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The Stars Are Ours

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The Stars Are Ours (1954) is the first novel in the Astra duology. Mankind had reached the Moon, Mars and Venus, but found little to justify terraforming, so interplanetary flight was used only for scientific research. However, the three space stations provided a number of services, including astronomical and meteorological observations and refueling interplanetary flights. One of these stations was invaded by unidentified armed men who turned certain installations into weapons which they unleashed against the planet. A major portion of the planet was completely devastated and the loss of life was incalculable.

Among the survivors was Arturo Renzi, who had lost his entire family. He began to preach the evils of science and was welcomed as a great leader throughout the world. However, his message was too liberal for some of his followers and he was assassinated, apparently by a Free Scientist. For three days after the assassination, Renzi's followers engaged in a furious purge against scientists and techneers, hunting them down and killing them. Then Saxon Bort, one of Renzi's chief lieutenants, assumed command of the leader's forces and established the tight dictatorship of the Company of Pax.

In this novel, a decade or so later, Dard Nordis is the son of a Scientific family, living with his older brother, Lars, and his niece, Dessie. Lars and Dard, together with Lars' pregnant wife, Kathia, had fled the purge, but the escape had left Lars a twisted cripple and his wife an amnesiac. After Dessie was born, Kathia retreated into her own dream world until her death. Now Dard, Lars, and Dessie live on a farm far from any population center and the only nearby farm is Hew Folley's place. Dard doesn't trust Folley, for he wants their farm. Then one night, a Pax 'copter lands in the snow just before the house and armed Peacemen surround the building. Dard has the others gather food and supplies and sends them down into the cellar, then torches the house. Moving aside some rotting bins, he uncovers a tunnel, sends Dessie ahead, and helps Lars struggle down the passage.

After the Peacemen leave, Lars sends Dard out to leave a packet for his Scientific underground contact, but Dard hears a shot shortly after he drops the packet and runs back to find Folley clutching a squirming Dessie. Dard throws his knife and fatally injures Folley, then discovers that Lars is dead. With no other recourse remaining, Dard and Dessie return to the contact point to wait. Lotta Folley finds them there and gives them food and a scarf for Dessie; Lotta knows that her father is dead, but she recognizes that he was a man full of hate and who liked to hurt people. Besides, Lotta likes Dessie and liked her mother even more; they were the only people that ever treated her as a real person instead of an object. Lotta takes the rifle back to the barn to fool the Peacemen.

When Lars' contact arrives, Dard convinces him to take Dessie and himself back to safety. They spend the night in a cave, but a Pax 'copter is circling the area when they awake. The contact, Sach, leads the Peacemen away so Dard and Dessie can proceed to the next point in their journey. They move away from the cave along a bare ledge as far as they can and then jump into a snow drift on the edge of the woods. Their journey is fairly easy until they reach the river; the ice is too thin to support even Dessie's weight. After looking up and down river, Dard finds only one place that may support them, an arch of ice covered with snow. Dard carries Dessie across, slowly and carefully, then rests for a count of hundred on the other side. Again heading to the peak that marks their goal, Dard hears the 'copter return and throws Dessie and himself into a tangle of bushes. The men in the 'copter rake the bushes with fire. He and Dessie scoot out the other side, but find it to be a wide sweep of open ground.

This novel is another of the author's post-apocalyptic stories, but the emphasis herein is on spaceflight. Mankind had achieved interplanetary flight and was working on interstellar flight when some irrational terrorists destroyed civilization. Other fanatics then ripped up civilization into even smaller pieces and tried to ensure that ignorance would reign forever. The Scientific community, however, was working on a stardrive and that work was continued in hiding.

This story contains several of the characteristic signatures of the author's space adventures, including special talents and aliens, but does not include mutations nor symbiotic animals. This novel shows the beginning of galactic-wide human civilization and Star Rangers shows the ending of that civilization. Of course, some of the other stories may be set in a successor society. This story is definitely a little dated, but it is still a pleasure to read, as is the sequel, Star Born.

Highly recommended for Norton fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of desperate spaceflights to planets around other suns.

-Arthur W. Jordin

The Stars are Ours! Was the very first book I purchased with my Babysitting money waaaaay back in the sixth grade. If you read only one Andre Norton Book this is the one..but if you are like me you'll get hooked on anything that Ms. Norton has or will write! I lost my original copy,but found a copy in a used book store...it was as exciting reading it again at 50 something as it was at 12!

This book is one of the greatest ever written. When I first picked up this book, many years ago, I hated to read. Ms. Norton's skill at taking the reader into her world has hooked me and turned me into an avid reader. The thought process for the development of this particular book start with the age old fear of technology at it's worst. The mishandling of modern technology by terrorists create a world were science itself is suspect and feared. The challenge of the few scientist remaining and their families to overcome these harsh realities and to re-establish a world of freedom and learning make this a book well worth the read. I often come back and read this book while awaiting other releases. A definite must have for any library.

The Stars Are Ours

Ad Astra Novel

This is the first novel in the Astra duology. Mankind had reached the Moon, Mars and Venus, but found little to justify terra-forming, so interplanetary flight was used only for scientific research. However, the three space stations provided a number of services, including astronomical and meteorological observations and refueling interplanetary flights. One of these stations was invaded by unidentified armed men who turned certain installations into weapons which they unleashed against the planet. A major portion of the planet was completely devastated and the loss of life was incalculable.

Among the survivors was Arturo Renzi, who had lost his entire family. He began to preach the evils of science and was welcomed as a great leader throughout the world. However, his message was too liberal for some of his followers and he was assassinated, apparently by a Free Scientist. For three days after the assassination, Renzi's followers engaged in a furious purge against scientists and techneers, hunting them down and killing them. Then Saxon Bort, one of Renzi's chief lieutenants, assumed command of the leader's forces and established the tight dictatorship of the Company of Pax.

In this novel, a decade or so later, Dard Nordis is the son of a Scientific family, living with his older brother, Lars, and his niece, Dessie. Lars and Dard, together with Lars' pregnant wife, Kathia, had fled the purge, but the escape had left Lars a twisted cripple and his wife an amnesiac. After Dessie was born, Kathia retreated into her own dream world until her death. Now Dard, Lars, and Dessie live on a farm far from any population center and the only nearby farm is Hew Folley's place. Dard doesn't trust Folley, for he wants their farm. Then one night, a Pax 'copter lands in the snow just before the house and armed Peacemen surround the building. Dard has the others gather food and supplies and sends them down into the cellar, then torches the house. Moving aside some rotting bins, he uncovers a tunnel, sends Dessie ahead, and helps Lars struggle down the passage.

After the Peacemen leave, Lars sends Dard out to leave a packet for his Scientific underground contact, but Dard hears a shot shortly after he drops the packet and runs back to find Folley clutching a squirming Dessie. Dard throws his knife and kills Folley, then discovers that Lars is dead. With no other recourse remaining, Dard and Dessie return to the contact point to wait. Lotta Folley finds them there and gives them food and a scarf for Dessie; Lotta knows that her father is dead, but she recognizes that he was a man full of hate and who liked to hurt people. Besides, Lotta likes Dessie and liked her mother even more; they were the only people that ever treated her as a real person instead of an object. Lotta takes the rifle back to the barn to fool the Peacemen.

When Lars' contact arrives, Dard convinces him to take Dessie and himself back to safety. They spend the night in a cave, but a Pax 'copter is circling the area when they awake. The contact, Sach, leads the Peacemen away so Dard and Dessie can proceed to the next point in their journey. They move away from the cave along a bare ledge as far as they can and then jump into a snow drift on the edge of the woods. Their journey is fairly easy until they reach the river; the ice is too thin to support even Dessie's weight. After looking up and down river, Dard finds only one place that may support them, an arch of ice covered with snow. Dard carries Dessie across, slowly and carefully, then rests for a while on the other side. Again heading to the peak that marks their goal, Dard hears the 'copter return and throws Dessie and himself into a tangle of bushes. The men in the 'copter fire into the bushes . He and Dessie scoot out the other side, but find it to be a wide sweep of open ground.



Highly recommended for Norton fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of desperate spaceflights.

I would like to see Ms. Norton expound on this train of thought again. The story of David Norton and the Free Scientists is a good one and worthy of reading. Ms. Norton often comes up with an idea that makes you think...it is one of the things which makes her one of the genres best. A good addition to your library if you can find it. I have read mine many times.

This is one of two books that hooked me on SF (the other was Red Planet by Heinlein) when I was thirteen. I was captivated. If you want to get your kids away from the video games and into reading SF, get them this book.

"The Stars are Ours" by Andre Norton is the first science fiction novel I ever read. I was a precocious second grader. That was a loooong time ago.

Andre Norton was a very prolific SFWA Grandmaster that introduced two generations to the wonders of science fiction. This is my personal favorite of all her works and I consider on par with Heinlein's Charles Scribner series also written in the 1950s.

One of her peculiarities was Norton never used the word `Earth' . She habitually used the term `Terra'. But I digress.

In this future `Terra', scientists and engineers are hunted, murdered and enslaved. Terrorists had taken over satellite stations and bombarded the major cities. A charismatic politician arises wanting to take humanity back to a simpler time not so dependent on technology. When he is assassinated, the world's scientists are blamed. The Great Purge results in the hated guild being ruthlessly slaughtered with the survivors driven into exile.

Pax runs the world using the remaining technology to push humanity to a more agrarian model. Think of an entire world run like Cambodia under Pol Pot and you understand what this world is like.

Dalgard Nordis is a member of a scientist family gone into hiding. He escaped as a young boy with his older brother Lars and his family. He and his young, motherless niece Dessie are experts in forest. Dessie is gifted with animals. Dard is gifted with a photographic memory and the chief provider for his family.

Unknown to the others, Lars has been in communication with his former associates. Life on Terra is increasingly difficult for them. They have hidden an experimental spacecraft in a secret base. However they need the critical assistance of Lars Nordis is necessary for the expeditions success.

Unfortunately Pax has become aware of the survivors existence and the clock is ticking. Of course they're successful and they find their home on a distant world. The details are what the story are about and an excellent one it is. It would make an excellent sci-fi thriller movie.

I can't guess how many Andre Norton books I've read during the past half-century. Most were good reads, while a good many ho-hums along the way made following her work unpredictable, at best.

The Stars are Ours and Star Born were among the first science fiction books I ever read. Just as a number of other, later reviewers began their SF voyage with these two, so did I. I've read them a number of times since and still enjoy them.

I really wouldn't call this 'juveniles', though young adults will enjoy them too. These books were early in the SF genre and were intended for a general readership. The typify what was going on in SF during the 1950s. In my view it hasn't particulary improved.

The Stars Are Ours



This is the first novel in the Astra duology. Mankind had reached the Moon, Mars and Venus, but found little to justify terra-forming, so interplanetary flight was used only for scientific research. However, the three space stations provided a number of services, including astronomical and meteorological observations and refueling interplanetary flights. One of these stations was invaded by unidentified armed men who turned certain installations into weapons which they unleashed against the planet. A major portion of the planet was completely devastated and the loss of life was incalculable.

Among the survivors was Arturo Renzi, who had lost his entire family. He began to preach the evils of science and was welcomed as a great leader throughout the world. However, his message was too liberal for some of his followers and he was assassinated, apparently by a Free Scientist. For three days after the assassination, Renzi's followers engaged in a furious purge against scientists and techneers, hunting them down and killing them. Then Saxon Bort, one of Renzi's chief lieutenants, assumed command of the leader's forces and established the tight dictatorship of the Company of Pax.

In this novel, a decade or so later, Dard Nordis is the son of a Scientific family, living with his older brother, Lars, and his niece, Dessie. Lars and Dard, together with Lars' pregnant wife, Kathia, had fled the purge, but the escape had left Lars a twisted cripple and his wife an amnesiac. After Dessie was born, Kathia retreated into her own dream world until her death. Now Dard, Lars, and Dessie live on a farm far from any population center and the only nearby farm is Hew Folley's place. Dard doesn't trust Folley, for he wants their farm. Then one night, a Pax 'copter lands in the snow just before the house and armed Peacemen surround the building. Dard has the others gather food and supplies and sends them down into the cellar, then torches the house. Moving aside some rotting bins, he uncovers a tunnel, sends Dessie ahead, and helps Lars struggle down the passage.

After the Peacemen leave, Lars sends Dard out to leave a packet for his Scientific underground contact, but Dard hears a shot shortly after he drops the packet and runs back to find Folley clutching a squirming Dessie. Dard throws his knife and kills Folley, then discovers that Lars is dead. With no other recourse remaining, Dard and Dessie return to the contact point to wait. Lotta Folley finds them there and gives them food and a scarf for Dessie; Lotta knows that her father is dead, but she recognizes that he was a man full of hate and who liked to hurt people. Besides, Lotta likes Dessie and liked her mother even more; they were the only people that ever treated her as a real person instead of an object. Lotta takes the rifle back to the barn to fool the Peacemen.

When Lars' contact arrives, Dard convinces him to take Dessie and himself back to safety. They spend the night in a cave, but a Pax 'copter is circling the area when they awake. The contact, Sach, leads the Peacemen away so Dard and Dessie can proceed to the next point in their journey. They move away from the cave along a bare ledge as far as they can and then jump into a snow drift on the edge of the woods. Their journey is fairly easy until they reach the river; the ice is too thin to support even Dessie's weight. After looking up and down river, Dard finds only one place that may support them, an arch of ice covered with snow. Dard carries Dessie across, slowly and carefully, then rests for a while on the other side. Again heading to the peak that marks their goal, Dard hears the 'copter return and throws Dessie and himself into a tangle of bushes. The men in the 'copter fire into the bushes . He and Dessie scoot out the other side, but find it to be a wide sweep of open ground.

[...]

Before she turned almost exclusively to fantasy novels, Ms. Norton wrote some very excellent science fiction. Though she rarely introduced new ideas, her handling of some at times near-cliché's brought life and vigor to the concepts. Just so with this novel.

The situation is pretty standard. The world is now governed by an organization called Pax, who have two goals: remain in power, and violently exterminate any form of resistance, which they see as mainly coming from those few scientists still remaining after a world-wide purge of these individuals in reaction to the 'Great Burn', when satellites were used to rain destruction on most of the world's cities. What makes this book different is how Norton makes this scenario personal, focusing on the brother of one of the last remaining expert biologists, and how his personal efforts help make the grand goal of leaving Earth and its Paxmen and traveling to the stars a real possibility.

There's not much real science here, just the usual hand-waving of force fields and blasters, and almost no hint of the actual technology used to power a starship, but she does use the concept of cold sleep effectively, and touches on another talent that would later be heavily used in her works, a strong empathic (near telepathic) contact with animals. When I first read this book way back when, these concepts were very new and intriguing to me. Reading the book today, these ideas still have power, though not, perhaps, the great thrill they gave me back then, as they have been used by other authors again and again since.

Thematically, the book drives home points about the corrupting effect of power, the blindness that religion (of any type) invokes upon its followers, the need for recognizing any intelligence as worthy of respect and appropriate treatment, and the necessity of having dreams beyond just surviving, themes that Norton would return to in many other books, but quite effectively presented here.

There is some definite dating to this book, as its beginning scenario derives directly from the Cold War, and the shown computer here definitely missed the mark in terms of predicting what would happen in that field. But at the same time, Norton very presciently forecast our first steps into space and exploration of the nearer planets, and our subsequent retreat from that grand frontier. When this book was written (1954), and the conditions that existed then, must be kept in mind while reading.

An excellent adventure, perhaps a little too dated to be classed as top-flight sf, but still well worth the time to read, and a very good example of just what Norton was capable of.

---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)