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Nor Crystal Tears (Paperback)

~ (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

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6 new from $6.32 34 used from $0.13 1 collectible from $10.29

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Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover, January 31, 1994 -- -- $118.78
  Paperback, May 11, 1985 -- $6.32 $0.13
  Mass Market Paperback, August 11, 1982 -- $11.35 $0.01

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Before Man and insectlike Thranx had become allies, when the reptilian AAnn were just occasional raiders of Thranx colony worlds, one young Thranx agricultural expert lived a life of quiet desperation.

A dreamer in a world of sensible, stable beings, Ryo buried himself in his work -- reclaiming marshland from a tenacious jungle -- until he came across a letter describing a relative's encounter with horrid, two-legged, soft-skinned space-going beasts . . .



From the Inside Flap

Before Man and insectlike Thranx had become allies, when the reptilian AAnn were just occasional raiders of Thranx colony worlds, one young Thranx agricultural expert lived a life of quiet desperation.
A dreamer in a world of sensible, stable beings, Ryo buried himself in his work -- reclaiming marshland from a tenacious jungle -- until he came across a letter describing a relative's encounter with horrid, two-legged, soft-skinned space-going beasts . . .
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback
  • Publisher: Del Rey (May 12, 1985)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345324471
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345324474
  • Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.7 x 2.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,139,665 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Alan Dean Foster
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars First Alan Dean Foster I read... still a favorite, August 5, 2001
I read this when it first came out... ages ago. It was my first Alan Dean Foster novel and got me hooked. I still have the book, and while the cover is a bit tattered, I still read it every few years.

The main character in this novel is an alien and we get to learn and experience his world through his eyes. It's only later in the book do we get to encounter the real aliens, humans, and what transpires when these two very different races meet and try to understand each other. A great read, with great perspective and characters.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A good first contact and a good place to start., March 7, 2005
This review is from: Nor Crystal Tears (Mass Market Paperback)
More than ten years after first reading it and having read many other first contact books this one is still my favorite. While doing first contact from an aliens view has been done more realisticly, such as the The Chanur Saga, none has done it quite as fun. Foster has an ability to capture both seriousness and fun in his writing and this book in no exception. This book is a good jumping off point for potential Fosterites and a great book for long time fans.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A look at first contact from the other side, August 9, 2004
By Andrew W. Johns "ResQgeek" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This is a very creative first contact story. Told from the alien point-of-view, it illustrates the dangers that prejudice and fear create when alien species first meet.

Foster does a good job of describing a insectoid civilization, and provides great insight into the traits of such a species. It is especially interesting to note the relative relationship of mammals on this world, and the attitudes towards them. This sets the stage for the potential conflict when contact with Earth's humans.

This book holds a mirror up to our own prejudices and attitudes and serves as a cautionary tale about making quick judgements when encountering new cultures. It is all too easy for misunderstandings to create enemies, when patience might lead to understanding and friendship.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Probably most touching story about friendship with grasshopper like people ever to be written...
After I had blazed my way through all the Flinx/Pip novels that I could find as a teenager (probably about 4-5 of them at that time), I was still hungry for more of the Humanx... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Storylover

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great books in the Humanx universe.
Like many of the other single book stories set in the Humanx universe, this is a great story from start to finish. Read more
Published on April 25, 2006 by Jonathon D. Leszczynski

4.0 out of 5 stars Nicely done first contact novel.
A very nice science fiction novel which explores first contact between two very different alien races and does it from the point of view of both species. Read more
Published on October 21, 2004 by C. Gilbert

5.0 out of 5 stars Alan Dean Foster's best work
I rate "Nor Crystal Tears" as Alan Dean Foster's best work, and as one of the best books I have ever read. It is a masterfully written story of first contact. Read more
Published on November 22, 2001 by K. Martens

3.0 out of 5 stars Good history lesson, bad story
Nor Crystal Tears is a prequel to the extensive Humanx Commonwealth books by Foster. Tears chronicles the first meeting between human and Thranx, as it follows the exploits of an... Read more
Published on September 18, 2001 by Adam Missner

5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT!
THIS BOOK WAS A BRILLIANT FIRST CONTACT NOVEL. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! TWO VERY DIFFERENT WORLDS MEET AND CROSS THE BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION. A GREAT BOOK ALL AROUND.
Published on November 26, 1999 by Michael Delaware

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS BOOK!
I love this book.It is the best sci-fi book I have ever read.It is a sentimental and addicting book. Read more
Published on July 7, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST HUMAN TELEPATH NOVEL I'VE READ THE ONLY 1 I'VE READ
First of all, I'd like to say that I've never read any of Octavia Butler's novels. My loss. This is THE BEST HUMAN TELEPATH NOVEL I'VE READ. Read more
Published on January 18, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best first contact novels.
This novel became a favorite of mine when I first read it in the early 1980's when 'first contact' themes were less common and were not a staple or 'genre' of science fiction... Read more
Published on September 4, 1998 by dantes@sky.net

5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite first contact story
Very few first contact stories delve into the other side's perspective quite so deeply, or effectively. One of Foster's best.
Published on July 10, 1998

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