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Stardance
Shara, a gifted choreographer and dancer, can't find work. Together with Charlie, a camera man who wants to help Shara achieve her dream, they discover a new way for her to dance: in zero gravity . . . from space! When an alien force invades, it is up to Shara to find a way to communicate and save Earth.
- GenresFictionScience Fiction
72 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1977
8 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Spider Robinson
197 books675 followersSpider Robinson is an American-born Canadian Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction author. He was born in the USA, but chose to live in Canada, and gained citizenship in his adopted country in 2002.
Robinson's writing career began in 1972 with a sale to Analog Science Fiction magazine of a story entitled, The Guy With The Eyes. His writing proved popular, and his first novel saw print in 1976, Telempath. Since then he has averaged a novel (or collection) a year. His most well known stories are the Callahan saloon series.
Robinson's writing career began in 1972 with a sale to Analog Science Fiction magazine of a story entitled, The Guy With The Eyes. His writing proved popular, and his first novel saw print in 1976, Telempath. Since then he has averaged a novel (or collection) a year. His most well known stories are the Callahan saloon series.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 31, 2025
4.75 Stars! I loved this novella! Original story and excellent writing that led to the authors (married couple) winning the joint Hugo and Nebula awards. This was later turned into a trilogy of novels. I’ll have to think about going down that road. For now I’m happy with just this novella. Enjoy!
Quotes:
- “Nothing is wasted. Maybe you can't beat gravity—but it surely is a beautiful thing to try.”
- “I take that laugh out of my memory now and then and rerun it—but not often, for such records deteriorate drastically with play.”
- “I found to my surprise that I preferred the pain to its absence. It's a little scary when an old friend goes away like that.”
- “I once told a man nothing was impossible. He asked me if I could ski through a revolving door.”
- “Like a child learning to walk, Shara learned how to fly.”
- “Aghast is a funny word. To make you aghast, a thing must hit you in a place you haven't armored over with cynicism yet. I seem to have been born cynical; I have been aghast three times that I can remember… The third was when I learned, at age forty-five, that there were men, not fools or cretins but intelligent men, who could watch Shara Drummond dance and fail to see.”
- “My late father once said, 'Bill, make your enemies by choice, not by accident.' Over the years I have found that to be excellent advice. You suck.”
“My late father also told me, 'Hit the soft parts with your - hand. Hit the hard parts with a utensil.’ Otherwise I can find no fault with your technique. I wish I could shake your hand.”
- “Her dance spoke of nothing more and nothing less than the tragedy of being alive, and being human. It spoke, most eloquently, of pain. It spoke, most knowingly, of despair…”
- “… This is what it is to be human: to perpetually ask the unanswerable questions, in the hope that the asking of them will somehow hasten the day when they will be answered. This is what it is to be human: to strive in the face of the certainty of failure. This is what it is to be human: to persist… For this is what it means to be human: to laugh at what another would call tragedy.”
- “You know I've never been in love with you... but you must know that I've always loved you. Still do.”
Quotes:
- “Nothing is wasted. Maybe you can't beat gravity—but it surely is a beautiful thing to try.”
- “I take that laugh out of my memory now and then and rerun it—but not often, for such records deteriorate drastically with play.”
- “I found to my surprise that I preferred the pain to its absence. It's a little scary when an old friend goes away like that.”
- “I once told a man nothing was impossible. He asked me if I could ski through a revolving door.”
- “Like a child learning to walk, Shara learned how to fly.”
- “Aghast is a funny word. To make you aghast, a thing must hit you in a place you haven't armored over with cynicism yet. I seem to have been born cynical; I have been aghast three times that I can remember… The third was when I learned, at age forty-five, that there were men, not fools or cretins but intelligent men, who could watch Shara Drummond dance and fail to see.”
- “My late father once said, 'Bill, make your enemies by choice, not by accident.' Over the years I have found that to be excellent advice. You suck.”
“My late father also told me, 'Hit the soft parts with your - hand. Hit the hard parts with a utensil.’ Otherwise I can find no fault with your technique. I wish I could shake your hand.”
- “Her dance spoke of nothing more and nothing less than the tragedy of being alive, and being human. It spoke, most eloquently, of pain. It spoke, most knowingly, of despair…”
- “… This is what it is to be human: to perpetually ask the unanswerable questions, in the hope that the asking of them will somehow hasten the day when they will be answered. This is what it is to be human: to strive in the face of the certainty of failure. This is what it is to be human: to persist… For this is what it means to be human: to laugh at what another would call tragedy.”
- “You know I've never been in love with you... but you must know that I've always loved you. Still do.”
February 20, 2022
I've read this a dozen times, and loved it every time
There's just something special about the Stardance trilogy, and this first book starts out perfectly. It's about art, and humanity, and despair and yet, hope.
I often don't like Sharra, but anyone who has a great passion will understand her. And anyone who has ever loved someone enough to sacrifice for them will empathize with Charlie.
I can't say much more about the plot without spoilers, but the book and its writing are very well crafted, and the Kindle edition is very professional (unlike some other great books I've loved that just weren't proofed well after OCR)
I honestly recommend it for everyone - you may not *like* the book, but it will make you feel.
There's just something special about the Stardance trilogy, and this first book starts out perfectly. It's about art, and humanity, and despair and yet, hope.
I often don't like Sharra, but anyone who has a great passion will understand her. And anyone who has ever loved someone enough to sacrifice for them will empathize with Charlie.
I can't say much more about the plot without spoilers, but the book and its writing are very well crafted, and the Kindle edition is very professional (unlike some other great books I've loved that just weren't proofed well after OCR)
I honestly recommend it for everyone - you may not *like* the book, but it will make you feel.
April 22, 2015
Brilliant.
I first read this in the 70s, and several times since. It's a great human story. It was uplifting, and sad. The Audible version is read by the author. The contrast between the story being read and reading it very much improved my experience.
I first read this in the 70s, and several times since. It's a great human story. It was uplifting, and sad. The Audible version is read by the author. The contrast between the story being read and reading it very much improved my experience.
May 27, 2018
This novella won awards when it was published in 1977. It's a story about dance and first contact and a darned good one at that. Definitely worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews