Le stelle nelle mani

by Harry Harrison, Maria Benedetta De Castiglione (translator)

Esiste oggi, per uno scienziato, la possibilità di controllare l'uso delle sue scoperte? L'uomo che scompare dal suo laboratorio di Tel Aviv all'inizio di questo romanzo, non si fa molte illusioni al riguardo. Tenta ugualmente, con uno dei paesi più pacifici e democratici che l'Europa conosca: la piccola Danimarca. E subito tutti i servizi segreti delle grandi potenze sono in allarme. La quieta Copenhagen si trova da un giorno all'altro nell'occhio del ciclone. Ciò che le spie, gli agenti, gli informatori riescono a ricostruire non è molto e non ha molto senso: un'esplosione, una nave danneggiata in porto, un certo numero di alte personalità danesi ferite. Non si vede bene quale nesso ci sia tra questo fiasco e le stelle. Eppure, sott'acqua, si sta preparando qualcosa di fantastico.

Copertina di Karel Thole

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

165 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Harry Harrison (born Henry Maxwell Dempsey) was an American science fiction author best known for his character the The Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! (1966), the basis for the film Soylent Green (1973). He was also (with Brian W. Aldiss) co-president of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 2 out of 5]

- Has the latest sample come back from the lab?

- Yes sir.

- And what do they have to tell us?

- Let me see sir. "Denmark acquires interstellar drive and becomes world power. Some espionage. Traces of sex and violence."

- Ah... are you sure?

- Yes sir. You can read it yourself sir.

- Hm. Does this sound plausible to you?

- I couldn't say sir.

- The lab have been rather sloppy with the Harrison samples. What was the one they sent us last week? "Erotic encounters with dinosaurs", I believe?

- That turned out to be genuine sir.

- So it did. So it did. But still, no harm in having them double-check it all the same. What do you say?

- I'll return it sir. Will there be anything else?

- No, that's all for now. Dismissed.

[Thom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also known as "In Our Hands, the Stars", this book has equal elements of speculative science fiction, international espionage, and cautionary tale about the misuse of science and habits of security.

Basic plot synopsis - A top Israeli scientist discovers something that will revolutionize travel both here and in space, and returns to his native Denmark for reasons revealed later in the book. Other nations (primarily cold war America and Soviet Union) try to acquire this technology, providing much of the tension and the climax of the novel.

I couldn't put this book down. The speculative science was spot on, the paranoia of the other governments was an excellent adversary. I especially enjoyed the touches of humor. While on Mars, the two main characters have a moral discussion of scientific responsibility and the actions of Denmark during World War II which is particularly well done.

[Sean Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not something to enjoy, this was actually quite a sad, dispiriting, negative glimpse at what power and politics and bullheadedness can do. Rather enjoyed the whole Danish thing.

[Perry Whitford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harry Harrison, one of the most popular science fiction writers of recent times, died last week. He wrote more than fifty novels, but this is the only one I have sitting on the shelf - part of a Science Fiction Club collection of cheap hardbacks - so in memory to him, it's about time I read it.

A jewish scientist discovers a new force which operates seemingly in contradiction to Einsteinian laws, from which he invents a Darleth Drive (named after the fourth letter in the yiddish alphabet) which revolutionises space travel, making it possible to go to the moon in less than four hours and at a mere fraction of the cost.

However, the idea behind the drive could also be manipulated to revolutionise warfare, which Professor Arnie Klein fears will happen if the Cold War countries - or his own, Israel - where to get hold of it. He flees to neutral Denmark, convinced that their pacifist principles will ensure that the Darleth Drive is not misused.

According to the obituaries, Harrison wrote with a strong anti-war message, though his books were often enlivened with a humourous tone. In Our Hands, the Stars makes good on the first point, with the Danish government protecting the professor against greater powers, but the humour is not much in evidence.

Instead we get a fairly functional, generally well written story, plausibly plotted, though highly generic.

I promise to read one of his Stainless Steel Rat books before long in order to discover the real Harrison.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Argh. I read this book many years ago as the Daleth Effect. Typical of science fiction in the 1950s and 1960s this novel has multiple titles and many editions with different covers. I began keeping a card file in the 1970s to prevent unintentionally reading the same book twice. I messed up with this one. Fortunately, I don’t remember anything. I finished chapter six before I even suspected my error.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 2 out of 5]

5/10. Media de los 17 libros que he leído del autor : 7/10.

A Harrison le recuerdo sobre todo por su serie paródica de los héroes de la CF : "Bill, héroe galáctico". Que tiene otras novelas que me han gustado más, pero esas novelas gamberras me resultaron muy divertidas. Burdas si se quiere, pero divertidas.

Este es de lo peor del autor que yo he leído. Ni divertido, ni interesante. Vamos, que no os molestéis...

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il solito scienziato pazzo? Assolutamente no, anzi: lo scopritore dell'effetto Daleth è così consapevole della politica del suo tempo che decide di portare la sua scoperta nel paese più tranquillo e neutrale che conosce, ossia la Danimarca. Considerando che l'autore ha vissuto in mezzo mondo, Danimarca compresa, immagino che la scelta si basi sulla sua esperienza personale.
I danesi sono simpatici ed è facile tifare per loro, schiacciati tra USA e URSS. La scena in cui vanno a recuperare gli astronauti sovietici è bellissima. Meno bella è la coercizione che gli Stati Uniti impongono alla moglie americana del primo pilota spaziale: la madrepatria di Harrison non ci fa unabella figura.

Finale triste, quanto realistico: avremmo potuto fermarci al nobile sacrificio fatto dai danesi per la loro patria, ma Harrison ha preferito ricordarci che la scienza non ha confini. La scoperta fatta da Tizio può essere replicata, riscoperta, dedotta anche da Caio. Lo spionaggio può accelerare tale riscoperta, ma un principio scientifico è per sua natura replicabile, sembre, in qualunque parte del pianeta.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Israeli/American physicist Arnie Klein has discovered a new and powerful effect (not a force) that will change the balance of power on Earth. Recognizing this, he takes his notes and flees to Denmark where his good friend, another physicist, Ove Rasmussen lives. The Israelis are understandably miffed, as are the Russians and the Americans as they all gradually get wind of the experiment, which saw an icebreaker raised out of the waters off Copenhagen as though levitating. The proof-of-concept trip is a spectacular rescue of Russian cosmonauts stranded on the Moon, but it doesn’t take long for both the Russians and the Americans to start operations to steal the Daleth Effect secrets from the reluctant Danes. Harry Harrison has written a spy novel with more adult themes than usual and the dirty fun and games of espionage is bound to end in tears. Not the worst way to spend a day.

[Leila P · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novel about the development of antigravity, writte in 1970. The story is placed in Denmark, of all places, because an scientist from Israel feels the small neutral nation has no ambition to conquer/destroy the world. What made the story old-fashioned was the easiness of everything (a technical novelty saves the day), the coldness of the cold war (both USA and Soviet Union want to steal the secret) and the way everyone is smoking all the time, even in space. Harrison clearly has spent some time in Denmark and gotten consult from the Danes, because the book describes the places well and it contains lots of Danish words and sentences.

[Chris Sudall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely excellent early Harrison book.

It's more about the global human political nightmare we live in than science fiction, but it's beautifully written and kept me fascinated and wanting to read more till the last page.
Yes it is written in a time when WW2 was still fresh and the Soviets were in power, but the only thing that seemed a little dated was some of the technology of that time.
The main characters are heroic but flawed and drew me deep into the storyline!
A cracker of a book.

Spaceship Medic will be my next Harrison. Many still to go!

[Barry Haworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an old favourite of mine that I take out from time to time. In Our Hands, the Stars (AKA The Daleth Effect) by Harry Harrison is a Cold War SF thriller from the 1970s about the invention of an anti-gravity device and the efforts to obtain and use it. The inventor, an Israeli, fears that his device will be used for warlike ends and defects to Denmark so that it can be used more peacefully, but it is not long before spies from all sides are trying to learn the secret. Very readable.

[Brown Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A period-bound action scenario full of witty offbeat speculation which manages to say a few things about realpolitik. I enjoyed it, a d recommend it, especially if you want a window into the late Cold War shenanigans, or an engaging read about something but not everything. Pertinent science fiction.

This would make a great double-feature with Pohl's The Cool War.

[Ubik 2.0 · Rating 1 out of 5]

aggiornamento vecchio libro letto chissà quando

[Jim Standridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I like most of Harrisons work. Not the best at espionage-intrigue, but a good overall story. I did not really care for the ending, though. A little over dramatic. Still worth the read.

[Shane O'Brien-Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Harry Harrison books since my teens, but have lapsed in recent years (children and renovations). This was my reintroduction, not only to HH but to physical books.
HH stories are at their best when playing for comedy, and when the focus is on people and social interplay, rather than in the technology per se. This book was in the latter space, and while enjoyable, was not quite the rollicking tale that leaves you in the "just two more pages before i sleep" zone.

[Rory Hart · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing read from one of the greats. It started well enough but devolved into a poorly written spy drama with not of H.H's wonderfully weird viewpoint.

[SciFiOne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade C+.

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

i didn't read it. Goodreads' search engine is seriously flawed. I'm reading the real book.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoughtful book, interesting approach to how the beginning of real space travel may play out. Some two dimensional characters, but great story-telling as ever.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old palette cleansing Harry Harrison. Light, fun, fast, traditional shoot-from-the-hip science fiction. It's nothing special but it's fun and that's all it tries to be.

[Kris]

I just got too bored with this and gave up. I still love Harry Harrison generally though.

[Peter Tillman]

Read sometime, in the dim fogs of lost memory....