The Judas Valley

"The Judas Valley" by Gerald Vance is a science fiction novel written during the mid-20th century. The story revolves around Captain Peter Wayne and his expedition team from the Interstellar Exploration Service as they explore the alien planet Fomalhaut V, following the mysterious deaths of a previous crew. The novel delves into themes of survival and the unknown dangers that lurk in space exploration. The plot unfolds as Wayne and his crew arrive on Fomalhaut V to investigate a valuable deposit of double-nucleus beryllium, while also trying to uncover the reason behind the sudden deaths of the previous scouting team from the "Mavis". As they begin to explore the treacherous valley, they encounter bizarre and deadly creatures that attack through the sand, injecting crew members with a hypnotic drug that turns them against each other. Captain Wayne, suspecting something sinister, must confront both the alien threats and the treachery within his own ranks in order to survive and ensure the safety of his crew. The story culminates in a dramatic confrontation that highlights Wayne's resourcefulness and determination to overcome the dangers of the Judas Valley. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was a contributor to Astounding and other science fiction magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. He instructed Robert Silverberg in the techniques of selling large quantities of action-adventure science fiction, and collaborated with him on two novels about men from Earth disrupting a peaceful agrarian civilization on an alien planet.