Blue Face

by G.C. Edmondson

When Nash Tabor found the alien living among the Yaqui Indians he was certain that this was the sensational discovery that would end his search for the badly-needed bolster to his sagging academic reputation.

Crippled in mind and body—from a wrong marriage and a severe motor accident—the anthropologist had made this last do-or-die trip to Mexico, never thinking that this discovery would mean not only an end to pain and hunger, but also immortality and power beyond his wildest imaginings.

But before he can announce his discovery he finds that his situation is very much that of the legendary man who caught a mountain lion alone and with his bare hands. The only time he really felt the need of help was when he tried to turn it loose.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

128 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Garry Edmondson (full name "José Mario Garry Ordoñez Edmondson y Cotton").

He also wrote Westerns under the names Kelly P. Gast, J. B. Masterson, and Jack Logan.

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

DAW Collectors #17

Cover Artist: Karel Thole

G C Edmondson - (Jose Mario Garry Ordonez Edmondson y Cotton)
Guatemala (1922 - 1995)

He also wrote Westerns under the names Kelly P. Gast, J. B. Masterson, and Jack Logan.

"Blue Face" is set in Mexico, When Nash Taber found the alien living among the Yaqui Indians he was certain that this was the sensational discovery that would end his search for the badly-needed bolster to his sagging academic reputation... An Original story The writing is colorful without being splashy, often wryly funny, the dialogue crisp and pointed and yet deceptively natural.

[Tomislav · Rating 2 out of 5]

28 March 2009 - **. Nash Tabor is an American anthropologist who discovers an alien living among the Yaqui Indians of northern Mexico, that physically resembles a Chapayeca. The story suffers from a quite sloppy opening in which readers have to endure pages of drug-induced hallucination, reminiscent of Carlos Castaneda's boring books about the culture and spiritual practices of the same Yaqui people. But once we get through that, this becomes an unusual sort of first contact story. Why does this alien have so much high-powered technology that he simply doesn't understand and has trouble making work? The explanation is revealed somewhat abruptly in the last chapter, and it all makes some logical sense then. The book would have been improved with some foreshadowing of that conclusion. In short, it's no surprise this novel and this writer have become obscure. This is DAW #17, and probably collectable.

[Steve Rainwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and relatively interesting story of an anthropologist who befriends a confused alien.

Nash Taber is an anthropologist on the run from the law in Mexico. He seeks refuge with the Yaqui Indians and discovers a blue skinned alien living among them. The alien is peaceful but seemingly uninterested in volunteering much information. Taber and the alien become friends and head off into the Mexican wilderness together to avoid the police and occasional military who are searching for Taber. Most of the story is Taber trying to learn about the alien and his civilization by asking him the sorts of questions you would expect an anthropologist to ask. The alien is happy to answer but half the time his only answer is "I don't know". The alien is either suffering from amnesia or some other cognitive problem that prevents him from remember why he's on Earth, where his space ship is, or anything else really useful. It's a bit of race against time for Taber to solve the mystery before they're captured by the Mexican government.

Overall I found it an enjoyable read but the first two chapters were a bit off-putting. In part because so much of the dialog is in Spanish that I found it hard to follow sometimes; and in part because those two chapters are full of strangely sexist dialog, something I would expect in much older pulp fiction. Once you get past that opening, when it's just Taber and the alien, I found the story interesting. Probably not a book worth seeking out, but if you run across it, worth reading.

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really brilliant little science fiction obscurity. The characters, the tone, and the content are all highly original.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

BLUE FACE is a quirky and clever short novel, with some nice cynical but convincing viewpoints. Edmondson never drew a lot of attention but shouldn't be forgotten.

[Hugo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obscure sci-fi oddity, notable for its Yaqui setting and anthropologist leanings, but the central mystery sits waiting while the main characters runs hither and yon, exchanging Dialogue in a world where the central political situation remains vague and unsatisfying, until the final chapters wherein all is revealed.

[Eric N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short alien in Mexico territory tale

[Christina Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the concept and the story didn’t really like the main character. I really like the ending.

[Ero · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cynical but clever and fast-moving little bit of alien-meets-anthropologist fiction. Unusual and surprising.

[SciFiOne · Rating 2 out of 5]

1987 grade D