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Murdoc Jern #1
The Zero Stone
Murdoc finds phenomenal powers in the stone ring that he inherits from his father but only comes to understand those powers completely through contact with an interplanetary wanderer in the form of a feline mutant.
221 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published December 1, 1985
283 people are currently reading
1125 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
689 books1,366 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
July 22, 2018
I read this as a kid years past (don't ask).
The swing-sets are gone, the old tree house is much smaller than I recall.
But all the Andre Norton books remain windows into strange, exciting adventure.
My only complaint: re-reading The Zero Stone I realized why I am disappointed with modern astronomy and NASA:
They haven't given us the Thieve's Guild and the Space-port taverns, ancient temples and strange alien cats and the wonderful, glittery forerunner magic jewels.
An unfair complaint, I admit.
The swing-sets are gone, the old tree house is much smaller than I recall.
But all the Andre Norton books remain windows into strange, exciting adventure.
My only complaint: re-reading The Zero Stone I realized why I am disappointed with modern astronomy and NASA:
They haven't given us the Thieve's Guild and the Space-port taverns, ancient temples and strange alien cats and the wonderful, glittery forerunner magic jewels.
An unfair complaint, I admit.
August 13, 2017
Zero stone was a really uneven read for me. It started off amazing, with the feel of being well ahead of its time. And then it petered out and ramped up only to then stay on a flat path for the rest of the story.
Things to love:
-The scenery description
-A know it all mutant cat/dragon thing!
-The imagination in creating these worlds and people.
Boring things:
-Eet was the real hero. I don't know why we gave a shit about Murdoc. He didn't do anything interesting outside the initial chapter.
-Lack of realism. The concepts about traveling in space and technology didn't feel well considered. Surely space-faring people would want to know if the air was breathable, and plan technology for that, no? Also, if one can read minds, and does so in a way that gives a whole history of a person, they can't be mysteries any more. And finally, none of the "I learned unarmed combat but not how to pilot a ship, but also my first move is to headbutt a dude" stuff made any sense.
-There was no emotional connection. I didn't love or hate anyone. I was indifferent to their plight.
-No surprises. A lot of the "twists" were deus ex (like ESP cutting out suddenly) or so jarring it took me several paragraphs to figure out why what had happened was surprising or bad, and the end result was .
I'd say it's about as realistic and well told as Princess of Mars, except with even fewer epic moments and written fifty years later. I might try another Norton, but I am sad to say that she is not my new favorite author.
Things to love:
-The scenery description
-A know it all mutant cat/dragon thing!
-The imagination in creating these worlds and people.
Boring things:
-Eet was the real hero. I don't know why we gave a shit about Murdoc. He didn't do anything interesting outside the initial chapter.
-Lack of realism. The concepts about traveling in space and technology didn't feel well considered. Surely space-faring people would want to know if the air was breathable, and plan technology for that, no? Also, if one can read minds, and does so in a way that gives a whole history of a person, they can't be mysteries any more. And finally, none of the "I learned unarmed combat but not how to pilot a ship, but also my first move is to headbutt a dude" stuff made any sense.
-There was no emotional connection. I didn't love or hate anyone. I was indifferent to their plight.
-No surprises. A lot of the "twists" were deus ex (like ESP cutting out suddenly) or so jarring it took me several paragraphs to figure out why what had happened was surprising or bad, and the end result was .
I'd say it's about as realistic and well told as Princess of Mars, except with even fewer epic moments and written fifty years later. I might try another Norton, but I am sad to say that she is not my new favorite author.
June 2, 2020
Our brains are very weird things. For some reason, every time I butter toast, I am reminded of this book - god knows why.
I hadn't read it for decades but one recent toasty morning I decided it was time for a re-read. It is a little YA for my taste - even middle-grade - but the story is so compelling and the world building outstanding.
Gems and crystals of power are one of the great clichés in SF/F but this version of the cliché is done so well, and so originally, that you cannot help but feel you're reading something fresh. I also loved the evolving relationship between Murdoc and Eet.
Andre Norton was one of the great SF story tellers and this book sees her at the top of her game.
The sequel is even better.
I hadn't read it for decades but one recent toasty morning I decided it was time for a re-read. It is a little YA for my taste - even middle-grade - but the story is so compelling and the world building outstanding.
Gems and crystals of power are one of the great clichés in SF/F but this version of the cliché is done so well, and so originally, that you cannot help but feel you're reading something fresh. I also loved the evolving relationship between Murdoc and Eet.
Andre Norton was one of the great SF story tellers and this book sees her at the top of her game.
The sequel is even better.
November 11, 2023
A mildly diverting, old-school SF adventure tale complete with world-hopping escapades, wooden characterizations, and sentient, telepathic, mutant animals and aliens. Norton does craft sentences well, and she resists signposting and info-dumping, which is refreshing. But I need a little more heart and soul in my SF literature than she provides here.
February 24, 2017
I am a huge fan of the older style of sci-fi, and The Zero Stone, published in 1968 by Andre Norton, certainly fits in that category. However, I was not happy with the book.
The first half of the book has very little dialogue, about 2-5% of the pages. That means over 95% of the book up to that point is mostly description, and reading became more of a chore than a joy. There was more dialogue in the second half of the book, but by then it didn’t matter. The author had lost my interest.
The upside of this description is that Ms. Norton is a great talent, and the style of description added its own flavor to the book. The opening chapters describing Murdoc and his early years of life fit together nicely with the author’s prose, and an interesting story was cast on the table for readers to peruse. I was caught up with the character of Murcoc Jern and thought the basic opening plot of the story was presented well.
By the story progressed into the sections where Murcoc befriends the alien Eet, I had had enough. Though I did slog all the way to the finish, I was hoping that that the story would recapture the magic from the first few chapters. Unfortunately, it never did, and barely managed to limp all the way to the end.
This story stands on its own, although the end clearly leaves no doubt there is a follow-up book. Only for the stouthearted, die-hard Norton fans. Three stars.
The first half of the book has very little dialogue, about 2-5% of the pages. That means over 95% of the book up to that point is mostly description, and reading became more of a chore than a joy. There was more dialogue in the second half of the book, but by then it didn’t matter. The author had lost my interest.
The upside of this description is that Ms. Norton is a great talent, and the style of description added its own flavor to the book. The opening chapters describing Murdoc and his early years of life fit together nicely with the author’s prose, and an interesting story was cast on the table for readers to peruse. I was caught up with the character of Murcoc Jern and thought the basic opening plot of the story was presented well.
By the story progressed into the sections where Murcoc befriends the alien Eet, I had had enough. Though I did slog all the way to the finish, I was hoping that that the story would recapture the magic from the first few chapters. Unfortunately, it never did, and barely managed to limp all the way to the end.
This story stands on its own, although the end clearly leaves no doubt there is a follow-up book. Only for the stouthearted, die-hard Norton fans. Three stars.
April 21, 2019
I don't remember much of the story - I read it in prehistoric times, when I was a kid - but I do remember Eet and the fascinating SF landscapes Andre Norton created. It was one of my first experiences with SF, so admittedly it was uphill most of the way. I read it during summer vacation, and can remember falling asleep with it on my chest in the hot, humid, lazy afternoons.
January 26, 2019
Great fun to go back and read this one -- I first encountered it some time around sixth grade / 11-years-old, and remember it among my favorites. Although, it was a little behind the Beastmaster series and definitely behind Time Traders and the Solar Queen adventures.
I think, once I post the cover I read (both now and then), that you'll agree it is an "Ugly Cover". (Unless you were the illustrator! Keep up the good work!)
I think, once I post the cover I read (both now and then), that you'll agree it is an "Ugly Cover". (Unless you were the illustrator! Keep up the good work!)
October 8, 2020
Enjoyable adventure tale. I read a lot of Andre Norton when I was young, but I don’t believe I ever read this before. I look forward to reading the sequel.
November 15, 2017
http://bookslifewine.com/r-the-zero-s...
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 stars!
The Zero Stone is a magical book for me in some ways.
I first ran into The Zero Stone (and Andre Norton) in elementary school. I was a voracious reader even then and apparently, my elementary school had a fabulous catalog. At the time I read The Zero Stone, I was crazy about mysteries. I read them by the barrel: The Hardy Boys, tons of Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, etc. When I ran out of mysteries...I found myself staring at the science fiction section. IDK why - but knowing me it was probably the cover, lol - I picked up The Zero Stone but I found it fascinating.
The Zero Stone is magical for me because it marks a change in my [reading] life: I suddenly went looking for science fiction instead of trying to re-read my way through the mystery shelves again. The Zero Stone was my first science fiction "adventure" novel and Andre Norton took me on an adventure that I would remember fondly (if vaguely) for the rest of my life. There was Danger! Space! Aliens! and (unbeknownst to me) my very first (and still) favorite author: Andre Norton.
Re-reading The Zero Stone as an adult felt strange. First, I learned that there was very little that I actually remembered from my childhood reads. I remembered Eet and Murdoc, the ring and being in space...but I forgot mostly everything else. I was also surprised at the...complexity of the language. I read this book for the first time in elementary school - and now I'm very impressed with childhood me! This IS a children's book but there isn't a large concession to childhood in regard to plotting and verbiage. Or it feels that way, at least, in comparison to the books written for children today. Norton does concede to the "children's" part by a little first chapter info-dumping. There is a short info-dumping section near the beginning that actually transitioned decently from a simple info-dump into background information. But it was certainly an info-dump.
The Zero Stone also continues Andre Norton's amazing trend of amazingly catchy intros. The Zero Stone begins in medias res with our hero, Murdoc, already on the run. He is being hunted on an unfamiliar planet in an unfamiliar city by people who have every intention of killing him - having already killed his mentor. Murdoc eventually realizes that he's being hunted for the Zero Stone: a ring of unknown power and origin that was passed to him by his father.
As the story progresses, Murdoc flounders due to his lack of experience: he doesn't ask the right questions and he takes people/situations at face value. This all changes when he meets Eet. Eet is (thankfully) smarter and more experienced: Eet suggests that this is one of several lives/reincarnations for it (him). To survive, Eet and Murdoc brave the emptiness of space before eventually crashing on a planet inhabited by primitive humanoids that sniff out their prey (Murdoc dubs them "sniffers").
While reading The Zero Stone, I noticed that there are moments where I should be emotionally invested. I should feel sad, nervous or fearful for Murdoc...but I don't. There was certainly an...emotional wall between me and the novel that I think is related to Norton's matter of fact way of writing. Norton did not delve too deeply into Murdoc's feelings past a certain point. This lack of emotional connection made the events Murdoc endured not as powerful to me as they could have been.
All in all, I truly enjoyed re-visiting elementary school aged me. The Zero Stone has held up pretty well for a 49-year-old book and I do plan to read the next book in the series, Uncharted Stars .
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 stars!
The Zero Stone is a magical book for me in some ways.
I first ran into The Zero Stone (and Andre Norton) in elementary school. I was a voracious reader even then and apparently, my elementary school had a fabulous catalog. At the time I read The Zero Stone, I was crazy about mysteries. I read them by the barrel: The Hardy Boys, tons of Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, etc. When I ran out of mysteries...I found myself staring at the science fiction section. IDK why - but knowing me it was probably the cover, lol - I picked up The Zero Stone but I found it fascinating.
The Zero Stone is magical for me because it marks a change in my [reading] life: I suddenly went looking for science fiction instead of trying to re-read my way through the mystery shelves again. The Zero Stone was my first science fiction "adventure" novel and Andre Norton took me on an adventure that I would remember fondly (if vaguely) for the rest of my life. There was Danger! Space! Aliens! and (unbeknownst to me) my very first (and still) favorite author: Andre Norton.
Re-reading The Zero Stone as an adult felt strange. First, I learned that there was very little that I actually remembered from my childhood reads. I remembered Eet and Murdoc, the ring and being in space...but I forgot mostly everything else. I was also surprised at the...complexity of the language. I read this book for the first time in elementary school - and now I'm very impressed with childhood me! This IS a children's book but there isn't a large concession to childhood in regard to plotting and verbiage. Or it feels that way, at least, in comparison to the books written for children today. Norton does concede to the "children's" part by a little first chapter info-dumping. There is a short info-dumping section near the beginning that actually transitioned decently from a simple info-dump into background information. But it was certainly an info-dump.
The Zero Stone also continues Andre Norton's amazing trend of amazingly catchy intros. The Zero Stone begins in medias res with our hero, Murdoc, already on the run. He is being hunted on an unfamiliar planet in an unfamiliar city by people who have every intention of killing him - having already killed his mentor. Murdoc eventually realizes that he's being hunted for the Zero Stone: a ring of unknown power and origin that was passed to him by his father.
As the story progresses, Murdoc flounders due to his lack of experience: he doesn't ask the right questions and he takes people/situations at face value. This all changes when he meets Eet. Eet is (thankfully) smarter and more experienced: Eet suggests that this is one of several lives/reincarnations for it (him). To survive, Eet and Murdoc brave the emptiness of space before eventually crashing on a planet inhabited by primitive humanoids that sniff out their prey (Murdoc dubs them "sniffers").
While reading The Zero Stone, I noticed that there are moments where I should be emotionally invested. I should feel sad, nervous or fearful for Murdoc...but I don't. There was certainly an...emotional wall between me and the novel that I think is related to Norton's matter of fact way of writing. Norton did not delve too deeply into Murdoc's feelings past a certain point. This lack of emotional connection made the events Murdoc endured not as powerful to me as they could have been.
All in all, I truly enjoyed re-visiting elementary school aged me. The Zero Stone has held up pretty well for a 49-year-old book and I do plan to read the next book in the series, Uncharted Stars .
May 6, 2025
This novel was first published in 1968 but it reads like a step backwards in Andre Norton's catalogue. It is a 1950s all action science fiction adventure for young adult males with an all action hero, Murdoc Jern, who thinks best while running to avoid his enemies. There are very few female characters, none who are allowed any real significance and certainly no girlfriends. Instead, he has Eet, an enigmatic alien. Born of a cat by means of impregnation produced by eating what seemed to have been a seed, Eet seems to be physically a mix of feline, lemur, humanoid and goodness knows what else. However, mentally it is an ancient intellectual giant often balancing on Murdoc's barely adequate shoulders.
The plot centres on the possession of the zero stone, an alien gem set in a ring which has phenomenal powers of direction, pointing to the treasures of the Forerunner civilizations. Such is its importance that the Space-riding descendants of the Mafia, the Guild, are desperate the get their hands on it, no matter the cost in blood – and more blood. The Patrol, the good guys, also want it. However, such is the importance of the zero stone that even the incorruptible Patrol can have their morals disrupted when the prize is near their grasp.
Murdoc and Eet are plunged into an inter planetary adventure in which survival becomes paramount – well, it does to Murdoc. Eet, on the other hand, seems to have its own aims in life which only include Murdoc when it needs a bit of muscle. Will the two survive, and to what purpose? And what about Patrolman Hory? As honest as the day is long, or as twisted as the zero stone can make him? There is a sequel, Uncharted Stars. I don't know if there are any answers, though.
The plot centres on the possession of the zero stone, an alien gem set in a ring which has phenomenal powers of direction, pointing to the treasures of the Forerunner civilizations. Such is its importance that the Space-riding descendants of the Mafia, the Guild, are desperate the get their hands on it, no matter the cost in blood – and more blood. The Patrol, the good guys, also want it. However, such is the importance of the zero stone that even the incorruptible Patrol can have their morals disrupted when the prize is near their grasp.
Murdoc and Eet are plunged into an inter planetary adventure in which survival becomes paramount – well, it does to Murdoc. Eet, on the other hand, seems to have its own aims in life which only include Murdoc when it needs a bit of muscle. Will the two survive, and to what purpose? And what about Patrolman Hory? As honest as the day is long, or as twisted as the zero stone can make him? There is a sequel, Uncharted Stars. I don't know if there are any answers, though.
November 2, 2016
“Who may seize upon time and hold it fast?”
A space opera but much more, and it works. Some whine about the past dearth of recognition for female science fiction/fantasy writers. Andre Norton is proof against those claims, and this book backs to her reputation.
“We were late comers to the space lanes.”
“Planet time is measured in years, space time less easily.” In 1968, Norton got how time varied for those traveling at relativist speeds, why can’t modern writers?
“Never underestimate your opponent.”
A story that works today almost as well as when written in 1968, a claim few science fiction tales can make, this is at once a stimulating rollick through well-traveled space lanes and an introspective journey of a semi-antihero toward the quest of a lifetime.
“Sometimes right and the law are not one and the same.”
Curiously, for a female Grand Master of the SFWA, Norton does not feature a single female character, unless you count the ship’s cat.
“Do not seek out the shadows of the future; you will discover sometimes that the sun of tomorrow will dispatch them.”
Thanks to Open Road for making this classic tale available.
"A man’s hardest ordeal is waiting.”
A space opera but much more, and it works. Some whine about the past dearth of recognition for female science fiction/fantasy writers. Andre Norton is proof against those claims, and this book backs to her reputation.
“We were late comers to the space lanes.”
“Planet time is measured in years, space time less easily.” In 1968, Norton got how time varied for those traveling at relativist speeds, why can’t modern writers?
“Never underestimate your opponent.”
A story that works today almost as well as when written in 1968, a claim few science fiction tales can make, this is at once a stimulating rollick through well-traveled space lanes and an introspective journey of a semi-antihero toward the quest of a lifetime.
“Sometimes right and the law are not one and the same.”
Curiously, for a female Grand Master of the SFWA, Norton does not feature a single female character, unless you count the ship’s cat.
“Do not seek out the shadows of the future; you will discover sometimes that the sun of tomorrow will dispatch them.”
Thanks to Open Road for making this classic tale available.
"A man’s hardest ordeal is waiting.”
August 22, 2025
My first Andre Norton. I can see why she’s such a big name in classic SF. The Zero Stone drops you into a pulpy, slightly rough-around-the-edges adventure that feels equal parts space opera and mystery. There’s a haunted gemstone, interstellar intrigue, and best of all, a sarcastic cat-like alien companion named Eet, that steals every scene it’s in.
It reads fast, has that old-school sense of wonder I’m always looking for, and while it’s very much of its era, I found myself enjoying it more and more as it went on. I’ll definitely be digging deeper into Norton’s work after this, probably starting with the sequel Uncharted Stars .
It reads fast, has that old-school sense of wonder I’m always looking for, and while it’s very much of its era, I found myself enjoying it more and more as it went on. I’ll definitely be digging deeper into Norton’s work after this, probably starting with the sequel Uncharted Stars .
April 11, 2017
I first read Andre Norton back in elementary school and have come back to her works time and again. She's not really science fiction, not really fantasy, more like somewhere in between with a focus on storytelling and characters you can attach to. So when this book moved into my field of vision I picked it up. I would have liked to say this is a 4-star read, but to me it just wasn't.
Murdoc Jern is an apprentice gemologist who buys and sells gems throughout the galaxy. But a mysterious stone, first acquired by his father, suddenly puts him on a dangerous course where the Thieves' Guild and the Galactic Patrol are both after him and will kill anyone in their way, including Murdoc, to get the stone. When an alien creature is born from a ship's cat on a ship where Murdoc is trying to flee, the web grows more threads. Nothing is at it seems for Murdoc, and even his new alien companion, Eet, is hiding things from him. It's a galactic quest for power that Murdoc finds himself entangled in.
Sounds good, doesn't it? Only it just doesn't quite deliver. Murdoc is about the only believable character for me in this entire book. He's woefully over his head and acts like it. The Guild people are appropriately shady and dangerous but heavy-handed for the son of one of their own, particularly when it might be more to their benefit to negotiate. And then they are rather easily defeated. The Patrol is the stereotypical "big government" entity that does what it deems to be right and just even if has to act other than right and just to do it (perhaps a novel concept 30 years ago but rather tired today). And Eet, the little alien hybrid, is basically "too much" without any explanation. It all just kind of jumbles together like hopping on a merry-go-round that moves in fits and starts and then completely stops before you feel like you received your ticket's worth.
I'm still an Andre Norton fan, and still love her ability to tell a good story with compelling characters. This is still a decent book, and had I read it when it first came out I would have rated it higher. But now, it just lacks zing. Good, but not great.
Murdoc Jern is an apprentice gemologist who buys and sells gems throughout the galaxy. But a mysterious stone, first acquired by his father, suddenly puts him on a dangerous course where the Thieves' Guild and the Galactic Patrol are both after him and will kill anyone in their way, including Murdoc, to get the stone. When an alien creature is born from a ship's cat on a ship where Murdoc is trying to flee, the web grows more threads. Nothing is at it seems for Murdoc, and even his new alien companion, Eet, is hiding things from him. It's a galactic quest for power that Murdoc finds himself entangled in.
Sounds good, doesn't it? Only it just doesn't quite deliver. Murdoc is about the only believable character for me in this entire book. He's woefully over his head and acts like it. The Guild people are appropriately shady and dangerous but heavy-handed for the son of one of their own, particularly when it might be more to their benefit to negotiate. And then they are rather easily defeated. The Patrol is the stereotypical "big government" entity that does what it deems to be right and just even if has to act other than right and just to do it (perhaps a novel concept 30 years ago but rather tired today). And Eet, the little alien hybrid, is basically "too much" without any explanation. It all just kind of jumbles together like hopping on a merry-go-round that moves in fits and starts and then completely stops before you feel like you received your ticket's worth.
I'm still an Andre Norton fan, and still love her ability to tell a good story with compelling characters. This is still a decent book, and had I read it when it first came out I would have rated it higher. But now, it just lacks zing. Good, but not great.
December 12, 2017
The Zero Stone is one of Andre Norton's best in terms of hooking a reader into a swashbuckling rocket-powered adventure. It's set in her usual Galactic civilization, with free traders, thieves guild, and patrol factions and a tasty menu of aliens. Andre Norton endings are often more than a bit whimpery, but this one is solid, as Murdoc Jern forges a deal for freedom and his own spaceship after harrowing adventures through (1) an alien city where the priesthood wants to kill him, (2) a free trader where he evidently contracts a plague, (3) deep space and a derelict alien spaceship, (4) a jungle planet filled with natural dangers, (5) the thieves guild, (6) the patrol.
The inventive and twisty plot is accompanied by memorable characters. Murdoc learns gem dealing from his "father" and also inherits the zero stone, a dead-looking ring taken from an alien body adrift in space (time out for spine chills of remembrance). The patrolman Hory is likewise more than a cardboard cutout, with his own issues, including xenophobia.
But of course the best character is the mutant cat Eet, whose smug superiority colors the story a lot like Bartimaeus in the Bartimaeus trilogy (but, like 50 years earlier in history).
Few writers can describe a setting as well as Andre Norton, and she gets to describe juicy ones in the Zero Stone. The lifeboat crash in the giant jungle tree was especially memorable. The reader also gets to feel all of Murdoc's (many) sufferings, to the betterment of the story.
Like many reviewers here, I credit Andre Norton and the Zero Stone for firing up my avid adolescent love of books. Even knowing all that poor Murdoc gets put through, I'd still like to be him.
The inventive and twisty plot is accompanied by memorable characters. Murdoc learns gem dealing from his "father" and also inherits the zero stone, a dead-looking ring taken from an alien body adrift in space (time out for spine chills of remembrance). The patrolman Hory is likewise more than a cardboard cutout, with his own issues, including xenophobia.
But of course the best character is the mutant cat Eet, whose smug superiority colors the story a lot like Bartimaeus in the Bartimaeus trilogy (but, like 50 years earlier in history).
Few writers can describe a setting as well as Andre Norton, and she gets to describe juicy ones in the Zero Stone. The lifeboat crash in the giant jungle tree was especially memorable. The reader also gets to feel all of Murdoc's (many) sufferings, to the betterment of the story.
Like many reviewers here, I credit Andre Norton and the Zero Stone for firing up my avid adolescent love of books. Even knowing all that poor Murdoc gets put through, I'd still like to be him.
March 19, 2009
Zero Stone by Andre Norton (1958)
Zero Stone opens with a man fleeing for his life down the darkened alleys of a primitive alien city. He’s a Terran, younger half of a team of jewel dealers. His partner has been murdered when the priests of an alien religion, in an unheard of act, select an off-worlder for a sacrifice and are answered with lasers. His partner dead, Murdoc Jern flees to an alien sanctuary and uses his store of jewels to bribe his way to a Free Trader space freighter and escape offworld.
But if is not an escape, a net is being drawn around Jern. The net has spanned the gulfs of interstellar space as the Thieves Guild reaches out in search of the Zero Stone, an ancient any mysterious artifact that is Jern’s prize possession, a heritage from his father.
Jern’s father was a passionate collector of jewels, secrets and mysteries, particularly those associated with the ancient and long disappeared races called the Forerunners. These aliens reached incredible heights of technology ages ago before disappearing, destroyed in wars or leaving space-time for unguessed of destinations. The Jerns are perfectly positioned to learn these secrets positioned in a “hock-lock” or pawnshop near a spaceport.
Murdoc’s world collapses around him after a particular stone is brought into the shop, a colorless, lifeless lump on a large ring. It is a zero stone, an artifact from the time of the Forerunners, found on a drifting spacesuit and alien corpse. With the stone comes the death of Jern’s father after a mysterious meeting with an offworlder. Jern learns his father was a former Veep (VIP) retired from the shadowing quasi-government of the Thieves Guild. Now that Guild has reached out for the Zero Stone. Bur the killers do not find the stone, which Murdoc takes from his father’s hidden safe.
Other blows fall. Jern learns from his mother that he is a contract child, a test-tube baby decanted on this world for genetic diversity. His “mother” makes it clear that his younger brother, her natural child, is to inherit all. Jern who has always and only been his father’s son has never cared for either mother or brother. He leaves to become apprenticed to Vondar Ustle a master jeweler with wanderlust. They journey and trade in a life Jern comes to love before it ends in a dagger thrust in an alien bar.
The Free Trader Jern escapes in, lands on various worlds. On one, the ship’s cat eats what appears to be a stone from a riverbed. Days later the cat is pregnant. The spacers, fearing, some alien contagion, isolate the beast which gives birth to an oddly shaped mutant. But it is more than that. The mutant is something ancient, reborn, powerfully intelligent, armed with telepathic ability and knowledge of things Forerunner. Jern falls ill with what seems a fever. The crew’s fears are confirmed. They are determined to kill both Jern and the mutant.
Jern, delirious and suggestible, follows the voice in his head and escapes with the mutant out into space protected only be a spacesuit and with a container holding the mutant. Then the Zero Stone ring plays a part. It begins to glow and drags the pair through deep space to the site of an ancient forerunner wreck where they find an operational lifeboat.
Jern’s recovery is abrupt. The illness was a telepathic manipulation by the mutant who calls itself Eet. It learned that the Free Traders were actually Thieves Guild from the minds of the crew. It knew that they were responsible for killing Ustle and planned to deliver Jern to their bosses. Eet also knows of the Zero stone and its almost limitless power.
The pair are forced into an alliance to fight for their lives and freedom when they land on an unknown world where there is a store of Zero Stones. They are caught between the Thieves guild and the Space Patrol in a battle for possession of the ancient artifacts.
The Pros: The relationship with Eet is the strength of this book. Maddening and intriguing, Eet is a recreation of a Forerunner, a personality hidden in the seed eaten by the freighter ship’s cat. Smug, superior and yet somehow endearing, Eet is full of surprises.
As Jern plunges ahead on his own adventure, he touches those of others. These alien worlds, cultures and peoples are not mere devices but are rich and complex and we sometimes want to turn aside and spend more time exploring them. This is also true of the gem lore, the little we learn makes us fascinated, even covetous, the gems begin to wink in our minds, sensuous and seductive.
The Cons: Andre Norton’s books are usually devoid of sex and sexuality and Zero Stone is no exception
One sometimes hungers for a little higher degree of complexity or sophistication which with Norton simply is not there. Dialogue is sometimes clumsy with odd turns of phrase such as “my hurt” as opposed to “my wound.”
The Space Patrol which in Andre Norton’s books is a combination of police force and navy is unsympathetically portrayed. The Patrolman, Hory, is violently xenophobic, which seems odd in the pluralistic galaxy that Norton describes. However she develops this theme in other books in this shared universe, notably Last Planet, wherein the Patrol is rather isolated from Galactic life and human-dominated. When one realizes that the Zero Stone’s function is too make almost any machine or weapon more powerful, one can understand the Patrol’s desire to not leave such power in the son of a Thieves Guild Veep and an unknown mutant. Still Hory, the “double star” patrol agent (equivalent to a double-00 operative in James Bond’s universe) is a one note performance and without empathy or depth.
In sum, I love the book and forgive it the minor transgression above. There is high adventure and a fascinating universe to explore with pirates, ancient ruins, mysterious weapons and devices. Yes, it could use a green Orion slave girl or two.
Stay Tuned for the sequel “Uncharted Stars.” This is a rare case of the sequel being better than the original, rather like the second Terminator movie.
By Edward McKeown
Zero Stone opens with a man fleeing for his life down the darkened alleys of a primitive alien city. He’s a Terran, younger half of a team of jewel dealers. His partner has been murdered when the priests of an alien religion, in an unheard of act, select an off-worlder for a sacrifice and are answered with lasers. His partner dead, Murdoc Jern flees to an alien sanctuary and uses his store of jewels to bribe his way to a Free Trader space freighter and escape offworld.
But if is not an escape, a net is being drawn around Jern. The net has spanned the gulfs of interstellar space as the Thieves Guild reaches out in search of the Zero Stone, an ancient any mysterious artifact that is Jern’s prize possession, a heritage from his father.
Jern’s father was a passionate collector of jewels, secrets and mysteries, particularly those associated with the ancient and long disappeared races called the Forerunners. These aliens reached incredible heights of technology ages ago before disappearing, destroyed in wars or leaving space-time for unguessed of destinations. The Jerns are perfectly positioned to learn these secrets positioned in a “hock-lock” or pawnshop near a spaceport.
Murdoc’s world collapses around him after a particular stone is brought into the shop, a colorless, lifeless lump on a large ring. It is a zero stone, an artifact from the time of the Forerunners, found on a drifting spacesuit and alien corpse. With the stone comes the death of Jern’s father after a mysterious meeting with an offworlder. Jern learns his father was a former Veep (VIP) retired from the shadowing quasi-government of the Thieves Guild. Now that Guild has reached out for the Zero Stone. Bur the killers do not find the stone, which Murdoc takes from his father’s hidden safe.
Other blows fall. Jern learns from his mother that he is a contract child, a test-tube baby decanted on this world for genetic diversity. His “mother” makes it clear that his younger brother, her natural child, is to inherit all. Jern who has always and only been his father’s son has never cared for either mother or brother. He leaves to become apprenticed to Vondar Ustle a master jeweler with wanderlust. They journey and trade in a life Jern comes to love before it ends in a dagger thrust in an alien bar.
The Free Trader Jern escapes in, lands on various worlds. On one, the ship’s cat eats what appears to be a stone from a riverbed. Days later the cat is pregnant. The spacers, fearing, some alien contagion, isolate the beast which gives birth to an oddly shaped mutant. But it is more than that. The mutant is something ancient, reborn, powerfully intelligent, armed with telepathic ability and knowledge of things Forerunner. Jern falls ill with what seems a fever. The crew’s fears are confirmed. They are determined to kill both Jern and the mutant.
Jern, delirious and suggestible, follows the voice in his head and escapes with the mutant out into space protected only be a spacesuit and with a container holding the mutant. Then the Zero Stone ring plays a part. It begins to glow and drags the pair through deep space to the site of an ancient forerunner wreck where they find an operational lifeboat.
Jern’s recovery is abrupt. The illness was a telepathic manipulation by the mutant who calls itself Eet. It learned that the Free Traders were actually Thieves Guild from the minds of the crew. It knew that they were responsible for killing Ustle and planned to deliver Jern to their bosses. Eet also knows of the Zero stone and its almost limitless power.
The pair are forced into an alliance to fight for their lives and freedom when they land on an unknown world where there is a store of Zero Stones. They are caught between the Thieves guild and the Space Patrol in a battle for possession of the ancient artifacts.
The Pros: The relationship with Eet is the strength of this book. Maddening and intriguing, Eet is a recreation of a Forerunner, a personality hidden in the seed eaten by the freighter ship’s cat. Smug, superior and yet somehow endearing, Eet is full of surprises.
As Jern plunges ahead on his own adventure, he touches those of others. These alien worlds, cultures and peoples are not mere devices but are rich and complex and we sometimes want to turn aside and spend more time exploring them. This is also true of the gem lore, the little we learn makes us fascinated, even covetous, the gems begin to wink in our minds, sensuous and seductive.
The Cons: Andre Norton’s books are usually devoid of sex and sexuality and Zero Stone is no exception
One sometimes hungers for a little higher degree of complexity or sophistication which with Norton simply is not there. Dialogue is sometimes clumsy with odd turns of phrase such as “my hurt” as opposed to “my wound.”
The Space Patrol which in Andre Norton’s books is a combination of police force and navy is unsympathetically portrayed. The Patrolman, Hory, is violently xenophobic, which seems odd in the pluralistic galaxy that Norton describes. However she develops this theme in other books in this shared universe, notably Last Planet, wherein the Patrol is rather isolated from Galactic life and human-dominated. When one realizes that the Zero Stone’s function is too make almost any machine or weapon more powerful, one can understand the Patrol’s desire to not leave such power in the son of a Thieves Guild Veep and an unknown mutant. Still Hory, the “double star” patrol agent (equivalent to a double-00 operative in James Bond’s universe) is a one note performance and without empathy or depth.
In sum, I love the book and forgive it the minor transgression above. There is high adventure and a fascinating universe to explore with pirates, ancient ruins, mysterious weapons and devices. Yes, it could use a green Orion slave girl or two.
Stay Tuned for the sequel “Uncharted Stars.” This is a rare case of the sequel being better than the original, rather like the second Terminator movie.
By Edward McKeown
January 10, 2021
I am not a huge sci-fi fan, but when I do find something that grabs my interest, I'm all in. This started fast and just kept going on a rollicking ride through space, with all sorts of twists and turns along the way. The story is that of a gemologist of sorts, his training, apprenticeship, and subsequent flight from unknown assailants who are after something he has in his possession. I got to the end, and loved it so much, I immediately purchase the sequel, which I am reading now.
March 4, 2025
Murdoc Jern narrates one of Norton's best old school YA SF adventures. The plot and pacing are perfect, it could be used as a textbook. Murdoc is young, 16-21 is my guess, black hair and brown skin and effectively a jobless orphan with only a small store of cash. The old school SF stories would normally make him white and middle class. In terms of sex, most of the author's protagonists would be classified as ace, we are spared of the mental equivalent to wolf whistles and the male gaze. A real problem with many of the older SF writers. There is a bit of purple prose in this book, but not as as much as say Jack Vance. I enjoy it myself, but I know some who don't care for it. One of the downsides of old school is the lack of significant female characters with one exception you won't find out until the last few pages of the second book.
This is one of Norton's adventure buddy books, where the first protagonist will hook up with a partner that covers his weak spots, in this book, it's a mutant born of the ship's cat and a gem found by Jern that it swallows. When the very odd looking kitten first meets Jern he mind sends a greeting to him. This is Eet, when asked about themselves, they say "Eet is Eet", that sounds like a cat!
First scene starts with a bang, Jern is on the run in a stinking alley searching for sanctuary, flashing back to the fight in the bar that started his current mess. His apprenticeship to Vondar is covered a bit, back to the present, he finds the sanctuary and falls asleep dreaming about his father. 16 pages that are a pretty strong hook.
And while the ending for this book is a decent one, I highly recommend reading the second book, Uncharted Stars, added together they are still under 500 pages, which is short by today's standards.
This is one of Norton's adventure buddy books, where the first protagonist will hook up with a partner that covers his weak spots, in this book, it's a mutant born of the ship's cat and a gem found by Jern that it swallows. When the very odd looking kitten first meets Jern he mind sends a greeting to him. This is Eet, when asked about themselves, they say "Eet is Eet", that sounds like a cat!
First scene starts with a bang, Jern is on the run in a stinking alley searching for sanctuary, flashing back to the fight in the bar that started his current mess. His apprenticeship to Vondar is covered a bit, back to the present, he finds the sanctuary and falls asleep dreaming about his father. 16 pages that are a pretty strong hook.
And while the ending for this book is a decent one, I highly recommend reading the second book, Uncharted Stars, added together they are still under 500 pages, which is short by today's standards.
February 4, 2022
2.5 stars
The two books (Zero Stone, Uncharted Stones) forming this small series are tough to review. I can’t believe I didn’t read them when I was younger, as they seem to fit that reading list, and I spent most of the time thinking of what younger me would have made of them as I read.
The story is straightforward boy’s adventure stuff. The characters are fairly simple and goal-driven. The writing is odd; shifting from florid descriptions of places and things, to action that seems vague and unfinished, to constant repeated rumination on what had happened and what was to happen, all culminating in a quest resolution that had me wondering what this was all about.
I don’t believe little Rog would have dug these books too much, probably because they’re not as cool as the rad Jeffrey Jones covers.
The two books (Zero Stone, Uncharted Stones) forming this small series are tough to review. I can’t believe I didn’t read them when I was younger, as they seem to fit that reading list, and I spent most of the time thinking of what younger me would have made of them as I read.
The story is straightforward boy’s adventure stuff. The characters are fairly simple and goal-driven. The writing is odd; shifting from florid descriptions of places and things, to action that seems vague and unfinished, to constant repeated rumination on what had happened and what was to happen, all culminating in a quest resolution that had me wondering what this was all about.
I don’t believe little Rog would have dug these books too much, probably because they’re not as cool as the rad Jeffrey Jones covers.
March 15, 2017
Norton at her classic writing
I have been a fan of Andre Norton's for more than fifty years.
This is not a the same author I became infatuated with all those many years ago. Witch World would not be the same story I remember finding in my school library.
This new adventure is just as exciting and scary as the old.
There are new people and worlds but we still explore the human spirit and try to delve into possible ways to deal with other species we come into contact with.
Eet and Murdoch Jern take mental conversations as part of their tools to support each other and pursue mutually intriguing avenues. A direction Andre lets us observe from within.
I have been a fan of Andre Norton's for more than fifty years.
This is not a the same author I became infatuated with all those many years ago. Witch World would not be the same story I remember finding in my school library.
This new adventure is just as exciting and scary as the old.
There are new people and worlds but we still explore the human spirit and try to delve into possible ways to deal with other species we come into contact with.
Eet and Murdoch Jern take mental conversations as part of their tools to support each other and pursue mutually intriguing avenues. A direction Andre lets us observe from within.
March 14, 2017
In my lexicon, three stars is a *good* book.
Andre Norton is overall required reading for any serious sci-fi fan. The Zero Stone is a decent book, if a little dated here and there in projected technology and social conventions.
The Zero Stone, after the first 25% or so of the book, does pick up the pace and become something of a swashbuckler.
This is a good read for anyone who wants to dip their toe into Andre Norton's works, but doesn't want anything too challenging. Good classic sci-fi.
Andre Norton is overall required reading for any serious sci-fi fan. The Zero Stone is a decent book, if a little dated here and there in projected technology and social conventions.
The Zero Stone, after the first 25% or so of the book, does pick up the pace and become something of a swashbuckler.
This is a good read for anyone who wants to dip their toe into Andre Norton's works, but doesn't want anything too challenging. Good classic sci-fi.
January 2, 2017
One of my favorite books as a youth diving headlong into science fiction. Norton's ability to create whole cultures, to blend awe and mystery with pulp SF adventure, and to use language that both engages and reads like a mythic saga continues to impress. If a modern book would have a bit more dialog, a bit less introspective monologue, I'm still able to appreciate what she gave us and to enjoy going to back to it time and again.
January 2, 2013
During the late 60's I read Norton's, The Zero Stone, and found it to be an interesting and enjoyable read. The novel involves a telepathic mutant "cat" and gem appraiser Merdoc Jern in search of a source of mysterious stones of tremendous power. Merdoc has one already. Others are also interested in obtaining these stones and persue them.
June 16, 2018
Fantastic sci-fi
Andre Norton is it noted writer of sci-fi. This book, as well as Syfy, is it typical book of her imagination that is vividly portrayed in this space Tale about a gem assistant who travels with his master, encountered an alien esper, have a fantastic Adventure.
Highly recommended as an introduction to Syfy.
bookwormsuzy
Andre Norton is it noted writer of sci-fi. This book, as well as Syfy, is it typical book of her imagination that is vividly portrayed in this space Tale about a gem assistant who travels with his master, encountered an alien esper, have a fantastic Adventure.
Highly recommended as an introduction to Syfy.
bookwormsuzy
November 26, 2015
Книга устарела.
По нынешним временам это приключенческая фантастика для подростков с очень толстым намёком на продолжение, и без интересных и неожиданных элементов.
Может в 1968 году это было круто, но сейчас скука.
По нынешним временам это приключенческая фантастика для подростков с очень толстым намёком на продолжение, и без интересных и неожиданных элементов.
Может в 1968 году это было круто, но сейчас скука.
July 18, 2008
I read this in my formative years, and I think it influenced my later writing quite a bit.
January 11, 2010
One of my favourite books of all time, thiis was one of my introductions to science fiction when I was in junior high.
July 2, 2011
One of the first Science Fiction books I read when in Junior High School. Helped me fall in love with Science Fiction and Andre Norton.
January 5, 2012
I have loved this book ever since I first read it in my teens.
July 14, 2013
an old school sci-Fi from a master writer
September 27, 2016
Old time SciFi. First published 1968
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