Welcome to the first English translation of the celebrated Golden Age
Science Fiction Classic, The City among the Stars by Francis Carsac.
A soldier of the Empire of Earth floats through space, his
spaceship destroyed by sabotage. He is saved by a ‘city-in-space’ whose people
despise those born and raised on a planet. Out of spite, he refuses to deliver
the one piece of knowledge that can protect the people who saved but now spurn
him - leading to catastrophic consequences.
"This stunning classic stands shoulder-to-shoulder with
Arthur C. Clark, Asimov, and Heinlein. No devotee of great sf should miss The
City of the Stars." – New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors W.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors W. Michael Gear and Kathleen
O'Neal Gear.
My Thoughts
The chance to read the first English translation of a French Sci Fi classic from 1962 was tempting. Written in a world where space travel was just beginning and just after President Kennedy had committed the USA to land a man on the moon, it feels like a traditional take on the genre, with lots of detailed descriptions of the technology and descriptions of space which come mainly from the writer's imagination. One of the most interesting aspects for me, is the characterisation, especially of the female characters who all seem pretty subservient to the needs of the plot. This would not be unusual for its time.
Life on board the Spaceship with the People of the Stars is described in great detail with a new hierarchy which looks down on those who they label 'planetary' as opposed to their kin who they feel have evolved beyond them. At the heart of the book is an adventure story, surrounded by aliens, space, far flung planets and a reimagined Earth. Running through all this you may glimpse a little romance.
In short: Escape to outer space
About the Author
Francis Carsac, a pseudonym for the world-renowned French
scientist, geologist, and archaeologist Francois Bordes, wrote and published
six novels during the golden age of science fiction.
Never before published in English, these novels resonate
with timely issues ranging from climate control to racism and greed and tell
the stories of characters whose challenges and triumphs clearly relate to many
of the problems we encounter today. He has been translated and published into
Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Hungarian, Estonian amongst
others.
Book link: Amazon UK
Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
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Thanks for supporting the blog tour Pam xx
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