Customer Reviews

West of the Sun

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

 

 

West of the Sun is, I think, a very early work by Edgar Pangborn. I ran across it and was pleasantly surprised that it's still good. Yes, it has a major flaw that really isn't the author's fault, the attitude towards women. At least the women take an active part in the story, but they're still out of the 1950s. That aside, this is a good account of first contact with not one but two alien races on a planet. The little group of six astronauts accidentally land in a messy conflict, on top of which they have their own conflicts within their group. Everything is nicely drawn and I like the fact that the end of the story is not the end but clearly a beginning for all three races.

I first read this book at the age of 10 or so and loved it.

The first human ship to explore another solar system crash lands on a planet which is home to two intelligent species. One species is gorilla-like---large, gentle, peace-loving. The other is a female-dominated race of warlike cannibalistic pygmies. A basic theme is that intelligent species should think alike and have similar emotional makeup. It explores the way individuals within species can be enemies and looks at the formation of inter-species alliances.

Good character development. Some very heart-warming episodes. But the story follows very predictable lines.

The reprinter of E E Smith's Lensman series - Old Earth Books - has begun reissuing all of Pangborn in classy carefully proofread editions. This is the first one in the program. The new edition has praise from Harry Turtledove, Kim Stanley Robinson, and John Clute. Well worth owning.