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The Hub
Demonska vrsta
Znanstvenik Ticos Cay povukao se u osamu vodenog svijeta kako bi se posvetio istraživanju besmrtnosti. Njegove pokuse naglo prekida ponovni napad tuđinaca koje su ljudi pobijedili sedamdeset godina ranije. Kako bi spriječio novi pokušaj pokoravanja ljudske civilizacije, Cay izmišlja Tuvele, nadrasu čiji je zadatak osujetiti izvanzemaljsku invaziju. Kad mlada Nile Etland dođe u posjet prijatelju Ticosu nastaje noćna mora. Sudbina se čovječanstva iznenada nađe u njenim rukama...
189 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1968
2 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
James H. Schmitz
240 books92 followersJames Henry Schmitz (October 15, 1911–April 18, 1981) was an American writer born in Hamburg, Germany of American parents. Aside from two years at business school in Chicago, Schmitz lived in Germany until 1938, leaving before World War II broke out in Europe in 1939. During World War II, Schmitz served as an aerial photographer in the Pacific for the United States Army Air Corps. After the war, he and his brother-in-law ran a business which manufactured trailers until they broke up the business in 1949.
Schmitz is best known as a writer of space opera, and for strong female characters (including Telzey Amberdon and Trigger Argee) that didn't fit into the damsel in distress stereotype typical of science fiction during the time he was writing. His first published story was Greenface, published in August 1943 in Unknown. Most of his works are part of the "Hub" series, though his best known novel is the non-Hub The Witches of Karres, concerning juvenile "witches" with genuine psi-powers and their escape from slavery. Karres was nominated for a Hugo Award.
In recent years, his novels and short stories have been republished by Baen Books (which bought the rights to his estate for $6500), edited (sometimes heavily edited) and with notes by Eric Flint. Baen have also published new works based in the Karres universe.
Schmitz died of congestive lung failure in 1981 after a five week stay in the hospital in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Betty Mae Chapman Schmitz.
Schmitz is best known as a writer of space opera, and for strong female characters (including Telzey Amberdon and Trigger Argee) that didn't fit into the damsel in distress stereotype typical of science fiction during the time he was writing. His first published story was Greenface, published in August 1943 in Unknown. Most of his works are part of the "Hub" series, though his best known novel is the non-Hub The Witches of Karres, concerning juvenile "witches" with genuine psi-powers and their escape from slavery. Karres was nominated for a Hugo Award.
In recent years, his novels and short stories have been republished by Baen Books (which bought the rights to his estate for $6500), edited (sometimes heavily edited) and with notes by Eric Flint. Baen have also published new works based in the Karres universe.
Schmitz died of congestive lung failure in 1981 after a five week stay in the hospital in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Betty Mae Chapman Schmitz.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 19, 2019
Real Rating: 3.5* of five
I read this as part of a collection of Schmitz's work, The Hub: Dangerous Territory
In 1968, this book's original version appeared as a two-part novella called "The Tuvela" (which title I prefer) in Analog magazine. The author was, at that time, fifty-seven. He had spent most of his early life in Germany, where his American family was based and his father sold International Harvester equipment. He was the very rare optimistic writer of Space Opera, whose characters were thrown into extreme situations; but they came from, and one is left to feel returned to, ordinary and reasonably pleasant lives.
The main thing everyone latches onto, however, is the fact that a Schmitz Hero was as likely to be female as male. And when I capitalize Hero, it is deliberate and thoughtful. A heroine is thrust into a situation where she must Rise Above her femaleness and save the day. Schmitz had no time for suchlike goins-on. Nile Etland, the Hero of this book, starts out as the omnicompetent person she remains; her ascension to Hero status comes from her willingness to overcome her *human* responses to stress and thus save the day:
She's not a girl making girl-noises as she forces herself to do what needs to be done. She's a human being with human responses and she quells them in order to make the world safe for democracy or humanity or whatever. I was clear that her fight against the enemy was about survival but never really cottoned on to the bigger picture until after the battle.
The battle in question takes place on a water-world that's been colonized by humans. As we know now, water worlds are common as pig tracks in the universe, appearing in many if not most other star systems. Like a Hot Jupiter and a Super-Earth, it's something our own solar system failed to produce or retain, we can't figure out which as of yet. Schmitz, probably all unknowing unless he was a time traveler (an eventuality I do not scorn to entertain, given his attitudes), posited the existence of a water-world with a terrestrial atmosphere:
So more or less they're pelagic mangroves on an Earth-in-Pangaean-times. That was nothing short of prescient in 1968. It's extra impressive given the fact that the man was born in 1911. Isn't that about the time the last plesiosaurs died out? Nandy-Cline is a part of a pan-Galactic human polity, seemingly similar to the colonial world of the Bronze Age Greeks and Phoenicians. The ships of the Overgovernment are like the ships of the Athenian or Carthaginian (aka Phoenician) navies, they fly the homeland's flag and squash the most egregious floutings of the social contract. Of course, being so far removed from the nuts-and-bolts of daily living, the Overgovernment takes a necessarily broad view of what the social contract holds:
That sounds grimly familiar, doesn't it. Your individual well-being is none of their business, but the functioning of human society as a whole is, and a carefully managed business it is. The plot of this book is, well, direct and pared-down compared to what we're accustomed to in this age of book bloat:
We could call that shorthand for much longer and possibly more interesting scenes of character development. Of which there is comparatively little for anyone except Nile. She is notably endowed with powers of observation and analysis in abundances not ascribed to any other person or being on the page. It was a novella when in came out, so this is comprehensible. It's not ideal in today's world, and for once that's a shame because this story is one the modern marketplace would like, with its gender-neutral heroics.
Because this story takes place within Schmitz's shared-worlds universe called "The Hub" there are connections to the broader story of humanity in colonized space. This is dealt with in an end section, I don't think it's exactly considered a chapter, titled: "Conclusions of the Evaluating Committee of the Lords of Sessegur, Chiefs of the Dark Ships—Subject: The Human-Parahuan Engagement of Nandy-Cline". This purports to be the minutes of a governing body's committee charged with the observation and assessment of species' behaviors and their consequences, as they pertain to larger issues of cohabiting the galaxy with the aforementioned Lords. So this short tale assumes larger and more resonant meaning in the Schmitzverse, and therefore illuminates the true nature of all aspects of our existence. We are not alone. As we judge, so we are in turn judged...and the judges aren't always known to us.
Sobering thought, that.
I read this as part of a collection of Schmitz's work, The Hub: Dangerous Territory
In 1968, this book's original version appeared as a two-part novella called "The Tuvela" (which title I prefer) in Analog magazine. The author was, at that time, fifty-seven. He had spent most of his early life in Germany, where his American family was based and his father sold International Harvester equipment. He was the very rare optimistic writer of Space Opera, whose characters were thrown into extreme situations; but they came from, and one is left to feel returned to, ordinary and reasonably pleasant lives.
The main thing everyone latches onto, however, is the fact that a Schmitz Hero was as likely to be female as male. And when I capitalize Hero, it is deliberate and thoughtful. A heroine is thrust into a situation where she must Rise Above her femaleness and save the day. Schmitz had no time for suchlike goins-on. Nile Etland, the Hero of this book, starts out as the omnicompetent person she remains; her ascension to Hero status comes from her willingness to overcome her *human* responses to stress and thus save the day:
She was frightened; and knowing that now of all times she couldn't afford to be frightened simply was making it that much worse. For moments her thoughts became a shifting blur of anxieties. She tried to force them back to what she would say to the Everliving, to anticipate questions to which she must have answers. It didn't work too well. But the physical reactions faded gradually again.
She's not a girl making girl-noises as she forces herself to do what needs to be done. She's a human being with human responses and she quells them in order to make the world safe for democracy or humanity or whatever. I was clear that her fight against the enemy was about survival but never really cottoned on to the bigger picture until after the battle.
The battle in question takes place on a water-world that's been colonized by humans. As we know now, water worlds are common as pig tracks in the universe, appearing in many if not most other star systems. Like a Hot Jupiter and a Super-Earth, it's something our own solar system failed to produce or retain, we can't figure out which as of yet. Schmitz, probably all unknowing unless he was a time traveler (an eventuality I do not scorn to entertain, given his attitudes), posited the existence of a water-world with a terrestrial atmosphere:
Nandy-Cline's pelagic floatwood forests, forever on the move about the watery planet where one narrow continent and the polar ice massifs represented the only significant barriers to the circling tides of ocean.
***
Beneath the surface they were linked by an interlocking net of ponderous roots which held the island sections clamped into a single massive structure.
So more or less they're pelagic mangroves on an Earth-in-Pangaean-times. That was nothing short of prescient in 1968. It's extra impressive given the fact that the man was born in 1911. Isn't that about the time the last plesiosaurs died out? Nandy-Cline is a part of a pan-Galactic human polity, seemingly similar to the colonial world of the Bronze Age Greeks and Phoenicians. The ships of the Overgovernment are like the ships of the Athenian or Carthaginian (aka Phoenician) navies, they fly the homeland's flag and squash the most egregious floutings of the social contract. Of course, being so far removed from the nuts-and-bolts of daily living, the Overgovernment takes a necessarily broad view of what the social contract holds:
The Overgovernment evidently isn't interested in establishing a paradisiac environment for the harmless citizen. Its interest is in the overall quality of the species.
***
"It's been a long time between wars," Mavig said. "That's part of our problem. How about the overall Hub reaction, Director?"
"We'll let it be a three day sensation," said Sindhis. "Then we'll release a series of canned sensations which should pretty well crowd the Nandy-Cline affair out of the newscasts and keep it out. I foresee no difficulties."
That sounds grimly familiar, doesn't it. Your individual well-being is none of their business, but the functioning of human society as a whole is, and a carefully managed business it is. The plot of this book is, well, direct and pared-down compared to what we're accustomed to in this age of book bloat:
"In brief," Ticos said slowly, "the Great Palach intends to discredit the Tuvela Theory by showing he can torture the Guardian to death and add her to his collection of trophies?"
***
A very different type of mentality seemed involved. A mentality which systematically tortured human minds and bodies, leaving the victims degraded in death and carefully preserving their degradation, as if that were a goal in itself. . . .
***
Roles were distributed and the party set off.
We could call that shorthand for much longer and possibly more interesting scenes of character development. Of which there is comparatively little for anyone except Nile. She is notably endowed with powers of observation and analysis in abundances not ascribed to any other person or being on the page. It was a novella when in came out, so this is comprehensible. It's not ideal in today's world, and for once that's a shame because this story is one the modern marketplace would like, with its gender-neutral heroics.
Because this story takes place within Schmitz's shared-worlds universe called "The Hub" there are connections to the broader story of humanity in colonized space. This is dealt with in an end section, I don't think it's exactly considered a chapter, titled: "Conclusions of the Evaluating Committee of the Lords of Sessegur, Chiefs of the Dark Ships—Subject: The Human-Parahuan Engagement of Nandy-Cline". This purports to be the minutes of a governing body's committee charged with the observation and assessment of species' behaviors and their consequences, as they pertain to larger issues of cohabiting the galaxy with the aforementioned Lords. So this short tale assumes larger and more resonant meaning in the Schmitzverse, and therefore illuminates the true nature of all aspects of our existence. We are not alone. As we judge, so we are in turn judged...and the judges aren't always known to us.
Sobering thought, that.
April 21, 2014
To my pleasant surprise it held up very well. It was one of the original Ace Specials published the late Sixties and edited by Terry Carr. Schmityz is an underrated gem and this novel was pivotal in my becoming a feminist. The hero, Nile Etland, is a female who is omnicompetent, kicks butt, takes no names. She is a biochemist working on a planet with a rich ecology that is suddenly the focus of a potential alien invasion. A colleague has been captured by the aliens, Parahuans, and is going through tests to determine how tough it will be to defeat humans. Nile knows nothing about this and flies into a trap. Through resourcefulness (and a bit of luck) she demonstrates to the aliens just how difficult it would be to invade and ends up exposing the invasion.
On the surface this is a first-rate adventure novel. The ecology is richly described and well conceived. But the prize is Nile, who is a female doing what ordinarily would be the job of a male (in novels of this era, that is) and the genius of Schmitz is that he makes no special case for her. She is fully herself and there is no question that she can do what she does. Her femaleness goes (largely) unremarked. This it at odds with most SF of the time which would try to do this but then would make an argument on her behalf that there would be no reason she couldn't do this, a kind of special pleading that, while understandable, often undermined the very point the author was trying to make. Schmitz avoided that pitfall and just treated her like a human being.
He did this in much of his work and to my mind is an exemplar of advancing the nonstereotyped female hero in SF.
On the surface this is a first-rate adventure novel. The ecology is richly described and well conceived. But the prize is Nile, who is a female doing what ordinarily would be the job of a male (in novels of this era, that is) and the genius of Schmitz is that he makes no special case for her. She is fully herself and there is no question that she can do what she does. Her femaleness goes (largely) unremarked. This it at odds with most SF of the time which would try to do this but then would make an argument on her behalf that there would be no reason she couldn't do this, a kind of special pleading that, while understandable, often undermined the very point the author was trying to make. Schmitz avoided that pitfall and just treated her like a human being.
He did this in much of his work and to my mind is an exemplar of advancing the nonstereotyped female hero in SF.
February 26, 2012
Every couple of years I rediscover this book sitting on my bookshelf, vaguely remember that I tremendously enjoyed the story somehow, open it and start reading the first few pages to see what it was about, and then simply can not put down the book until I have finished reading it, again.
I have read this in Dutch and English both under the title 'The Tuvela' which I think is a better title than the generic sounding 'The Demon Breed'.
It's a fairly simple story about a previously defeated (and almost forgotten) alien race that, as a possible prelude to starting a new war with the human interstellar federation, stealthily invades the isolated waterworld of Nandy Cline to gather information about the strengths and weaknesses of the federation.
Nile Etland is the representative of a farmaceutical company that trades with the few people who live on the floating cities of Nandy Cline. When on one of her trips to the planet her colleague and friend Ticos Cay, a scientist studying the waterworld's flora, stops responding to her calls she investigates and discovers the aliens (also called Demons). Nile has to adopt guerilla tactics when trying to rescue her friend who coincidentally has assured the aliens that she is a Tuvela, an almost mythical being with extraordinary abilities whose possible existence is the only thing that has prevented the aliens from invading human space for a second time. It's going to take all of Nile's resourcefulness and wits to fool the aliens into thinking Tuvela's are real and preventing another interstellar war.
I truly can't pinpoint exactly why I value this book over so many others. Maybe it's because there is no (over)complicated character 'development' or unnecessary romantic or philosophical interludes. Maybe it's just the otters...
Even though I'm sure there will be people who won't give this 5 out of 5, I can't imagine anyone not liking it and that's not something I can say of a lot of books that are written these days. It may be difficult to get a physical copy of the book but I think you can download a legal digital version as a free uncopyrighted ebook so no reason whatsoever to not read it. Enjoy and let us know what you think.
I have read this in Dutch and English both under the title 'The Tuvela' which I think is a better title than the generic sounding 'The Demon Breed'.
It's a fairly simple story about a previously defeated (and almost forgotten) alien race that, as a possible prelude to starting a new war with the human interstellar federation, stealthily invades the isolated waterworld of Nandy Cline to gather information about the strengths and weaknesses of the federation.
Nile Etland is the representative of a farmaceutical company that trades with the few people who live on the floating cities of Nandy Cline. When on one of her trips to the planet her colleague and friend Ticos Cay, a scientist studying the waterworld's flora, stops responding to her calls she investigates and discovers the aliens (also called Demons). Nile has to adopt guerilla tactics when trying to rescue her friend who coincidentally has assured the aliens that she is a Tuvela, an almost mythical being with extraordinary abilities whose possible existence is the only thing that has prevented the aliens from invading human space for a second time. It's going to take all of Nile's resourcefulness and wits to fool the aliens into thinking Tuvela's are real and preventing another interstellar war.
I truly can't pinpoint exactly why I value this book over so many others. Maybe it's because there is no (over)complicated character 'development' or unnecessary romantic or philosophical interludes. Maybe it's just the otters...
Even though I'm sure there will be people who won't give this 5 out of 5, I can't imagine anyone not liking it and that's not something I can say of a lot of books that are written these days. It may be difficult to get a physical copy of the book but I think you can download a legal digital version as a free uncopyrighted ebook so no reason whatsoever to not read it. Enjoy and let us know what you think.
January 23, 2015
Further adventures in vintage dollar-bin sci-fi. This time the 70s cover art wasn't so much what sold me as the back-blurb promise of "mutant hyper-intelligent otters" which seemed just absurd enough. But as far as plot/theme/structure/style this is all fairly middling (albeit entertaining in an adventure-yarn sort of way). And an almost-redeemably quick read.
Basically, you have some naturalists using their knowledge of alien flora and fauna to evade alien invaders on in a floating forest on an ocean-covered planet. The aliens, miffed at being bested, suspect they are dealing with super-humans. Which they are: mutant super-intelligent otter sidekicks. But no, despite doing most of the work, we're supposed to ignore the otters and learn something like "all humans are super-human". I'm not entirely buying it. Where would we ever be without otters?
Basically, you have some naturalists using their knowledge of alien flora and fauna to evade alien invaders on in a floating forest on an ocean-covered planet. The aliens, miffed at being bested, suspect they are dealing with super-humans. Which they are: mutant super-intelligent otter sidekicks. But no, despite doing most of the work, we're supposed to ignore the otters and learn something like "all humans are super-human". I'm not entirely buying it. Where would we ever be without otters?
July 16, 2019
This is a straightforward story about an alien invasion on one of the human federations aquatic planets. This takeover was a test of their defenses, planned as a precursor to a larger multi-world invasion of the federation.
I loved that the world setting was well described. Unfamiliar things and terms were well introduced and explained as the story unfolded.
I loved that the lead was a strong female character, and I loved that the heroine Nile was a intelligent, resourceful, and capable woman.
A bit less in the spotlight was her male co-worker and friend Ticos, who at the time the book started had already endured quite a bit of harsh treatment by his alien captors.
Most of all, I loved that the "hyper intelligent mutant" otters were the real heroes of the book. Sweeting and her two wild friends had fun and interesting personalities. It seemed to reflect well on what I though an intelligent otter would be like.
The only negative point was that the first chapter or two was a slow start and a bit boring to me. I was tempted to give up, but I stuck with it as I was curious why my friend gave it the high praise of 5 stars. I'm glad I did keep reading, as it got much better after that. Once the story got going, it was an interesting and engaging read.
The title 'The Demon Breed' is unappealing to me and I didn't find the cover art interesting, so I probably wouldn't have read this except that is was recommended to me by a friend. 'The Tuvela' sounds like a much more interesting title.
I loved that the world setting was well described. Unfamiliar things and terms were well introduced and explained as the story unfolded.
I loved that the lead was a strong female character, and I loved that the heroine Nile was a intelligent, resourceful, and capable woman.
A bit less in the spotlight was her male co-worker and friend Ticos, who at the time the book started had already endured quite a bit of harsh treatment by his alien captors.
Most of all, I loved that the "hyper intelligent mutant" otters were the real heroes of the book. Sweeting and her two wild friends had fun and interesting personalities. It seemed to reflect well on what I though an intelligent otter would be like.
The only negative point was that the first chapter or two was a slow start and a bit boring to me. I was tempted to give up, but I stuck with it as I was curious why my friend gave it the high praise of 5 stars. I'm glad I did keep reading, as it got much better after that. Once the story got going, it was an interesting and engaging read.
The title 'The Demon Breed' is unappealing to me and I didn't find the cover art interesting, so I probably wouldn't have read this except that is was recommended to me by a friend. 'The Tuvela' sounds like a much more interesting title.
January 26, 2017
The "demon breed" refers to the Parahuans, aggressive, diminutive amphibious creatures, who perceive themselves as achieving perfection in all aspects of their live, including immortality. For seventy years the Parahuans has launched attacks on the several water worlds of the Hub, a series of planets populated by humanity, only to be driven back. Since they are unable to explain why a perfected race would lose to a perceived weaker creature, they hypothesized the Tuvela Theory, which is that humanity must be protected by a superior entity, i.e., the Tuvela.
Considering a new invasion or to abandon it forever, the Parahuans have clandestinely entered the oceans of the Hub world, Nandy-Cline, with their space ships and captured, Ticos Cay, an elderly pharmaceutical researcher isolated on one of this world's floating islands. He is awaiting another researcher, Nile Etland, an exceptionally capable scientist knowledgeable of the various flora and fauna of Nandy-Cline, including their natural defenses. When she discovers that Ticos has been captured and tortured to provide evidence of the Tuvela Theory, she, with the help of a couple of giant sentient otters, to assume the role of a goddess to rescue Ticos and to defeat the Parahuans. If she can only stay alive.
This novel, initially serialized, was published when I was 16 years old. It is an example of the space opera genre made famous by such classic science fiction writers as John Campbell and Robert Heinlein. If you are interested in the science fiction classics, you must include this novel.
Considering a new invasion or to abandon it forever, the Parahuans have clandestinely entered the oceans of the Hub world, Nandy-Cline, with their space ships and captured, Ticos Cay, an elderly pharmaceutical researcher isolated on one of this world's floating islands. He is awaiting another researcher, Nile Etland, an exceptionally capable scientist knowledgeable of the various flora and fauna of Nandy-Cline, including their natural defenses. When she discovers that Ticos has been captured and tortured to provide evidence of the Tuvela Theory, she, with the help of a couple of giant sentient otters, to assume the role of a goddess to rescue Ticos and to defeat the Parahuans. If she can only stay alive.
This novel, initially serialized, was published when I was 16 years old. It is an example of the space opera genre made famous by such classic science fiction writers as John Campbell and Robert Heinlein. If you are interested in the science fiction classics, you must include this novel.
June 8, 2019
I first read this book when it was serialized in a sci-fi periodical back in the 60's/70's. Then it was titled "The Tuvela". Very enjoyable then and now but ending with the trite "ain't humans so smart, courageous,resourceful and unbeatable" message. I swear that when I read this in Analog/Astounding there were TWO otters. Anybody???
- one, two, three, four otters????? I'm SO confused!
- one, two, three, four otters????? I'm SO confused!
May 8, 2024
Excellent sci-fi story that I must've read in the 60's, probably while in the Navy. I read it more recently and it held up nicely. Published in installments it was "The Tuvela," but in book form it's "The Demon Breed." I have it listed in two places under the two titles.
December 16, 2024
Oh wow, this was a refreshing read and I think I have found my favorite classic SF-autor (after Asimov and Clarke).
I knew one short story by Schmitz 'Grandpa', that I read as a young teen in an anthology of SF translated in Dutch. It was one of my favorites and inspired me as a young author, with its description of a convincing alien biosphere, with well thought out biology, and gripping adventure. I never read more by him and only recently found out he even wrote novels. They were even more right up my alley than I could have predicted from this one story.
Here still there is a well thought out ecosystem. An alien planet where people have seperated in several people and where giant floating forests circle over the ocean. Forests filled with dangerous life. And there are amphibious aliens with an alien biology and psychology. All convicing and feeling fresh even if almost sixty years have passed since this book was first published. Oh, and there are talking otters ...
Also still present is the great action. This is for a large part an adventure story, with narrow escapes, chases, dives, firefights and always the surroundings are used well and the protagonists use their wits more than their brawn to escape ... I could easily see this made as a hollywood production, and it would be a popular one.
Even though some people would think this a 'woke' movie, as the female protagonist is feisty, strong, intelligent and capable. And she is never motivated by lust or desire for a male companion, never a 'Damsel in distress'. Dr. Nile Etland can take care of herself, and rescue her friend Ticos Cay among the way. It was very refreshing finding a female character like this in a sixties SF-novel (seeing as how I had read a novel by Silverberg beforehand where the female protagonist was described as dumb and silly, and where every female character had the size of her breasts mentioned ...). This is a protagonist that feels ahead of the curve, even in our day and age, and the type of protagonist that I myself like to write about. And this by a male author none the less (I found from reviews on here that this kind of pro-active female protagonist is a hallmark of his work, and makes me want to read more of his novels soon!).
Oh, it's written in a serviceable, action oriented style, not too flowery, all to point and not distracting from the story.
The only thing that dates this story a bit in my view is the portrayal of human beings as superior to all aliens - but the last part of the book manages to dilute this and shows it not to be something to be proud of. What human beings are best at is agression and the human leadership does its best to keep that part of our nature down, for when we would be tempted to wage war with alien forces, our agression could turn inward as well, and human society could tear itself apart.
If you can find this novel it is very worthwile to read, especially if you like books with intelligent female protagonists, and books with lots of action on convincingly realised alien planets. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this book and hope Schmitz will get a bit of a resurrection in the SF-field. I think most of his work is out of print and that is a shame, as he would show readers that there have always been authors able to look beyond the cultural notions about gender and relationships from their time.
I knew one short story by Schmitz 'Grandpa', that I read as a young teen in an anthology of SF translated in Dutch. It was one of my favorites and inspired me as a young author, with its description of a convincing alien biosphere, with well thought out biology, and gripping adventure. I never read more by him and only recently found out he even wrote novels. They were even more right up my alley than I could have predicted from this one story.
Here still there is a well thought out ecosystem. An alien planet where people have seperated in several people and where giant floating forests circle over the ocean. Forests filled with dangerous life. And there are amphibious aliens with an alien biology and psychology. All convicing and feeling fresh even if almost sixty years have passed since this book was first published. Oh, and there are talking otters ...
Also still present is the great action. This is for a large part an adventure story, with narrow escapes, chases, dives, firefights and always the surroundings are used well and the protagonists use their wits more than their brawn to escape ... I could easily see this made as a hollywood production, and it would be a popular one.
Even though some people would think this a 'woke' movie, as the female protagonist is feisty, strong, intelligent and capable. And she is never motivated by lust or desire for a male companion, never a 'Damsel in distress'. Dr. Nile Etland can take care of herself, and rescue her friend Ticos Cay among the way. It was very refreshing finding a female character like this in a sixties SF-novel (seeing as how I had read a novel by Silverberg beforehand where the female protagonist was described as dumb and silly, and where every female character had the size of her breasts mentioned ...). This is a protagonist that feels ahead of the curve, even in our day and age, and the type of protagonist that I myself like to write about. And this by a male author none the less (I found from reviews on here that this kind of pro-active female protagonist is a hallmark of his work, and makes me want to read more of his novels soon!).
Oh, it's written in a serviceable, action oriented style, not too flowery, all to point and not distracting from the story.
The only thing that dates this story a bit in my view is the portrayal of human beings as superior to all aliens - but the last part of the book manages to dilute this and shows it not to be something to be proud of. What human beings are best at is agression and the human leadership does its best to keep that part of our nature down, for when we would be tempted to wage war with alien forces, our agression could turn inward as well, and human society could tear itself apart.
If you can find this novel it is very worthwile to read, especially if you like books with intelligent female protagonists, and books with lots of action on convincingly realised alien planets. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this book and hope Schmitz will get a bit of a resurrection in the SF-field. I think most of his work is out of print and that is a shame, as he would show readers that there have always been authors able to look beyond the cultural notions about gender and relationships from their time.
April 9, 2025
Another entry in the federation hub series by James Schmitz.
This is one of the few novel length stories he released.
This time around dangerous aliens send a small force to a water world with scattered floating islands, overgrown with vegetation.
The aliens capture a professor doing research on one of the floatwood islands and torture him for information about the human society.
Enter Dr. Nile Etland, another of Schmitz’s signature strong,smart and beautiful female protagonists. They’re a dime a dozen today but this was written in the 60s so it was interesting and different for the time.
From there on out it’s reverse predator or maybe regular first blood as Nile, along with her mutated, giant, talking otters go H.A.M. On the alien invaders and rescue the professor.
This was a quick, fun read that’s on par with Schmitz’s other work.
This is one of the few novel length stories he released.
This time around dangerous aliens send a small force to a water world with scattered floating islands, overgrown with vegetation.
The aliens capture a professor doing research on one of the floatwood islands and torture him for information about the human society.
Enter Dr. Nile Etland, another of Schmitz’s signature strong,smart and beautiful female protagonists. They’re a dime a dozen today but this was written in the 60s so it was interesting and different for the time.
From there on out it’s reverse predator or maybe regular first blood as Nile, along with her mutated, giant, talking otters go H.A.M. On the alien invaders and rescue the professor.
This was a quick, fun read that’s on par with Schmitz’s other work.
September 1, 2015
Read for the Yahoo! Classic Science Fiction Book Club.
I got sucked in to this book from the first sentence. It may have been written just after I was born but it didn't feel dated at all to me. It was a wonderful adventure.
Everything moved at a good clip but it wasn't just action. The alien planet, the alien creatures, the governments and sociologies of the different species were quite vivid and easy to visualize.
I am so excited to hear that this is part of a series and can't wait to read the others!
I got sucked in to this book from the first sentence. It may have been written just after I was born but it didn't feel dated at all to me. It was a wonderful adventure.
Everything moved at a good clip but it wasn't just action. The alien planet, the alien creatures, the governments and sociologies of the different species were quite vivid and easy to visualize.
I am so excited to hear that this is part of a series and can't wait to read the others!
July 17, 2008
This book has a cool alien planet, a kickass female protaganist, and an entertaining scheme. One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors.
April 27, 2025
If you couldn’t tell, I’ve lately developed a real passion for offbeat sci-fi paperbacks of yesteryear. My copy of The Demon Breed has a particularly gorked, crudely painted cover featuring a bikini-clad heroine with a sci-fi raygun harried by tiny monsters while a giant otter with an absurd facial expression watches her six. How could I not pick that up? I expected something fun- what I didn’t expect was a remarkably tight, well-paced, and shockingly smart piece by a writer who appears to have largely fallen into the cracks of memory.
The Demon Breed, while rooted in science fiction with its story of alien invasion, genetic engineering, and giant talking mutant otters (which I stress are actually a crucial part of the story,) actually proceeds much more like a tight spy novel or action-oriented military fiction. Without an excess of unnecessary worldbuilding, Schmitz launches almost immediately into the action: water-planet scientist Nile must rescue her old college professor, Ticos, from the clutches of a race of (hilariously small but still deadly) aliens conducting a covert invasion as a test run for a larger, galactic-level declaration of war. Armed only with a few tools and her pair of Giant Talking Mutant Otters, Nile has to rescue Ticos and warn the inhabitants of Nandy-Cline before it’s too late. What proceeds is fascinating: a deeply well thought out series of rescues, feints, and guerilla raids against a numerically advantaged alien force. Strategy is paramount; a great effort was clearly made by Schmitz to seriously think out how such an operation would be executed, operating well within the established rules of the setting and never playing deus ex machina out of convenience. And at just two hundred pages, Schmitz’ economical method of worldbuilding and characterization does an impressive job of establishing a firmly realized and believable setting without ever feeling rushed.
This is the only book I’ve ever read that features an Otter-Based Sapper Operation that seems absolutely sensible, believable, and fucking SICK so for that alone I highly recommend it.
(Note: some sources claim that Demon Breed is part of a “series.” This is incorrect- while it takes place within an established setting for Schmitz, I didn’t feel at any point that I was missing important context by reading this as a standalone volume. I’ll certainly be looking into more work by the late author, but rest assured that if you find this in your local used book store, you won’t in any way be lost in its contents.)
https://hideousrecollection.substack.com
The Demon Breed, while rooted in science fiction with its story of alien invasion, genetic engineering, and giant talking mutant otters (which I stress are actually a crucial part of the story,) actually proceeds much more like a tight spy novel or action-oriented military fiction. Without an excess of unnecessary worldbuilding, Schmitz launches almost immediately into the action: water-planet scientist Nile must rescue her old college professor, Ticos, from the clutches of a race of (hilariously small but still deadly) aliens conducting a covert invasion as a test run for a larger, galactic-level declaration of war. Armed only with a few tools and her pair of Giant Talking Mutant Otters, Nile has to rescue Ticos and warn the inhabitants of Nandy-Cline before it’s too late. What proceeds is fascinating: a deeply well thought out series of rescues, feints, and guerilla raids against a numerically advantaged alien force. Strategy is paramount; a great effort was clearly made by Schmitz to seriously think out how such an operation would be executed, operating well within the established rules of the setting and never playing deus ex machina out of convenience. And at just two hundred pages, Schmitz’ economical method of worldbuilding and characterization does an impressive job of establishing a firmly realized and believable setting without ever feeling rushed.
This is the only book I’ve ever read that features an Otter-Based Sapper Operation that seems absolutely sensible, believable, and fucking SICK so for that alone I highly recommend it.
(Note: some sources claim that Demon Breed is part of a “series.” This is incorrect- while it takes place within an established setting for Schmitz, I didn’t feel at any point that I was missing important context by reading this as a standalone volume. I’ll certainly be looking into more work by the late author, but rest assured that if you find this in your local used book store, you won’t in any way be lost in its contents.)
https://hideousrecollection.substack.com
June 15, 2019
Nile Etland is a hero before her time. Written in the late 1960’s, Nile is a smart, resourceful, physically capable woman – unusual characteristics for female characters in science fiction fifty years ago.
She needs to save researcher Dr Ticos Cay; but she soon discovers that he has been captured by the Parahuans, vicious aliens who are probing the water planet where Nile lives to see if they can once more launch an invasion of the Federation of Planets. Her mission to rescue Cay turns into a mission to thwart the Parahuans on this particular planet and all other planets.
Her only allies are three intelligent mutant otters. Her best weapon is her knowledge of the indigenous plants and wildlife of the water world where she was born and raised and her ability to exploit misconceptions of the Parahuans about what they consider lesser species. She must hold the line of defense until she can alert the planet authorities.
I enjoyed the story and the ending gave an interesting change of focus – from detailing of the action to official reports by those, including the Parahuans, who had taken part.
She needs to save researcher Dr Ticos Cay; but she soon discovers that he has been captured by the Parahuans, vicious aliens who are probing the water planet where Nile lives to see if they can once more launch an invasion of the Federation of Planets. Her mission to rescue Cay turns into a mission to thwart the Parahuans on this particular planet and all other planets.
Her only allies are three intelligent mutant otters. Her best weapon is her knowledge of the indigenous plants and wildlife of the water world where she was born and raised and her ability to exploit misconceptions of the Parahuans about what they consider lesser species. She must hold the line of defense until she can alert the planet authorities.
I enjoyed the story and the ending gave an interesting change of focus – from detailing of the action to official reports by those, including the Parahuans, who had taken part.
October 19, 2023
The Parahuan are an amphibious alien species who were thought to have withdrawn to their home worlds after a disastrous defeat to the human Federation forces nearly a century earlier. But a researcher, Ticos Cay, on the floating forests of the water world Nandy-Cline has had the bad luck to run into a number of Parahuan forces, intent on regaining their pride. Convinced that their loss was due to super-humans they call Tuvelas, the Parahuans, who usually have a balance between the Voice of Action and the Voice of Caution (opposing factions), the human Nile and her companion, an enhanced sea otter called Sweeting, are forced to use this myth to deal with the rampant Parahuans. The bulk of the book chronicles the slog through the nearly-impenetrable forests and bogs, while dodging armed and dangerous Parahuans…not to mention their hunting beasts! James H. Schmitz has written much better books, and this one (an expanded version of the Analog serial “The Tuvela” in 1968) is not a must-read, despite Nandy-Cline being an intriguing concept.
November 25, 2020
In some respects, this felt surprisingly modern for an SF novel from 1969. Partly because it has a female protagonist who is as resourceful and competent as the male protagonist would be in a more typical rendering, but even more so because the writer doesn't make a big deal of this. She's resourceful and competent because why not?
Overall, a minor but enjoyable adventure.
Overall, a minor but enjoyable adventure.
November 26, 2022
Thank goodness for the review by Richard Derus. I can appreciate this a lot better knowing its context. But I'd love it anyway, if only for the human hero who happened to be female, and the 'uplifted' otters.
February 29, 2024
First reread after many years. Previously read and reread many times. As entertaining now as then. Well done period space opera with a heroic female lead mostly unusual for the time. The Federation of the Hub remains an impressive creation of human expansion in space
November 4, 2018
One of the best scifi books ever written. I recently purchased a hard back edition to add to my library. Just perfect.
February 15, 2019
One of the best science fiction short stories ever written. Nile Etland is a heroine in the Schmitz tradition. Capable,”just do it”.
June 29, 2023
Bleh. Lots of goofy character names, lots of implications of an epic backstory, lots of adjectives, but not much of a plot. DNF
May 11, 2024
Not my style of story unfortunately. I like fantasy but not sci fi.
I thought this was a horror novel... couldn't finish it.
I thought this was a horror novel... couldn't finish it.
April 21, 2014
To my pleasant surprise it held up very well. It was one of the original Ace Specials published the late Sixties and edited by Terry Carr. Schmitz is an underrated gem and this novel was pivotal in my becoming a feminist. The hero, Nile Etland, is a female who is omnicompetent, kicks butt, takes no names. She is a biochemist working on a planet with a rich ecology that is suddenly the focus of a potential alien invasion. A colleague has been captured by the aliens, Parahuans, and is going through tests to determine how tough it will be to defeat humans. Nile knows nothing about this and flies into a trap. Through resourcefulness (and a bit of luck) she demonstrates to the aliens just how difficult it would be to invade and ends up exposing the invasion.
On the surface this is a first-rate adventure novel. The ecology is richly described and well conceived. But the prize is Nile, who is a female doing what ordinarily would be the job of a male (in novels of this era, that is) and the genius of Schmitz is that he makes no special case for her. She is fully herself and there is no question that she can do what she does. Her femaleness goes (largely) unremarked. This it at odds with most SF of the time which would try to do this but then would make an argument on her behalf that there would be no reason she couldn't do this, a kind of special pleading that, while understandable, often undermined the very point the author was trying to make. Schmitz avoided that pitfall and just treated her like a human being.
He did this in much of his work and to my mind is an exemplar of advancing the nonstereotyped female hero in SF.
On the surface this is a first-rate adventure novel. The ecology is richly described and well conceived. But the prize is Nile, who is a female doing what ordinarily would be the job of a male (in novels of this era, that is) and the genius of Schmitz is that he makes no special case for her. She is fully herself and there is no question that she can do what she does. Her femaleness goes (largely) unremarked. This it at odds with most SF of the time which would try to do this but then would make an argument on her behalf that there would be no reason she couldn't do this, a kind of special pleading that, while understandable, often undermined the very point the author was trying to make. Schmitz avoided that pitfall and just treated her like a human being.
He did this in much of his work and to my mind is an exemplar of advancing the nonstereotyped female hero in SF.
April 19, 2016
James Schmitz is a science fiction author who seems to be getting forgotten, although to their credit Baen books has done an excellent job of bringing books back into print. I read several of Schmitz's stories in the late 60's and in the 70's and what I remember about them more than anything was that they featured strong female characters. They are not damsel in distress types, not decorations, they don't swoon or fall to pieces. What they are are strong characters who just happen to be women.
The Demon Breed was first published in John Campbell's Analog magazine in 1968 as "The Tuvela" a title I prefer because it really is what the story is about. I won't tell you what a Tuvela is. You need to read the book. You need to learn as the reader and if you don't figure it out you will be gently guided. They are all around us even if you don't notice them until they are needed. Nile Etland is the star of our story, a young female scientist who steps up to an unexpected challenge.
Schmitz has created a unique and very interesting world that the story is set in - interesting characters, interesting critters and very interesting plants. This is really science fiction and very much an adventure story, but there are some subtleties and interesting speculations about ecology, evolution and psychology laced into it to make this much more than a plain vanilla adventure. I really enjoyed this re-read and did not want to put the book down. 4+ stars
The Demon Breed was first published in John Campbell's Analog magazine in 1968 as "The Tuvela" a title I prefer because it really is what the story is about. I won't tell you what a Tuvela is. You need to read the book. You need to learn as the reader and if you don't figure it out you will be gently guided. They are all around us even if you don't notice them until they are needed. Nile Etland is the star of our story, a young female scientist who steps up to an unexpected challenge.
Schmitz has created a unique and very interesting world that the story is set in - interesting characters, interesting critters and very interesting plants. This is really science fiction and very much an adventure story, but there are some subtleties and interesting speculations about ecology, evolution and psychology laced into it to make this much more than a plain vanilla adventure. I really enjoyed this re-read and did not want to put the book down. 4+ stars
July 18, 2008
FRA
Je l'ai lu il y a de très nombreuses années. Ce fut une lecture mémorable à plusieurs points de vue. Mais malgré ces impressions profondes je ne me souvenais plus que le héros était une héroine! D'accord, l'édition que j'ai lu à cette époque n'avait pas une femme en petite tenue sur sa couverture. Mais il y a plus que ça. Le personage n'avait absolument rien de féminin! On aurait pu aisément changer son nom pour un nom masculin et faire de même pour les mentions de son sexe ici et là et tout aurait fonctionné pareil. N'empêche que le roman est mélange exemplaire d'action, d'exotisme, et d'écologie interstellaire avant l'heure. Herbert n'était pas la seule exception, à l'époque, à s'intéresser à l'écologie.
ENG
I liked it when I read it many long years ago. It was rip-roaring action set on a really alien planet with exotic alien foes from yet another planet. But today I'm not sure if I'd like it as much. Our hero is supposed to be an heroine but her character, her actions are so completely that of a man's that I didn't even remember she was a woman. Note that at the time my edition of this book didn't have a scantily clad lady on its cover. Despite that, the novel offers an exceptional mix of classic SF and interstellar ecology, proving that Herbert wasn't the only one capable of playing this game, back in those distant times.
Je l'ai lu il y a de très nombreuses années. Ce fut une lecture mémorable à plusieurs points de vue. Mais malgré ces impressions profondes je ne me souvenais plus que le héros était une héroine! D'accord, l'édition que j'ai lu à cette époque n'avait pas une femme en petite tenue sur sa couverture. Mais il y a plus que ça. Le personage n'avait absolument rien de féminin! On aurait pu aisément changer son nom pour un nom masculin et faire de même pour les mentions de son sexe ici et là et tout aurait fonctionné pareil. N'empêche que le roman est mélange exemplaire d'action, d'exotisme, et d'écologie interstellaire avant l'heure. Herbert n'était pas la seule exception, à l'époque, à s'intéresser à l'écologie.
ENG
I liked it when I read it many long years ago. It was rip-roaring action set on a really alien planet with exotic alien foes from yet another planet. But today I'm not sure if I'd like it as much. Our hero is supposed to be an heroine but her character, her actions are so completely that of a man's that I didn't even remember she was a woman. Note that at the time my edition of this book didn't have a scantily clad lady on its cover. Despite that, the novel offers an exceptional mix of classic SF and interstellar ecology, proving that Herbert wasn't the only one capable of playing this game, back in those distant times.
December 19, 2021
This is a fantastic short novel which I recently re-read for the umpteenth time. I prefer the original title, which makes a lot more sense in the context of the story. Fast-paced and thoroughly imagined, The Tuvela achieves a fully-realized alien planet and ecology in less than half the verbiage of Dune. This is Schmitz at his very best. I only wish he had written more like it. (He only published four novels, although some the Telzey Amberdon cycle of stories--notably, The Lion Game--were later re-packaged as fix-up novels). I highly recommend it.
November 16, 2013
Didn't know what to make of The Demon Breed at first, but as it went on it turned into an interesting different story, that I rather enjoyed. The style seemed a bit dated, but that's not surpising given when it was written. Having said that there were parts like the heroine being the main character as opposed to the normal male lead. Plenty of nice strange aliens that reminded me of Neal Asher's work.
Overall I liked it, nothing that I thought was outstanding, but a good romp.
Overall I liked it, nothing that I thought was outstanding, but a good romp.
July 22, 2014
James Schmitz is a perfect example of a science fiction writer in the 1960's. This story has the female equivalent of an Indiana Jones character in Dr. Nile Etland. She saves a world from the Parahuans with her pet/friend a giant sentient otter. What's not to love in this strong female character in this 1968 page turner. Some of the best scifi came from the late 1950's to 1970. Schmitz writing is a great example of these stories.
July 28, 2017
Wow. I don't use that word often, but it always seems to surface when I'm discussing the works of James H. Schmitz. This man was brilliant, unique, amusing, groundbreaking, humanitarian . . . of course I didn't know him personally, so all of the above I derive from his fiction. "The Demon Breed" in particular is an ingenius action piece featuring one of Schmitz's many female protagonists--I recently re-read it, after a decade or two, and was impressed all over again.
October 20, 2013
Definitely a product of 1960s SF world. That has it's good -- a quick read, only 220 pages of big type; and a quick plot without endless twists. That also has the bad -- a not very deep story, and an overly sexualized cover painting (no such indication is evident in the writing). I enjoyed the alien world, seemingly designed by a botanist.
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