Exiles of the Stars (Moon Singer, book 2) by Andre Norton

[james_davis_nicoll]

Exiles of the Stars (Moon Singer, book 2) by Andre Norton

Comments

[seth ellis (from livejournal.com)]

I'd make fun of the cover but I'm not really sure where to begin. Everybody seems primly stoned, except for the one guy who nodded off waiting for the spacemen to come back from their Fritos run. In cover art, at least, a sharp drop-off from last week.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's a reasonable try at depicting the semi-dead aliens. Think of them as well preserved mummies.

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

So the aliens are largely indistinguishable from humans? From the bellybutton up, at least?

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Pretty much. There are a lot of fairly human appearing aliens in Norton.

[(Anonymous)]

Nope, that’s Robin Jacques (brother of the comic actress Hattie Jacques). His illustrations in Ruth Manning-Sanders collections of fairy tales from around the world were a delight when I was young – the particularity of the historical and regional costumes offset by his quirky dragons, trolls, wizards and giants. He always read what he was required to illustrate. If the aliens on the cover look like that then I would suspect that are enough details and clues in the book to direct his pen.

- matthew davis

[roseembolism.livejournal.com]

It's been decades since I read that, but IIRC, that's also am example of Norton's principle of "Something's gone wrong, blame, or at least mistrust the lowest member on the totem pole, who incidentally happens to be our hero."

I honestly can't remember if the not-mummies decided to sleep in the nude, or if their clothing had rotted to dust in the ensuing aeons.

And of course the Forerunners really have to be humanlike in order to resolve the "Zl tveysevraq vf n jrnfry- fur'f nyfb n fznyy sheel znzzny" vffhr. Trr, jurer ryfr unir jr frra jbzra fbhy-fjnccvat vagb zber qrfvenoyr obqvrf...I would regard it as a very conveniently placed Forerunner base.

I assume they're must be free traders out they're that are on the other end of the luck spectrum- other wise I really can't see anyone doing it at all.

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

Well, they are aliens. Perhaps sneakers and a solid gold hat is business-casual where they're from.

[w. dow rieder (from livejournal.com)]

"a specific sub-genre of horror I like to call kill all archaeologists before it is too late."

As distinct from Lovecraftian horror, in which it is already too late, and the archaeologists are just helpfully making people aware of this.

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

Well, in the long run we're doomed to an unspeakable ending in the Lovecraftian universe, but archeologists _can_ make it happen sooner. If we don't, say, rile up the polypous abominations below Australia, it may be millennia yet before it comes down to Who Will be Eaten First.

[w. dow rieder (from livejournal.com)]

A fair point. Managing to die sane, of natural causes, is what passes for winning in such settings.

[anzhalyumitethe.livejournal.com]

pshaw.

That was in the pre atomic bomb 20th century: any mess can be cauterized properly with the appropriate and enthusiastic application of vigorous atom splitting.

;)

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

"What happens when we nuke Cthulhu?" The answer is, of course, "He reforms fifteen minutes later. But now he's radioactive."

[seth ellis (from livejournal.com)]

When you nuke the abyss, the abyss nukes you.

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

Nuking the abyss is just throwing your atoms down a hole.

[anzhalyumitethe.livejournal.com]

So, we have a 1/450 Hz nuclear furnace. Just have to build a containment vessel in 15 minute increments. duuur.

;)

[eub.livejournal.com]

You say "Cthulhu", I say "Orion pusher plate".

[roseembolism.livejournal.com]

I've never notify that idea. This was a creature they was discriminated by a fishing boat- obviously an artillery shell would do the same.

So if Big C awakes, then simply sustaining a continuous artillery barrage should keep it occupied more or less permanently.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm guessing you never read A Colder War?

It's available online: http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/colderwar.htm

[connactic.livejournal.com]

It's been almost 40 years since I read this book, but could the ship years/planet years refer to the fact that planet years will vary depending on the planet but spacers have a standardized year/day?