Icelandic edition

Bagley’s novel was translated into Icelandic by Gísla Ólafsson and was published in Iceland by Suðri of Reykjavík in the autumn of 1971 under the title Út í óvissuna, which translates as ‘Out into the unknown’. The translated novel went on sale for the price of 500.00kr with a jacket design by Hilmar Helgason. [1]

The translation of the dust jacket text reads:

Slade had told Alan Stewart his job would be easy, he would be no more than a messenger boy. But to Stewart, alone on a lonely road in Iceland with a murdered man in front of him and a mysterious parcel which Slade, head of British Intelligence, had entrusted him to deliver, it looked anything but simple. And this was only the beginning.

Desmond Bagley’s new story is set in Iceland, from the wastes of the Óbyggdir and mountain roads to Geysir and Þingvallavatn, in Keflavík and Reykjavík, with his girl-friend Elín Ragnarsdóttir by his side, he battles to carry out his mission, and discover the content of the mysterious package, wondering if he has been double-crossed.

Desmond Bagley came to this country in 1969, to study the local topography to use in his story. He has managed remarkably well to incorporate bizarre and exciting scenarios into the Icelandic landscape, so the reader doesn’t have to use too much imagination. He is exceptionally well liked abroad, and his welcome here cannot be questioned.

The eighth book by Desmond Bagley is expected next year. It is called THE FREEDOM TRAP.

A second Icelandic edition was published in 1994 with different cover art, it is not known if this further edition was published to increase sales or if it was a new edition [2]. The cover art may be viewed in the Cover art gallery here.