Dialogue With Darkness

by Poul Anderson

As humankind begins to explore the blackness of far space, their earthbound minds obscure the deepest secrets of the dreaming worlds encountered, but to those brave enough to remain open-minded, those secrets are unmasked.

A Chapter of Revelation • (1972) • novella
Sister Planet • (1959) • novella
The Life of Your Time • (1965) • novelette [as Michael Karageorge]
Time Heals • (1949) • novelette
SOS • (1970) • novelette
Conversation in Arcady • (1963) • short story
Dialogue • (1976) • novelette
The Communicators • (1970) • novelette

Genres: Science Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1985

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

[James]

In the frozen blackness of space, humankind found a dreaming world of sun-shot mists and iridescent oceans. They stayed to explore and study, claiming it for their own; but, its deepest secrets remained utterly beyond their reach. Humanity was new to the stars, their minds still earthbound, eyes closed and fearful. But, there were a few who saw, and understood, and dreamed. With special restless courage of their pioneering ancestors, they journeyed out from their homes, eager to create a new destiny for themselves are among the stars, stretching, soaring, learning to hold a Dialogue With Darkness. This is their story.

[Ann-Catherine Morner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this on archive.org, since it isn't available as an ebook anywhere I can find.
This isn't usual Poul Anderson fare, his tales are mostly hopeful. Nearly always with a sparkle of fun.
This is Cold War dystopian science fiction.
Should be required reading for everyone too young to remember the Cold War.
Some of them could have been written today about the mess we are in right now.
May 2, 2025

[Brent Byron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 8 short stories. 4 of the stories blew my mind, well worth reading. the other 4 stories were okay. Unfortunately, The first story is probably the weakest. Just trudge through the first one, it gets so much better.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay - mainly time curious to read.