ABANDONED. YA Sci-Fi book about an intergalactic circus

[Mark]

I read this book in the 80's, when I was a teenager. It's about an intergalactic circus, and I remember it being a wonderful book, but all I really remember now is that one of the performers is a tightrope walker who is able to fall from great heights without injury. It also seems like there was a gladiator type combat between a man and an alien/beast who were actually good friends. I'd love to get this book for my 12 year old son, I think he'd like it too. TIA!

[Andy]

Circus World? Circus World

[Justanotherbiblophile]

I don't remember that scene in Circus World. But it's been a minute since I read it.

EDIT: ie: CW had tightrope walker, but was not 'magical', just highly skilled humans. Don't recall gladiators/fake fighters at all.

That's also part of trilogy. Elephant's Song is about the last of the elephants dying off.

[Andria]

Star Circus has subject headings for Circus and Science Fiction, with a 1977 pub date, and a tightrope walker on the cover. The GR record doesn't have much of a summary, but here's a Kirkus review that goes into more detail: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

[Mark]

I don't think either of those are the book I'm looking for, but THANK YOU GUYS! The tightrope walker in the book I want trained himself to fall from great heights by gradually falling from the tightrope at greater heights. Kind of like how some snake handlers build up immunity to venom, if that makes any sense.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

TIL: Gravity is something you can learn to avoid.

[Martini]

Justanotherbiblophile wrote: "TIL: Gravity is something you can learn to avoid."

Must be true, since I learned the same from the Hitchhiker trilogy/pentalogy.

[Ayshe]

Maybe Earthblood?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Mark, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Kris]

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Mark (OP) was last active on the site in March 2017.