The Night Face | "Let The Spaceman Beware!"

by Poul Anderson, Michael Whelan (Illustrator)

Also published as Let the Spacemen Beware!

The men on the spaceship Quetzal had a mission to perform, but everything indicated it would be a simple matter to set up a refueling station on the planet Gwydion. Advance explorations had already determined that the inhabitants of Gwydion were few in number and thouroughly amiable in their ways. In fact, such concepts as anger, thievery, murder and warfare did not exist for them. All that remained for the Quetzal was to find a suitable site and cement friendly relations.

But with the change of season and the bursting of the countryside into blossom, strange things began to happen. There was talk of a mysterious cycle and a day of danger. What was the secret the Gwydionites themselves dared not mention? How would it affect their spacemen visitors?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Collections, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy

145 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Pseudonym A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, Winston P. Sanders, P. A. Kingsley.

Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.

Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]

Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.


Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry

Reviews

[Darrel Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true tragedy. Very dry at times, but still very interesting and quite an emotional ending. This one runs deep.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but somehow it just seemed a little lightweight. I wouldn't say this is a good representation of Mr. Anderson's work. The concept is pretty good. The planet Gwyndion is being visited by members of the fallen Empire. It has been isolated for generations. In the meantime, a mythology greatly resembling Celtic mythology has come to dominate the planet. I think the main problem is the three main characters are not fully fleshed out. However, this is certainly not uncommon for a sci fi novel. The novel spends much time dealing with the relationship between two of the visitors to the planet. One comes from a democracy and another from a war like planet. As you would expect, there is a beautiful woman involved too. Anyway, the planet seems like paradise except for one season out of the year when the inhabitants change with the season. This is all explained and seems reasonable. This is not a bad novel it just seems that a little more effort a talent like Anderson could have made it much better and longer.

[Opalears · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had heard many good things about Poul Anderson and decided to try one of his books. I was utterly disappointed. The writing was mediocre at best and the plot was almost nonexistent. The only thing I enjoyed, and the reason why I bought the book in the first place, was the beautiful cover by Michael Whelan. The Night Face doesn't deserve you Michael Whelan.

[Samuelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vad ska man säga utöver att det är en klassisk science-fiction innehållande ett överflöd av påhittade tekniska termer och astrologiska fenomen. Det är trevligt att läsa något sådant ibland, och alltid finns det en grund i dessa som berör det mänskliga beteendet. Stundvis var denna rätt fånig, men om man läser boken med rätt ingång kan den erbjuda en stunds trevlig läsning i sommarvärmen!

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It is a cautionary tale of how one must be careful when interacting with another culture and its customs. The writer does a great job building up the story, though the characters were a bit one-dimensional.

[Des · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the best of the Technic Civilization stories, even though it takes place afterward, when humanity is trying to put the pieces back together. This is another piece of Anderson's brilliant cultural anthropology.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting setting that I wish I could read more books in. Interesting story but the buildup was a bit long - would have preferrred more focus on the later part of the story.

[James Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty great story from Anderson, with healthy doses of sci-fi, fantasy, philosophy, and even mild horror elements.

[Ted Manahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Psychological and anthropological fiction masquerading as science fiction. A quick read.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderfully written tragedy. The ending is horrific and descriptive. That is about the only part that wasn’t terribly boring though. The last 10 pages or so are better than the other 100+.

[Chris Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Beautifully written, well-crafted, compelling. Loved it.

[Mark Cheverton (scifipraxis) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but well realised story of contact with a lost colony which has a dark secret at its heart.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another paperback from the box of books left by my late father. He had quite a collection of SF pb's from the 60s and 70s, and this one was published in 1978. By Poul Anderson ( 1926-2001 ), this one was originally titled "Let the Spacemen Beware," a title I actually like better. It's a typical story in many ways by Anderson, who was one of my favorite SF writers in the 60s and 70s ( and a reason I give it **** ). But this is one I missed. It fits into his future history series, occurring after the fall of the Terran Empire. Here we have space explorers recontacting a human colony that became totally isolated from the rest of humanity. The planet Gwydion appears to be a peaceful world where there is no war or murder or theft. But our hero, the aristocratic Raven ( from a planetary colony based on the Scottish Highlands ), has his suspicions that all is not what it seems....if you know Poul Anderson from many of his books, you know he does not believe in Utopias.

[Fede · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most Dickian book from P.A.

As I say in the subject, this book reminds me so much of PKD style. Maybe that's because it has very little sf in it, it involves a distant planet, Gwydion, whose inhabitants evolved on their own during 1200 years just to be re-discovered by the surivors of Terran Empire downfall, at the dawn (oops dusk!) of the Long Night. I won't add anything more 'cause by doing so I would really spoil the book main mystery. Anyway, the main characters are very vivids, I loved them all, and the story is quite intriguing, so I definitely suggest you to read this book and enjoy it as I did!

[John Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Night Face (1963) 136 pages by Poul Anderson.

The afterword started saying things about three different cultures and mythology and other stuff. That was all there, but it's sort of a mystery story, in the fact he puts clues all around, and then at the end we find out. This mystery required extrapolation, so the reader could think one thing, but there was no way to be sure. So you have two ways to enjoy the story, the interaction between the three main characters and their cultures, and this mystery of the third culture.
It was OK, pretty fast read, and better than the picture
on the front cover might lead you to believe.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two civilizations meet, one with wars but founded on science, one without violence but founded on science AND religion in harmony. But how that peace is maintained is not as innocent as it seems.

Okay, for a short, cheap scifi novel this blew me away. The way that science and religion/taboo are approached in this build suspense and fear in a way that’s genuinely spooky and not at all goofy. The exploration of different ape-like residents of the more “primitive” race’s planet was unnerving and, at some points, heart pounding. There was also some pretty good personal character development!

I’d read this again in a heartbeat, it was an excellent short novel!

[Tharindra Kaluthotaarachchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only read a couple of books by Poul Anderson yet and this book is by far the best. The setting is believable, and he manages to keep the plot interesting right until the end( although it's predictable).

[Wit Serdakovskiy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Читалось легко. Сюжет держал, хотя и не железной хваткой. Немного разочаровала (относительная) примитивность развязки.

Продолжать изучение этой "вселенной" не собираюсь, потому и от рекомендаций воздержусь. Но для знакомства с творчеством автора текст вполне может подойти.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I personally thought this was on of the weaker of Poul Anderson's books. It was still OK, but he wrote many other better ones.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this.

[SciFiOne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade C+.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book, but not the best of Anderson's future series.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Anderson -- a completely enjoyable novelette. I look forward to reading meatier stuff by this author.

[SciFiOne · Rating 3 out of 5]

1978 grade C+

aka Night Face

ACE double novel F209

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

well written but incredibly obvious plotting.

[Gerald Kinro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the theme of human adaptation, about how environment affects a people's culture and how they survive.

[Richard Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fairly short book; I was able to read it in an afternoon. Found it quite gripping though. I wanted to see how it ended.

[Timothy]

This is the third Poul Anderson novella that I have read. The author is learned and clever, and the story is not bad. A good ending, if a bit too abrupt. My caveats are two:

1. It would have worked better had it been fleshed out as a full novel, with more attention to character and the passage of moments, of scenes. As it is, it seemed a bit rushed at the end. The longer story, Dancer from Atlantis that I read a month or so ago, was better in this regard, though it seemed a bit rushed, too, towards the end.

2. I have in hand (as I finished the work under discussion) a paperback of The Worlds of Jack Vance, and, dipping in to a slightly shorter story than this Poul Anderson effort, the novelette “The Brains of Earth” — which can only be judged third-tier Vance — I immediately note the contrast: Vance is the far better writer. His style is so much more individual, and so much more sure, more masterly. Unfair comparison, really, but the plot of The Night Face is something that Vance could have thought of. But would have made better.