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Thursday, January 4, 2018

Star Man's Son

Star man's son

Star Man's Son by Andre Norton is set in a post apoc future where the survivors live in clans, eking out an existence in the wilderness. Fors is the son of a Star Man- and as such, his place in the clan should be assured. The Star Men are the explorers of the clans, and they scour the ruined cities for knowledge and resources, avoiding the blue areas that are still radioactive. Fors aspires to be a Star Man himself, but the clan elders pass him over. After the latest such rejection, Fors decides to leave and strike out on his own, to seek out the great ruined city to the north.

He is accompanied by Lura, a great cat who is herself a mutant. Together they brave the dangers of an unknown world, with only their wits to guide them. There are other clans and scattered bands of survivors, not all of them friendly, and there is also the threat of the Beast Things- dangerous mutants that prowl the old cities. Together Fors and Lura find the lost city, the remnants of an ancient civilization, and uncover a shocking truth that may doom the clans forever.

This was one of the earliest books I read by Andre Norton, and remains one of my favorites. It's a thrilling adventure story, and presents a world that is both dangerous and exciting at the same time. I was anxious to see what Fors would discover in the great ruined cities, and also if he would be able to return to his clan and assume a place of honor among them. There are lots of nice moments in this one. At one point Fors hears drums in the night and wonders who else is out there. At another point Fors is ambushed and leads a harrowing chase over rooftops and through the streets of a deserted city. Great stuff.

This book was also released under the title Daybreak 2250AD, with a different cover. That title gives the sense of a new beginning, I think. This is a great introduction to Andre Norton if you've never read her work, and a superb vintage science fiction novel.

21 comments:

  1. This sounds like a pretty cool novel. Also I really love the cover, it just seems so nostalgic to me.

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    1. I liked it a lot. And yeah the cover's not bad!

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  2. I have not read this, but I have read Norton long ago. This sounds like a good choice if you're looking for some classic fantasy. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I read a bit of Norton when I was younger. Always enjoyed this one :)

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  3. I don't think I've ever heard of the book before neither of the author but maybe one day!

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  4. I liked your writing, I will follow your site greetings from Mexico

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  5. Ooh! This sounds awesome! I gotta say, that cover wouldn't have made my pick it up. But after reading your review, I'm interested! :)

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    1. I know, definitely an old school cover! But it is a pretty interesting story .

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  6. Sounds like a complex world and some interesting characters. How awesome that he has a big mutant cat as his sidekick! Sounds really action-packed too. Glad you liked this one so much!

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    1. I love the cat! And it was a pretty cool look at a future dystopian world.

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  7. I haven't read a lot of vintage sci-fi and honestly, I'm not that interested in most of it...but I'm really eager to read Andre Norton! You mentioned in your review that this was one of the earlier Norton books you read -- would you recommend starting with Star Man's Son?

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    1. I like Andre Norton but she can be hit or miss. I definitely think Star Man's Son is a good place to start with her!

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  8. Oh well this sound quite intense! Survivors back to primitive way of living [clan] tying to avoid radioactive areas and mutants while looking for resources, But the truth may doom them forever? HELL YES! I could read this! Vintage cover and all ;)

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  9. Wow, I find myself really loving the premise of this! (I didn't think I would because Idk, sometimes old-school stuff scares me.) It's almost like things have reset, in a way? And it reminds me a little of 12 Monkeys with the warring factions and the roving scavengers hah. And I kind of want to know what the secret is, and where they find it, and yeah, now I want to read this book! Great review, I am off to Goodreads!! (Okay, incidentally, you should look it up on Goodreads because some of the covers are a real trip!)

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    1. Old school stuff can be... iffy, yeah. This is almost like what YA would have been like, I feel, in the 50's? And yes there is almost a 12 Monkeys vibe, with the radioactive areas and Beast things. Good news is it's a short book, as a lot of them were. :)

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  10. Look at that cover! I want to read this book for the cover alone to be honest. I think it sounds pretty interesting, old school stuff can be intimidating to day the least but you've got me feeling a little braver about maybe checking this out.

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    1. Right? It is quite the cover, some commenters have liked it and some have hated it! And as old school goes, it's not bad. Nothing too objectionable that I remember.

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  11. This sounds like a pretty exciting read. I've not read much vintage sci fi but could see myself reading this one. Love that cover too!

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