Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
DAW Books (1994), Edition: 1st, 378 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: The groundbreaking novel that launched Cherryh's eponymous space opera series of first contact and its consequences... It had been nearly five centuries since the starship Phoenix, lost in space and desperately searching for the nearest G5 star, had encountered the planet of the atevi. On this alien world, law was kept by the use of registered assassination, alliances were defined by individual loyalties not geographical borders, and war became inevitable once humans and one faction of atevi established a working relationship. It was a war that humans had no chance of winning on this planet so many light-years from home. Now, nearly two hundred years after that conflict, humanity has traded its advanced technology for peace and an island refuge that no atevi will ever visit. Then the sole human the treaty allows into atevi society is marked for an assassin's bullet. THe work of an isolated lunatic? The interests of a particular faction? Or the consequence of one human's fondness for a species which has fourteen words for betrayal and not a single word for love? .… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Pferdina
The first two parts of the book set the stage, relating the history of how humans came to be on the Atevi world. In short, the colony ship Phoenix got lost during a subspace jump, no one knows how or why. At great cost, both in lives and resources, the humans managed to refuel the ship and find a
The main storyline, however, concerns Bren Cameron, the paidhi (official interpreter and conduit between the species) who works directly with, Tabini-aiji, the leader of the Atevi civilization closest to the island of humans. Bren must not only translate the languages, but he must understand the different cultures in order to keep the peace. Humans slowly transmit their technology to the Atevi through him, but the Atevi are deeply suspicious and some factions resent humans enough to be very dangerous.
After an attempt is made on his life, Bren is sent by Tabini to stay at an ancient fortress in the mountains, the residence of the aiji's grandmother, Ilisidi. Bren is given two of the aiji's own guards for protection (Banichi and Jago), but in reality, he doesn't know if he can trust any of the Atevi. During his stay, he learns about the traditional way of life for the rural Atevi and comes to appreciate it in a way he never could in the capitol city. Meanwhile, he tries to figure out who is on his side and who is against him before someone succeeds in killing him.
Having read the subsequent volumes in this series, it was interesting to go back and re-read the beginning. Relationships that become important in later books have their roots here, although the parties barely understand each other at this point. While in the later books, Bren becomes more confident and strong, in this he is remarkably weak, confused, and passive. A fascinating alien culture is the background to Bren's growth in understanding.
Show More
suitable star system. They built an orbiting station around a planet that already had intelligent life, thinking that they would soon be able to leave again. But the rebuilding was long and strife broke out between the Pilots Guild and the common ship folk. At last, some humans were allowed to drop to the planet surface - a one-way trip as there were no vehicles to bring them back. Phoenix left them behind when it set off again. The cohabitation of the native Atevi and the human settlers was not peaceful for long, resulting in a war that left humans one small island for their own. The main storyline, however, concerns Bren Cameron, the paidhi (official interpreter and conduit between the species) who works directly with, Tabini-aiji, the leader of the Atevi civilization closest to the island of humans. Bren must not only translate the languages, but he must understand the different cultures in order to keep the peace. Humans slowly transmit their technology to the Atevi through him, but the Atevi are deeply suspicious and some factions resent humans enough to be very dangerous.
After an attempt is made on his life, Bren is sent by Tabini to stay at an ancient fortress in the mountains, the residence of the aiji's grandmother, Ilisidi. Bren is given two of the aiji's own guards for protection (Banichi and Jago), but in reality, he doesn't know if he can trust any of the Atevi. During his stay, he learns about the traditional way of life for the rural Atevi and comes to appreciate it in a way he never could in the capitol city. Meanwhile, he tries to figure out who is on his side and who is against him before someone succeeds in killing him.
Having read the subsequent volumes in this series, it was interesting to go back and re-read the beginning. Relationships that become important in later books have their roots here, although the parties barely understand each other at this point. While in the later books, Bren becomes more confident and strong, in this he is remarkably weak, confused, and passive. A fascinating alien culture is the background to Bren's growth in understanding.
Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
One of Cherryh's best works featuring all of her skills.
A colonisation ship suffers an accident and is forced to settle on an inhabited alien world, whilst the pilot's Guild search for the way home. The natives are intelligent but only developed as far as steam power at the time of Landing. How
Set two centuries on from this point after a fateful war caused by misunderstandings the office of Paid'ai (Interpreter / consul / Advisor) is filled by Bren, The sole human allowed by treaty on the Aveti lands. One night he intercepts an assassin bound for his bedchamber and the before he is aware of the disturbances in the outlying townships he is sent to an ancient fortress in the Hills to experiance the old way of aveti life. Politics rears its ugly head and tradition meets technology, Bren has to choose but when the language has fourteen words for betrayal and none for love or friend, loneliness is as big an enemy as any other.
A stunning tale told in Cherryh's tight third person writing. A wonderfulyl thought out culture and world with politics as intricate as you'll find anywhere. It isn't actually a tale of first contact because after the opening chapters the contact is two centuries old, but its still a wonderful tale of cultural mixing.
A colonisation ship suffers an accident and is forced to settle on an inhabited alien world, whilst the pilot's Guild search for the way home. The natives are intelligent but only developed as far as steam power at the time of Landing. How
Show More
difficult or different can they be? Set two centuries on from this point after a fateful war caused by misunderstandings the office of Paid'ai (Interpreter / consul / Advisor) is filled by Bren, The sole human allowed by treaty on the Aveti lands. One night he intercepts an assassin bound for his bedchamber and the before he is aware of the disturbances in the outlying townships he is sent to an ancient fortress in the Hills to experiance the old way of aveti life. Politics rears its ugly head and tradition meets technology, Bren has to choose but when the language has fourteen words for betrayal and none for love or friend, loneliness is as big an enemy as any other.
A stunning tale told in Cherryh's tight third person writing. A wonderfulyl thought out culture and world with politics as intricate as you'll find anywhere. It isn't actually a tale of first contact because after the opening chapters the contact is two centuries old, but its still a wonderful tale of cultural mixing.
Show Less
LibraryThing member djfoobarmatt
I found this book very interesting as well as compelling. It's interest lies in the way it explores cultural differences between humans and an alien race. Cherryh (who I didn't even know was a woman until after reading the book) develops the alien culture really well and then places her alien
Show More
characters within it and gives them all very distinct personalities. I guess there are elements of human cultural divides in the book probably drawing especially on some Japanese aspects and some African stuff but not really to the extent that you could say that the aliens could be analogous to any human race. She also throws in a kind of colonial thing gone wrong too. Usually a book wich conveys ideas and concepts would be boring and full of long explanations but Cherryh gets it just right so that you don't spend too long being lectured to but can still get what's going on. However, there's probably not as much action or violence as some sci-fi - Cherryh doesn't rely on killing off every second character to create a sense of danger or whatever reason authors have for doing that. She creates tension using good writing. A lot of the plot is pyschological but having said that when the action does start up it's exciting and well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member zette
When I first read Foreigner, back in early 1994, I was immediately drawn into the exceptional world building, fascinating aliens and wonderful characters. It became one of my favorite Cherryh books and I hoped she would write more.
I got my wish.
It is now sixteen years later, the eleventh book in
What struck me as I started the first book is how much of the later trouble is present there in the first one. Not only is the world expertly created, but problems mentioned in passing will become trouble in the future. Places, people ... almost everything is there in the first book, ready to unfold through this epic science fiction journey.
The book starts with an unfortunate group of humans who have lost their way in the wide, dangerous universe. They arrive at the world of the Atevi by chance. They are not at peace among themselves; there is a difference of opinion between those who want a world beneath their feet and a group who want to keep to space at all costs. Some make their way to the world below, despite opposition.
All seems to be going well enough after the first encounter ... but when the story leaps ahead in time, we learn there was a war and now the humans and Atevi are separated and only one human, the paidhi, lives at the Atevi court. This person is responsible for helping to introduce new technology to the Atevi in a way that will not upset the balance of their civilization. The paidhi is also as fluent in the Atevi language and customs as any human can be, and his observances will help future relationships between the two species.
Bren Cameron is the current paidhi. He's very popular with a powerful Atevi leader. He's likely the best paidhi that has ever served at the Atevi court. However, an assassination attempt against him and then a trip that puts him fully into the hands of Atevi, with no human to turn to, shows him just how little he truly knows.
And the adventure has only just begun.
I got my wish.
It is now sixteen years later, the eleventh book in
Show More
the Foreigner Sequence will be out in a few months. In celebration, I decided it was time to go back and read the earlier books. I knew I had forgotten some of the material and this gave me the perfect excuse to reacquaint myself with the full depth of story line again.What struck me as I started the first book is how much of the later trouble is present there in the first one. Not only is the world expertly created, but problems mentioned in passing will become trouble in the future. Places, people ... almost everything is there in the first book, ready to unfold through this epic science fiction journey.
The book starts with an unfortunate group of humans who have lost their way in the wide, dangerous universe. They arrive at the world of the Atevi by chance. They are not at peace among themselves; there is a difference of opinion between those who want a world beneath their feet and a group who want to keep to space at all costs. Some make their way to the world below, despite opposition.
All seems to be going well enough after the first encounter ... but when the story leaps ahead in time, we learn there was a war and now the humans and Atevi are separated and only one human, the paidhi, lives at the Atevi court. This person is responsible for helping to introduce new technology to the Atevi in a way that will not upset the balance of their civilization. The paidhi is also as fluent in the Atevi language and customs as any human can be, and his observances will help future relationships between the two species.
Bren Cameron is the current paidhi. He's very popular with a powerful Atevi leader. He's likely the best paidhi that has ever served at the Atevi court. However, an assassination attempt against him and then a trip that puts him fully into the hands of Atevi, with no human to turn to, shows him just how little he truly knows.
And the adventure has only just begun.
Show Less
LibraryThing member drneutron
Foreigner is a mystery to me. There were times when I really, really liked it and got captivated by the book. Then I'd hit a passage where I just couldn't wait for the book to be over. All in all, I'm still trying to figure out where I stand on the book.
The premise of the book was great - humans
Unfortunately, I just never connected with the main character, Bren, and never developed sympathy for him as he dealt with events. For someone who worked (as he says) for 15 years to be the one person out of millions tobe the single interface between the two races, he seems indecisive and out of his league. It's hard for me to imagine that he would be the choice to represent humans. Much of my misgivings with the book were over what seemed like endlessly repetitive internal anguish over trying to get a grip on the motives and plans of the aliens he was surrounded by. Yet there were times when his character just shined, and that's when I really got into the book.
I understand that many people like these books, and I suspect my opinions are in a small minority. I'd advise anyone interested in these books to try 'em and see for themselves whether the books are worth reading.
The premise of the book was great - humans
Show More
traveling in interstellar space get lost and a large portion wind up settling on a world very like Earth bu populated by a native race that's like humanity in many ways, yet different enough that the two races just can't understand each other's inner workings. Most of the book centers on the lone human ambassador to the aliens and how he gets caught up in an internal power struggle having to do with the direction of alien-human relations. The possibilities are rich!Unfortunately, I just never connected with the main character, Bren, and never developed sympathy for him as he dealt with events. For someone who worked (as he says) for 15 years to be the one person out of millions tobe the single interface between the two races, he seems indecisive and out of his league. It's hard for me to imagine that he would be the choice to represent humans. Much of my misgivings with the book were over what seemed like endlessly repetitive internal anguish over trying to get a grip on the motives and plans of the aliens he was surrounded by. Yet there were times when his character just shined, and that's when I really got into the book.
I understand that many people like these books, and I suspect my opinions are in a small minority. I'd advise anyone interested in these books to try 'em and see for themselves whether the books are worth reading.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ecolenca
I love Cherryh's work in general. This is one of her better efforts, in my opinion, though the actual story doesn't start until 50 or 60 pages in. Then it gets really interesting, after she lays all the groundwork for how humans ended up as the uninvited foreigners on someone else's planet, and the
Show More
poor guy stuck trying to mediate between two sides barely able to communicate with each other. As usual, Cherryh does aliens better than anybody, and the total submersion of the interpreter, Bren, into aspects of the atevi culture he's never seen before is a clever and excellent way to introduce the reader to this complex world as well. A really good read, and highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Roylin
I don't read a lot of Sci Fi, so I picked this up to give it a try and enjoyed it a lot. So much I read the other 3 in the first series. The alien race is facinating and the political schemes and plots were all I love. It even had a little romance thrown in. I might read more Scifi.
LibraryThing member SandDune
Several hundred years ago the spaceship Phoenix had discovered itself hopelessly off course and completely lost. Generations later The descendants of its original passengers attempt the first colonisation of the planet of the Atevi, an alien species that are similar to humans in appearance but
Fast forward two hundred years in the future: humans remain isolated on the island of Mospheira while the Atevi civilisation has advanced to the brink of space travel. But only one human is allowed onto the continent controlled by the Atevi: the paidhi, who acts as the only contact between the two species. But after a status quo lasting generations, it seems that the equilibrium is breaking down as an unknown assassin tries to kill Bren Cameron, the current paidhi. While political assassinations are a way of life amongst the Atevi, for the paidhi to be attacked by an unknown assailant in the house of Tabini, one of the most powerful Atevi rulers, is virtually unheard of. And as Bren is spirited away to the fortress of Malguri under the control of Tabini's unpredictable and ambitious grandmother, his situation becomes more and more precarious.
In Foreigner Cherryh has created a very believable world which focuses on the differences between the humans and the Atevi. The growing confusion that Bren feels as he finds everything that he thought he knew about the Atevi being challenged is clear. A slow moving book at the start, with little apparently happening for the first third or so, as Cherryh concentrates on building the world of the Atevi, but the world that is created more than makes up for this.
Show More
built on a much larger and more robust scale. While neither side are initially hostile it soon becomes apparent that Atevi and human brains work in subtly different ways, and misunderstandings ensue that lead to war, a war which despite their more advanced technology the humans are too small in number to win. So to obtain peace and the island of Mospheira on which to live, the humans agree to gradually hand over their superior technology.Fast forward two hundred years in the future: humans remain isolated on the island of Mospheira while the Atevi civilisation has advanced to the brink of space travel. But only one human is allowed onto the continent controlled by the Atevi: the paidhi, who acts as the only contact between the two species. But after a status quo lasting generations, it seems that the equilibrium is breaking down as an unknown assassin tries to kill Bren Cameron, the current paidhi. While political assassinations are a way of life amongst the Atevi, for the paidhi to be attacked by an unknown assailant in the house of Tabini, one of the most powerful Atevi rulers, is virtually unheard of. And as Bren is spirited away to the fortress of Malguri under the control of Tabini's unpredictable and ambitious grandmother, his situation becomes more and more precarious.
In Foreigner Cherryh has created a very believable world which focuses on the differences between the humans and the Atevi. The growing confusion that Bren feels as he finds everything that he thought he knew about the Atevi being challenged is clear. A slow moving book at the start, with little apparently happening for the first third or so, as Cherryh concentrates on building the world of the Atevi, but the world that is created more than makes up for this.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AngelaCinVA
I’ve always been a fan of Science Fiction and Cherryh is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her characters are always well-rounded. I find myself caring about them and Cherryh’s vivid descriptions bring the alien worlds to life. But more than that, Cherryh’s books use an alien setting to
It’s an engaging story and I enjoy following Bren’s adventures as he is drawn ever deeper in atevi society and wrestles with the disconnect between his atevi and human identities. But the best part about these books is that they make me think. The theme of miscommunication because two people use the same words with completely different understandings of what they mean by those words is directly applicable to our world. A failure to understand cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings that are interpreted as betrayals. It’s all too easy to assume that, of course, they mean the same thing as I do when they talk about friendship, trust and alliance. On a more personal level, how many relationships run aground on different understandings of the words love and fidelity, different beliefs about how partnerships and marriages work.
The best science fiction is that which illuminates something about our own world and Foreigner definitely does that. After re-reading the series in the last month, I’ve reluctantly concluded that I need to break down and buy my own copies of the entire series because I will want to return to them again and again to mine the depth of detail hidden in the enjoyable stories.
Show More
explore issues that are vitally important in our world. In Foreigner, a world is nearly torn apart by miscommunication. On the surface, words seem to translate easily between the human and atevi languages. But each side has a completely different understanding of the concepts behind the words. Each side fails to understand basic cultural preconceptions of the other that inevitably lead surface agreement to violent conflict. The central character, Bren Cameron, is the lone human ambassador to the atevi, the one person whose entire purpose in life is to thread the maze of miscommunication and prevent another inter-species war.It’s an engaging story and I enjoy following Bren’s adventures as he is drawn ever deeper in atevi society and wrestles with the disconnect between his atevi and human identities. But the best part about these books is that they make me think. The theme of miscommunication because two people use the same words with completely different understandings of what they mean by those words is directly applicable to our world. A failure to understand cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings that are interpreted as betrayals. It’s all too easy to assume that, of course, they mean the same thing as I do when they talk about friendship, trust and alliance. On a more personal level, how many relationships run aground on different understandings of the words love and fidelity, different beliefs about how partnerships and marriages work.
The best science fiction is that which illuminates something about our own world and Foreigner definitely does that. After re-reading the series in the last month, I’ve reluctantly concluded that I need to break down and buy my own copies of the entire series because I will want to return to them again and again to mine the depth of detail hidden in the enjoyable stories.
Show Less
LibraryThing member xicanti
The only human allowed into an alien society is thrust into a situation that challenges all his preconceptions.
Intellectually, this book has a lot going for it. It's structured in such a way that the reader is fully immersed in a carefully constructed alien society. The main character is reasonably
And I really, really wish I could say I'd enjoyed it, but it just didn't work for me. There were two short segments when my attention was fully engaged, but for the most part I just didn't care. I couldn't get involved with Bren or his predicament. I was pretty durned glad when I finally finished it.
I think I would have gotten more out of it if it had been pared down to only its most essential elements. I didn't want all the little details of atevi society. They're different. I get it. I didn't need to be told so over and over and over again. I often felt like Cherryh was giving the me the same example of their differences over and over again, in slightly different ways each time. It just got to be too much for me.
But I think the style was the biggest sticking point. I believe I'd have enjoyed Cherryh's style quite a bit if this had been a short story, but it just didn't work for me as a novel. I sometimes felt like I was decoding the book as I sifted through Bren's realistically recorded thoughts, and I always find that frustrating. If I'm invested in the characters and their story, I'm willing to work for the payoff. If I'm not, I'm not, and that was the case here.
And finally, I guessed what was going on almost instantly and became increasingly annoyed with Bren as he failed to see what was happening.
So no, this most definitely wasn't a winner. I may read the next book eventually, just in case the series gets better, but it's far from a priority. And I'll definitely be borrowing it from the library instead of buying it.
Intellectually, this book has a lot going for it. It's structured in such a way that the reader is fully immersed in a carefully constructed alien society. The main character is reasonably
Show More
easy to relate to. The writing style mirrors his thought processes as he reacts to everything around him. There's tons of food for thought as Cherryh explores the differences between atevi and human hardwiring.And I really, really wish I could say I'd enjoyed it, but it just didn't work for me. There were two short segments when my attention was fully engaged, but for the most part I just didn't care. I couldn't get involved with Bren or his predicament. I was pretty durned glad when I finally finished it.
I think I would have gotten more out of it if it had been pared down to only its most essential elements. I didn't want all the little details of atevi society. They're different. I get it. I didn't need to be told so over and over and over again. I often felt like Cherryh was giving the me the same example of their differences over and over again, in slightly different ways each time. It just got to be too much for me.
But I think the style was the biggest sticking point. I believe I'd have enjoyed Cherryh's style quite a bit if this had been a short story, but it just didn't work for me as a novel. I sometimes felt like I was decoding the book as I sifted through Bren's realistically recorded thoughts, and I always find that frustrating. If I'm invested in the characters and their story, I'm willing to work for the payoff. If I'm not, I'm not, and that was the case here.
And finally, I guessed what was going on almost instantly and became increasingly annoyed with Bren as he failed to see what was happening.
So no, this most definitely wasn't a winner. I may read the next book eventually, just in case the series gets better, but it's far from a priority. And I'll definitely be borrowing it from the library instead of buying it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
Cherryh remains one of my favorite science fiction authors for her fascinating portrayals of alien races. The Foreigner series is no exception with the introduction of the atevi—a race of humanoids that is, nonetheless, so different in cultural mind set that the entire premise of the book is that
It's a very long-running series, which is great if you're a Cherryh fan.
Show More
the two races will inevitably come into conflict without the mediation of individuals trained for their entire life to do the job. It's a very long-running series, which is great if you're a Cherryh fan.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
In a far future time, humans have sent colony shps out looking for new planets to colonize. Unfortunately, one of them limps on its last legs to a planet that already has a civilization on it, though one not quite as advanced as the humans. The humans must bargain for landing rights, and technology
Show More
exchange, while dealing with a race that has some fundamentally different principles, while appearing mostly humanoid. The interplay of the two cultures is excellent, really a good book. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
AH C.J. Cherryh - you make such amazing with worlds, with such detail, that at times, I find myself a bit lost. And this book was no exception.
Here we have a space ship out on a colonizing mission, except that the ship breaks down - and in a last ditch attempt to save the people on board take a
Here we have a space ship out on a colonizing mission, except that the ship breaks down - and in a last ditch attempt to save the people on board take a
Show More
drastic action, and ends up around a liveable planet - already inhabited by large, human like creatures who are definitely not human. The story follows Bren, as the human ambassador to the Atevi, the only contact the Atevi will allow. He needs to work around Atevi political plots while keeping his humanity... Show Less
LibraryThing member joeyreads
According to my records, I read this in 1996, a week after reading Cyteen. Just re-read it for the first time since, and wow, what an excellent book. I was particularly struck by the two introductory chapters, each essentially framing short stories for the novel, and how rich a backstory and
Back in 1996, I didn't like the aliens, especially as shown on the cover,
and it was all confusing. (It still is, but in a good way.) I had expected to sort of slog through this reread, on my way to the 10 (?!) sequels that have been written since. Instead, wow, I have nearly as much Cherryh as I've read before ahead of me.
(This wasn't as much a shock as rereading _40,000_ and having it go from 2 to 4 stars, but I clearly missed a lot of Cherryh's depth the first time around.)
Show More
society Cherryh paints with them, accomplishing more than many average SF books do. And then there's the main story, which I think I appreciated and followed much more this time around.Back in 1996, I didn't like the aliens, especially as shown on the cover,
and it was all confusing. (It still is, but in a good way.) I had expected to sort of slog through this reread, on my way to the 10 (?!) sequels that have been written since. Instead, wow, I have nearly as much Cherryh as I've read before ahead of me.
(This wasn't as much a shock as rereading _40,000_ and having it go from 2 to 4 stars, but I clearly missed a lot of Cherryh's depth the first time around.)
Show Less
LibraryThing member JusNeuce
Though the series is starting to dumb down a little, Bren is a classic character. The first three books of the series are the best.
LibraryThing member faganjc
I didn't feel this book was that original. Also, the main character, also first person narrator, is totally unsympathetic. A real whiner. In Cherryh's defense, I guess he's at least honest about what it's like to be a 'foreigner' and an ambassador-type person. But he's pretty repetitive in his
Show More
mental complaints. I guess we all are, but I don't want to read it. The promise of the next book at the end is the best part - it could be better. Show Less
LibraryThing member littlegeek
Meh. Sloppy world building, all the action taking place off screen. Ultimately boring. Did not finish.
LibraryThing member maggie1944
A complex story which is a bit ponderous at the beginning. There are some elements which potentially hook the reader and I will probably go on to the next books in the series; however, I can imagine getting tired of trying to puzzle out the clues to the alien culture encountered by the protagonist
Show More
and his culture. Show Less
LibraryThing member readafew
This book is the first in the Foreigner series. I really enjoyed this book and I am already planning on buying and reading the next one. It was a little slow at the beginning and I was quite confused a few times in the middle but by the end things were flying along and the story came
Humans are slowly colonizing the Galaxy, one such ship is sent to colonize a new planetary system to extend human reach. On the way 'something' happened that no one has been able to figure out. This accident sent the ship and all it's passengers far enough away from it's destination that none of the stars in a hundred light year radius are recognizable. They are lost, in space. Eventually they find an solar system similar to earth's but it is already inhabited by sentient beings. The rest of the story is about how the 2 are getting along, which is usually within tolerable limits.
Show More
together.Humans are slowly colonizing the Galaxy, one such ship is sent to colonize a new planetary system to extend human reach. On the way 'something' happened that no one has been able to figure out. This accident sent the ship and all it's passengers far enough away from it's destination that none of the stars in a hundred light year radius are recognizable. They are lost, in space. Eventually they find an solar system similar to earth's but it is already inhabited by sentient beings. The rest of the story is about how the 2 are getting along, which is usually within tolerable limits.
Show Less
LibraryThing member johncstark
This book, unlike many science fiction novels, goes to extreme lengths to highlight the many differences people from entirely different cultures could and would have. It was refreshing and challanging to understand the dynamics brought forth in the characters.
LibraryThing member KirkLowery
Because the first third of the book is a sort of "preface" or "historical background", it is not her best writing. The final two thirds of the book reflect her usual excellent story telling skills.
As an expat who has lived a long time in foreign cultures (15 years), I found that Cherryh has caught
As an expat who has lived a long time in foreign cultures (15 years), I found that Cherryh has caught
Show More
the "foreigner" experience. Her aliens are truly alien, with a faintly "Japanese" or "Asian" flavor. Yum! Show Less
LibraryThing member majkia
How difficult would it be to actually meet aliens and understand them? Foreigner explores the difficulties in understanding aliens with different biological imperatives, different mental wiring and a different understanding of society and how it’s structured.
Bren is the interpreter for his
Bren is the only human living with the atevi (the natives). He’s the conduit from the human enclave to the atevi. The humans, more technologically advanced, have been feeding the atevi tech advances a bit at a time, naturally with their own agenda.
Things have been going well for a hundred or so years, when suddenly someone attempts to assassinate Bren, and he finds himself scooped up and taken away from the capitol and denied his mail and any access to any outside communication. What is going on? Is he in danger? Can he trust the atevi who say they are trying to protecting him? Or has he been attributing human emotions and motives to a species he just realizes he completely doesn’t understand?
Bren is the interpreter for his
Show More
human colleagues. They’ve been stranded on an alien planet and after a short and difficult war have been granted an island on which to live. Bren is the only human living with the atevi (the natives). He’s the conduit from the human enclave to the atevi. The humans, more technologically advanced, have been feeding the atevi tech advances a bit at a time, naturally with their own agenda.
Things have been going well for a hundred or so years, when suddenly someone attempts to assassinate Bren, and he finds himself scooped up and taken away from the capitol and denied his mail and any access to any outside communication. What is going on? Is he in danger? Can he trust the atevi who say they are trying to protecting him? Or has he been attributing human emotions and motives to a species he just realizes he completely doesn’t understand?
Show Less
LibraryThing member gilroy
Okay, so everyone kept telling me I had to read Cherryh, she's this GREAT author. This is my second book. First one didn't go well. This one isn't going well either. 12 pages and I'm struggling past too much jargon, not enough story. More to come.
LibraryThing member Yfandes
My first, and still favorite, Cherryh book. After much procrastinating, I picked this up to read when I worked in the local bookstore. I didn't expect to like it, but by the end of the first chapter I was well and truly sucked in. Cherryh writes alien societies VERY well, and I anxiously await each
Show More
installment in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member jaddington
I have to say that I am biased as she is one of my favorite story tellers and can write no wrong. If you dare, be ready to commit to a 16 or is it 17 book relationship for this series. This is book one. It was slow to start...but then...BUT THEN comes can't put it down and need to read what happens
Show More
next mode.If you like Aliens (these are very well written Aliens), a bit of a mystery, murder, political intrigue then I suggest this book..and its the tip of the iceberg from what I gather. I literally have the next 15 books in a bag..by my bed..time to find book 2!!! Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English