Customer Reviews

Come, Hunt an Earthman

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The story starts with the narrator, who is never named in the book but always referred to as "Hunt Master," briefing his party of 15 foot humanoid aliens from many planets as they prepare to start their hunting trip on a dangerous planet - Earth.

After the initial foray by the hunting party against the planet's outgunned and technologically outmatched human defenders, the narrator, who appears from the start to have a more complex agenda than his clients, describes the perspective of the book's principal human character, Walsh, who was "one of the first to see the truth".

"These things could take the planet apart" says Walsh. "Wy don't they?" ... "I'll tell you why. Our Glorious and unique planet has been turned into a game preserve and we are the prey."

As the story proceeds Walsh and his friends find that earth has both allies and enemies who are far more advanced and dangerous than the alien federation which has turned our planet into a game preserve - and few things are as they seem.

I used to love Philip E High's science fiction stories at the time they were written, mostly around the 1970's. (This one was first published in 1973.) Many of them have dated - the science was not always brilliant even by the standards of 1970, and many of the stories present humans as uniquely talented in a way which jars somewhat now.

However, High's best stories have not dated and are still fun to read, and "Come, Hunt an Earthman" was definately one of the best.

This book starts with a classic Sci Fi premise, superior aliens come to earth for kicks and to get trophies, namely us. Similar to Predator but they don't bother with camouflage as the technological gap is huge and they don't appear to have a prime directive. Things then get a little odd as mankind attains the upper hand and goes on to become some form of galactic antibody. The end is novel and the book is very readable, but don't expect it to change your world, there are no hidden depths to this, just good clean fun.

This book is one of my all-time favourite sci-fi books.
It's a light and easy read, and entertaining; a good candidate for a movie.
No sex, horror or gratuitous violence.
The development of the human race, as overseen by the hunt master, is satisfying.