What do you think?
Rate this book
The Rains of Eridan
On the isolated planet of Eridan, alien home of bizarre animals, valuable crystals, and a few scientist-colonists, Theo and Karen do not anticipate the strange, gigantic creatures and the perilous feelings brought to life by the rainy season
183 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
Helen Mary Hoover
19 books56 followershttp://www.orrt.org/hoover/
Over the course of her twenty-three-year career as a writer, H.M. Hoover won eight awards for her writing, including three Best Book for Young Adult designations from the American Library Association and two Parent's Choice Honor Awards. Another Heaven, Another Earth received the Ohioana Award in 1982.
H.M. Hoover lived in Burke, Virginia. Her last published work was The Whole Truth - And Other Myths: Retelling Ancient Tales, in 1996.
Hoover changed her pen name to H.M. Hoover before Children came out because there was already a children's author named Helen Hoover.
Over the course of her twenty-three-year career as a writer, H.M. Hoover won eight awards for her writing, including three Best Book for Young Adult designations from the American Library Association and two Parent's Choice Honor Awards. Another Heaven, Another Earth received the Ohioana Award in 1982.
H.M. Hoover lived in Burke, Virginia. Her last published work was The Whole Truth - And Other Myths: Retelling Ancient Tales, in 1996.
Hoover changed her pen name to H.M. Hoover before Children came out because there was already a children's author named Helen Hoover.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 5, 2020
Interplanetary biologist Theodora Leslie's sleep is interrupted one night by a murder – one that leaves her the guardian of Karen Orlov, daughter of the murdered couple. Together, Theo and Karen explore Eridan, an arid planet that seems to lack predators. Then the rains come. Theo and Karen return to one of the scientific bases for shelter. But something eerie is going on among the humans there, just as something dangerous has come to life among the planet's wildlife.I bought this at a library sale about 10 years ago, read it then, and felt kind of meh about it: I liked it, but it wasn't a book I thought I'd ever read again. And yet, it stuck in my mind and wouldn't leave, even as I forgot the details of the story. So, with my library still closed, forcing me to rely on my own bookshelves, I decided to reread this.
And was pleasantly surprised.
I'm not sure what's changed since my first read of this book, but I liked everything about it better this second time through. It's a hard-to-categorize book: Clearly a "children's book," but not quite middle-grade, not quite YA, and told from the perspective of the adult character rather than the child character. (Wow, was publishing different in 1977. I doubt this would get published at all today with all that awkwardness.) I think Theo's being the main character might have been what put me off the first time I read it, so anticipating that this time definitely made a difference.
For a slender book, this packs a lot of story. Theo and Karen bond with each other and study the biota. Deposits of beautiful amber-colored crystals are found in caves and some places on the surface, fascinating the human visitors. The rains bring a huge change to a calm desert planet. And waves of fear and anxiety are wreaking havoc among the humans on the scientific and commercial bases established on Eridan. In the end, all of it ties together very satisfactorily, and in a way that was very timely for this particular 2020 moment in human history. It's written in a dry style that is scientific rather than emotional. There is a moving emotional story in there, but it's presented subtly, not shoved in the reader's face. I really enjoyed this reread, and really appreciated how deftly the author weaves this story.
I've changed my rating of this from 3 to 4 stars.
July 18, 2012
A scientist is camping out alone during a month+ research stint on a little-explored planet when she hears an unexpected shuttle land nearby. Investigating, she witnesses the murder of two highly-ranked individuals from another base by their own personnel. When the mutineers depart, she finds that they have left behind the dead Orlovs' young daughter, Karen. Karen tells Theo of a strange, disease-like Fear that causes people to behave in violent and erratic ways. Has the Fear spread to other bases? Where should Theo and Karen go? Who can they trust? As they travel across Eridan and weigh their options, the rainy season begins, revealing unsuspecting dangers on the previously harmless-seeming planet...
I really liked this book but am a little surprised it was published, since it has a couple factors that don't seem like they would necessarily appeal to children (from a publisher's sale-oriented point of view, I mean). First of all, the main character, the one whose view we see the story from, is an adult woman, a scientist who is mainly interested in her work and not in other people. And there is quite a bit of science in this book. The explanations for human presence on the planet, and for everything that goes wrong, are scientific. Yes, there is some danger-in-the-wilderness, but there is even more time spent in labs running experiments and discussing them. The characters are on this mission because they are experts in various sciences, and that's mainly what they talk about. There are crystalline structures, modes of viral transmission, cryptobiosis, hermaphroditic reproduction, research application and patent concerns, etc. It's pretty impressive that Hoover manages to make this interesting without dumbing it down. Despite the alien life forms it's pretty realistic.
I really liked this book but am a little surprised it was published, since it has a couple factors that don't seem like they would necessarily appeal to children (from a publisher's sale-oriented point of view, I mean). First of all, the main character, the one whose view we see the story from, is an adult woman, a scientist who is mainly interested in her work and not in other people. And there is quite a bit of science in this book. The explanations for human presence on the planet, and for everything that goes wrong, are scientific. Yes, there is some danger-in-the-wilderness, but there is even more time spent in labs running experiments and discussing them. The characters are on this mission because they are experts in various sciences, and that's mainly what they talk about. There are crystalline structures, modes of viral transmission, cryptobiosis, hermaphroditic reproduction, research application and patent concerns, etc. It's pretty impressive that Hoover manages to make this interesting without dumbing it down. Despite the alien life forms it's pretty realistic.
August 19, 2011
I loved this book as a kid, and checked it out of the library countless times. I'd forgotten its author, title, characters' names, and every other identifying feature, but recently managed to track it down. When I did, it was just as good as I'd remembered. It's scary, creepy, and sweet. Its themes - female mentorship, sympathy for the Other, the scientific method, awe of nature, and the power of backcountry hiking - are still important to me today. Reading this book was like looking through a time machine into my head when I was 11, which was a little weird, but also happy, like finding an old friend.
The cover illustration is ridiculous; don't let that put you off.
The cover illustration is ridiculous; don't let that put you off.
September 23, 2010
One of my favorite books (and authors!) as a kid... probably read this sevral times in 5th or 6th grade.
I spent a lot of time trying to track down all of H.M. Hoover's books. She wrote science fiction that was focused on the humanity and characters rather than technology or action.
I spent a lot of time trying to track down all of H.M. Hoover's books. She wrote science fiction that was focused on the humanity and characters rather than technology or action.
July 28, 2025
A solid sci-fi adventure with just enough intrigue to keep you hooked, but not quite enough rain to make a splash!
January 5, 2023
The Rains of Eridan by H. M. Hoover
I read two 1970/80s books by this author of juvenile science fiction last year (This Time of Darkness and Lost Star), and enjoyed both very much. The Rains of Eridan (1979) is likewise a well-structured novel with believable characters and a fascinating plot. There is a degree of sophistication regarding the interpersonal relationships and the use of the scientific method which is relatively rare in literature aimed at teens. Of course, some of the scientific equipment described sounds somewhat incongruous and outdated, for instance the use of tapes and film by a space-faring civilization, but it deals sensitively with themes of loss, fear, bonding between people, how we should view the natural world, and contains a considerable amount of wisdom in its pages.
Here are some quotations from the text of the book:
Theo avoided all cliques and power factions. Politics and swollen egos had no interest for her. Better to speculate on the diversity of gliding reptiles on the planet Tanin or the creatures in that ammonia bath of Little Venus.
"It doesn’t matter how things get spoiled. Once it’s done, it’s done. You can’t ever make it right again. You have to accept it. And go on.”
Theo guessed that last stoic statement was being applied as much to Karen’s own situation as to hers, and it touched her as much as seeing a wounded animal go quietly off to endure pain and healing.
And so Theo told her stories of life forms on other worlds, cataloguing an exotic bestiary whose diversity made phoenix, chimera, and che’lin seem commonplace.
"Most life forms are intelligent. The fact that their intelligence differs from ours doesn’t make ours superior—”
She stopped and looked back at Theo. "Is that bad?” "That you forgot?” Karen nodded as Theo caught up and they walked together. "No. That’s healthy. That’s nature’s way of protecting us against pain—letting us forget.” As Theo spoke, her voice changed until it seemed she was explaining to herself. "Slowly, until finally, after a long time, we remember only that it happened and that it hurt. But the pain itself is gone.
"Are they hostile?” Karen said nervously as a rather sturdy-looking creature, taller than she was and rust-furred with white spots, came loping up the hill toward them. "No. Just curious,” said Theo. "The total absence of predators has made them quite secure.”
The biologist extracted the coin-sized tape and fitted it carefully into the projector part of the table.
Cryptobiosis means hidden life. It is a state of suspended animation. The organism’s activity slows down and eventually stops when its environment becomes too dry. It resumes animation when adequate moisture returns. This return to life is called anabiosis.”
"A browser feels no sorrow for the grass it eats. This creature feels no sorrow for the browser it eats. Both kill with no malice.” Karen paused to consider this. "I'm not sure I understand the part about malice yet,” she said finally. "Or if I want to. Are there predators among people too?” Theo paused in her work, wondering if Karen was thinking of her parents’ death and trying to fit this reason to an acceptance of that loss. If so, it was no time to tell a comforting lie. "They could be called that, I suppose, those people who inflict great personal harm on others. I would not give them the dignity of calling them predators, but then that is my own prejudice. There is malice in humans; some of us get tainted by our own weakness. ...”
"I know how it feels to give up a dream,” Theo said. "But there is a subtle difference between dream and obsession.”
I read two 1970/80s books by this author of juvenile science fiction last year (This Time of Darkness and Lost Star), and enjoyed both very much. The Rains of Eridan (1979) is likewise a well-structured novel with believable characters and a fascinating plot. There is a degree of sophistication regarding the interpersonal relationships and the use of the scientific method which is relatively rare in literature aimed at teens. Of course, some of the scientific equipment described sounds somewhat incongruous and outdated, for instance the use of tapes and film by a space-faring civilization, but it deals sensitively with themes of loss, fear, bonding between people, how we should view the natural world, and contains a considerable amount of wisdom in its pages.
Here are some quotations from the text of the book:
Theo avoided all cliques and power factions. Politics and swollen egos had no interest for her. Better to speculate on the diversity of gliding reptiles on the planet Tanin or the creatures in that ammonia bath of Little Venus.
"It doesn’t matter how things get spoiled. Once it’s done, it’s done. You can’t ever make it right again. You have to accept it. And go on.”
Theo guessed that last stoic statement was being applied as much to Karen’s own situation as to hers, and it touched her as much as seeing a wounded animal go quietly off to endure pain and healing.
And so Theo told her stories of life forms on other worlds, cataloguing an exotic bestiary whose diversity made phoenix, chimera, and che’lin seem commonplace.
"Most life forms are intelligent. The fact that their intelligence differs from ours doesn’t make ours superior—”
She stopped and looked back at Theo. "Is that bad?” "That you forgot?” Karen nodded as Theo caught up and they walked together. "No. That’s healthy. That’s nature’s way of protecting us against pain—letting us forget.” As Theo spoke, her voice changed until it seemed she was explaining to herself. "Slowly, until finally, after a long time, we remember only that it happened and that it hurt. But the pain itself is gone.
"Are they hostile?” Karen said nervously as a rather sturdy-looking creature, taller than she was and rust-furred with white spots, came loping up the hill toward them. "No. Just curious,” said Theo. "The total absence of predators has made them quite secure.”
The biologist extracted the coin-sized tape and fitted it carefully into the projector part of the table.
Cryptobiosis means hidden life. It is a state of suspended animation. The organism’s activity slows down and eventually stops when its environment becomes too dry. It resumes animation when adequate moisture returns. This return to life is called anabiosis.”
"A browser feels no sorrow for the grass it eats. This creature feels no sorrow for the browser it eats. Both kill with no malice.” Karen paused to consider this. "I'm not sure I understand the part about malice yet,” she said finally. "Or if I want to. Are there predators among people too?” Theo paused in her work, wondering if Karen was thinking of her parents’ death and trying to fit this reason to an acceptance of that loss. If so, it was no time to tell a comforting lie. "They could be called that, I suppose, those people who inflict great personal harm on others. I would not give them the dignity of calling them predators, but then that is my own prejudice. There is malice in humans; some of us get tainted by our own weakness. ...”
"I know how it feels to give up a dream,” Theo said. "But there is a subtle difference between dream and obsession.”
November 28, 2018
My husband and I pick out a few books every year to read out loud to each other, and this was one our selections. It was a re-read for me, as I LOVED H.M. Hoover when I was a young teenager and read several of her books, including this one, back in the 1980s.
Settlers backed by a corporation are exploring and trying to find resources of value on the planet Eridan, but a plague of fear has affected the settlements, and the settlers are turning on each other. Biologist Theodora Decker and an 11-year-old girl named Karen are the only two who seem to be unaffected, and they try to solve the mystery of what is driving everyone mad with fear at the same time the seasonal rains on the planet wake up some not-very-friendly wildlife.
I'm not sure this novel entirely stands the test of "Will I still really like it as an adult reader?" I found the plot fairly uncomplicated, though there is a bit of a biological mystery at the heart of it, and the writing is workmanlike but nothing special. What I really appreciated MORE as an adult is how central female characters are to the plot. For about the first third of the book, the ONLY human characters are an adult woman and a tween girl. Later in the book, a doctor and a government official who play prominent secondary roles are also female. I think that must have impressed me as a kid, and even more so as an adult, since 1970s and 80s sci-fi wasn't particularly well-known for having a bounty of female main characters. I think many 10- to 14-year-old sci-fi enthusiasts would enjoy this book, particularly girls who like seeing girls in strong roles.
Settlers backed by a corporation are exploring and trying to find resources of value on the planet Eridan, but a plague of fear has affected the settlements, and the settlers are turning on each other. Biologist Theodora Decker and an 11-year-old girl named Karen are the only two who seem to be unaffected, and they try to solve the mystery of what is driving everyone mad with fear at the same time the seasonal rains on the planet wake up some not-very-friendly wildlife.
I'm not sure this novel entirely stands the test of "Will I still really like it as an adult reader?" I found the plot fairly uncomplicated, though there is a bit of a biological mystery at the heart of it, and the writing is workmanlike but nothing special. What I really appreciated MORE as an adult is how central female characters are to the plot. For about the first third of the book, the ONLY human characters are an adult woman and a tween girl. Later in the book, a doctor and a government official who play prominent secondary roles are also female. I think that must have impressed me as a kid, and even more so as an adult, since 1970s and 80s sci-fi wasn't particularly well-known for having a bounty of female main characters. I think many 10- to 14-year-old sci-fi enthusiasts would enjoy this book, particularly girls who like seeing girls in strong roles.
September 4, 2020
A researcher alone in her camp witnesses a double murder. The couple's daughter escapes and joins forces with Theo.
Eridan is an arid planet, almost desert like. There seem to be no predators, only a few scavengers.
Theo and Karen find strange creatures in a cave.
Then the rains begin. And something is out there.
The three exploration teams are collecting crystals. And they are filled with fear. Why?
Theo, Karen and the Base Two commander are running out of time to solve this mystery based in science.
This is a fast, easy to read book that grows on you as you get further into it. The scientific concept is interesting, but not necessarily real. It is an enjoyable book.
Eridan is an arid planet, almost desert like. There seem to be no predators, only a few scavengers.
Theo and Karen find strange creatures in a cave.
Then the rains begin. And something is out there.
The three exploration teams are collecting crystals. And they are filled with fear. Why?
Theo, Karen and the Base Two commander are running out of time to solve this mystery based in science.
This is a fast, easy to read book that grows on you as you get further into it. The scientific concept is interesting, but not necessarily real. It is an enjoyable book.
July 15, 2016
Once again, shame on me for not being able familiar with this author earlier. I'm enjoying her language, thoughtful characters, & world-building immensely. About to swan-dive into the rest of her books.
July 8, 2016
An interesting tale of Ho humans can mess things up just by being there, eventually putting their own lives in danger for material wealth
January 17, 2019
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a bit slow at times, but overall it was an interesting read. The setting was very well described, and I liked the characters a lot as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2022
I read this book as a child, and it has always been my favorite example about how "hard" science doesn't have to be physics, but can be some other discipline.
August 5, 2024
Such a great adventure! Such great characters! Such a silly 80’s cover!
March 5, 2025
H. M. Hoover is such an amazing author. Such a wonderful story. Compelling characters and just everything you would want. If you have never read her books you are missing so much
November 27, 2014
1988 grade A+
Read
December 6, 2017Reread 12/5/2017.
Read
October 14, 2018Loved it. Read it at least 3 times.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews