Customer Reviews

People of the Wind (with The Day of Their Return)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This may be Anderson's best work. The interplay between two races, the flying carnivorous Ythri and the human Terrans, in the midst of a powerful space attack, makes for an interesting study. The book is also important because it is the bridge between two, originally separate, future histories. A descendant from the chronologically earlier history plays an important part in the later one.

All of us go through a phase of doubting whether we should adhere to the genre. This provided one of my most compelling reasons to continue. Forthwith is the "blurb" from the 1982 Signet back cover.

"THE PEOPLE OF THE WIND Wherever the borders of the Terran Empire and the Ythrian Domain touch, there is the possibility of war. Caught in the middle of this galactic power struggle is the Ythrian colony planet Avalon, a world inhabited by Ythri and humans alike. But Avalon has formed a culture all its own, which it will defend against all comers - including the two most powerful empires in the universe...
THE DAY OF THEIR RETURN Back under the thumb of the Terran Empire after an almost successful rebellion, the Aeneans were looking for trouble - and finding it. A fanatical religious movement was spreading like wildfire. There were rumors of the fabled Elder Race's return. Aeneas' leader was hiding from possible retribution at Empire hands. And agents from the Ythrian Domain and Merseia, Terra's ancient foe, were abroad in the land..."

Notable Awards: Hugo and Locus SF Awards nominee, 1974 Nebula Award nominee, 1973

*some spoilers*

Poul Anderson's delightful space opera chronicles the struggle between the growing Terran Empire and the Ythrian Domain (inhabited by birdlike beings). The main action occurs on the planet Avalon, a colony of Ythri but settled by BOTH humans and Ythrians who have managed to create a multicultural society.

However, unlike other sci-fi writers who portray societies of aliens and humans as perfectly cordial (David Brin's completely hokey Utopian society on the planet Jijo in `Brightness Reef' comes to mind) Poul Anderson excels at illustrating the problems that each race has with the other (and even within each race -- no monumentally homogeneous societies here). The fact that problems exist yet the society can be maintain itself and grow stronger is by far the most interesting theme of the work.

For example, both Ythrians and humans have segments of their society (mostly young adults) who decide to "join" the other race -- for humans, they "go bird." They done antigrav belts so they can flit around with the Ythri. Even more appealing to some humans, is the decentralized society Ythrians have to offer -- they create small choths with separate customs. This decentralized facet is also realized in the entire Ythrian domain -- Avalon was settled by humans because it's semi-independent from the greater state.

The Terran Empire wants to annex Avalon. So, Poul Anderson presents us with a series of moral questions -- what are the humans who have settled on the planet supposed to do? How to the humans, when they decide to fight the Empire, supposed to adapt Ythrian society to face the threat? And, vice versa, when human tactics and mentalities fail, how do the Ythrians respond?

It is this dialogue between races where our main characters emerge -- Tabitha, a human gone bird; Christopher Holm, another human whose gone bird; Eyath, Christopher's "galemate sister", a Ythrian female in the same choth; David Holm, Christopher's father and defacto leader of the human population. Poul Anderson introduces a virtual host of other secondary character to give the Terran Domain a face. There's no black vs. white, good vs. evil here!

The Ythrians are quite an interesting species with some series flaws -- they still maintain slavery, some take advantave females during their "love periods", look down various segments of society (for example female Ythrians who are constantly undergoing "love periods"), and are adversely afflicted by various human traditions.

Despite the simplistic plot -- large Terran Empire wants to annex small colony -- Poul Anderson creates enough interesting characters whom we care about and such a complex dialogue (cultural/social) between the two races to really lift this book above the standard space opera of the day. However, a turgid middle section describing various love triangles and betrayals is rather silly and the battle sequences verge on dull. However, the last act is top notch (if somewhat rushed). All in all, `The People of the Wind' fully deserved its Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award nominations.

This novel is a wonderful book by Poul Anderson, one of the masters of Science Fiction. I recently reread this book, and though it is getting a bit dated, the themes and writing style still stands strong after decades in print. This book is also a part of Anderson's sweeping future history series, and as such illuminates the turning point in The Terran Empire, where they begin to go from an active to a decadent phase. An excellent read for anyone who likes adventure and a background of aliens and concepts that seem to leap off the page

"People of the Wind" is an interesting story about the Planet Avalon, which has been jointly and amicably settled by Earthmen and Ythrians. Ythrians are an avian race, quite capable of flight. One of Poul Anderson's strengths as a writer was his ability to create imaginative non-human races and extrapolate and attribute a non-human psychology to them. The Ythrians are an unusually imaginative example of this, and the interaction between humans and Ythrians makes for a very interesting tale.

This story is part of Poul Anderson's Technic Civilization future history series, which features some of Anderson's best writing. This story is set during the rise of the Terran Empire after the fall of the free-market Polesotechnic League. The rise of the Empire and its encroachment upon Avalon is the theme of the story, and it is excellent entertainment; typical of this series. Highly recommended for lovers of "hard" science fiction. RJB.