Science Fiction: Fleeing from his home world, young Tadko Darusko arrives on the planet Monna searching for his only relative, his father.
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About the Author
Margaret Howes is a retiree who has become a storyteller in the Society for Creative Anachronism. She has had short stories published in The Tolkien Scrapbook and Sword and Sorceress VIII. She has drawn maps for the books Murder at the War by Mary Monica Pulver, The Best of Leigh Brackett, and the Underwood-Miller edition of Showboat World by Jack Vance.
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Along one wall were the comlines. He watched several people use them until he was fairly sure he had the way of it; then he moved in front of one, stepping forward until a ready light glowed.
"Your party, please?" said a light, metallic voice.
"Scholar Osrin Havard, historical and ethnic studies, College of Seleme Central," Tadko announced, somewhat more loudly than he had planned.
There was a bleeping sound, a click, then a different metallic voice.
"Senior scholar Havard is not presently in residence," it said, emphasizing the additional title. "He is on extended leave to the research center on Eilonsad. He will be returning on 8th Perian, Seleme Standard. Sub-space calls may be placed at the central terminal office, minimum charge one hundred duats. Will there be any further service, please?"
Tadko said nothing. The voice repeated, "Will there be any further service, please?"
"No, no further service," Tadko mumbled. "Nothing."
He moved away, and the eye-cell darkened. What now?
Many times he had wondered if he were doing the right thing in looking for his father, even though his mother's last words had urged him to do so. He had wondered if the man would even remember him and his mother; if he would want to have anything to do with Tadko, even supposing he did remember; but to arrive and find the man elsewhere--this he had never considered. Eighth Perian, he thought, and began working out how long he had to wait...eighty days, give or take a few. Somehow he would have to find a way to live...he wiped his sweating face on his sleeve and shook his head. This is the wrong world for Elnakti, he thought. Mother did right, bringing us home.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great yarn for all ages!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Wrong World (Paperback)
Reading The Wrong World by Margaret Howes, you may think you have stumbled upon a forgotten classic of science fiction's golden era. Not so. This is a new book and an excellent read! Young Tadko Derusko of Elnakt comes as a refugee to the planet Monna in search of the father he does not remember. However, his father is off world on business for the next 80 days, and Tadko, forced to enter Monna illegally with almost no money, feels his best alternative is to lay low and fend for himself somehow until his father returns. But blending into the local culture is not a real option for someone who looks so obviously "offworld," and there isn't much in the way of employment opportunity for an unskilled, undocumented foreigner. Soon Tadko finds himself in shady company and then on the run from the authorities. Dashing from one scrape to another, he must constantly improvise, make the best of bad situations, and be ready to run. On the way he meets a multitude of colorful characters and unfamiliar wildlife, and travels a good distance across this world that seems all wrong for him. For the reader, though, it's a great world! Ms. Howes has drawn us a culture as detailed and interesting as any you'll find in science fiction. Everything about Monna comes as Tadko finds it, in context and without any helpful explanation. Yet, by the end we know a surprising amount about Monnan society-the monetary system, the slang, the food, the fashions and what must be the most awful taste in colors in the galaxy. The story moves along at a great clip with a refreshing absence of gore and almost no violence. It is a doggone good yarn for all ages. I heartily recommend it!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb science fiction story by a gifted author.,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Wrong World (Paperback)
Felling from his home world, young Tadko Darusko arrives on the planet Monna searching for his only living relative -- his father. But his father is away on a journey, and Tadko is stranded on Monna with no friends, no means of support, and no identity papers. Evading he authorities, Tadko must find a way to survive until his father's return, hoping that his father can intervene in his case. The Wrong World documents Margaret Howes as a superb storyteller and a gifted author of science fiction adventure who is thoroughly at home in the genre.
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