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Pax/Astra #1
The Stars are Ours
Earth in 2500AD is no place for a young man with a dream of freedom. And Dard Nordis is worse off than most. His brother was killed for covert activities as a Free Scientist in a world where science is outlawed and blamed for all evils. Now Dard and his niece are hunted and trying to find his brother's friends before their enemies find them and execute them as well. The stakes are high-- he can be shot down and killed like his brother or escape to the stars in a spaceship that the Free Scientists have built in secret! Here is a powerful novel of the future in which the battle-cry is: THE STARS ARE OURS!
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First published January 1, 1954
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About the author
Andre Norton
692 books1,396 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 68 reviews
August 22, 2008
On the outside it appears to be just a stock science fiction novel...but somehow it has always appealed to me, and become one of my all-time favorites.
It would make an excellent movie.
It would make an excellent movie.
May 10, 2020
When I was in junior high and high school, I read mostly science fiction novels. I'd take them out at the library or buy them at the local drug store, Lincoln Pharmacy. A lot of the science fiction novels in the drugs store were ACE paperbacks, which had two novels in one binding. You'd read the story on the front cover and then flip the book over to read the story on the reverse side, which had its own cover.
I bought a copy of Andre Norton's The Stars Are Ours at the Lincoln Pharmacy when I was in the 7th or 8th grade. It was an ACE single book, not a double one. Now, over fifty years later, I still had the paperback until I gave it to a friend a few weeks ago who collects old science fiction novels and magazines to sell to collectors. Norton's books are so old that they're mostly out of print and I had to read the e-book version of The Stars Are Ours.
Anyway, Andre Norton was one of my favorite science fiction writers back then. (Her real name was Alice Mary Norton, who was a librarian. Andre Norton was her pseudonym because publishers were reluctant to take on female science fiction writers. I'm sure glad things have changed since then.)
The plot's fairly simple. Before the book opens, armed men took over a space station orbiting the Earth and turned it into a weapon that devastated the Earth. A firebrand named Arturo Renzi seized control and blamed the catastrophe on scientists. Now Renzi is dead and scientists are being hunted down by Peacemen who belong to the new ruling elite, the Company of Pax. So far, the scientists, who went into hiding, have managed to elude them. But their end is nearing as Peacemen capture and kill more and more of them.
Dard Nordis lives with his older scientist brother, Lars, and Lars' young daughter, Dessie. Lars, who is in bad health, is working on something secret for the free scientists. After Peacemen attack their home, Dard and Dessie embark on a journey with the results of Lars' work that might take them to freedom in a solar system beyond ours. Unless the Peacemen capture them first.
The Stars Are Ours had been sitting on my bookshelf for decades and I kept wanting to reread it for the pleasure of the memories and to see how it's stood the test of time. Would I enjoy it as much? Yes, I did. Norton's writing style is a bid antiquated now. But I really have to judge her style by the standards of the time back half century ago. Now I'm reading the sequel, Star Born, which takes place several generations later. And I'm really enjoying it.
Andre Norton is a classic – and prolific – science fiction writer who turned from having male leads in her novels to having female leads. She was way ahead of her times. Or did she start the trend?
I bought a copy of Andre Norton's The Stars Are Ours at the Lincoln Pharmacy when I was in the 7th or 8th grade. It was an ACE single book, not a double one. Now, over fifty years later, I still had the paperback until I gave it to a friend a few weeks ago who collects old science fiction novels and magazines to sell to collectors. Norton's books are so old that they're mostly out of print and I had to read the e-book version of The Stars Are Ours.
Anyway, Andre Norton was one of my favorite science fiction writers back then. (Her real name was Alice Mary Norton, who was a librarian. Andre Norton was her pseudonym because publishers were reluctant to take on female science fiction writers. I'm sure glad things have changed since then.)
The plot's fairly simple. Before the book opens, armed men took over a space station orbiting the Earth and turned it into a weapon that devastated the Earth. A firebrand named Arturo Renzi seized control and blamed the catastrophe on scientists. Now Renzi is dead and scientists are being hunted down by Peacemen who belong to the new ruling elite, the Company of Pax. So far, the scientists, who went into hiding, have managed to elude them. But their end is nearing as Peacemen capture and kill more and more of them.
Dard Nordis lives with his older scientist brother, Lars, and Lars' young daughter, Dessie. Lars, who is in bad health, is working on something secret for the free scientists. After Peacemen attack their home, Dard and Dessie embark on a journey with the results of Lars' work that might take them to freedom in a solar system beyond ours. Unless the Peacemen capture them first.
The Stars Are Ours had been sitting on my bookshelf for decades and I kept wanting to reread it for the pleasure of the memories and to see how it's stood the test of time. Would I enjoy it as much? Yes, I did. Norton's writing style is a bid antiquated now. But I really have to judge her style by the standards of the time back half century ago. Now I'm reading the sequel, Star Born, which takes place several generations later. And I'm really enjoying it.
Andre Norton is a classic – and prolific – science fiction writer who turned from having male leads in her novels to having female leads. She was way ahead of her times. Or did she start the trend?
August 2, 2013
I first read this when I was eight or nine years old, and probably read it a couple of dozen times during my childhood. It was probably my favorite book. In general, early Andre Norton (she got wonky as she got older, and wrote crazy cat lady stuff) is the best there is in juvenile science fiction, along with Heinlein juveniles like Farmer in the Sky.
Other early Andre Norton favorites were The Time Traders, The Defiant Agents, The Beast Master, Lord of Thunder, Star Guard, Star Man's Son, and Star Rangers.
Other early Andre Norton favorites were The Time Traders, The Defiant Agents, The Beast Master, Lord of Thunder, Star Guard, Star Man's Son, and Star Rangers.
Read
February 5, 2010This is sort of part of a series, although the second book (Star Born) is actually a 'next generation' sort of thing.
This book is unaccountably dedicated to Harlan Ellison. I suppose if I'd thought of it, I'd've assumed that Norton and Ellison would've met--just seems odd, somehow.
Because it involves a sleeper ship, the book is somewhat fragmented, and the part set on Earth is something like a prequel. The rest of the book is set on Astra. If I had to give a name to the series, I'd call it the Astra series: and although at the time of these two books, Astra is a world apart, unconnected to any interstellar union, the flora and fauna of Astra were apparently later exported to the rest of the Galaxy.
Note that though this book begins with an explicit disavowal of racism, it ends by equally explicitly embracing racism, by means of the standard dodge 'they're not like us, and there's no way we can ever meet in peace'. In this case, the rejection is in absentia: the immigrants have never so much as MET 'Those Others', and yet they make prejudicial decisions about them based almost solely on a visceral response to their writings. It's important, however, that they respond that the abuses heaped on them by their fellow humans are understandable, if appalling: but 'Those Others' are damned out of hand, merely because they are alien, though the ills involved are very similar.
This book is unaccountably dedicated to Harlan Ellison. I suppose if I'd thought of it, I'd've assumed that Norton and Ellison would've met--just seems odd, somehow.
Because it involves a sleeper ship, the book is somewhat fragmented, and the part set on Earth is something like a prequel. The rest of the book is set on Astra. If I had to give a name to the series, I'd call it the Astra series: and although at the time of these two books, Astra is a world apart, unconnected to any interstellar union, the flora and fauna of Astra were apparently later exported to the rest of the Galaxy.
Note that though this book begins with an explicit disavowal of racism, it ends by equally explicitly embracing racism, by means of the standard dodge 'they're not like us, and there's no way we can ever meet in peace'. In this case, the rejection is in absentia: the immigrants have never so much as MET 'Those Others', and yet they make prejudicial decisions about them based almost solely on a visceral response to their writings. It's important, however, that they respond that the abuses heaped on them by their fellow humans are understandable, if appalling: but 'Those Others' are damned out of hand, merely because they are alien, though the ills involved are very similar.
October 23, 2014
I'm finally getting around to listening to this book, as read by Uvula Audio. It's somewhat dated I suppose, but I'm finding it an exciting adventure thus far and am looking forward to hearing how the outlaw scientists do at trying to avoid the blasters of the anti-science authorities.
FINAL
I enjoyed the adventure and the exploration of the alien planet. Just about the time when I was getting bored with the exploration, Norton amped up the action with ... well, I won't say with what so anyone else coming to this story will enjoy it also ... but it was exciting.
FINAL
I enjoyed the adventure and the exploration of the alien planet. Just about the time when I was getting bored with the exploration, Norton amped up the action with ... well, I won't say with what so anyone else coming to this story will enjoy it also ... but it was exciting.
August 13, 2022
170915: continuing my reading of woman-authored pulp/golden age sff: this is a weird book. part one is a familiar persecuted-scientist dystopian future. part two is 300 years later (miracle of freezing...) landing on an earth-type other world. there does not seem to be any organic connection. part one is basic chase adventure, part two is discovering/settling. easy read, fast, simple plot and characters. maybe i am reading into it but it seems almost comic and self-referential like philip k dick...
February 12, 2026
It's an earnest, fast-moving slice of mid-century science fiction that feels very much of its time. The premise, escape from an oppressive Earth toward uncertain freedom among the stars, is compelling, and Norton’s sense of adventure keeps the pages turning, but the execution is fairly straightforward. Characters are sketched rather than deeply developed, and the moral lines are drawn with a simplicity that feels dated. Still, there’s an undeniable charm in its optimism and momentum, even if the story never quite rises above being a solid, old-fashioned genre entry.
September 2, 2018
This 1954 novel was Andre Norton's third in the science fiction genre. It follows Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D (1952), and Star Rangers (1953). This novel has two parts. The first part envisions a world where scientists have become outlawed as a result of being blamed for wiping out most of the world's population. Life on Earth becomes so intolerable for scientists and technicians that it leads some to form a group and escape together in order to colonize new worlds. A group of scientists do just that, but is the new world inhabitable, or just as dangerous as the one they left behind?
Andre Norton spends 190 pages attempting to answer those very questions where most authors would need at least 600. The fact that this novel is not 600 pages means there are some pretty significant gaps of unanswered questions. How exactly is the colony to be governed? Who decides on how resources are going to be allocated, and why are these people the ones deciding? How is the new world to be set up, and how are relations with encountered species going to work? None of these questions get much resolution here. Despite these questions being left unanswered, and the abrupt ending which came just when it seemed the novel's situation was properly set up, and make no mistake, these are serious flaws, I liked this book a lot.
Her protagonists are teenagers. Presumably Norton's target audience was YA. Whether this was her intention or her editors', I have no idea. Thankfully, as usual, she missed that mark by a mile. The novel was surprisingly dark, even for Andre Norton, a good thing for this adult reader. The degree of persecution of the scientists, and then the harsh conditions traveling to (resulting in numerous deaths) and the many dangers and losses of resources on the new planet make this grim fare indeed for a YA audience.
What saves the book and makes it such an entertaining read is that the characters are very strong and three-dimensional, a feat few authors of the period manage. There are also many fascinating plot elements introduced to consider. In fact, there are more plot elements raised than poor Ms. Norton can possibly deal with adequately. By the end, there are just too many directions in need of exploration for the novel to possibly continue, therefore it stops abruptly with no resolution to anything.
This novel is the first in a series called Ad Astra (To the Stars), so I am relieved we get to continue exploring this world. Sadly, there is only one more novel in the series, Star Born. One is a number so low it can't possibly do justice to all the concepts. Still, I look forward to seeing which concepts Ms. Norton chose to expand in the 1957 sequel.
Andre Norton spends 190 pages attempting to answer those very questions where most authors would need at least 600. The fact that this novel is not 600 pages means there are some pretty significant gaps of unanswered questions. How exactly is the colony to be governed? Who decides on how resources are going to be allocated, and why are these people the ones deciding? How is the new world to be set up, and how are relations with encountered species going to work? None of these questions get much resolution here. Despite these questions being left unanswered, and the abrupt ending which came just when it seemed the novel's situation was properly set up, and make no mistake, these are serious flaws, I liked this book a lot.
Her protagonists are teenagers. Presumably Norton's target audience was YA. Whether this was her intention or her editors', I have no idea. Thankfully, as usual, she missed that mark by a mile. The novel was surprisingly dark, even for Andre Norton, a good thing for this adult reader. The degree of persecution of the scientists, and then the harsh conditions traveling to (resulting in numerous deaths) and the many dangers and losses of resources on the new planet make this grim fare indeed for a YA audience.
What saves the book and makes it such an entertaining read is that the characters are very strong and three-dimensional, a feat few authors of the period manage. There are also many fascinating plot elements introduced to consider. In fact, there are more plot elements raised than poor Ms. Norton can possibly deal with adequately. By the end, there are just too many directions in need of exploration for the novel to possibly continue, therefore it stops abruptly with no resolution to anything.
This novel is the first in a series called Ad Astra (To the Stars), so I am relieved we get to continue exploring this world. Sadly, there is only one more novel in the series, Star Born. One is a number so low it can't possibly do justice to all the concepts. Still, I look forward to seeing which concepts Ms. Norton chose to expand in the 1957 sequel.
August 13, 2019
As much as I love Norton's books, I consider them closer to fantasy (as action in a fantastic setting) than to science fiction (emphasis on science). However, this one is as close to the latter as possible. It explored the different ways the humanity can continue its development, and what those ways can lead to; however, the background, especially in the second, extraterrestrial, part, was way too fantastical for my taste. The descriptions were not just unexplained, they were illogical and contradictory; it felt like the author simply wanted some stuff in the background of the story instead of actually thinking them through.
Bit it's a very short and fast-paced story, so the downsides weren't too off-putting.
Bit it's a very short and fast-paced story, so the downsides weren't too off-putting.
February 6, 2011
This was the first science fiction book I read, 'way back in grade school in the mid '50's. It changed my life, opening my mind to possible futures and a love of science.
March 11, 2019
I picked this slim volume up at Mac's Backs because I remembered loving Andre Norton as a kid. (And assuming Andre was a guy, and cute, and maybe crushing on him a little.)
Ah! Still enjoyable pulp. The real strength are the alien environments. Imaginative creatures and obstacles. Does it have a picaresque plot? Well, yeah. Do the female characters feel oddly secondary? yup. (Though I wryly note that the few times Dr. Carlee is on screen, she is the voice of reason.)
Even a woman author in 1954 had trouble, I guess, imagining active roles for women that weren't supporting men.
Or maybe her editor had trouble. ;)
I dunno. I ate it up in a day. The beginning wasn't as fleshed-out as I'd like... I was intrigued by a "future where science is outlawed!" but there wasn't much to say about that... generic oppression... which the characters fortunately escape to get to the more interesting part of the story, flying to another planet!
Hard not to thrill to the "because we can!" excitement of the explorers.
Norton's first helpful stranger to the protagonist is a girl who is "a bit slow" and heroic! And then the member of the Scientists In Exile who most interacts with our main character is black... which... points! Though it's dated how there are repeated references to his brown-ness, just in case we forgot, but no sense of his cultural identity being different, or anyone reacting to his brown-ness.
Still, anyone acting like diversity is a new thing gotta step back. 1954 and we have disabled and POC on the good guys side. Ms. Norton, legend, Clevelander and WRU student, I salute you!
Ah! Still enjoyable pulp. The real strength are the alien environments. Imaginative creatures and obstacles. Does it have a picaresque plot? Well, yeah. Do the female characters feel oddly secondary? yup. (Though I wryly note that the few times Dr. Carlee is on screen, she is the voice of reason.)
Even a woman author in 1954 had trouble, I guess, imagining active roles for women that weren't supporting men.
Or maybe her editor had trouble. ;)
I dunno. I ate it up in a day. The beginning wasn't as fleshed-out as I'd like... I was intrigued by a "future where science is outlawed!" but there wasn't much to say about that... generic oppression... which the characters fortunately escape to get to the more interesting part of the story, flying to another planet!
Hard not to thrill to the "because we can!" excitement of the explorers.
Norton's first helpful stranger to the protagonist is a girl who is "a bit slow" and heroic! And then the member of the Scientists In Exile who most interacts with our main character is black... which... points! Though it's dated how there are repeated references to his brown-ness, just in case we forgot, but no sense of his cultural identity being different, or anyone reacting to his brown-ness.
Still, anyone acting like diversity is a new thing gotta step back. 1954 and we have disabled and POC on the good guys side. Ms. Norton, legend, Clevelander and WRU student, I salute you!
February 10, 2026
This book is definitely sci-fi slop. But it's from 1954 when slop was just a hastily written and published book, not like now where slop is literally bad for your brain. I think it's slop because there are numerous and glaring grammatical and punctuation errors. Things that I assume would be caught in even the first pass of reading it by an editor. I even read a sentence late in the book that was typed two different ways back to back, but they were both left in instead of getting rid of the worse one. The first half of the book when they're on Earth gets to be very boring. Once they finally land on the new planet it actually becomes a pretty enjoyable light sci-fi read. I thought the sci-fi ideas and elements were pretty prophetic of modern times for being written in the 50's, with a war on scientific thinking and the hubris of man. I bought the book from a used bookstore because the sequel's cover was cool, so it was worth the read with that context.
2.8/5 - sloppy
2.8/5 - sloppy
October 24, 2024
By 1954 standards, I suppose this is pretty solid, but I don't think it's aged very well. One strength is, as was often the case with books of this vintage, that today a similar amount of plot would probably fill a 1,500-page trilogy. That would of course provide a lot of room for things Norton doesn't really do, such as create complex characters, engage in detailed world-building, or fully work out the socio-political underpinnings of the world. On the other hand, it would also be way too long; Norton manages in under 200 pages to provide plenty of action as the remnants of the scientific community escape from the idiotocracy currently in charge (part one) and begin to settle a new but not uninhabited Earth-like planet. Part one is akin to many post-WW II SF stories that depict a future in which the scientists whose WMD have lead to massive destruction end up being hunted down, and it quite binary in its representation (with a few exceptions). Norton basically writes as if science is some sort of blood- or birthright, rather than a systematic way of thinking. Part two is a tad more interesting, given its exploration of an alien planet with evidence of a mysterious, vanished civilization, and with some nice action sequences (even if they depend on a pretty simplistic alien-monster! trope; the characters basically seem to expect any alien life the encounter to be "human," if it is to be worth anything).Even so, there's some pretty dumb stuff, such as explorers sleeping out in the open without bothering to set a watch--on a world that ahs already demonstrated that it has dangerous critters on it. When the intrepid Earthlings do encounter sentient humanoid creatures--conveniently, merfolk, so land and sea domains can be separate realms--Norton, to her credit, does make the marker of intelligence the fact that they have weapons, and even in the early days of the new relationship showing that plenty of the humans are skeptical about trying to form any sort of alliance. We are not left to imagine some sort of utopian human/alien hybrid society. Nevertheless, this one's probably (IMO) more of historical interest than literary.
February 28, 2011
This is a science fiction novel written by the great science fiction author Andre Norton. I found it a real enjoyable read.
December 28, 2019
This was an OK stock 50's sci-fi novel (matching what is today a stock post-apocalyptic YA plot).
The first half of the plot is propelled by the main character caring for his young niece...who he weirdly and disturbingly suddenly forgets at the mid point, until the last chapter. This undermined the book and character significantly for me.
The first half of the plot is propelled by the main character caring for his young niece...who he weirdly and disturbingly suddenly forgets at the mid point, until the last chapter. This undermined the book and character significantly for me.
November 25, 2016
Definitely a book of two halves. I really didn't like the "Boys Own" style of the first half of the book but loved the classic science fiction of the second. Stick with it and it pays off. My first "Norton" but definitely not my last!
November 3, 2012
Overall quite good. A bit of a departure from Norton's norms but definitely display her great abilities.
February 23, 2019
This was really two novellas in one, one titled “Terra” and the other, starting in my copy on page 96, “Astra.” The stories are strongly linked and involve many of the same characters.
“Terra” takes place on Earth in the future, after a devastating global war and is technically something of a post-apocalyptic setting (though a civilization that Pol Pot might like is around). With a bit of exposition, the reader finds that the world is divided into two factions, both before and after a massive conflict that killed most of the people in the world. The ruling side is the Pax or Peacemen, a definitely non-democratic government that rewards those it approves of with land, slaves, and other benefits, but hunts down those it disapproves of, the Free Scientists principally, a group of scientists and “techneers” who are understandably pro-science, pro-technology, and against racism and nationalism. Though making use of technology (including helicopters, a supercomputer, and stun ray guns as well as rifles), the Peacemen publicly push for a society that does not believe in science, barely believes in learning or even reading, all while continuing to use technology that it probably can never adequately repair or replace. The Free Scientists meanwhile in secret seek to advance technology and science, all while doing what they can to oppose the Peacemen (who basically shoot scientists on sight).
In that setting we meet the main character Dard Nordis, who with his niece Dessie and his older brother (and Dessie’s father) Lars Nordis, live in hiding, having hidden from the purge of scientists and techneers on a small farm somewhere in the western U.S., maybe Utah (I am not clear and don’t remember, but it felt like Utah). Lars, injured escaping from the purge and unable to quickly or easily walk, isn’t just hiding with his family; he has been working on a secret formula as a part of an underground network of scientists, all with the hopes of building and then launching a sleeper starship to a new world (not in the solar system) and escape the tyranny of the Peacemen. The novella “Terra” is basically an action/adventure story, with among other things the Peacemen coming for the Nordis farm, a daring escape, meeting up with an operative of the Free Scientists, and Dard’s involvement in launching the starship. It had a good pace, had lots of action, some really good descriptions of winter survival in the mountains (you could feel the cold especially when the author described the somewhat wretched conditions of the Nordis farm), and dealt with betrayal and lies among the various people Dard and others encountered.
The second book has an understandable gap in time (and a huge difference in feel) but the reader didn’t miss anything, as not to spoil things, but Dard and many others despite fierce opposition by the Peacemen did manage to escape Earth and land on a new, alien world (having slept the entire time in suspended animation so that they could make the incredibly long journey successfully, though some didn’t). Though it had action and adventure, the feel of the story was different; the second book, “Astra,” had a golden age feel to it as the crew of the ship explore the new world they find and have adventures with weather, terrain, the local wildlife, and intelligent aliens. Unlike with “Terra,” the dangers are almost completely unknown; what monsters lurk in that valley? Why are those ruins abandoned? What made them ruins? Are the builders gone? Are the destroyers gone? Will they find food to eat on the new world?
Compared to “Terra,” the second book “Astra” felt a little incomplete. “Terra” had a series of related missions and these missions were completed. It had a strong plot driven feel and was very fast paced. “Astra” sort of left things off at the end incomplete, that some success has been achieved, but how temporary is it? Definitely a feel of optimism but one tinged with a real appreciation of the many dangers the colonists face and interestingly, realizing the parallels between Earth and the past of this world.
I liked the creative alien life, especially the sentient alien life, and the wide open, sense of anything is possible on the new world. I definitely got the sense the world has a bit of depth to it and was ripe with possibilities to explore as all we saw was part of one land mass. I cringed maybe a tiny bit at some of the contemporary anachronisms in the book, of lots of shooting of wildlife on the new world (though I do recognize the wildlife they did shoot presented a danger and laud the characters for avoiding killing those just a nuisance, I still cringe at the idea of exterminating a species), of some of the 1950s era slang and speech patterns (completely forgivable, but it does date the book), the relative lack of powerful female characters (there were a few female characters but pretty much any active character in terms of either fighting the Peacemen or exploring the new world was a man, with Dessie for the most part just something to propel Dard to save the day), and the lack of more modern tech (film is still used, no thought given to a reconnaissance satellite to map the new world before landing or aid in communication once on the new world, some rather unsophisticated ways to tell if alien food wasn’t poison, they also seemed forgivable but again, did date the story).
It was a quick and easy read, I think the first novel “Terra” the better written of the two but I did like the new alien world the characters explored (at least part of) in “Astra.”
“Terra” takes place on Earth in the future, after a devastating global war and is technically something of a post-apocalyptic setting (though a civilization that Pol Pot might like is around). With a bit of exposition, the reader finds that the world is divided into two factions, both before and after a massive conflict that killed most of the people in the world. The ruling side is the Pax or Peacemen, a definitely non-democratic government that rewards those it approves of with land, slaves, and other benefits, but hunts down those it disapproves of, the Free Scientists principally, a group of scientists and “techneers” who are understandably pro-science, pro-technology, and against racism and nationalism. Though making use of technology (including helicopters, a supercomputer, and stun ray guns as well as rifles), the Peacemen publicly push for a society that does not believe in science, barely believes in learning or even reading, all while continuing to use technology that it probably can never adequately repair or replace. The Free Scientists meanwhile in secret seek to advance technology and science, all while doing what they can to oppose the Peacemen (who basically shoot scientists on sight).
In that setting we meet the main character Dard Nordis, who with his niece Dessie and his older brother (and Dessie’s father) Lars Nordis, live in hiding, having hidden from the purge of scientists and techneers on a small farm somewhere in the western U.S., maybe Utah (I am not clear and don’t remember, but it felt like Utah). Lars, injured escaping from the purge and unable to quickly or easily walk, isn’t just hiding with his family; he has been working on a secret formula as a part of an underground network of scientists, all with the hopes of building and then launching a sleeper starship to a new world (not in the solar system) and escape the tyranny of the Peacemen. The novella “Terra” is basically an action/adventure story, with among other things the Peacemen coming for the Nordis farm, a daring escape, meeting up with an operative of the Free Scientists, and Dard’s involvement in launching the starship. It had a good pace, had lots of action, some really good descriptions of winter survival in the mountains (you could feel the cold especially when the author described the somewhat wretched conditions of the Nordis farm), and dealt with betrayal and lies among the various people Dard and others encountered.
The second book has an understandable gap in time (and a huge difference in feel) but the reader didn’t miss anything, as not to spoil things, but Dard and many others despite fierce opposition by the Peacemen did manage to escape Earth and land on a new, alien world (having slept the entire time in suspended animation so that they could make the incredibly long journey successfully, though some didn’t). Though it had action and adventure, the feel of the story was different; the second book, “Astra,” had a golden age feel to it as the crew of the ship explore the new world they find and have adventures with weather, terrain, the local wildlife, and intelligent aliens. Unlike with “Terra,” the dangers are almost completely unknown; what monsters lurk in that valley? Why are those ruins abandoned? What made them ruins? Are the builders gone? Are the destroyers gone? Will they find food to eat on the new world?
Compared to “Terra,” the second book “Astra” felt a little incomplete. “Terra” had a series of related missions and these missions were completed. It had a strong plot driven feel and was very fast paced. “Astra” sort of left things off at the end incomplete, that some success has been achieved, but how temporary is it? Definitely a feel of optimism but one tinged with a real appreciation of the many dangers the colonists face and interestingly, realizing the parallels between Earth and the past of this world.
I liked the creative alien life, especially the sentient alien life, and the wide open, sense of anything is possible on the new world. I definitely got the sense the world has a bit of depth to it and was ripe with possibilities to explore as all we saw was part of one land mass. I cringed maybe a tiny bit at some of the contemporary anachronisms in the book, of lots of shooting of wildlife on the new world (though I do recognize the wildlife they did shoot presented a danger and laud the characters for avoiding killing those just a nuisance, I still cringe at the idea of exterminating a species), of some of the 1950s era slang and speech patterns (completely forgivable, but it does date the book), the relative lack of powerful female characters (there were a few female characters but pretty much any active character in terms of either fighting the Peacemen or exploring the new world was a man, with Dessie for the most part just something to propel Dard to save the day), and the lack of more modern tech (film is still used, no thought given to a reconnaissance satellite to map the new world before landing or aid in communication once on the new world, some rather unsophisticated ways to tell if alien food wasn’t poison, they also seemed forgivable but again, did date the story).
It was a quick and easy read, I think the first novel “Terra” the better written of the two but I did like the new alien world the characters explored (at least part of) in “Astra.”
March 17, 2024
Years after a nuclear fallout and the purging of scientific minds, Earth is in shambles and is nosediving backward towards the bronze age. Learned people are hunted by "The Peacekeepers" as science takes the blame for "The Blowup" and the destruction of Earth's major cities. Terrifying. Especially when real-world politics surrounding education start to mimic fiction.
Our protagonist Dard lives in a rickety farmhouse with his brother Lars and niece Dessie. Dard learns from his brother that there is a secret group of free scientists working on a way to leave the cursed Earth via deep space flight. The last thing needed is Lars' formula for cryosleep which he perfects right as the Peacekeepers arrive to ruin everyone's day.
With sweet Dessie as his ward, Dard uses his tracking skills to locate the free scientists and help defend against the Peacekeepers. And just days after his arrival, the ship is ready to launch. No testing of the cryosleep mechanisms or engines. Dard is loaded into a coffin-like apparatus and slips into a deep dark sleep with nothing but his incredible luck to carry him to a new world.
The second half of the book takes place 300 years later on a beautifully colored alien planet! Like Norton's other novel Star Rangers the crew arrives on an idyllic planet seemingly abandoned by a technologically advanced race. When Dard and company explore the land and meet a sentient race of merpeople, they learn that the vanished builders of the destroyed domed cities may actually still be around. Worse, they're just as diabolically cruel as the Peacekeepers left behind on Earth. It seems the Ad Astra crew have traded one ruined planet for another. But more on that later in Star Born.
There were some issues that kept this book from being 4 stars for me: the adorable Dessie character spends the majority of her time in cryosleep or 'off camera.' Dard is an extremely lucky character, which is standard for Nortorn protagonists, but his plot armor is more egregious in this story. Another thing, I started not being able to differentiate characters outside of Dard and Dessie. Except for one character's accent, I could not tell the difference between Kimber, Kordov, Rogan, etc. They all seem to share the same personality and motives, and their lack of individuality left me reading them as all voices of one singular character; AKA not Dard.
Although there are sequels on this planet, The Stars Are Ours! introduces a lot of very interesting world-building elements and creatures, but the details are just surface-level, a common issue with Norton's writing. Although, if you read her entire library of novels, these details are eventually fleshed out a bit. In fact, whether it was intentional or not, I read The Stars Are Ours! as a prequel to Starman's Son (Daybreak 2250 A.D.) where the humans of Earth still claw for survival 2 1/2 centuries later.
Our protagonist Dard lives in a rickety farmhouse with his brother Lars and niece Dessie. Dard learns from his brother that there is a secret group of free scientists working on a way to leave the cursed Earth via deep space flight. The last thing needed is Lars' formula for cryosleep which he perfects right as the Peacekeepers arrive to ruin everyone's day.
With sweet Dessie as his ward, Dard uses his tracking skills to locate the free scientists and help defend against the Peacekeepers. And just days after his arrival, the ship is ready to launch. No testing of the cryosleep mechanisms or engines. Dard is loaded into a coffin-like apparatus and slips into a deep dark sleep with nothing but his incredible luck to carry him to a new world.
The second half of the book takes place 300 years later on a beautifully colored alien planet! Like Norton's other novel Star Rangers the crew arrives on an idyllic planet seemingly abandoned by a technologically advanced race. When Dard and company explore the land and meet a sentient race of merpeople, they learn that the vanished builders of the destroyed domed cities may actually still be around. Worse, they're just as diabolically cruel as the Peacekeepers left behind on Earth. It seems the Ad Astra crew have traded one ruined planet for another. But more on that later in Star Born.
There were some issues that kept this book from being 4 stars for me: the adorable Dessie character spends the majority of her time in cryosleep or 'off camera.' Dard is an extremely lucky character, which is standard for Nortorn protagonists, but his plot armor is more egregious in this story. Another thing, I started not being able to differentiate characters outside of Dard and Dessie. Except for one character's accent, I could not tell the difference between Kimber, Kordov, Rogan, etc. They all seem to share the same personality and motives, and their lack of individuality left me reading them as all voices of one singular character; AKA not Dard.
Although there are sequels on this planet, The Stars Are Ours! introduces a lot of very interesting world-building elements and creatures, but the details are just surface-level, a common issue with Norton's writing. Although, if you read her entire library of novels, these details are eventually fleshed out a bit. In fact, whether it was intentional or not, I read The Stars Are Ours! as a prequel to Starman's Son (Daybreak 2250 A.D.) where the humans of Earth still claw for survival 2 1/2 centuries later.
January 1, 2021
My Grade = 75% - C
Published 1954. 183 pages.
I found this one recently among the books on my many shelves. The version pictured here as a price of 65 cents on it. The version I reread is from my boyhood; (I’m currently 72), and it was one of the first science fiction stories I ever read.
The version I have in front of me is an original of mine and a classic ACE double volume (when reversed and turned upside down, there’s another novel on the other side, in this case, 3 Faces of Time by Sam Merlin, Jr. The two together were sold as one book at the whopping price of 35 cents.
My copy shows a voluptuous redhead with obviously made up eyebrows and bright red lipstick, breasts barely covered, in a capsule and being supported by an older gentleman holding a glass near those bright red lips. Translation: a young woman is being woken from a hibernation capsule and being given something, probably with lots of electrolytes in it to revive her.
Side Note: At one time I had a large collection (still have my favorites) of classic early paperbacks with lurid artwork to enhance the reading public into buying them. My favorites are The Scarlet Letter, 1984, and Brave New World.
Anyway my boyhood memory liked this one a lot more than I did today. I only picked it up as a sense of end-of-the-year nostalgia.
Story - it’s sometime after 2500 and the few people left on the planet are divided into the Peacemen (an anti-Science movement) who are the dominant ruling class, the farming peasantry, and slaves descended from the former Free Scientists.
As the story opens, it’s a harsh winter and Dard, Dessie, and Lars Nordic are barely surviving, but Lars, a former Scientist, at the point of death sends Dard and Dessie, with an important scientific formula to friends in a nearby Forrest setting.
The friends just happen to have an intergalactic spaceship to take them to a faraway planet. The only two things needed are the formula (for longtime hibernation) and a route given them by the only computer left.
They get there, find the remains of other civilizations, and meet small dragon-like sea-living creatures with whom they can communicate, thanks to Dessie’s ability to speak to other creatures.
A nice piece of nostalgic reading, but I like it a lot better 60 years ago.....
Published 1954. 183 pages.
I found this one recently among the books on my many shelves. The version pictured here as a price of 65 cents on it. The version I reread is from my boyhood; (I’m currently 72), and it was one of the first science fiction stories I ever read.
The version I have in front of me is an original of mine and a classic ACE double volume (when reversed and turned upside down, there’s another novel on the other side, in this case, 3 Faces of Time by Sam Merlin, Jr. The two together were sold as one book at the whopping price of 35 cents.
My copy shows a voluptuous redhead with obviously made up eyebrows and bright red lipstick, breasts barely covered, in a capsule and being supported by an older gentleman holding a glass near those bright red lips. Translation: a young woman is being woken from a hibernation capsule and being given something, probably with lots of electrolytes in it to revive her.
Side Note: At one time I had a large collection (still have my favorites) of classic early paperbacks with lurid artwork to enhance the reading public into buying them. My favorites are The Scarlet Letter, 1984, and Brave New World.
Anyway my boyhood memory liked this one a lot more than I did today. I only picked it up as a sense of end-of-the-year nostalgia.
Story - it’s sometime after 2500 and the few people left on the planet are divided into the Peacemen (an anti-Science movement) who are the dominant ruling class, the farming peasantry, and slaves descended from the former Free Scientists.
As the story opens, it’s a harsh winter and Dard, Dessie, and Lars Nordic are barely surviving, but Lars, a former Scientist, at the point of death sends Dard and Dessie, with an important scientific formula to friends in a nearby Forrest setting.
The friends just happen to have an intergalactic spaceship to take them to a faraway planet. The only two things needed are the formula (for longtime hibernation) and a route given them by the only computer left.
They get there, find the remains of other civilizations, and meet small dragon-like sea-living creatures with whom they can communicate, thanks to Dessie’s ability to speak to other creatures.
A nice piece of nostalgic reading, but I like it a lot better 60 years ago.....
September 13, 2023
This was published a year before I was born. My goodness. It is pretty good though. I really liked it. It is a little clunky here and there but nothing extreme.
The story: It begins with some background narrative. The near planets of the solar system have been explored but found unsuitable for colonization. They are looking to the stars when a terrorist group seizes the space station orbiting Earth and destroys it, causing devastation on Earth as parts of it plumet from the sky. The people react badly, blaming scientists for the misfortune so scientists are hunted down and killed. A few have escaped, though. Lars, his daughter Dessie, and his brother, Dard have been hiding out at a farm, while Lars continues working on a secret project. His plan is to complete his research and then escape with his brother and daughter to a safer place. The day before their planned escape, the farm is attacked. This precipitates a number of severe actions as everyone is caught off guard. Eventually, the small band of scientists and freedom fighters escape on a space ship to head for a new home amongst the stars. They will have to do it in hibernation though, and thus the cover of this book showing a scientist trying to revive a woman in hibernation.
Yes. They find aliens.
Any problems with this story? The participants seemed overly optimistic, as if simply thinking they would succeed would carry them through. A lot depended on improvisation and sheer guts so to speak. It was a little cliche but fairly common for SciFi of the 1950s. No big surprise.
Any modesty issues? No. Not really.
WARNING: Children were in deadly danger here. It was not too terrible, but if that sort of thing disturbs you, then skip this book.
The ending was a little unexpected but reasonably good. It left a big opening for the sequel, "Star Born". I have that on my list to read.
The story: It begins with some background narrative. The near planets of the solar system have been explored but found unsuitable for colonization. They are looking to the stars when a terrorist group seizes the space station orbiting Earth and destroys it, causing devastation on Earth as parts of it plumet from the sky. The people react badly, blaming scientists for the misfortune so scientists are hunted down and killed. A few have escaped, though. Lars, his daughter Dessie, and his brother, Dard have been hiding out at a farm, while Lars continues working on a secret project. His plan is to complete his research and then escape with his brother and daughter to a safer place. The day before their planned escape, the farm is attacked. This precipitates a number of severe actions as everyone is caught off guard. Eventually, the small band of scientists and freedom fighters escape on a space ship to head for a new home amongst the stars. They will have to do it in hibernation though, and thus the cover of this book showing a scientist trying to revive a woman in hibernation.
Yes. They find aliens.
Any problems with this story? The participants seemed overly optimistic, as if simply thinking they would succeed would carry them through. A lot depended on improvisation and sheer guts so to speak. It was a little cliche but fairly common for SciFi of the 1950s. No big surprise.
Any modesty issues? No. Not really.
WARNING: Children were in deadly danger here. It was not too terrible, but if that sort of thing disturbs you, then skip this book.
The ending was a little unexpected but reasonably good. It left a big opening for the sequel, "Star Born". I have that on my list to read.
September 21, 2016
EDITED this review space to remove a deleted review from me somehow still displaying.
My ratings should be the only review of books from me showing on goodreads. They are my unincentivized, unconnected consumer product opinions.
The star rating reflects solely my subjective reading experience and resulting opinion of the book according to the rating scale used by goodreads. It's not intended to destroy anyone's livelihood nor to churn out book promotions for them — just my opinion/reaction shared with other readers and a means to track my reading, provide book comparison data and aid in book recommendations feature.
I rate here according to goodreads scale meaning that because goodreads determined most readers choose books they think they will enjoy, the goodreads average/okay rating on a 5-unit scale (2½) is rounded down to 2 stars where other sites like retailer Amazon round up to make 3 stars the average/okay read.
[A briefer way to put that is that yes I rate books one star lower on goodreads than on Amazon without in any way considering that to be bullying anyone or restriction of trade—I just do look to see if a site's scale runs 1-5 or 5-1 then what each unit means in that site because that's how I was taught to use scales.
I'm too durn old to be convinced otherwise, too durn ornery to believe that the only correct way to do anything is how it's done on Amazon.com site, and firmly remain convinced only people—not inanimate things like commercial products aka books—can suffer the psychological trauma of being bullied.]
My ratings should be the only review of books from me showing on goodreads. They are my unincentivized, unconnected consumer product opinions.
The star rating reflects solely my subjective reading experience and resulting opinion of the book according to the rating scale used by goodreads. It's not intended to destroy anyone's livelihood nor to churn out book promotions for them — just my opinion/reaction shared with other readers and a means to track my reading, provide book comparison data and aid in book recommendations feature.
I rate here according to goodreads scale meaning that because goodreads determined most readers choose books they think they will enjoy, the goodreads average/okay rating on a 5-unit scale (2½) is rounded down to 2 stars where other sites like retailer Amazon round up to make 3 stars the average/okay read.
[A briefer way to put that is that yes I rate books one star lower on goodreads than on Amazon without in any way considering that to be bullying anyone or restriction of trade—I just do look to see if a site's scale runs 1-5 or 5-1 then what each unit means in that site because that's how I was taught to use scales.
I'm too durn old to be convinced otherwise, too durn ornery to believe that the only correct way to do anything is how it's done on Amazon.com site, and firmly remain convinced only people—not inanimate things like commercial products aka books—can suffer the psychological trauma of being bullied.]
May 7, 2014
This adventure tale has a great premise and decent pace and an abrupt political ending.
The world of this story is one where scientists are blamed for atomic weapons, and most other weapons of war. This plus a charismatic leader equals a fanatical purge of scientists. Only a few have escaped, hiding out.
Living in this world are the remaining Nordis family - Lars (a chemist and scientist in hiding), Dessie his nature-loving daughter, and Lars' younger brother Dard. Through the eyes of this youth, an expert woodsman, the entire tale is told. Some of his adventures include escaping a manhunt, secret messages and finding an enclave of hidden scientists who are building a spaceship to escape this world. The second half of the book details Dard and the scientists adventures on a new world, far from Earth.
This book was originally published 60 years ago, and some parts of it feel dated. The adventures keep the plot moving, and chapter breaks seem to be more on a whim than a change of scene or action. The ending is very abrupt and feels like a political statement against war. While somewhat fitting the world described in the beginning, it is a change of pace for the characters, who have been busy surviving and growing their new colony to this point. Andre Norton wrote a sequel to this book, and perhaps this ending was adjusted to tie them together.
That sequel, "Star Born", was released just three years later. Later on, an omnibus edition titled "Star Flight" combined both this story and its sequel. Both of the original works are out of print but not difficult to find in used science fiction and fantasy sections.
The world of this story is one where scientists are blamed for atomic weapons, and most other weapons of war. This plus a charismatic leader equals a fanatical purge of scientists. Only a few have escaped, hiding out.
Living in this world are the remaining Nordis family - Lars (a chemist and scientist in hiding), Dessie his nature-loving daughter, and Lars' younger brother Dard. Through the eyes of this youth, an expert woodsman, the entire tale is told. Some of his adventures include escaping a manhunt, secret messages and finding an enclave of hidden scientists who are building a spaceship to escape this world. The second half of the book details Dard and the scientists adventures on a new world, far from Earth.
This book was originally published 60 years ago, and some parts of it feel dated. The adventures keep the plot moving, and chapter breaks seem to be more on a whim than a change of scene or action. The ending is very abrupt and feels like a political statement against war. While somewhat fitting the world described in the beginning, it is a change of pace for the characters, who have been busy surviving and growing their new colony to this point. Andre Norton wrote a sequel to this book, and perhaps this ending was adjusted to tie them together.
That sequel, "Star Born", was released just three years later. Later on, an omnibus edition titled "Star Flight" combined both this story and its sequel. Both of the original works are out of print but not difficult to find in used science fiction and fantasy sections.
July 28, 2025
One of the books that deals with politics of groups as opposed to the typical focus on a desperate individual or two that is more typical for Norton. In this book we have an intolerant, oppressive government that's anti-science hunting down all of the scientists that they can find. Norton uses these type of organizations as villains on a regular basis.
Dard, his older brother and niece are caught up in this, their parents were scientists. When the older brother finds the formula for cold sleep, almost immediately after their farm is attacked and he is killed. After that, there's some interaction to show that not all of Pax agree with their evil leaders.
The spaceship segment is interesting, the last minute escape reminds me a bit of When Worlds Collide. Though I don't think fifty people are enough for a colony.
Finally they land and explore, they find the remains of the evil people and make friends with the good people. Has that 50s pulp feel but also has the short length. A decent, fast read.
Dard, his older brother and niece are caught up in this, their parents were scientists. When the older brother finds the formula for cold sleep, almost immediately after their farm is attacked and he is killed. After that, there's some interaction to show that not all of Pax agree with their evil leaders.
The spaceship segment is interesting, the last minute escape reminds me a bit of When Worlds Collide. Though I don't think fifty people are enough for a colony.
Finally they land and explore, they find the remains of the evil people and make friends with the good people. Has that 50s pulp feel but also has the short length. A decent, fast read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2015
This book plods along, detailing the struggles of an underground group of outlaw scientists who, in order to escape the tyranny and oppression of a despotic ruling class, escape in a rocket to an uncharted solar system. The main character, Dard Nordis, is described as a boy, althought the author never tells us his age. In this book, few of the characters have common names. Names like Kimber, Dessie, Sach, Hew, Lotta and others populate the book, probably trying to suggest that in the future we will be multicultural and interacial, but our prejudices are replaced by fanatic class divisions. Unfortunately, I never got the feeling any of these characters were real or that they mattered to me.
The end seems to query if mankind has the ability to live a peaceful, prosperous life in a world where external threats from other cultures or races which may oppress them in the future. I found the end unsatisfying and ho-hum. If you like old sci-fi novels, you may like this for its generalized plot-driven structure. Just don't expect to be swept away to the stars.
The end seems to query if mankind has the ability to live a peaceful, prosperous life in a world where external threats from other cultures or races which may oppress them in the future. I found the end unsatisfying and ho-hum. If you like old sci-fi novels, you may like this for its generalized plot-driven structure. Just don't expect to be swept away to the stars.
October 14, 2012
This is the first of several Andre wrote on the travel of man to a new world, and their settlement on that world. Earth had been ravaged by war, and most of the population destroyed. The survivors blamed the scientists and learned individuals living for the war and resulting hardship of mankind. So they outlawed science, education, and knowledge of any kind. The remaining few individuals with knowledge banned together, and built a space ship. With the knowledge of frozen sleep, they boarded the ship and took off for a possible new home among the stars. After over 300 years they arrived almost out of fuel, and finding a planet that looked like it would support human life, set down and set up a community. They then explored the world, made friends with the remaining inhabitants, and found that the original owners had fought a war, destroying almost all of them, and were entirely hateful toward all life. This book ends with the discovery of the mermen, and a truce with them.
August 26, 2025
This is a strange book. As a standalone, Its bad. It feels more like a youtube summary of a book than a book itself. Way too fast paced with all everything being introduced and resolved in what feels like the same paragraph. It also doesn't really have a good climax. Part one (middle of the book) ends with what should have been the cumulation of an entire book, and then part two drags out what should have been 2 or 3 chapters. And then it just ends. As part 1 of a duology, its still pretty bad because it does a terrible job getting you invested. I would not have read the sequel if I hadn't already. But since I read the sequel first I was also judging it as a prequel. And its OK as that. It fills in some details and lets you see stuff that was only talked about, but it feels more DLC than Franchise entry. It was rereleased as a single book with Starborn and while it still suffers from the other problems, them being together excuses the lack of peaks is the action.
July 26, 2013
This is one of a series of review of old favorites of mine that started me on my path to being an author and of books that I believe can still charm and inspire.
The Star are Ours is one of the first Norton books I read. It's set in a post apocalyptic world, where a terrorist incident has damaged the world in a number of ways. Scientists rather than politicians were blamed for the disaster and became hunted. This novel is set in what appears to be the northern middle states of the US near the Rocky Mountains. Here that lingering strain of anti-intellectualism has given rise to the pernicious philosophy of Pax. People are divided into Peacemen, peasantry and slaves (former scientists, teachers and anyone who disagrees with the Peacemen.)
The Stars are Ours review at SFReader.com
The Star are Ours is one of the first Norton books I read. It's set in a post apocalyptic world, where a terrorist incident has damaged the world in a number of ways. Scientists rather than politicians were blamed for the disaster and became hunted. This novel is set in what appears to be the northern middle states of the US near the Rocky Mountains. Here that lingering strain of anti-intellectualism has given rise to the pernicious philosophy of Pax. People are divided into Peacemen, peasantry and slaves (former scientists, teachers and anyone who disagrees with the Peacemen.)
The Stars are Ours review at SFReader.com
December 25, 2024
Sporo błędów logicznych i nieścisłości, postacie mogłyby być bardziej zarysowane. Powtarzające się motywy - monotonia. Bohaterowie chwilami nie kojarzą faktów. Dziwne nietypowe rozwiązania, czasami jakby brakowało konsekwencji w narracji i fabule. Dialogi momentami nielogiczne, chociaż być może to kwestia tłumaczenia, które jest tak nieudolne momentami, iż mam wrażenie, że tłumacz nie zastanawiał się zbyt długo nad rozwiązaniami językowymi czy składnią zdań lub tłumaczył zbyt dosłownie. Niektóre terminy nie pasują do ich przeznaczenia lub treści. Niestety ale chyba tłumacz nie podołał chyba. Nie wierzę, że oryginał też posiada tyle błędów. Rozwiązanie - trochę pójście na łatwiznę. Odnoszę wrażenie, że cała ta książka to pójście na łatwiznę.
July 22, 2013
This post apocalyptic story begins with a totalitarian government that is systematically hunting down and killing "free scientists." The main character, Dard Nordisis, and a select few escape the worldwide tyranny in an experimental spaceship, leading to a new life in an alien world.
Andre Norton paints a vivid portrait of both the hostile world they escaped from and the hostile new world they discover. Contrasts abound between the danger from the human hatred they escaped and risks in this new world where strange creatures threaten them. Imagery and character development make The Stars are Ours a fast and fun read. It is simply written and easy to read.
Andre Norton paints a vivid portrait of both the hostile world they escaped from and the hostile new world they discover. Contrasts abound between the danger from the human hatred they escaped and risks in this new world where strange creatures threaten them. Imagery and character development make The Stars are Ours a fast and fun read. It is simply written and easy to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews