SOLVED. Alien chasing cowboys, cowboy has to hide in the mud to not get eaten [s]

[Keely]

Hi all,

My dad remembers a book that was read to him at secondary school and absolutely loving it. I'd love to find out the name and buy it for him for his birthday. He was born in 1962 so would have been read the book sometime in the mid 1970's.

All he can remember is that a group of people (he later remembered they were cowboys or some were) were being chased by an alien and eaten. One of the men has to hide in mud to escape the alien. The book ends with the alien catching the man and weighing him but after all the running he's done he's too skinny to eat so the alien lets him go.

Not a great deal to go on but might ring a bell if you read the book, possibly at school too?

[Kris]

A guess - Mindbridge by Joe Haldeman?

One reviewer on Goodreads says, "The novel begins just as mankind discovers a way to explore and populate the universe through a slingshot transporter. The new astrocowboys, Tamers, lead dangerous, often short, lives slingshoting to new and potentially habitable worlds. Eventually there is contact with an alien race, very alien."

[Keely]

Thanks very much for your idea! I'll do some research into that book now.

Any other ideas welcome too :-)

[Sue]

Interesting this-the outline of the story is so similar to The Ruum, a short story written in the 50s, but the details are all different, the alien is a machine, the man being chased is not a cowboy, and the victims are not eaten.

[Keely]

I just wanted to say that I've finally spoken to my Dad about your suggestions and you're right Sue, it was The Ruum! Thanks for your help! :-)

[Sue]

You're welcome, I think you can read it online for free as well.