find peace on a hidden moon is a timeless trope, and its execution here is earnest. It is a quick read that functions best as a nostalgic trip into the golden age of science fiction, perfect for a single sitting.