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Alien Stars #1
Alien Stars
The Scapegoat - C.J. Cherryh
How can humans and aliens end a war which neither wants, when their ideas about war and peace seem to have no point of contact?
Seasons - Joe Haldeman
It was supposed to be a peaceful anthropological study of an alien race, but it went hideously wrong.
Cordon Sanitaire - Timothy Zahn
The aliens were beyond primitive: they were animals never seen to use tools in the wild - so why were they using weapons far beyond any invented by men?
How can humans and aliens end a war which neither wants, when their ideas about war and peace seem to have no point of contact?
Seasons - Joe Haldeman
It was supposed to be a peaceful anthropological study of an alien race, but it went hideously wrong.
Cordon Sanitaire - Timothy Zahn
The aliens were beyond primitive: they were animals never seen to use tools in the wild - so why were they using weapons far beyond any invented by men?
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
1 person is currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Mitchell
5 books2 followersElizabeth (Betsy) Mitchell has been a New York science fiction/fantasy editor for more than 30 years, publishing such authors as Terry Brooks, Naomi Novik, Octavia E. Butler and Peter F. Hamilton. She received a World Fantasy Award for co-editing the anthology Full Spectrum 4, and is the author of Journey to the Bottomless Pit, a biography of Stephen Bishop, an African-American guide who made many major discoveries in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 17, 2025
Between 3 and 4 stars, rounding up.
The first story was poorly written and boring, so I skipped it after a few pages.
The second story (Joe Haldeman) was fantastic (in a gory sort of way), with a clever (and depressing) ending.
The last story felt like you were in an early SG1 episode, so no complaints there.
Overall, solid 2/3 ain’t too bad.
The first story was poorly written and boring, so I skipped it after a few pages.
The second story (Joe Haldeman) was fantastic (in a gory sort of way), with a clever (and depressing) ending.
The last story felt like you were in an early SG1 episode, so no complaints there.
Overall, solid 2/3 ain’t too bad.
December 17, 2015
There are three novellas in this collection. I do not recall two of them as I read this long ago. However, the C.J. Cherryh story is the second best alien first contact tale I have come across. Humanity goes to war with an advanced, intelligent alien race for reasons that no one can figure out. It is a devastating and lengthy war. Many human diplomatic efforts are made. All fail completely.
All I will say is that the main character finally figures this out, and it is an answer worth knowing. Cherryh is an absolute master at tales exploring deep cultural divides. I have yet to find another writer who even comes close. I recommend the story highly. I have reread it several times, and I am sure that I will again.
All I will say is that the main character finally figures this out, and it is an answer worth knowing. Cherryh is an absolute master at tales exploring deep cultural divides. I have yet to find another writer who even comes close. I recommend the story highly. I have reread it several times, and I am sure that I will again.
May 28, 2020
Three novellas with a common theme - humans on an alien world with alien situations.
The scapegoat by C J Cherryh is a supreme example of her writing style. Brutal, yet quiet, high-stakes yet extremely personal drama. deMarco is one of those characters that stays with you.
Seasons by Joe Haldeman is a great action-adventure with some scary elements and a fitting end. Is shows nicely what happens when you rush into things that you don't understand, even if it's the only way to understand them.
Cordon Sanitaire by Timothy Zahn is a great psychological drama set on a far away world, with all the dangers of first contact. I'm a little let down by the finale (it's a bit of deus-ex-machina) but the setup is very original and very nicely established.
The scapegoat by C J Cherryh is a supreme example of her writing style. Brutal, yet quiet, high-stakes yet extremely personal drama. deMarco is one of those characters that stays with you.
Seasons by Joe Haldeman is a great action-adventure with some scary elements and a fitting end. Is shows nicely what happens when you rush into things that you don't understand, even if it's the only way to understand them.
Cordon Sanitaire by Timothy Zahn is a great psychological drama set on a far away world, with all the dangers of first contact. I'm a little let down by the finale (it's a bit of deus-ex-machina) but the setup is very original and very nicely established.
June 20, 2021
A good collection of three novellas. I picked this up for the C.J. Cherryh entry and I wasn't disappointed. "Seasons" was good but I didn't love the pacing, and "Cordon Sanitaire" was a fun sci-fi mystery story. You could do much worse from a sci-fi book.
November 24, 2025
This book is that kind of anthology that feels like an interstellar mixtape curated by someone who really wants you to experience the full frequency range of cosmic storytelling. Elizabeth Mitchell steps in as the editor with a cool, unflappable assurance: she knows exactly what voices she’s bringing into orbit and why.
And honestly? It shows.
This isn’t a “greatest hits” collection. It’s a mood board of intergalactic anxieties, ethical riddles, and the ongoing human habit of projecting our neuroses onto anything that glows in the dark.
Each story nudges the reader differently. One piece might sit you down with a melancholic alien consciousness trying to decode humanity’s emotional static; another throws you into mechanical claustrophobia where tech, not tentacles, becomes the real threat.
Mitchell’s editorial sense keeps everything lean—no story feels flabby or overstretched. It’s like she told each writer, “Hit the gas, say what you must, and eject.” The pacing benefits massively.
What really pops is the anthology’s emotional variety. You get wonder, dread, awe, a pinch of philosophical navel-gazing, and that trademark genre itch: Are we alone, or just pretending we are? The stories don’t attempt to answer; they just open more doors. And maybe that’s the point—space is too huge for closure.
There’s also a subtle sociological layer running underneath the hyperspace shine. Many worlds here feel eerily adjacent to ours—ecological anxieties, over-bureaucratized futures, and the desire for connection in an expanding but isolating universe.
You’ll get hints of Bradbury’s tenderness, a taste of Clarke’s cosmic chill, and sometimes that sharp Le Guin-esque critique of what humans bring to first contact besides curiosity: baggage.
Mitchell ensures tonal diversity, but the anthology still feels unified—not because the writers sound alike, but because they orbit a shared question: What does alienness tell us about ourselves? By the end, you realise the most foreign thing in the book isn’t the aliens—it’s our own reflection refracted through their eyes.
If you’re the kind who likes compact, brain-tickling sci-fi that doesn’t require a 12-book glossary, this one sits nicely in that sweet spot. Think of it as a tasting menu for the cosmic imagination.
Recommended.
And honestly? It shows.
This isn’t a “greatest hits” collection. It’s a mood board of intergalactic anxieties, ethical riddles, and the ongoing human habit of projecting our neuroses onto anything that glows in the dark.
Each story nudges the reader differently. One piece might sit you down with a melancholic alien consciousness trying to decode humanity’s emotional static; another throws you into mechanical claustrophobia where tech, not tentacles, becomes the real threat.
Mitchell’s editorial sense keeps everything lean—no story feels flabby or overstretched. It’s like she told each writer, “Hit the gas, say what you must, and eject.” The pacing benefits massively.
What really pops is the anthology’s emotional variety. You get wonder, dread, awe, a pinch of philosophical navel-gazing, and that trademark genre itch: Are we alone, or just pretending we are? The stories don’t attempt to answer; they just open more doors. And maybe that’s the point—space is too huge for closure.
There’s also a subtle sociological layer running underneath the hyperspace shine. Many worlds here feel eerily adjacent to ours—ecological anxieties, over-bureaucratized futures, and the desire for connection in an expanding but isolating universe.
You’ll get hints of Bradbury’s tenderness, a taste of Clarke’s cosmic chill, and sometimes that sharp Le Guin-esque critique of what humans bring to first contact besides curiosity: baggage.
Mitchell ensures tonal diversity, but the anthology still feels unified—not because the writers sound alike, but because they orbit a shared question: What does alienness tell us about ourselves? By the end, you realise the most foreign thing in the book isn’t the aliens—it’s our own reflection refracted through their eyes.
If you’re the kind who likes compact, brain-tickling sci-fi that doesn’t require a 12-book glossary, this one sits nicely in that sweet spot. Think of it as a tasting menu for the cosmic imagination.
Recommended.
April 18, 2019
I really liked these novellas:
3 stars
The Scapegoat, by C.J.Cherryh
The humans were at war with the elves. The elves had started it by accidentally blowing up a human ship. So then the humans retaliated, blowing up an elves' ship. then there was no stopping the war, each side killing more and more of the other side. Until finally one day, the elves came up with a way to stop the war.
5 stars
Seasons, by Joe Haldeman
An expedition had already gone to the planet and had spent a year there. The native inhabitants were Stone age type beings, laid-back creatures who were welcoming to the members of the expedition. The members of the expedition had got there in late summer, and had left after a year. The thing was, the planet's year was more than three of our years long. The last expedition was 10 years ago; the new expedition were to stay for the whole planets' year, and continue to study, and live with the natives, equipped with only the same tools the natives had: a stone axe, and a spear. But something happened that the first expedition could never have had time to observe: They found out the natives changed behavior as the seasons changed. Not for the better. I love Joe Haldeman's work.
4 stars
Cordón Sanitaire, by Timothy Zahn
The planet Pallas had been settled before, as proven by the ruins, but why and where had the settlers gone? The native tarsapiens, something similar to our chimpanzees were herbivores docile enough to trap and study, until...one day they attacked the scientific team.
3 stars
The Scapegoat, by C.J.Cherryh
The humans were at war with the elves. The elves had started it by accidentally blowing up a human ship. So then the humans retaliated, blowing up an elves' ship. then there was no stopping the war, each side killing more and more of the other side. Until finally one day, the elves came up with a way to stop the war.
5 stars
Seasons, by Joe Haldeman
An expedition had already gone to the planet and had spent a year there. The native inhabitants were Stone age type beings, laid-back creatures who were welcoming to the members of the expedition. The members of the expedition had got there in late summer, and had left after a year. The thing was, the planet's year was more than three of our years long. The last expedition was 10 years ago; the new expedition were to stay for the whole planets' year, and continue to study, and live with the natives, equipped with only the same tools the natives had: a stone axe, and a spear. But something happened that the first expedition could never have had time to observe: They found out the natives changed behavior as the seasons changed. Not for the better. I love Joe Haldeman's work.
4 stars
Cordón Sanitaire, by Timothy Zahn
The planet Pallas had been settled before, as proven by the ruins, but why and where had the settlers gone? The native tarsapiens, something similar to our chimpanzees were herbivores docile enough to trap and study, until...one day they attacked the scientific team.
April 15, 2022
Three different novellas by three different renown sci-fi authors.
February 23, 2023
The CJ Cherryh story gets all the stars. Really heartbreaking.
June 15, 2014
Three excellent "war" stories, real page-turners. Interesting ideas in all.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews