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The Anything Tree
Very good condition first edition hardcover with clipped dust jacket, however adhesive Dobson price label (£3-95) is attached above the clipped edge. Jacket design is by Richard Weaver. Jacket is slightly marked and sunned, and edges are creased and nicked. Otherwise, as unread. LW
- GenresScience Fiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 20, 2025
When socialite Selena Ash discovers that her spaceship is loaded with tracking devices and explosives, she warps to an unknown solar system and discovers a hospitable planet covered in dense tropical rainforests. Upon landing, she discovers that the plant life seems to be somewhat conscious, responding with aggression to her negative thoughts and feelings. This is when she encounters a man named Joe, who has a bag of soil strapped to his waist from which a plant is growing and ensnaring his body. This plant extends up to a single blue flower adjacent to his head that seemingly regards her like an azure eye.
Taking refuge on the planet from her incoming pursuers, a race against time is set in motion to find a mysterious tree that is calling out to Selena with a siren song across the jungle. This is a short and entertaining story, with likeable characters, thought-provoking themes and intriguing concepts. The way that Rackham describes the planet and its ecosystem is great, building to a satisfying conclusion at a steady pace. The villainous figures are perhaps a little cartoonish, although this does have quite a definitive purpose in the end.
Much like Selena stumbling upon this world, I feel like I've encountered a good little hidden gem in 'The Anything Tree'.
Taking refuge on the planet from her incoming pursuers, a race against time is set in motion to find a mysterious tree that is calling out to Selena with a siren song across the jungle. This is a short and entertaining story, with likeable characters, thought-provoking themes and intriguing concepts. The way that Rackham describes the planet and its ecosystem is great, building to a satisfying conclusion at a steady pace. The villainous figures are perhaps a little cartoonish, although this does have quite a definitive purpose in the end.
Much like Selena stumbling upon this world, I feel like I've encountered a good little hidden gem in 'The Anything Tree'.
December 8, 2024
This one starts with Selena Ash, socialite, discovering that her spaceship has been sabotaged to strand her in the middle of nowhere. The logical conclusion is that someone has discovered that she’s not the shallow party girl she’s been pretending to be, but a secret agent on a mission. (We’re not told what that mission is just yet.) Selena manages to figure out the sabotage before it’s permanent, but heads to the coordinates anyway to see what’s going on. Rather than hang about in empty space, she lands on a human-livable (according to sensors) planet in the neighborhood.
The planet isn’t in any registry, but it turns out there is one human inhabitant. “Joe” has been here a while, and has learned how to cooperate with the local vegetation. That’s very important as the plants here are mobile and respond negatively to aggression.
Joe would rather be alone, but is kind of stuck with Selena for the time being, as she won’t survive without him. And eventually, the people hunting Selena show up. Now the pair must work together to deal with the intruders. But is the Anything Tree something they need to protect from the enemy, or something they need to protect the enemy from?
It’s good that we see Selena being competent in the first chapter or two, as she’s rendered near helpless for a long time in the alien environment of Jensen’s World, before the last couple of chapters allow her to be competent again. Which is a bit better than Quest for Camelot, which this novel reminded me of certain scenes from. Mind, the ending kind of cuts off the chances of a sequel applying the lessons she’s learned here.
Joe is cut from the “back to nature loner” cloth so often used as romantic leads, and most of his background is easily guessable from clues in the narrative. (Especially when we learn what Selena’s mission is, and how her current circumstances tie into it.)
The villains are two-dimensional, but then they only show up about two-thirds of the way through and have very limited interactions with our main characters.
The most interesting part of the book is the plant and animal life of Jensen’s World; they aren’t exactly compatible with human lifestyles and Joe’s had to learn how to get along with or avoid most of the locals.
Rarely seen outside of the Ace Double version where it was paired with the much more popular The Winds of Darkover.
The planet isn’t in any registry, but it turns out there is one human inhabitant. “Joe” has been here a while, and has learned how to cooperate with the local vegetation. That’s very important as the plants here are mobile and respond negatively to aggression.
Joe would rather be alone, but is kind of stuck with Selena for the time being, as she won’t survive without him. And eventually, the people hunting Selena show up. Now the pair must work together to deal with the intruders. But is the Anything Tree something they need to protect from the enemy, or something they need to protect the enemy from?
It’s good that we see Selena being competent in the first chapter or two, as she’s rendered near helpless for a long time in the alien environment of Jensen’s World, before the last couple of chapters allow her to be competent again. Which is a bit better than Quest for Camelot, which this novel reminded me of certain scenes from. Mind, the ending kind of cuts off the chances of a sequel applying the lessons she’s learned here.
Joe is cut from the “back to nature loner” cloth so often used as romantic leads, and most of his background is easily guessable from clues in the narrative. (Especially when we learn what Selena’s mission is, and how her current circumstances tie into it.)
The villains are two-dimensional, but then they only show up about two-thirds of the way through and have very limited interactions with our main characters.
The most interesting part of the book is the plant and animal life of Jensen’s World; they aren’t exactly compatible with human lifestyles and Joe’s had to learn how to get along with or avoid most of the locals.
Rarely seen outside of the Ace Double version where it was paired with the much more popular The Winds of Darkover.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews