People of the Wind [Mass Market Paperback]

Poul Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1993

They said it could never work: one was born of Earth, the other of the sky; one has organized itself into increasingly complex governments, the other stays free as the wind. Yet out of such seemingly disparate materials a single nation, forged from the best of both races, has been formed on the planet Avalon. Then the two races go to war, and Avalon is forced to choose sides--or defy both.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Baen (March 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067172164X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671721640
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,231,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent interplay between races, November 15, 1998

By 

Frederick D. Schulkind (Gaithersburg, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: People of the Wind (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the 10 best reasons to read sci/fi, January 3, 2006

By 

Ray Francis "sci fi enjoyeur" (St. Joseph, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People of the Wind (with The Day of Their Return) (Paperback)

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..."

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Poul Anderson Space Opera...., July 16, 2010

By 

Mithridates VI of Pontus (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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

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.