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posies23's review against another edition
4.0
Andre Norton wrote this under her pseudonym "Andrew North" in 1955. (Of course, "Andre Norton" was already a pseudonym, her real name was "Alice Mary Norton.")
It's your basic 1950's science fiction novel -- a rocket full of professional space traders land on a mysterious planet and find adventure -- but it's written by Andre Norton, so it's also a tightly-plotted adventure. There are some fun twists and turns along the way, and Norton does an admirable job of attempting to make the crew diverse. (For the record, there are black, asian, and alien crew members -- and none of the usual racist sci-fi tropes occur!) There are a few sections I had trouble visualizing, but Norton keeps things interesting, and overall I liked it quite a bit.
This is the first book in a series. Very worthwhile for Norton fans and 1950's sci-fi buffs.
It's your basic 1950's science fiction novel -- a rocket full of professional space traders land on a mysterious planet and find adventure -- but it's written by Andre Norton, so it's also a tightly-plotted adventure. There are some fun twists and turns along the way, and Norton does an admirable job of attempting to make the crew diverse. (For the record, there are black, asian, and alien crew members -- and none of the usual racist sci-fi tropes occur!) There are a few sections I had trouble visualizing, but Norton keeps things interesting, and overall I liked it quite a bit.
This is the first book in a series. Very worthwhile for Norton fans and 1950's sci-fi buffs.
ocurtsinger's review against another edition
4.0
The prose feels pretty clunky, either because this is one of Norton's first novels or simply because a sci fi novel written more than a half century ago must feel antiquated to today's reader. Ultimately that doesn't matter. It's a good space yarn, and I inhale this stuff like frosted flakes. Even with a predictable plot or almost no character development, I still get hooked on sentences like "and through the darkness Dane saw the most surprising discovery of this strange planet!" Cliffhangers! Space cliffhangers! Gotta love 'em.
mbs1236's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
reasie's review
4.0
Space Capitalism: ragtag edition.
I've noticed that Norton, who had to give up her dream of being an historian to take a job as a librarian at a young age because of the depression, loves to write futures where a computer picks your career for you. I mean, relatable! When I was 20 there was nothing I wanted more than a system to provide me with a Job I Could Do That People Will Pay Me For.
Digression. "Very Young man" as he is described in the first paragraph, and "Tall" Dane Thorson ("Viking" to his not-friends) has just graduated from ten years of Space Crew training and reports to the Psycho, the computer that calculates what crew a new recruit will best fit in, for his assignment. The snotty popular boy in class gets a cushy assignment, and Dane gets ... The Solar Queen. A free trader - this is neither high-class nor destitute, it's a risky proposition with some glamor to it.
And he's off! The trade ship has won a contract to a newly-discovered planet - Limbo - yeaaah - but Limbo is not all it appears! Alien technology is luring ships in and crashing them on the planet scarred by a centures-gone war among aliens. The Forerunners - not much is known about them other than they were wiped out in a great war - but any trace of their tech could be big bucks! If they can survive to collect ...
Cute. I mean, adjust expectations for 1950s. I liked that when the crew is introduced there's an asian, a black guy, and a middle eastern guy - but you could easily lose track of who is who because no one is given much description past the two sentences when they are introduced and then there's a lot of "the astrogator" and "the medic" and you'd best try to remember who that was. :P
There are, of course, no women in space. It is, near as you can tell, a woman-less universe. Ah, the 50s. Still, I enjoyed enough that I'm going to check out the rest of the Solar Queen series.
I've noticed that Norton, who had to give up her dream of being an historian to take a job as a librarian at a young age because of the depression, loves to write futures where a computer picks your career for you. I mean, relatable! When I was 20 there was nothing I wanted more than a system to provide me with a Job I Could Do That People Will Pay Me For.
Digression. "Very Young man" as he is described in the first paragraph, and "Tall" Dane Thorson ("Viking" to his not-friends) has just graduated from ten years of Space Crew training and reports to the Psycho, the computer that calculates what crew a new recruit will best fit in, for his assignment. The snotty popular boy in class gets a cushy assignment, and Dane gets ... The Solar Queen. A free trader - this is neither high-class nor destitute, it's a risky proposition with some glamor to it.
And he's off! The trade ship has won a contract to a newly-discovered planet - Limbo - yeaaah - but Limbo is not all it appears! Alien technology is luring ships in and crashing them on the planet scarred by a centures-gone war among aliens. The Forerunners - not much is known about them other than they were wiped out in a great war - but any trace of their tech could be big bucks! If they can survive to collect ...
Cute. I mean, adjust expectations for 1950s. I liked that when the crew is introduced there's an asian, a black guy, and a middle eastern guy - but you could easily lose track of who is who because no one is given much description past the two sentences when they are introduced and then there's a lot of "the astrogator" and "the medic" and you'd best try to remember who that was. :P
There are, of course, no women in space. It is, near as you can tell, a woman-less universe. Ah, the 50s. Still, I enjoyed enough that I'm going to check out the rest of the Solar Queen series.
halfcentreader's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Pleasant foray into a new world. Reads like a cross between a western and a adventure tale. Eventually I’ll track down book 2
Pleasant foray into a new world. Reads like a cross between a western and a adventure tale. Eventually I’ll track down book 2
kayleenorris's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lah_reads's review
3.0
This was a fun read. The formatting of the digital copy wasn't great, so it made for some confusion here and there (No section breaks where I suspect there should have been some), but that was easy to look beyond after a fashion. This isn't quite as good as PLAGUE SHIP, but it's a good, old-fashioned space opera sci-fi that's fun to read and easy to get into. I'd recommend it to someone looking for a space travel sci-fi that doesn't fall under the stereotypes of Star Wars and Star Trek. (It's also a good, clean adventure that would be suitable for a young reader on a teen reading level who doesn't need the romantic-themed content that most YA titles involve.)
hoppy500's review against another edition
4.0
Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton
This is a well-paced adventure with a mystery to solve.
The crew of the Solar Queen, a free-trader starship, buys commercial rights to a distant world at an auction. At first, they are disappointed to learn that the planet is just a war-ravaged remnant of what it once was, but after arriving there they find much more than they had bargained for.
The story is well written and quite absorbing, but it does not possess much introspective depth. Characterization of crew members is also a little bland, although descriptions of their different personalities are distinct enough. There are no female characters, and even the shipboard cat (Sinbad) is male. The book was originally published under the pseudonym "Andrew North".
It has a couple of elements which I really like, such as a planet with ancient advanced technology left behind by a vanished alien race, and a graveyard of crashed spaceships, some of which are at least centuries old. I found the archaeological aspect intriguing, along with the idea that the geometry and colors of "Forerunner" buildings and structures cause human observers to feel considerable unease.
Although some of the equipment used by the crew seems primitive by today's standards (for example, their communications devices and perhaps even the shape of the spacecraft), these details are not hard to forgive considering that this story was first published in 1955. I enjoyed the explanation of the dangers of hyperspace travel, and I certainly think that there are plenty of other fascinating ideas and descriptions in this work to keep the reader engaged.
This is a well-paced adventure with a mystery to solve.
The crew of the Solar Queen, a free-trader starship, buys commercial rights to a distant world at an auction. At first, they are disappointed to learn that the planet is just a war-ravaged remnant of what it once was, but after arriving there they find much more than they had bargained for.
The story is well written and quite absorbing, but it does not possess much introspective depth. Characterization of crew members is also a little bland, although descriptions of their different personalities are distinct enough. There are no female characters, and even the shipboard cat (Sinbad) is male. The book was originally published under the pseudonym "Andrew North".
It has a couple of elements which I really like, such as a planet with ancient advanced technology left behind by a vanished alien race, and a graveyard of crashed spaceships, some of which are at least centuries old. I found the archaeological aspect intriguing, along with the idea that the geometry and colors of "Forerunner" buildings and structures cause human observers to feel considerable unease.
Although some of the equipment used by the crew seems primitive by today's standards (for example, their communications devices and perhaps even the shape of the spacecraft), these details are not hard to forgive considering that this story was first published in 1955. I enjoyed the explanation of the dangers of hyperspace travel, and I certainly think that there are plenty of other fascinating ideas and descriptions in this work to keep the reader engaged.
survivalisinsufficient's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty entertaining vintage sci-fi. My fist Andre Norton, but I'd read another one.