The Shrouded Planet

Nidorian #1

by Robert Randall, Robert Silverberg, Randall Garrett

The Shrouded Planet Robert Silverberg Randall Garrett

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Speculative Fiction

220 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1957

About the author

Robert Randall is a pseudonym for the authors Robert Silverberg and Randall Garrett, for the works they wrote together.

Reviews

[Craig Childs · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the planet Nidor, a proud alien race has rebuilt its civilization since most of its continents were destroyed in an event known as the Cataclysm nearly 4,000 years ago. Nidorian society has since evolved around powerful family clans. Traditions are tightly held onto. Sons are expected to enter the professions of their fathers. Most government functions are overseen by a Council of Elders and a rigid hierarchy of priests. Technology has advanced to the point of the pre-Industrial Revolution; they invented telephones and steam engines, but most transportation still depends on horse-like animals called deests.

Everything changes the day a team of Earthmen arrive from the sky. They set up a school dedicated to teaching science and slowly eroding trust in the ancient laws and religious scriptures.

This is Robert Silverberg's fifth novel and his first co-written with Randall Garrett. It was an important step in his maturing as a writer because unlike his previous efforts, which were fast-paced adventures, this book focuses on detailed world building. It is a fix-up novel comprised of three novelettes previously published in Astounding magazine-- "The Chosen People", "The Promised Land", and "False Prophet"--plus some brief interstitial material that bridges them together. Each story is told from the point of view of a different generation of a single family, so that we experience the transformation of Nidorian society gradually through their individual experiences.

One reviewer noted the book was ahead of its time because "the aliens (not the humans) are the viewpoint characters, the alien religion is treated seriously and respectfully, and even characters in opposition to the protagonists are given sympathetic roles."

While this is no doubt true, it was hard for me to overlook the story's faults:

-It stretches credulity that a society that advanced to the point of creating steam-powered trains could be so ignorant of science. For example, in the story where Kiv convinces the elders to let him using scientific methods to cure a plague of insects, it is established most Nidorians are unaware that many insects are born as larvae, then hibernate in a cocoon before reaching adulthood.

-The efforts of the Earthmen smack of colonialism. They think they are wiser than the indigenous clans because they have better technology. They are benevolent manipulators who tempt the Nidorians away from what they see as a silly, superstitious religion.

- The third story, in which Norvis prevents the rich ruling class from driving small farmers out of business, ends on an abrupt and somewhat anticlimactic cliffhanger. Norvis has unintentionally wrecked the global economy but also gained nearly complete influence over the Council of Elders.

This is still clearly an early work, but I was nonetheless impressed with the authors' attempt to develop a nuanced alien society with economic, scientific, religious, and familial concerns (one of the stories dealt with the abolishment of arranged marriages and the ban on same-clan breeding.)

At its conclusion, Norvis plans to challenge the power of the Earthmen, which I assume will be the subject of the sequel, The Dawning Light.

[Broos Broos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did NOT listen to ("read") the audio CD. I happened to have a paperback from 1981 (looks newer than that!) -- Starblaze Editions, Donning Company, Publishers.

I liked it. As you probably know, the "author" is (are) actually ROBERT Silverberg and RANDALL Garrett, who decided early in their careers (later 1950's) to write together. I started reading SciFi in the later 1960's and was familiar with Silverberg but not Garrett.

Though the story takes place on another planet among the native sentient species there, it could just as easily be a tale taking place here on earth. Instead of the usual more-technologically-advanced group subjugating (usually brutally) groups and tribes and civilizations at a technological disadvantage, this story involves the, yes, more-technologically advanced group ("EarthMen") intervening but NOT subjugating the less-technological society. The EarthMen have done their homework -- in that not only do they know the language, they are very familiar with the Holy Scriptures that the Nidorians ("Nidor" is their planet, their nation, and religion) abide by. The Earthmen appear not as gods, but as messengers of the gods, and go about patiently (gently) improving the Nidorian technology and life in general. Or so everyone thinks ...

The story is a fun and easy read - one stumbling block being having to remember the not-exactly-easy Nidorian names -- and my edition of the book could have stood a thorough editor in that there are more than a few typos and such, paragraphs switching places, etc.

And ... the ending seemed not only a bit rushed, but inconclusive. I wish there was a 'valid' (one which would 'make sense') why the EarthMen perpetrated an action mid-way through the book which was not only unethical, but disruptive to the society in general.

[David Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Nothing much memorable, but not a bad read. It's a way to pass the time.

A minor quibble: the cover art doesn't have anything at all to do with the story.

[Christopher Sutch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering that this was written by two rather young writers composing to the plot and market specifications provided them by John W. Campbell, this set of three novellas and connecting material isn't half-bad. The plot about Earth people inducing a scientific and technological revolution in an alien species is a little old, but is saved in this case by having the viewpoint be from the perspective of the aliens themselves.

The first novella is the best (titled "Kiv" in this version). It is a tightly paced and well-written science fiction story focusing on biology and the environment. The weakest is the second part: although the protagonist is said to be a scientist, we are told nothing of her scientific work. Her only motivation is to pursue her lover after he runs off into the wilderness.

The motives of the Earth people are puzzling: Why are they on this planet and why are they sponsoring the "uplift" of this species? We never fin out; maybe this is elucidated in the sequel.

[Craig Russo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this story very imaginative. I guess the overarching story was neat. But the characters were so...clueless. It was Christianity meets economics 101.

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not one of Silverberg’s best books, but still it is entertaining.

[Merlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As stated by Robert Silverberg, one half of the writing team, in the afterward the edition I have this isn't a novel but rather a set of three 'novelets' that act as the foundation for the separately published The Dawning Light. Ideally this should mean that each section should stand on its own which the first two do but sadly the third and final section is in possession of a sequel hook so massive that it isn't. The story feels so incomplete, that it stops being a hook and becomes a cliffhanger more worthy of the name than any Stallone movie. This means that while I liked the thing overall, especially the aforementioned afterward where Silverberg talks about the method and history of working with Randall Garrett (the other half of the team), the ending means that I will most likely never read this book again and am passing my copy on.

[Jon]

7 out of 10

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read exploring ideas of colonialism, the search for knowledge, and how to cope with evolving traditions