Postmarked the Stars - Andre Norton - Jeff Jones
Ace paperback - 67555 - published 1669 - 1st paperback edition, The 4th and last "Solar Queen" novel by Andre Norton. "Entertaining space adventure for all ages by the master Ms Norton".
comments by CR:
Postmarked the Stars - Andre Norton
"Postmarked the Stars"[1969] by Andre Norton [1912-2005] is the forth and final book in the "Solar Queen' series that was written by Andre Norton. Fortune shins upon you in that you do not have to read the previous three titles in order to enjoy reading this book. Nonetheless many references are made to events in the previous books so it would be useful to have read them first.
As characteristic of many of Norton's early novels a young man struggling to make his way in an indifferent and mysterious universe is the protagonist. Dana Thorson crew member of the free trader space ship Solar Queen is that individual in the series four novels.
In "Postmarked the Stars" Dana is the cargo master responsible for the gathering, storage and tracking of items being transported on the Solar Queen. While collecting a package for transit on the planet Xecho Dana is poisoned and left for dead in a flop house bedroom. Struggling back to the ship he finds a disguised man with his credentials dead in his bunk. For reasons unknown a shipment of alien embryos starts to mutate and a sealed package is giving off radiation. Captain Jellico senses a major blow-up with local authorities over the cargo and the unidentified dead man when the Solar Queen lands on the frontier planet Trewsworld. He orders Dana and other crew members to take the suspicious cargo, leave the Queen in the life boat and hide out on Trewsworld while he attempts to sort out the unsettling issues with the port officials.
The entire middle section of this story is one continuous series of chases, crashes, alien encounters and narrow escapes, as Dana and a Trewsworld Ranger sent to apprehended the crew attempt to unravel the ever evolving mysteries.
The story is interspersed with references to numerous cryptic agencies and concepts that add to the narrative interest but are never fully characterized. Some notions like to ancient Forerunner civilization and the Trosti Foundation come up and everyone shrugs and it's back to the action.
As an introduction to the science-fiction of Andre Norton the Solar Queen series is a more than adequate place to start.
Postmarked the Stars - Andre Norton - Jeff Jones
Ace paperback - 67555 - published 1669 - 1st paperback edition, The 4th and last "Solar Queen" novel by Andre Norton. "Entertaining space adventure for all ages by the master Ms Norton".
comments by CR:
Postmarked the Stars - Andre Norton
"Postmarked the Stars"[1969] by Andre Norton [1912-2005] is the forth and final book in the "Solar Queen' series that was written by Andre Norton. Fortune shins upon you in that you do not have to read the previous three titles in order to enjoy reading this book. Nonetheless many references are made to events in the previous books so it would be useful to have read them first.
As characteristic of many of Norton's early novels a young man struggling to make his way in an indifferent and mysterious universe is the protagonist. Dana Thorson crew member of the free trader space ship Solar Queen is that individual in the series four novels.
In "Postmarked the Stars" Dana is the cargo master responsible for the gathering, storage and tracking of items being transported on the Solar Queen. While collecting a package for transit on the planet Xecho Dana is poisoned and left for dead in a flop house bedroom. Struggling back to the ship he finds a disguised man with his credentials dead in his bunk. For reasons unknown a shipment of alien embryos starts to mutate and a sealed package is giving off radiation. Captain Jellico senses a major blow-up with local authorities over the cargo and the unidentified dead man when the Solar Queen lands on the frontier planet Trewsworld. He orders Dana and other crew members to take the suspicious cargo, leave the Queen in the life boat and hide out on Trewsworld while he attempts to sort out the unsettling issues with the port officials.
The entire middle section of this story is one continuous series of chases, crashes, alien encounters and narrow escapes, as Dana and a Trewsworld Ranger sent to apprehended the crew attempt to unravel the ever evolving mysteries.
The story is interspersed with references to numerous cryptic agencies and concepts that add to the narrative interest but are never fully characterized. Some notions like to ancient Forerunner civilization and the Trosti Foundation come up and everyone shrugs and it's back to the action.
As an introduction to the science-fiction of Andre Norton the Solar Queen series is a more than adequate place to start.