SOLVED. 1990s? Fantasy(?)/Sci-Fi(?) novel, stars are spacecraft? [s]

[Norm017]

I just spotted on a tumbler page that reprints cover artwork the Richard Hescox artwork linked below, unfortunately the site does not include the book details.

https://70sscifiart.tumblr.com/post/1...

From both the cover and from what I can remember of the plot a key element is the discovery that the 'lights in the sky' (e.g. Stars.) are in fact spacecraft, what I'm not sure is if the author (whoever they were.) used a 'Generation Ship' plotline or a lost colony plotline (or something else entirely).

I would like to know title and author. I have tried Richard Hescox's website, but he only shows a few artworks and this one is not amongst them. I've also tried the Internet Speculative fiction database without any luck.

Can anyone help?

[Bonnie]

Did a little googling and voila!

"The Outskirter's Secret," by Rosemary Kirstein.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

[Norm017]

Thanks, now I know which book to keep an eye out for.

[Aerulan]

Nicely solved Bonnie!

Just wanted to chime in and say that series is fantastic and the books get better and better as they go along. I definitely recommend giving them a try if you like scifi.

[Sue]

There's a similar sub-plot in Anne McCaffrey's "Pern" series. There are 3 stars that the Pernese call "The Dawn Sisters". When they invent telescopes, they realise the "stars" are 3 spaceships.

[Bonnie]

Norm017 wrote: "Thanks, now I know which book to keep an eye out for."

You're welcome. :)