Pandora's planet [Mass Market Paperback]

Christopher Anvil (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: DAW; 1st edition (August 1, 1973)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00005WK9L
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,656,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Think Iraq. Think Afghanistan. Think Vietnam. Think Colombia, August 30, 2003

By 

Anthony D Ravenscroft (Santa Fe, NM United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Pandora's planet (Mass Market Paperback)

Most people should read & savour the first few chapters, then put the book down.

The whole thing is hilarious, but after the beginning, the reality will begin seeping in, & readers who have an investment in ahistoricity (i.e., about half the residents of the United States) will find themselves distracted from an amasing & almost forgotten bit of fiction.

Briefly, the book opens soon after the Earth has been conquered by aliens resembling evolved humanoid lions. As the invaders establish themselves, they discover that the humans could probably have won -- except that so many of them thought the initial assault came from their traditional enemies that most of the fighting was between the nations of Earth, leaving them bloodied & easy to capture.

The conquerers want a contented colony, though, & set out to turn the humans to their way of thinking, as they have done on hundreds of worlds.

They begin to realise their mistake about at the point when an enterprising Floridian talks a battalion out of a landing craft in exchange for "prime ocean-front development property."

All in all, this is a pithy & highly enjoyable fable about the pitfalls of colonialism & expansionism, with a few notes about race-superiority & manifest destiny tossed in along the way.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, March 29, 2009

By 

JKHero "JKHero" (Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pandora's planet (Mass Market Paperback)

A highly entertaining little book, lots of humor and interesting looks at the extremes that well-intentioned humankind creates, with a tough and snappy ending.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Classic Sci-Fi, July 13, 2007

By 

Bob Shoemaker "--Bob" (Lake Forest, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I read this book about 30 years ago, when I read lots and lots of Sci-Fi, and I have to say it is one of my favorites. It is more humorous than serious, and both a delightful and inspirational story. I can't wait to read it again.