Bunduki Books In Order

Publication Order of Bunduki Books

The “Bunduki” series by author John Thomas Edson features characters that are connected to the “Tarzan” series of characters and it was at first authorized by Edgar Rice Burroughs’s estate. That being said, the fourth novel and the short stories were not authorized and do not at all feature Tarzan or Jane by their names. This is due to the fact that in 1976, permission was rescinded on ERB’s estate’s part. It is a bit of a sequel series to the “Tarzan” series that author Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote. The series of novels is a bit of a departure for Edson, as it is set in jungles and on another planet, rather than in the old west.

James Allenvale Gunn or ‘Bunduki’ (which means firearm of any kind in Swahili) is someone who was adopted by Jane and Tarzan when he was only two years old after rebels, during the Mau Mau Uprising, killed his parents. Bunduki gets married to Dawn, who is Tarzan’s great-granddaughter. Everything that Tarzan knew, he passed on to Bunduki. His biological father was descendant from Sir Henry Curtis, someone who toured Africa with Allan Quartermain. On his mother’s side (Allison Dawn ‘Tex’ Gunn), he is related to Mark Counter, a Texan. Bunduki’s parents and Dawn’s parents both served together in a Special Missions Organization of the Secret Intelligence Service called ‘Group Thirteen’ during the second world war.

Dawn Drummond- Clayton, daughter of Sir John Armond Drummond-Clayton. She is a graduate from the Rodean School and is expert in martial arts, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, and fencing. Her grandfather is Korak the Killer and her grandmother is Meriem. Bulldog Drummond is her granduncle. Like Bunduki, she does not age and is not affected by diseases that are found in the tropics or parasitic infections thanks to Tarzan’s treatment that he gave to her. The seventies saw her and her mate get transported to a planet called Zillikian by a breed of aliens that are known as “Suppliers”. She uses a hunting bow (Ben Pearson Marauder Take-Down) and a fighting knife (Randall Model 1).

The planet that Bunduki and Dawn get taken to, called Zillikian, which is a counter Earth. It is a planet that is opposite the sun and in the exact same orbit as the Earth. There are quite a few similarities to Earth like climate and wildlife, but there is not the same level of industrialization of Humans that Earth has.

There are both novels and short stories in the “Bunduki” series. The first novel in the series was published in 1975 (the last novel was published in 1980), and the first story was published in 1979 and the last story in the series was published in 1990. A fifth novel was written for the series, but has never been published. All of the stories in the series were published by Corgi Books in England. The short stories are set on Earth and serve as prequels to everything that happens in the novels.

“Bunduki” written by John Thomas Edson is the first book in the “Bunduki” series that was released in the year 1975. Dawn and Bunduki should have been killed when their vehicle crashed into the Gambuti Gorge. But instead, they woke to find that they were in the primeval jungle, armed with some primitive weapons. Dawn’s senses were opened on the plain filled with game. They have to find each other and they are guided by subconcious suggestions to do so. They have to get passed all of the terrain that is populated by savage people and animals. Danger and death, they will face many many times before they are reunited. It is a good thing, then, that they are both the adoptive great-granddaughter and son of Tarzan (who is also known as Lord Greystoke or Tarzan of the Apes).

Fans of the novel enjoyed the way Edson is able to take on the Tarzan stories, and that these feel like a continuation of them. Some were pulled in by the fascinating story and could not tear themselves away to do other essential things.

“Bunduki and Dawn” written by John Thomas Edson is the second book in the “Bunduki” series that was released in the year 1976. Dryaka (High Priest of the Mun-Gatah clan) is furious that Bunduki and Dawn have gotten away from him. At the same time, his camp is in ruins; with the quagga herd stampeded that have not been recovered, and the tents have been burned. He is losing respect from the other elders in the tribe and he is losing his standing. San-Gatah, most powerful of all the Mun-Gatah nation’s communities shows up and wants to boot Drayaka from his post and replace him, with his wife taking over as Protectress. At the same time, Dawn and Bunduki are headed for a village that is called Telonga. Romance is in the air between these two adoptive cousins. They are able to hunt and kill an animal and eat it raw.

Fans of the novel enjoy the novel, finding that they cannot get enough of these books, and wish that more had been written by Edson. Like most of Edson’s work, this features quite the attention to detail. Some fans wish that the novels in the series were easier to get a hold of because at this point the novels are rare and now out of print. At the very least, in e-book format.

“Sacrifice for the Quagga God” written by John Thomas Edson is the third book in the “Bunduki” series that was released in the year 1976. After being taking by Mun-Gatahs’ High Priest, Dawn is going to be sacrificed to the Quagga God. Bunduki fears that even he, who knows a lot about being in the jungle, can save Dawn from such a fate of dying for Quagga God. He also must try to save Zillikian from the Thunder Powder from coming down on everything.

Fans of the novel enjoy the way that the novel shows once again, why this is a great series and they wish that there would have been more novels and stories in the series. Once again, fans enjoy another great adventure novel about Dawn and Bunduki by Edson.