Lone Star Planet

by H. Beam Piper, John Joseph McGuire

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Westerns, Science Fiction Fantasy, Audiobook, Novels, Short Stories

88 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wild west meets sci-fi

Review of free Kindle edition
A Public Domain Book
Publication date: March 30, 2011
Language: English
ASIN: B004UK0GKK
80 pages


New Texas - a planet of extreme individualists with a libertarian type government taken to its logical absurdities. A place where it is open season on politicians. Here is a quote from the novella, ""Keep a government poor and weak and it's your servant; let it get rich and powerful and it's your master. We don't want any masters here on New Texas.". But the ways they have evolved to maintain that type of government! Add to the inherent entertainment value of that basic premise a hostile alien race set to invade, a Solar League opposing the aliens, a Retief style ambassador and you have a very entertaining story with large doses of humor written by a notable golden age sci-fi author.

There are obvious similarities between Ambassador Stephen Silk and Keith Laumer's diplomat extraordinaire, Jame Retief but Laumer began his series of stories and novels in the early 1960's. H. Beam Piper published LONE STAR PLANET in the March 1957 issue of FANTASTIC UNIVERSE. It was later published in book form as A PLANET FOR TEXANS in Ace Double D-299 in 1958. It eventually won a Prometheus Hall of Fame Award in 1999. The story Is said to have bern based on an idea by H.L. Mencken.

If you enjoyed the movies Cowboys and Aliens; West World; Serenity; The Aurora Encounter; Back to the Future Part III; Tremors 4, The Legend Begins and the tv series, Firefly, you may want to try this one. It is free from Amazon at this time.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8⭐

A good ol' 50's era space opera for the good ol' boys. Texans, fed up with government over regulation, and with government in general, pack up en masse and migrate to a planet they call...wait for it...New Texas. They brought their guns but they didn't have to bring the cows because New Texas is the home of the supercow, a 15 thousand pound cross between a hippo and a dinosaur, which is also the best meat in the galaxy. They're herded not with the cowboy's faithful horse, but with tanks and bombers. So every ranch has it's private army and air force. I think you get the drift, pardner.

The focus of the story is on the planet's legal system, which permits the murder of politicians if they "had it coming", if for example they try to introduce an income tax. The previous ambassador from the Solar League (Earth) has been assassinated by killers hired by dog like aliens who want to take over the planet. The new ambassador, our hero, has to bring the killers to justice despite the peculiar courts, thwart the invasion and of course, get the girl.

It's a fluffy libertarian fairy tale that's good for a couple of hours diversion. Pretty dated in it's attitudes to women and everything else but still mostly harmless fun.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, "first off" the cover and to a certain extent the synopsis I read mislead me. There isn't really any real military content. The invasion plays a part of the story but don't go in looking for planet side guns fighting off invading ships as is pictured on the cover of some editions.

Now, that said I like the book. As a matter of fact if colonization to this planet was really open, I'd go...or at least try to.

Truth be told this book struck my more as an extended outline than a novel. There's an idea here and it's set up pretty well. The characters, the plot, the planetary government in not only..."unique"...but interesting. I don't think I've seen this particular idea anywhere else.

The book is by turns fast moving, humorous, and exciting.

So, I like the book. I like the plot. I like the execution. I'd like to see it done "more so".

Recommended, enjoy.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, short reread. I don't like H. Beam Piper's books as a general rule. But I love this one!

========

I just finished featuring this on Forgotten Classics podcast. This was read by Mark Douglas Nelson of LibriVox (God bless 'em!).

This novella was rip-roarin' fun.

New Texas: its citizens figure that name about says it all. The Solar League ambassador to the Lone Star Planet has the unenviable task of convincing New Texans that a s’Srauff attack is imminent, and dangerous. Unfortunately it’s common knowledge that the s’Srauff are evolved from canine ancestors—and not a Texan alive is about to be scared of a talking dog! But unless he can get them to act, and fast, there won’t be a Texan alive, scared or otherwise!

As a citizen of Texas for over 20 years ... I want to go to there.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Piper works. Its highly political in nature, but it’s really the world that he created that draws me in. I love the idea of herding super cows with giant tanks. I love that the Texans took the old Alamo and placed it on a new planet. I had a Texan for a roommate in college, and I’m fairly sure that if Texas decided to make a new planet this is exactly what they’d do. Piper really got the spirit of the people, who, having left their own state decided they really wanted their own planet that wouldn’t be interfered with what basically equates to Space Yankees. It’s really just a hoot the whole way through.

Favorite quote: ‘"Murderers?" She was indignant. "That wasn't murder. He just killed a politician. All the court could do was determine whether or not the politician needed it, and while I never heard about Maverick's income-tax proposition, I can't see how they could have brought in any other kind of a verdict. Of all the outrageous things!"’

Just.hilarious.

[Xan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novela de space opera de los años cincuenta, con una propuesta de sistema de gobierno que en estos momentos se me antoja casi deseable. Bormas aparte es una novela corta, divertida y a pesar de los tópicos y de la distancia (cultural y temporal) con la época en que fue escrita no deja de ofrecer un par de preguntas interesantes sobre lo que es la política.

Para aspirantes a presidentes de gobierno.

[Pop · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I won't recap the description of the book. That's already been done and you can read it for yourself. This was the LibriVox reading by Mark Douglas Nelson (God bless him, this was a great reading). I had never read one of H. Bean Piper's books or short stories before Lone Star Planet, really never heard of him and am quite sad that I hadn't. I've got to read/listen to some of his other works. This one was a 5* plus, a mix of old time western gunslingers and politics done in sc-fi. Absolutely hilarious, I can't count the times Mr. Nelson had me busting out laughing at Mr. Piper's work. Politicians beware, they certainly wouldn't like it if we could deal with them the way the New Texans do in this novel. Individual's can hold them accountable if they feel they have not represented the people's interest, and I don't mean by voting them out (remember this is the New Texas with an Old Texas twist). Awesome story, plot and reading; but you might not like it if you are a Liberal! Bring it on America.

[Tasula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rollicking sci-fi farce in which an intrepid Solar League consul is shanghaied into replacing the recently assassinated ambassador to the Lone Star Planet (where wild west Texas lives again). Fearing he will be assassinated next, he treads carefully in a political climate where guns and knives instead of diplomacy and negotiation are the primary tools. Very amusing.

[Nathan Trachta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this one many times and have to say this is a favorite when I want to have that "old home, remind me of my youth" moment. My love for this one is simple; politics, actions, and directness. In this book Mr. Piper looks at a political system that simple and direct and more importantly where politicians are held accountable for their actions by the people they represent. The method Mr. Piper employs borders on the shocking but is thought provoking. Merging this with his brief description of a feudalism in "modern politics" (he present this is much better detail in Space Vikings) and having a story that's we'll told and entertaining makes for a fun fast read and a favorite of mine. A solid 5 star book, if there's any weakness it's that while the sci-fi aspect is necessary to tell the story it's not the focus; instead it's the vehicle that enables Mr. Piper to tell his story.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is all hat and no cowboy. A Planet for Texans was written by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire as a science-fiction book that was probably intended to be some kind of statement about libertarian politics. What we get is a half-baked novelette with too much dialogue and a handful of science-fiction images. The end result is nothing memorable.

Stephen Silk is an ambassador for the Solar League, a United Nations type of organization that manages interplanetary politics at the end of the 22nd century. They send him to New Texas, a planet colonized by Texans after a series of wars that made them want to leave Terra and live according to their own rules on an alternate planet. The Solar League wants New Texas to join them but some of the planet’s inhabitants are against the idea for fear that they will not be allowed to continue with their lifestyle. The previous ambassador, Cumshaw (I couldn’t help thinking of his name being a misspelling of “cumshot” while reading this), was murdered and Silk needs to find out how and why.

The Texans colonized New Texas because it had herds of supercows, basically giant cattle that are no different from ordinary cows except for their enormous size. The ranch owners supply the entire universe and all its planets with supercow meat. There are a few other science-fiction details like space age guns and flying cars. More or less, New Texas does not appear to be a whole lot different from the real Texas and this story could have taken place on Earth without having to change much. There is one other difference though and that is the presence of the z’Srauff, a race of creatures that have achieved the same evolutionary level as homo sapiens only they descended from dogs instead of apes.

The strongest part of this book is its blending of elements from various genres. It has details that are not only from science-fiction but also westerns, detective fiction, mysteries, espionage, political thrillers, utopian literature, political ideology, and courtroom drama. But none of these elements are written out to their full potential. They hang out in the sidelines of the story and are more like window dressing then substantial parts of the book.

The characters are just as irrelevant. There are around ten different people that get introduced and most of them do nothing more than speak a couple of times. Some of them only speak once. Their main function in the story is to provide information about Cumshaw’s murder to Stephen Silk as he tries to solve the crime. The authors could have easily accomplished the same thing with two characters maximum. Why is Hoddy Ringo even in this book? He serves absolutely no purpose at all.

There isn’t much action to speak of. Aside from a flying car chase, a possible assassination plot that never gets full treatment, and a couple brief gun fights, most of the book is dialogue. The New Texans speak in a folksy idiom as they tell Silk about their freedom and love of guns. He questions them about the murder and then acts as a prosecuting attorney as the gang that shot Cumshaw are on trial. You mostly get the same story twice because the New Texans first explain the crime to Silk and then the whole story gets told again during the trial with mostly the same details. This takes up about half the story which is sad considering it is only 100 pages long. Authors that need to repeat themselves to such an extent to fill up pages don’t have much to say.

A Planet for Texans is a lean, skeletal, anemic piece of writing. It has the feel of an outline more than a story. The political ideology of New Texas is little more than shallow thoughts for simpletons but I won’t bother to dwell on that. If the authors filled in more details, added a subplot or two, given the characters more dimension, and thrown in a little more action, this could have been about half as good as Dune. But they didn’t and the result is juvenile, cartoonish, and rudimentary. It isn’t any more sophisticated than an episode of Scooby Doo. The authors put a half-assed effort into this book and could have done a lot better if they had actually made the effort.

[Perry Whitford · Rating 3 out of 5]

'When the laws of non-Einsteinian physics were discovered and the hyperspace-drive was developed, practically the entire population of Texas had taken to space to find a new home and independence from everybody.'

You could see it happening too, couldn't you? Texans have always been prepared to go a long way to avoid federal interference.

Unsurprisingly, New Texas is much like the old Texas, only more so. The hulking cattle that drive their export meat trade are called 'supercows', their alcohol known as 'superbourbon' - no doubt if the writer had thought to mention a ten gallon hat it would have become a hundred gallon hat.

Ambassadors from Earth have either turned native, gone nuts or killed themselves, so when Stephen Silk is given the job it's not exactly a promotion. In fact, it may just turn out to be a death warrant.

New Texas is close to a hostile race of canine aliens called the "z'Srauff", and Earth is offering protection to the independently spirited Lone Star spacemen by sending a fleet to help grab the z'Srauff by the scruff of the neck.

The premise of Lone Star Planet is fun, the New Texans' approach to politics a liberal's worse nightmare, but unfortunately the brevity of the plot amounted to little more than a big ol' barbeque scene and a court case.

There were some other nice touches along the way. For instance, the euphemisms of politics have been mostly discarded, whereby the Ministry of Defense has been renamed, more accurately, the Ministry of Aggression.

Also, when Silk presented himself to the New Texans on arrival he did so sans suit and tie, wearing instead a full cowboy outfit with six-shooters!

[B. Zedan · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I can tell what Piper wrote and what he didn't. I've enjoyed the short stories of his I've read before (Oomphel earlier this month, Omnilingual last month), he's clearly sour towards most government, in such an enjoyable way and approach. The parts where I started to get drowsy-eyed were totally not his voice. So. Mr. McGuire, rest your soul, not a big fan of yours. The premise is that a bunch of Texans went and colonised a planet, turning it into a nostalgic parody of Texas-ness. And there are canine-based aliens. Some gunfights. Interesting political intrigue. Piper is kind of hilarious.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The publishers of this Piper novella must be scared that unless they make it blatantly obvious that is set in a Texas-like state named New Texas no one will read it and understand. So when it originally published in Fantastic Universe in 1957 it's called Lone Star Planet, but in book form (published by Ace Books as half of one of those funny little Ace Doubles) it's had this title change to A Planet for Texans. It's kinda really stupid if it ask me. Well, whatever. This is another of those classic Space Westerns in the fifties, and I think it's the best of them all. It's a little different this time round, they've gotten rid of almost all of the humor and with a stronger subject it's seems a lot more streamlined than the others. It presents a world on which controversial political assassination is approved practice. There's not so many different characters running about doing their thing. Actually, this novella may as well have been called The Adventures of Stephen Silk since he's basically the main character. Without Silk the whole Space Western genre would never have been as funny or amazing as it is, and it seems that the publishers and Piper have realized that. Silk's in all the best scenes, and gets all the best lines. He becomes assigned to New Texas as statesman because of the controversial assassination of the previous statesman. Sure, there's still some funny moments with the main characters, but the others are really just bearded extras, and otherwise it's a very disturbing Orwellian vision of space colonization. Even the other Texans take a backseat to Silk's antics, none of them having much to do at all except hiring Silk to assign the colony to the Solar League. That's probably the only complaint I'd have: there are no Space Cowboy stories at all! I found overall this fun novella was a lot faster and funnier than Piper's earlier works, and it doesn't degenerate into an overly sappy ending as most works of science fiction at the time did. This is great stuff. Read it.

[Wampuscat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real gem of a story hidden in obscurity. The blurb is also misleading in that the whole alien menace is just set dressing for the real story.

Here's my version of a blurb: Things aren't just Big on New Texas, they're Super, including the complications! Ambassador Stephen Silk, tasked with bringing the planet of New Texas into the Solar League fold (by hook or by crook) has to learn to do things the New Texas way in a hurry, or he just might find himself six-feet under like his predecessor. With conspiracies on all sides (including his own) he must contrive a way to stop the aliens, annex the New Texans without a destructive fight, and save his own skin!

That about sums it up. The main point of interest for me was the political system of New Texas. If a citizen felt a politician had done something to infringe on the liberty of the people by overstepping the government's job, then they could kill them. As long as a jury could be convinced that the killing was justified because of the politicians actions, it's not even considered murder. Talk about keeping your elected officials on a short leash!

As I've seen with almost every Piper novel or story I've read, the idea of limiting governmental power and maintaining individual liberties are strong in them. I suppose that's one of the reasons his writing resonates with me so much. That and the fact that they are always entertaining stories with definite defined characters, or course. Even the ones with little action and much intrigue are not too boring. This one is low on action, but the all-out full-force nature of the characters more than makes up for it.

I can highly recommend this one. i give it five stars and call it a Super Read!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Consider Phlebas", book #1 in the Culture series, the Culture and the Idiran Empire are fighting a galaxy-wide war. At the start of the story, a Culture Mind, a self-aware supercomputer, fleeing the destruction of its ship after an Idiran ambush, takes refuge on Schar's World.

The Culture and the Idiran's send teams to capture the Mind, but since Schar's World is kept apart from the rest of the galaxy by the Dra'Azon, godlike beings who no longer have a physical form, and who maintain Schar's World as a monument to its extinct civilization, the Idiran's need someone who can wheedle his way onto the planet. They order Horza, a shape-changing mercenary, who they believe the Dra'Azon guardian may a

llow onto the planet since he was once part of a group of Changers who acted as stewards of Schar's World, to capture the Mind.

The Culture sends Perosteck Balveda, a Special Circumstances agent, to try to recover the Mind before the Idiran team can do so.

Horza spends much of "Consider Phlebas" blundering from one outrageous adventure to another on his way to Schar's World. It fact, I found the trip to Schar's World to be more thrilling than what occurred once they arrived on the planet.

"Consider Phlebas" is an odd novel: it describes two of the most disgusting ways to die I've ever read, and it is graced by word pictures of surpassing beauty--a gigantic starship slowly crashing into a stupendous iceberg that's floating on a gargantuan orbital city is just one memorable sequence (there are others).

The narrator, Peter Kenny, does a fine job of voicing the characters

5 stars. Highly recommended.

[Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lone Star Planet - what would happen if Texans blasted off en masse to settle their own planet?

This plays on a lot of early 1900's stereotypes of Texans. It is a bit humorous in that regard.

The story is very creative where politics and politicians are concerned. On this planet, if someone kills a practicing politician the trial is to determine whether the politician deserved it - was it a justifiable killing?

That creates a bit of the conflict within the story, in which a new ambassador arrives on the planet and has to attend the trial of the three men who killed his predecessor. There is a bit of courtroom setting. It certainly isn't Grisham level, but it moves well and keeps the reading moving forward.

Overall, I liked it. It was plenty creative, even if some of the sci-fi is dated. Grab a copy and enjoy!

[Jay Daze · Rating 3 out of 5]

A crazy alien world where everyone caries guns, wealthy types control society and politicians are killed for displeasing certain members of the public. And the climax of the book is the hero straight up heroically murdering 'sub-normals'. Is this a documentary? Nope it is H. Beam Piper scratching my Robert A. Heinlien liberatarian itch. Curse my traitorous, Canadian health care loving, polite soul, I'm totally fascinated by it. It's like the U.S. itself, I wouldn't want to live there, but man, it is fun to visit.

Thanks to Julie Davis, whose goodreads feed I follow for pointing me to the excellent librivox reading of this work by Mark Douglas Nelson.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a novella than a novel, it was later published as A Planet for Texans with the additional author of J. J. McGuire. I cannot speak to the novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed the novella. The exaggerated Texan culture on New Texas could be extrapolated from the current traditional one. The idea that any politician was fair game for assassination, provided the killer could prove he deserved it, was well-developed. Add in the threat of an alien invasion and the hint of romance and I would call the story a romp.

Who would like it? It is traditional science fiction, so folks who like SF would probably like this book, provided they didn't want something serious.

[B. Barron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, if a bit predictable.
I think I may be overdosing on H. Beam Piper. Probably need to take a break from his stuff for a bit.
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Addendum: The voice talent in my Librivox copy did a God-awful Texas accent. It may be he is from Texas (I do not know), but in the audio he over-played it. I know some native Georgians who exaggerate their accent to the point of caricature, and it felt a bit like that.

[Donal Kempton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piper at the top of his game

The suicide of H Beam Piper was a great loss to literature. Here we see him trotting out an unlikely political system seeking to ally with an even more unlikely political body. All the time done with great humor and enormous wit. It is a pity that authors today are unable to do more than still the outline of his ideas without ever approaching his talent.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful reading 📚

Due to eye issues Alexa reads to me, a will written romantic thriller fantasy Sci-Fi adventure novella.The characters are interesting and will developed.The story line is intense, fast moving, complicated, violent, political, and deception as the hero races to the conclusion. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick read. Enjoy reading 🔰2021 ☺

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

2018 grade B+

This novelette is about a hooligan diplomat and how he resolves a problem on a planet patterned after a sort of anarchy run Texas. The character reminds me of Keith Laumer's Retief and is is pretty much just as much fun. It is basically a combination of wild west action in a SciFi setting, with political intrigue and courtroom battles. It was quite a lot of fun. Free on Kindle.

[Adam Windsor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this as a teen and for some reason it made an indelible impression, and I have long had a hankering to read it again. Now I have an ... well, it's a decent little SF novella, if one ignores how deeply implausible the society it presents is, but not exactly very deep or surprising (at least if you are paying attention, which I guess my teenage self was not).

[Brian Terence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, it's cheesy, but if you don't take it too seriously, it's a fun story.

The version I listened to was from Librivox and read by Mark Nelson; he did a great job with the accent, really made the story fun to listen.

It is also worth noting that some of the more serious aspects of this work are very prescient for 2025.

[Conrad Gempf · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's science fiction, but it's 1950s science fiction, so there are space ships but no personal phones, let alone computers. When the main character departs for a posting out in the less civilised regions, he packs a whole bunch of microfiche for reading material! But if you can look past that, this is a fun early go at a sci-fi western. "Firefly" it ain't, but it'd make a good appetizer.

[Jennifer Kubenka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, short, entertaining, and surprisingly not as dated a read as I expected it to be. Part of me really enjoys the whole set-up where politicians can be shot if they don't truly represent their constituency. Part of me is appalled, as well. :)

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

This book would have made a great late 1930’s Republic Studio Western. While this book does not have the depth of H. Beam Pipers Paratime stories it is never the less very entertaining.

[Holly Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little story about a "Texas-like" planet in the future.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to alone with Forgotten Classic.
Loved it. Though dated in tech, it was still great.

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun short read

Book was ok for what it is. Not a lot of character development, no deep insights, but light and entertaining.