Star Gate - Andre Norton - cover artist Laurence Schwinger
Del Rey Ballentine, 1983, pb
comments by CR:
The Andre Norton novel "Star Gate" first published in 1958, in an intricately crafted science-fiction story employing the theme of alternative history.
The plot of this story concerns an interstellar expedition to an inhabited world and the unintended harmful consequence that result. The planet Gorth is primary agrarian ruled by hereditary clans. Various city-states with a technological level akin to England in the middle ages joust for supremacy. Over the course of generations the "Star Lords" interbreed with the native human stock producing mix breed offspring who acquire some knowledge of the superior technology of the Star Lords. Native fears, resentment and anger cause the majority of the Star Lords to eventually leave Gorth in their starships. A small remnant of Star Lord remain but despairing they can erases the negative consequences of their presence decide to escape to an alternate Gorth in a "Star Gate" accompanied by several of their mixed breed children. The bulk of the novel concerns the attempt by the gate travelers to rectify an appalling political situations found on the "new" Gorth.
Ms. Norton elaborates upon the concept that propels this story in her introduction to the novel. I will summarize her scheme using selected quotes from her Prologue: "History is not a collection of facts; it is a spiders web of ifs. If the American colonies had lost the Revolution, if the South and not the North had won the Civil War...the procession of such ifs is endless, exciting the imagination and spurring infinite speculation. There is a fascinating theory that two worlds branch from every bit of destiny action. Hence there are far reaching bands of parallel worlds born of many historical choices. Thus if some means of communication could be devised a man might travel not backwards or forward in time but across it to visit, for example, a world were England rules the entire North American continent." The "means of communication" her star traveling adventures employs is a "Star Gate" mechanism, a featured element of the book by the same title.
One theme that plays a critical role throughout this book is religion. Both the Star Lords and the Gorths have a similar belief system. How this can be is never explained but like many of Norton's novels there is usually a sequel where all is made somewhat clearer. Unfortunately in this case there was no follow up novel.
This is an exceptional story and a fine example of Ms. Norton's admirable writing ability and plotting.
Star Gate - Andre Norton - cover artist Laurence Schwinger
Del Rey Ballentine, 1983, pb
comments by CR:
The Andre Norton novel "Star Gate" first published in 1958, in an intricately crafted science-fiction story employing the theme of alternative history.
The plot of this story concerns an interstellar expedition to an inhabited world and the unintended harmful consequence that result. The planet Gorth is primary agrarian ruled by hereditary clans. Various city-states with a technological level akin to England in the middle ages joust for supremacy. Over the course of generations the "Star Lords" interbreed with the native human stock producing mix breed offspring who acquire some knowledge of the superior technology of the Star Lords. Native fears, resentment and anger cause the majority of the Star Lords to eventually leave Gorth in their starships. A small remnant of Star Lord remain but despairing they can erases the negative consequences of their presence decide to escape to an alternate Gorth in a "Star Gate" accompanied by several of their mixed breed children. The bulk of the novel concerns the attempt by the gate travelers to rectify an appalling political situations found on the "new" Gorth.
Ms. Norton elaborates upon the concept that propels this story in her introduction to the novel. I will summarize her scheme using selected quotes from her Prologue: "History is not a collection of facts; it is a spiders web of ifs. If the American colonies had lost the Revolution, if the South and not the North had won the Civil War...the procession of such ifs is endless, exciting the imagination and spurring infinite speculation. There is a fascinating theory that two worlds branch from every bit of destiny action. Hence there are far reaching bands of parallel worlds born of many historical choices. Thus if some means of communication could be devised a man might travel not backwards or forward in time but across it to visit, for example, a world were England rules the entire North American continent." The "means of communication" her star traveling adventures employs is a "Star Gate" mechanism, a featured element of the book by the same title.
One theme that plays a critical role throughout this book is religion. Both the Star Lords and the Gorths have a similar belief system. How this can be is never explained but like many of Norton's novels there is usually a sequel where all is made somewhat clearer. Unfortunately in this case there was no follow up novel.
This is an exceptional story and a fine example of Ms. Norton's admirable writing ability and plotting.