David Falkayn: Star Trader (Technic Civlization) (Paperback)

~ Poul anderson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Polesotechnic League of star traders was prospering, and Nicholas Van Rijn, its most flamboyant member, was prospering most of all as commerce flowed between the stars. But not all League members played fair when trading, nor did some of the non-human races of the galaxy object to dirty tricks. Van Rijn could not be everywhere, and relied on his representatives, foremost among them his young protege, David Falkayn, and the members of David's trader team: Adzel, a large dragon-likr being who practiced Buddhism, and Chee-Lan, a brilliant but hot-tempered felinesque extraterrestrial.

 

 

This is the second volume in the first complete edition of Poul Anderson's Technic Civilization saga. And, after the three volumes chronicling the Polesotechnic League's rise and fall will come more volumes, telling of the rise of the Terran Empire and the adventures of Poul Anderson's other legendary character, Captain Sir Dominic Flandry.

About the Author

Poul Anderson was one of the most prolific and popular writers in science fiction. He won the Hugo Award seven times and the Nebula Award three times, as well as many other awards, notably including the Grand Master Award of the Science Fiction Writers of America for a lifetime of distinguished achievement. With a degree in physics, and a wide knowledge of other fields of sicence, he was noted for building stories on a solid foundation of real science, as well as for being one of the most skilled creators of fast-paced adventure stories. He was author of over a hundrd novels and story collections, and several hundred short stories, as well as several mysteries and nonficition books. He died in 2001.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Baen (January 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439132941
• ISBN-13: 978-1439132944
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #274,948 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Business and space exploration--good mix!, February 11, 2009

By	Joy V. Smith "Writer" (Lakeland, FL United States) - See all my reviews

I finished David Falkayn: Star Trader: The Technic Civilization Saga #2 recently. I enjoyed reading the adventures of David Falkayn, Chee Lan, Adzel, and Nicholas Van Rijn again, and it's interesting reading them in chronological order and seeing how the times and people change... Poul Anderson wrote a long history of life and adventure among the stars, including other characters who came later. There's a chronology of Technic Civilization at the end, btw, that helps the reader see the big picture. David's ambition and drive and loyalty to his companions, Chee Lan's temper, and Adzel's gentleness--though not everyone sees beyond his size--and Nicholas Van Rijn's shrewdness are a fun mixture. And Poul Anderson's science background adds intriguing planets--and cultures.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rethinking Poul Anderson: better than Heinlein?, June 17, 2009

By	W. Frederick Zimmerman "W. Frederick Zimmerman" (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

I have been re-reading the three volumes (so far) in Baen's reissue of the Van Rijn, Falkayn, and Flandry stories, and the headline has been rediscovering just how good a science fiction writer Poul Anderson was. One of the back cover blurbs says something to the effect that "Poul Anderson ... probably does more different things well than anyone else in the field", and I think that is a very fair assessment. The science is great, the politics is very good, the characterization is very good, and the maturity level of the author is far higher than, say, Heinlein. Anderson's very best is not as good as Heinlein's very best, but almost everything of Anderson's is far better than Heinlein's weak stuff--and none of it is marred by the self-indulgence and wish fulfillment that marked later Heinlein.