Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Ballantine Books (New York, 1957). 1st paperback edition, 1st printing. 185 pages. $0.35.
User reviews
LibraryThing member RBeffa
I was not expecting much from this book, written in 1957, other than some light entertainment. Instead I was caught up in the story from page 1. With the cover tagline "Each was a stranger to the other but who was the alien?" and the blurb on the back I thought I had a story that sounded like an
There is a big central mystery to the book about the various inhabitants of the planet, their lifecycle and abandoned cities. I think this was drawn out a bit too much and the initial momentum of the story seemed to bog down and to my mind kind of kept this from being a really good book, rather than just a very good one. Still, for a mid-50's book this seems like a much better than average story. The ending had a bit of a twist to it and what was telegraphed was only part of the mystery.
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early version of Barry Longyear's classic "Enemy Mine". This was more than that similarity however. Quite different. A human teenage boy is stranded on a planet in a somewhat inhospitable area where one of the residents, non-human, has crashed his aircraft on a long trip. The two join forces to survive and make a long perilous journey, and they learn about each other in the process. We the readers also learn a lot about the interesting planet Abyorman that has a binary star and an unusual orbit and seasons and culture. It reads sort of like a good Heinlein juvenile such as "Red Planet", only smarter. There is a big central mystery to the book about the various inhabitants of the planet, their lifecycle and abandoned cities. I think this was drawn out a bit too much and the initial momentum of the story seemed to bog down and to my mind kind of kept this from being a really good book, rather than just a very good one. Still, for a mid-50's book this seems like a much better than average story. The ending had a bit of a twist to it and what was telegraphed was only part of the mystery.
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LibraryThing member clong
A typical Hal Clement novel:
Fascinating world populated by fascinating aliens. Check.
Not particularly compelling characterization and not particularly compelling storytelling. Check.
In the end, the protagonist of this one proves to be the scientific method
Fascinating world populated by fascinating aliens. Check.
Not particularly compelling characterization and not particularly compelling storytelling. Check.
In the end, the protagonist of this one proves to be the scientific method
LibraryThing member ikeman100
Adolescent space story by Clement. Typical 1950s story. Decent read but nothing special.
LibraryThing member zjakkelien
Perhaps it was partially personal circumstances, but this book didn't draw me in quite as much as I had hoped. Dar and Kruger are friends, and I had hoped for that to be more strongly present, more emotionally present. It was clearly there, but it seemed to take second place to the discovery of the
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workings of the planet and the native people. The dilemma surrounding Dar is readily resolved and does not involve Kruger's friendship, which seemed a bit too easy for me. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1957
Physical description
185 p.; 6.8 inches
ISBN
0345291727 / 9780345291721