Customer Reviews

The People of the Crater

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The People of the Crater (2008) is a chapbook containing the first speculative fiction story written by the author. This 1947 novelette has also been published as "Garin of Tav" and was included in the collection Garan the Eternal (1972).

In this novelette, Garin Featherstone is a famed flyer who led a decisive raid against the enemy. Now the war is over and he cannot find a job. Then Gregory Farson hires him to fly a cargo plane for a forthcoming Antarctica expedition.

Farson has hired three pilots and each flies a plane toward the area that Farson wishes to explore. They see a strange blue column of air reaching high into the atmosphere. They fly toward it, but the first plane veers away and does not answer radio calls.

Farson orders Garin to close up and the remaining two planes fly side-by-side into the blue column. Suddenly Garin feels like he is no longer alone in the cockpit. Something takes control of his body and flies his plane through the blue mists.

Inside the column, Garin sees a terrain with tortured gray rock seamed with yellow. The plane circles inside the crater while Garin fights against the Presence. Suddenly the overpowering will is gone and he flies up and away from the crater.

Then one engine fails and his plane dives down toward the green foliage far below. Garin struggles to bring the nose up, but the plane plunges toward the fern-like trees. It crashes and Garin loses consciousness.

When Garin regains his senses, he finds himself badly hurt. Any movement brings him pain. Then goblin-like creatures climb into the cockpit and remove him from the wrecked plane.

The Folk heal Garin and teach him their language using a machine that displays selected scenes. He learns about the long gone Ancient Ones and the threatening Black Ones. Then he is told about -- and shown pictures of -- Thrala, the Daughter of the Ancient Ones.

After Garin becomes aware of the situation, the Folk send him to the Caves of Darkness where the Black Ones dwell. Thrala in being held prisoner in these caves and Garin is sent to free her. He is eager to rescue the maiden.

This tale is an adventure story with SF and fantasy aspects. It has elements of the early tales published around the turn of the nineteenth century, resembling the Verne voyages and the lost cities of Burroughs, but with more contemporary technology. Read and enjoy!

Recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, strange creatures, and a bit of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I am an avid fan of Andre Norton and have been for many years. This is obviously one of her earliest books and not as sophisticated as her later books, but still a very enjoyable read.

This was a very good,short book. It was first published in a magazine.
Anyone who likes Andre Norton will enjoy this book.

This book was really very good for being Andre Norton's first book. She was able to create two types of people who could live even today, and probably do. The lust for power keeps one faction from living in harmony with the other faction. Kept my interest while it wove an intriguing story. I'd recommend it for any and all ages who wish to experience scifi.