Customer Reviews

Star Man's Son

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Star Man's Son (1952) is a post-apocalyptic novel that takes place about two centuries after the Great-Blowup. This story is also entitled Daybreak - 2250 AD in reprint editions.

The cause of the catastrophe is unknown, but the effect are quite obvious. Much of the population was killed by the immediate effects of nuclear bombs, many others died later from the direct radiation and fallout from those bombs, and many more died from induced radioactivity, plague and starvation. Many plants and animals had been mutated into unrecognizable and deadly forms. Only a few humans survived and many of these were also mutated into Beast Things and other horrible creatures in the "blue cities" where radioactivity lingered. A very few survivors, however, received beneficial mutations that improved their chances of survival, but the seemingly normal survivors generally feared and hated any and every mutant.

Fors is the son of Langdon, a Star Man, a far ranging explorer and leader of the Eyrie, and a woman that Langdon had meet down on the plains. Although Langdon was seemingly normal, Fors has inherited white hair from his mother, a mutation viewed with suspicion by the other residents of the Eyrie. While Langdon was alive, he protected Fors from most of the fear and hatred, but then Langdon was killed by Beast Things on an exploration into a far city and the men who find him bring back only a few of his belongings.

After that, Fors was mostly ignored in his efforts to become a Star Man like his father. He has been adopted by Lura, a great hunting cat, and has made his own sword, knive, bow, and arrows as required. His father, a master teacher among the Star Men, had already ensured before his death that Fors knows all that is required. Nevertheless, the Council has passed over him for five years and tomorrow he will have to give up his weapons and become a tiller of the soil. As he ponders his options, Fors conceives a bold plan and immediately starts gathering supplies and equipment, including his father's pouch, for a great journey to search for the lost city in the north that was never bombed and thus is safe for scavengers.

Although Fors has tried to hide them, he has some unusual talents that will help him on his trek: he is able to communicate empathically with Lura and he has much better night vision than most humans. Moreover, he has other, more subtle talents that manifest as he travels.

This story is based on the premise that mankind will come close to destroying himself and this premise is found in many other works by the author. In many respects, it is a reflection of the worldview of the Cold War era, but it persists even in recent SF stories. In most of Norton's tales, this apocalyptic vision was like Pandora's box, in that there was an element of hope among all the horrors of war.

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys a mostly optimistic story of the possible future.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This was one of the first science fiction novels that I ever read, and the ideas and images in it have stayed with me all this time. Nor is it really "dated", it could all still happen- only it is now 250 years into the future instead of 300.

This is the story of Lars of the Puma clan, of the people of the Smoking Mountains. Lars's father was of the famed Star Men- explorers of the blasted wilderness beyond the mountain stronghold of the Star Hall. The brotherhood of Star Men sought to carry on the tradition of their research scientist ancestors- to seek out new knowledge for the betterment of the tribe- and of the world. This was to be Lars's destiny also, except that his father failed to return from his last mission and there was no one to speak for him at the last choosing of apprentices. So, rather than accept the insult of a lesser life, Lars took up his sword, bow, and his father's pouch, and along with his great mutant hunting cat, Lura, went out to find the great lost city of the Old Ones that his father's last journal entry spoke of.

Published in 1952 this was one of the first post-apocalyptic novels. It is also one of the most believable. Even in light of current knowledge you still find it believable.

One other thing, in spite of the tales about the unimaginable horror of nuclear war, this book was about hope. You see, even after you press that big "reset" button, mankind will yet find a way to survive; the great cycle of re-civilization from the ruins of former greatness will start again. If you were a kid growing up during the Cold War this was an important message to keep at the back of your mind.

I can't believe that I never read more of this lady's books! I remember reading at least 3 of her novels back when I was a young'un, and I wasn't all that enthralled to read more. I read the time traders and iron cage and none of them was as good as this one in my opinion.
I'm currently reading The Beastmaster and it's already good.
Starman's Son was a good, fun, fast read full of action and adventure, full of cool and rich characters of both human and animal. A must read!

StarMan's Son

This was the very first Science Fiction book that I ever read, my Brother had purchased the paperback version sometime in the 1950's and was kind enough to let me read it, I was "hooked" then and still am, Andre Norton shall never die as long as she has readers.

This is about a young boy Lars of the Puma clan; Lars's father was a Star Man- explorers of the blasted wilderness beyond the mountain stronghold of the Star Hall. The brotherhood of Star Men sought to carry on the tradition of their research scientist ancestors- to seek out new knowledge for the betterment of the tribe- and of the world. Unfortunately Lars was a mutant, and his mutation was very apparent, his hair was white, and the Clan had not accepted him. What was not so apparent was that he had the ability to telepathically communicate with his great hunting cat, Lura. When Lars's Father failed to return from his last mission Lars snuck out of his village to explore the vast Wilderness , rather than accept the insult of a lesser life, Lars took up his sword, bow, and his father's pouch, and along with his great mutant hunting cat, Lura, went out to find the great lost city of the Old Ones that his father's last journal entry spoke of.
Published in 1952 this was one of the first post-apocalyptic novels. It is also one of the most believable. Even in light of current knowledge you still find it believable.
One other thing, in spite of the tales about the unimaginable horror of nuclear war, this book was about hope. You see, even after you press that big "reset" button, mankind will yet find a way to survive; the great cycle of re-civilization from the ruins of former greatness will start again. If you were a kid growing up during the Cold War this was an important message to keep at the back of your mind.
I believe that this was the first book that I used a lined 3 X 5 card as a bookmark. Anytime I came across a word that I wasn't 100% sure of the meaning I wrote in on the lined 3 X 5 card. At the end of the book, I would write down the word and the definition into my personal Lexicon. Over the years I found that there were fewer words on the 3 X 5 cards. Science fiction seems to have an unwritten rule that the author must use a wide vocabulary.
I strongly recommend this book to every teenager who wants to discover the exciting world of Science Fiction and to their parents who want to improve their reading ability and their vocabulary. You might want to do the lined 3 X 5 card thing, also.

Gunner May, 2008

As an 11-year old reading this in '76, the rat-mutants (yes, some creepy illustrations in the hardback copy at the Beaumont, TX Public Library) were deliciously twisted outcome of mankind's nuclear idiocy. I was firmly convinced at that age that nuclear oblivion would occur before the year 2000. Sifting through bombed out cities looking for unspoilt, unradiated tins of food from centuries previous, the hero battles odds, overcomes fear, and brings hope in the end. Nice.

I read this book as a pre-teen, and it has remained at the top of my list since. Fors was my hero of many an imagined adventure of my youth. It is admitadly dated now, but I still recomend it to someone who enjoys a good sci-fi book, especially a young reader.

A fun read with an admirable message about the necessity of cooperation among all peoples if we are to avoid destruction. It's interesting that humanity requires a common enemy, the Beast Things, in order to unite it. This displays a realistic understanding of human psychology that is undermined to some extent by an ending in which everything is wrapped up a bit too tidily. There is a problem with pacing--the most exciting scenes occur in the middle of the story. Also, the Beast Things just never seemed like a particularly menacing presence outside of the abandoned cities which were their lairs. More of the novel should have happened there.

You've probably seen dozens of books that are about "post-apocalyptic" adventures, but this is the one that started them all. Its the Greatest! Like all of Andre Norton's stories it contains colorful characters, imaginative settings, and good plots which are interesting. Plus the author blends a good deal of drama into the adventurous storyline. Read about the adventures of "Fors" and learn why he is venturing into the ruins of ancient cities.

I read this as a kid back in the 1970s and always remembered it. The adventures were so appealing that, as a middle-schooler, I half hoped that the Cold War would blow up just so I could get out of the tedium of public school and become an explorer of the ruins too. I read it again while on vacation this year and it was a page turner... a classic post-apocalypse novel with mutants galore.

The seller had lost much of his inventory during a flood and discovered that the book I had ordered was one of the losses. He contacted another seller and had one shipped to me. When another may have simply told me what had happened and left me to search again, this seller truly honored his commitment. I thank him.