PEOPLE OF THE SKY [Paperback]

Clare Bell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Tor / Tom Doherty Associates [1989], New York (1989)
• ASIN: B00225C6KS
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,094,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in England in 1952, I moved to the US with my family in 1957. I worked in oceanography, electrical engineering, test equipment design and mechanical engineering before I wrote my first book, Ratha's Creature (Atheneum-Argo Margaret K .McElderry 1983) , the story of a prehistoric wildcat who learns to tame fire.

Since then I have continued to write fantasy and science fiction for children and adults. I continue to be fascinated by big cats, as showcased in Tomorrow's Sphinx (cheetahs in Tutanhkmen's Eygypt) and Jaguar Princess (were-jaguars in Aztec and Olmec Mexico).

My stories tend to show sociological themes as well, exploring the changes that are brought about in culture through technology. I also enjoy creating plausible and workable alien critters ( the aronan fliers in People of the Sky). The central theme of my fiction is evolution, having been influenced early by the works of C.S. Lewis, Olaf Stapledon , and Arthur C. Clarke.

I have degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering, biology and chemistry and have continued working in technical areas in addition to writing fiction. I became involved in building and designing electric vehicles and spent a year in Norway working on a production EV. I have also participated in electric vehicle racing in the Arizona Public Service Company-sponsored Solar and Electrics competitions, held from 1991 to 1998. My electric Porsche 914, known by her racing number, 13, was a well-known competitor in these races. I was also involved with the Women's Electric Racing and Educational Team (WE'RE-IT) when we raced the Porsche and our converted race-Rabbit, #6 Hop-along.

After moving to a remote site in California's coastal mountains, I and my partner put together our own solar and wind systems and experimented with a power-generating waterwheel. A naturalized citizen of the US, I now live with my partner-become-husband, Chuck Piper, in the hills west of Patterson, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unusual and Gripping!, November 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: People of the Sky (Paperback)

This book is about a young woman, Kesbe, who is a descendant of the Pueblo, and it is set hundreds of years in the future. While making a delivery of an ancient airplane to a collector on the planet Oneway, she crash lands in a storm and is rescued by a boy riding a giant dragonfly-like creature called an Aronan, and who is a descendant of a long vanished Pueblo Indian colony. Kesbe is forced to reconnect with the culture she tried to abandon, and learn to understand their primitive yet complex society in order to save them, and herself. This book is facinating, and the culture of the people is described in great detail. The bond between the people and their Aronans, and the mystery surrounding the fact that only the children have Aronans and that the Aronans disappear after a secretive coming-of-age ceremony will keep you guessing. This is definitely a page turner, and it made me fear for the fate of the children and their aronans. I felt just about every emotion while reading this: anticipation, fear, disgust, and relief. I highly recommend this book. Read it.

1.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story, awful reprint edition!, October 2, 2011

By 

Digital Blasphemy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: People of the Sky (Paperback)

This low review is not for the story itself, but this reprint edition. I read an older hardback copy from my local library, enjoyed the story, and decided to purchase a physical copy for myself. What a terrible mistake-this is one of the worst reprints I've ever come across: multiple typos on nearly every page, character's names spelled incorrectly, missing punctuation.

If you are going to buy this book, purchase an older copy. To the current publisher-what a disgraceful way to treat this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars shades of Avatar, May 14, 2010

By 

Christie S. Schultz (Bremerton, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PEOPLE OF THE SKY (Paperback)

I just started watching Avatar (popular movie) yesterday and was knocked out to see themes from this book in the movie. Yes they got some of the flying parts from this book. Very worth reading, I haven't read a bad book by Claire Bell yet. She is also sympathetic to Native American cultures. Hurrah!