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Unterwegs in die Welt von Morgen #123
Unearthly Neighbors
A team of explorers, led by anthropologist Monte Stewart, encounter aliens in the Sirius system, but disastrously underestimate the differences between the two races
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
5 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Chad Oliver
167 books18 followersSymmes Chadwick Oliver (30 March 1928–9 August 1993) was an award winning science fiction and Western writer and chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. He was also one of the founders of the Turkey City Writer's Workshop.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 28, 2021
Unearthly Neighbors is a good science fiction novel built around a realistic anthropological background. Oliver, who was never sufficiently appreciated for his contributions to the field, also does a good job in creating a likable and realistic character in Monte Smith. It's a good first-contact tale, and though somewhat dated by current standards, I think it still stands up well and is a fine read.
May 23, 2016
The conventional wisdom for aspiring writers has long been "Write what you know," a piece of advice that Cincinnati-born author Chad Oliver apparently took to heart. Greatly interested in the field of anthropology, Oliver, over the course of seven novels stretching from 1952 – '76, as well as four collections of short stories, eventually carved out a place for himself as one of the leading lights in that curious subgenre known as anthropological science fiction. And the author was hardly a dabbler in his chosen scholarly field. In 1961, he wrote a doctoral thesis (under his real name, Symmes Chadwick Oliver) entitled "Ecology and Cultural Continuity as Contributing Factors in the Social Organization of the Plains Indians" (you can purchase it in book form on Amazon, if that title doesn't intimidate you too much!); his textbook "The Discovery of Humanity: An Introduction to Anthropology" is widely regarded; and he ultimately became the chairman of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. To be succinct, the man knew his field. And happily, as I've just discovered after reading my first piece of Oliver fiction, the man could spin a wonderful yarn, as well. The book in question, "Unearthly Neighbors," was the author's fourth novel, and was initially released as a 35-cent Ballantine paperback in 1960, when Oliver turned 32. The edition that I was fortunate enough to acquire was the Crown Classics volume from 1984; one of the cute little hardcover books comprising its Classics of Modern Science Fiction series. For this first hardcover edition of "Unearthly Neighbors," Oliver made some changes to the first three chapters (mainly to eliminate some inadvertently sexist elements, he tells us in the afterword), and the result is the definitive edition of this classic tale of "first contact."
In the book, the reader makes the acquaintance of an anthropology professor in Colorado named Monte Stewart. Stewart's comfortable life is given an abrupt jolt one evening when he is told by a U.N. representative that a humanoid life form has finally been discovered, on the ninth planet of the "nearby" star Sirius. Stewart is asked if he might be interested in forming a team to make Earth's first contact with an extraterrestrial people, an opportunity that Stewart naturally jumps on. Thus, with his anthropologist wife and six others (an archaeologist, a linguist, etc.), the team makes the 11-month trip to Sirius, and finally alights on a new world. But making that initial contact proves anything but simple for the eight scientists. Although the residents of Sirius 9 look vaguely like Earthmen (with the exception of their overly large jaws and extra-long arms, with which they brachiate among the trees), they have produced nothing in the way of artifacts--no tools, no weapons, no buildings, nothing--and evince absolutely zero interest in communicating with the Earthfolk. Before long, three of the scientists lie dead, killed by the natives' wolflike pets as the result of a misunderstanding, and a grief-stricken Monte wonders whether or not a rapprochement can ever be reached with this most aloof of peoples. But the anthropologist perseveres, and his attempts to get to know the so-called Merdosi, and to effect a breakthrough of sorts with them, comprise the bulk of this beautifully written novel.
"Unearthly Neighbors" is a very realistic book, and indeed, author Frederik Pohl, in his 1960 review, was compelled to write that "few...have been as able as Oliver to convince us that this is the way first contact is going to be." The mere fact that the 8.5-light-year transit from Earth to Sirius 9 takes all of 11 months, even with the ship’s "hyperspace field," alone clues the reader in that this is not a novel of whizbang space opera, but a sober look into Earth's possible near future. Other realistic touches: The space journey, rather than being a marvel, is revealed to be one of great tedium; the weapons that our Earth crew employs are merely shotguns (no ray guns in this novel!); the world of the Merdosi is remarkably similar to ours; and the four deaths of Monte's companions (and of one Merdosi, as well) are unfailingly shocking. As for our "leading man," Monte, he makes for a hugely likable Everyman character, but with his unkempt beard and slight build, he is hardly the picture of the traditional hero. Monte gives the book its rich vein of what I can only call warm humanism, as he reflects on such things as how being sick and then getting well is "perhaps the oldest and most fundamental of all human joys," and as he thinks to himself that a bath is "one of the great unappreciated blessings of civilization." Monte is the one who also gets to pose the novel's big questions, such as: How can I communicate with an alien when I don’t even fully understand myself? Does being an alien imply being only physically different, or isn’t it more a matter of a difference in basic ways of thought? Must one resort to violence, even when the provocation is great? Is blind retaliation ever justified? And, most significantly, where does an intelligent ape leave off and a primitive man begin? (The front-cover blurb on that original Ballantine edition ran "Inferior Man or Super Apes?") Monte makes for a wonderful character, and the reader's sympathies are squarely with him, even when he commits one hugely surprising act of violence near the novel’s midpoint.
"Unearthly Neighbors" (the title was apparently supplied by the publisher; Oliver's original title for his book was "Shoulder the Sky," which suggests a greater sense of the weighty responsibility taken on by Monte and his mates), as mentioned, is a beautifully written work. Oliver employs plain, simple language here, often using short, incantatory sentences, a la Philip K. Dick. The atmosphere in the book is marvelous, and the reader is made to fully sense the alien planet, to feel the blistering heat of Sirius as well as the tug of the world's greater gravity. The Merdosi truly are an alien people, not because they look a bit different, but rather because they THINK differently. Ultimately, the book is a hopeful and optimistic one, in the finest tradition of "Star Trek," as the people of two worlds work together to bridge a chasm almost as great as all those light-years. I was left very satisfied by Chad Oliver's work here, so much so that I have already picked up a few more of the author's novels (1954's "Shadows in the Sun" and 1971's "The Shores of Another Sea," both in mini-hardcovers as part of Crown Classics' series) to read one day soon. As Scottish critic David Pringle has said, "Oliver is underrated," as any reader who experiences "Unearthly Neighbors" will most likely agree....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit site at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most excellent destination for all fans of Chad Oliver....)
In the book, the reader makes the acquaintance of an anthropology professor in Colorado named Monte Stewart. Stewart's comfortable life is given an abrupt jolt one evening when he is told by a U.N. representative that a humanoid life form has finally been discovered, on the ninth planet of the "nearby" star Sirius. Stewart is asked if he might be interested in forming a team to make Earth's first contact with an extraterrestrial people, an opportunity that Stewart naturally jumps on. Thus, with his anthropologist wife and six others (an archaeologist, a linguist, etc.), the team makes the 11-month trip to Sirius, and finally alights on a new world. But making that initial contact proves anything but simple for the eight scientists. Although the residents of Sirius 9 look vaguely like Earthmen (with the exception of their overly large jaws and extra-long arms, with which they brachiate among the trees), they have produced nothing in the way of artifacts--no tools, no weapons, no buildings, nothing--and evince absolutely zero interest in communicating with the Earthfolk. Before long, three of the scientists lie dead, killed by the natives' wolflike pets as the result of a misunderstanding, and a grief-stricken Monte wonders whether or not a rapprochement can ever be reached with this most aloof of peoples. But the anthropologist perseveres, and his attempts to get to know the so-called Merdosi, and to effect a breakthrough of sorts with them, comprise the bulk of this beautifully written novel.
"Unearthly Neighbors" is a very realistic book, and indeed, author Frederik Pohl, in his 1960 review, was compelled to write that "few...have been as able as Oliver to convince us that this is the way first contact is going to be." The mere fact that the 8.5-light-year transit from Earth to Sirius 9 takes all of 11 months, even with the ship’s "hyperspace field," alone clues the reader in that this is not a novel of whizbang space opera, but a sober look into Earth's possible near future. Other realistic touches: The space journey, rather than being a marvel, is revealed to be one of great tedium; the weapons that our Earth crew employs are merely shotguns (no ray guns in this novel!); the world of the Merdosi is remarkably similar to ours; and the four deaths of Monte's companions (and of one Merdosi, as well) are unfailingly shocking. As for our "leading man," Monte, he makes for a hugely likable Everyman character, but with his unkempt beard and slight build, he is hardly the picture of the traditional hero. Monte gives the book its rich vein of what I can only call warm humanism, as he reflects on such things as how being sick and then getting well is "perhaps the oldest and most fundamental of all human joys," and as he thinks to himself that a bath is "one of the great unappreciated blessings of civilization." Monte is the one who also gets to pose the novel's big questions, such as: How can I communicate with an alien when I don’t even fully understand myself? Does being an alien imply being only physically different, or isn’t it more a matter of a difference in basic ways of thought? Must one resort to violence, even when the provocation is great? Is blind retaliation ever justified? And, most significantly, where does an intelligent ape leave off and a primitive man begin? (The front-cover blurb on that original Ballantine edition ran "Inferior Man or Super Apes?") Monte makes for a wonderful character, and the reader's sympathies are squarely with him, even when he commits one hugely surprising act of violence near the novel’s midpoint.
"Unearthly Neighbors" (the title was apparently supplied by the publisher; Oliver's original title for his book was "Shoulder the Sky," which suggests a greater sense of the weighty responsibility taken on by Monte and his mates), as mentioned, is a beautifully written work. Oliver employs plain, simple language here, often using short, incantatory sentences, a la Philip K. Dick. The atmosphere in the book is marvelous, and the reader is made to fully sense the alien planet, to feel the blistering heat of Sirius as well as the tug of the world's greater gravity. The Merdosi truly are an alien people, not because they look a bit different, but rather because they THINK differently. Ultimately, the book is a hopeful and optimistic one, in the finest tradition of "Star Trek," as the people of two worlds work together to bridge a chasm almost as great as all those light-years. I was left very satisfied by Chad Oliver's work here, so much so that I have already picked up a few more of the author's novels (1954's "Shadows in the Sun" and 1971's "The Shores of Another Sea," both in mini-hardcovers as part of Crown Classics' series) to read one day soon. As Scottish critic David Pringle has said, "Oliver is underrated," as any reader who experiences "Unearthly Neighbors" will most likely agree....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit site at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most excellent destination for all fans of Chad Oliver....)
July 31, 2019
Amazing
My husband showed me the cover of the paper book that he found on reddit, I though it looked cool so I decided to buy it on kindle. Amazing read it’s so perfect and different from anything I ever read before. Chad Oliver was an amazing writer for his time and honestly his books are much better than the poor excuse for books they write these days!
My husband showed me the cover of the paper book that he found on reddit, I though it looked cool so I decided to buy it on kindle. Amazing read it’s so perfect and different from anything I ever read before. Chad Oliver was an amazing writer for his time and honestly his books are much better than the poor excuse for books they write these days!
Read
April 12, 2024(alte Wertung: nicht übel aber langweilig. 3+)
September 12, 2024
Rainy day while on vacation allowed me to read yet another less well-known title, this one by Chad Oliver, an American anthropologist who wrote a handful of SF novels. This one was written in 1960 and later revised in 1986. i read the unrevised version. In the opening chapters it has a very 1950’s feel to it but by the midpoint it gets much more sophisticated and bears some resemblance to Silverberg’s Downward to the Earth.
This is a first contact novel. A scouting probe to Sirius has brought back images of humans on a distant planet. These humans live like apes among the trees, and who seem to have no tools, have bullt no buildings, and have left no artifacts. A team of scientists (and their very ‘50s-esque nuclear family type wives) headed by an anthropologist head off into space to investigate and make first contact. And as one might expect…. things go awry.
This book is quite well done, I thought. There’s some mild ‘50s era sexism in the first part (hopefully excised from the revised edition?) The middle to almost end is quite thrilling, and the very end is a little belaboured but not too bad. Re- worked, I think this could be turned into a decent contemporary, anti-colonial SF film.
I’d definitely read more by the author, and he does have a few other books so I'll keep an eye out for them.
This is a first contact novel. A scouting probe to Sirius has brought back images of humans on a distant planet. These humans live like apes among the trees, and who seem to have no tools, have bullt no buildings, and have left no artifacts. A team of scientists (and their very ‘50s-esque nuclear family type wives) headed by an anthropologist head off into space to investigate and make first contact. And as one might expect…. things go awry.
This book is quite well done, I thought. There’s some mild ‘50s era sexism in the first part (hopefully excised from the revised edition?) The middle to almost end is quite thrilling, and the very end is a little belaboured but not too bad. Re- worked, I think this could be turned into a decent contemporary, anti-colonial SF film.
I’d definitely read more by the author, and he does have a few other books so I'll keep an eye out for them.
September 23, 2025
Чед Оливер был американским писателем-фантастом и профессиональным антропологом. Его главным вкладом в литературу стало соединение научной фантастики с реалистичным изображением культур и антропологических концепций. Большинство его произведений посвящены мирным контактам с инопланетными цивилизациями и проблемам культурного взаимодействия. Уникальность Оливера заключается в глубоком и достоверном описании чужих обществ, основанном на его профессиональных знаниях.
«Откуда мы знаем историю земного человека? Как нам распутать его прошлое?
Мы откапывали его орудия труда. Каменные орудия.
Каменный век.
Мезолит.
Неолит.
Это так нам знакомо, что мы даже не задумываемся над этим. Кто усомнится в основах своей культуры? Все кажется естественным и неизбежным.
С самого начала, как только человек стал человеком, он создал орудия труда. С ними он жил, охотился, защищался и выражал себя.
Когда земной человек создал первое орудие труда, он одновременно определил и свою судьбу. Все позднейшее было лишь следствием этого акта творения: копья, гарпуны, луки и стрелы, плуги, колеса, искусство письма, города, самолеты, бомбы, космические корабли...
Таким был путь земного человека.
Но был ли он единственно возможным?
Что случилось бы, если бы человек никогда не сделал этого первого шага?»
«Откуда мы знаем историю земного человека? Как нам распутать его прошлое?
Мы откапывали его орудия труда. Каменные орудия.
Каменный век.
Мезолит.
Неолит.
Это так нам знакомо, что мы даже не задумываемся над этим. Кто усомнится в основах своей культуры? Все кажется естественным и неизбежным.
С самого начала, как только человек стал человеком, он создал орудия труда. С ними он жил, охотился, защищался и выражал себя.
Когда земной человек создал первое орудие труда, он одновременно определил и свою судьбу. Все позднейшее было лишь следствием этого акта творения: копья, гарпуны, луки и стрелы, плуги, колеса, искусство письма, города, самолеты, бомбы, космические корабли...
Таким был путь земного человека.
Но был ли он единственно возможным?
Что случилось бы, если бы человек никогда не сделал этого первого шага?»
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2019
This is one of those books I find difficult to rate. I like the story, and love the concept of anthropological science fiction, but in some ways found the book pretty dated (not least in the way all women had no other role than to be somebody's wife). Also, it was a bit jarring how fast they cracked an alien language, becoming fluent enough to understand complex issues of worldview and differing cosmologies... Nevertheless, the book was quite entertaining and had some food for thought. I'll most likely check out other stuff the author has written one of these days.
July 9, 2025
Really enjoyed this a lot. The writing is gripping and once you get past the first 50 pages it’s easy to just finish the whole book. The story is sci fi, but also a sort of study on humanity, society, and our place in the universe. A great tale that really held my interest and posed great questions but offering little in finite answers. This is what great sci fi is all about.
April 15, 2020
If you're looking for an exciting, action-packed science fiction story, look elsewhere. This is more philosophical and introspective, but it still has the wonder and fun of classic sci-fi. It was interesting and worth reading, and it kept me up late a few nights.
March 23, 2021
Una novelita de ciencia ficción sobre un primer contacto escrita por un antropólogo. Le hizo falta más desarrollo del mundo, pero la historia central de evitar el conflicto y la conquista a favor de la confianza está bien hecha.
March 13, 2023
3.5 stars
May 26, 2025
Unearthly Neighbors is not a good book, but it is mildly amusing as a time capsule of the author's 1960-era biases.
Read
May 8, 2019I have four different german editions:
-Das grosse Warten (two different editions)
-Brüder unter fremder Sonne (two different editions)
-Das grosse Warten (two different editions)
-Brüder unter fremder Sonne (two different editions)
February 21, 2015
I picked up this book because I love stories about aliens, and I've read hundreds of first contact narratives. This book was kinda like the wimpy fairy tale sibling of Stanislaw Lem's Fiasco. In some ways I would have enjoyed this novel much more if I hadn't read all of Lem's contact books. Lem explores this topic with such incredible scope, ingenuity and depth that it would be hard for anyone to even come close to scratching the surface of the topic.
It's a tough sell to me, because Lem's 'Fiasco' is my favourite book (ever).
But I'll stop talking about Lem and I'll actually talk about THIS book. A group of anthropologists travel to an alien planet and try to make friends with the natives. Things don't quite go as planned, and chaos ensues. Oliver does a couple things that are kinda interesting and unique with his story. I enjoyed it overall, but it felt like it was all surface, and the characters were all pretty one-dimensional. Even some of the prose was quite juvenile, like reading a first year uni student's attempt at fiction, lots of over-the-top flowery sentences, descriptive emotive lines in italics.
Overall though, this book is very optimistic. It argues that there's a commonality between all men, even non-human men. A universal love throughout the universe. Perhaps I have an issue with this book because I fundamentally disagree with this idea of universal peace and love. We humans are much darker at heart than we're willing to face, and any other intelligences out there are likely to be alien beyond comprehension.
Regardless, it was a good lighthearted read, kinda like watching a benign episode of the original Star Trek. But if you really want to get a deeper look into alien civilisations, you should look to Stanislaw Lem.
It's a tough sell to me, because Lem's 'Fiasco' is my favourite book (ever).
But I'll stop talking about Lem and I'll actually talk about THIS book. A group of anthropologists travel to an alien planet and try to make friends with the natives. Things don't quite go as planned, and chaos ensues. Oliver does a couple things that are kinda interesting and unique with his story. I enjoyed it overall, but it felt like it was all surface, and the characters were all pretty one-dimensional. Even some of the prose was quite juvenile, like reading a first year uni student's attempt at fiction, lots of over-the-top flowery sentences, descriptive emotive lines in italics.
Overall though, this book is very optimistic. It argues that there's a commonality between all men, even non-human men. A universal love throughout the universe. Perhaps I have an issue with this book because I fundamentally disagree with this idea of universal peace and love. We humans are much darker at heart than we're willing to face, and any other intelligences out there are likely to be alien beyond comprehension.
Regardless, it was a good lighthearted read, kinda like watching a benign episode of the original Star Trek. But if you really want to get a deeper look into alien civilisations, you should look to Stanislaw Lem.
May 2, 2017
I really like the way he works archaeology and anthropology into his science fiction.
February 23, 2008
I'm not a fan of contemporary science fiction "writing". But Chad Oliver was a founding father of the genre. He was also an anthropology professor. And his stories are fantastic.
October 10, 2024
I remember liking it but the details are sadly fuzzy now. :(
November 26, 2013
A bit dated but still good.
Read
May 19, 2016A hugely satisfying novel of first contact.
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