Reviews for The enemy stars

The average rating for The enemy stars based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-09-24 00:00:00 Cas Dean The Enemy Stars was first published by Poul Anderson in 1959, then rewritten in 1979 and a sequel / second part "The Ways of Love" was added for the 1987 edition I read. Nominated for a Hugo Award, this is one of his better works. Common Anderson themes of scientific estrangement and isolation from humanity, ironically caused by the very star spanning future Anderson espouses, links this work to his greater science fiction canon, but this is a more introspective, darker work than many of his better stories. Essentially, space travel has become bifurcated, with centuries old space ships slogging through space towards distant destinations, while the crews can instantly teleport to the ships while they travel. Something goes wrong and the far travelled crew finds themselves "lost in space". Anderson uses the crisis as a vehicle to explore who we are and why we are here and a lot about our best and worst nature. This is also similar in tone and style to Tau Zero and also vaguely comparable to Frank Herbert's Destination: Void. One of the most compelling elements of this narrative is a thematic comparison of star travel to pre-industrial sea travel and exploration (this was originally titled We have Fed Our Seas). Anderson, ever the Danish storyteller, shows how the inspiration to travel, the inchoate need to explore is a vital and necessary part of being human. "No people live long who offer their young men naught but fatness and security" - Anderson was a poet and a scholar and too uncomfortably a prophet, and this cautionary tale hits too near the truth to our society. A must read for a Poul Anderson fan.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-08-25 00:00:00 Thomas Woodall Goodness knows, I don't expect enlightened gender politics out of my old science fiction. I often mention how women are treated, because I think it bears mentioning, but I am also able to enjoy these old pulpy stories where women are absent, virgins, or sexpots. I don't need every book to reflect my ideas of gender - although if I go too long without a woman I can relate to, I get understandably twitchy. Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here. In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook