What do you think?
Rate this book
Central Control #1
The Last Planet
Cover code #47162 indicates a 1974 printing. Novel first published in 1953 as "Star Rangers". First in the "Central Control" sequence, which also includes the 1955 novel, "Star Guard."
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
8 people are currently reading
717 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
695 books1,384 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
November 23, 2025
A 50s adventure classic explores timely modern themes!
The first galactic empire is in decline. The crew of the Vegan scout ship Starfire has been dismissed under the guise of orders sending them to the far-flung reaches of the empire to re-map long forgotten galactic border systems. Away from any possibility of real repairs, their ship, running low on fuel and supplies and held together with little more than duct tape and binder twine, crash lands on a remote planet that doesn't even appear on their maps. The Patrol, Starfire's actual pilots and space crew plus the accompanying Rangers, land-based explorers, scouts and foot soldiers, now reduced to a wounded ragtag group of humans and aliens frequently in conflict with one another over racial, species, social and class issues, find themselves marooned on a planet that holds a bizarre blend of long-abandoned technology and a small native population that has barely advanced beyond primitive wilderness skills. During the exploration of a sprawling ghost city, they encounter Cummi, a similarly stranded Arcturan, who has the telepathic ability to control minds and is clearly bent on dominating the populace and the planet. Now the crew must find the physical and mental strength to come together as a team, overcome their differences and prevail in an epic battle to defeat the common enemy.
A casual read of this splendid tale will take the reader through an enjoyable fast paced adventure replete with the stock in trade of hard core 1950s pulp science fiction - blasters, disrupters, rockets, anti-gravity, aliens, galactic empires, inter-stellar travel, androids, near miraculous medical techniques like "renewer rays", traction beams (come to think of it, it sounds like a pretty fine pre-cursor to Star Trek)! But, take a second look! In 1953, only one year after Rosa Parks became known as the founder of the US Civil Rights movement by her courageous refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man, Norton has taken the pioneering step of exploring prejudice and race issues in the context of a science fiction novel. Zinga, a member of the reptilian Zacathans, and Fylh, a bird-like Tristian, encounter the hatred and mistrust of small-minded humans who lump all aliens into the category "Bemmies". Similarly, the land-based Rangers are all too aware that the space-focused Patrol holds them in contempt and perceives itself to be the elite of the Central Control. Telepathic mind control and the use of empathic abilities to perceive a person's emotional state are explored both as weapons and a means of enhancing a deeper, more complete level of communication. The "sensitives" who have this ability are feared by both humans and aliens alike who have a desperate fear of losing their minds to some sort of mental incursion.
Deep stuff, indeed, and my only criticism of this particular novel is that Norton didn't take the time to explore these compelling issues much more deeply. The novel is a short one and is finished all too quickly but, as a classic, it certainly deserves to be read today and will no doubt continue to stand up well to the test of time.
Paul Weiss
The first galactic empire is in decline. The crew of the Vegan scout ship Starfire has been dismissed under the guise of orders sending them to the far-flung reaches of the empire to re-map long forgotten galactic border systems. Away from any possibility of real repairs, their ship, running low on fuel and supplies and held together with little more than duct tape and binder twine, crash lands on a remote planet that doesn't even appear on their maps. The Patrol, Starfire's actual pilots and space crew plus the accompanying Rangers, land-based explorers, scouts and foot soldiers, now reduced to a wounded ragtag group of humans and aliens frequently in conflict with one another over racial, species, social and class issues, find themselves marooned on a planet that holds a bizarre blend of long-abandoned technology and a small native population that has barely advanced beyond primitive wilderness skills. During the exploration of a sprawling ghost city, they encounter Cummi, a similarly stranded Arcturan, who has the telepathic ability to control minds and is clearly bent on dominating the populace and the planet. Now the crew must find the physical and mental strength to come together as a team, overcome their differences and prevail in an epic battle to defeat the common enemy.
A casual read of this splendid tale will take the reader through an enjoyable fast paced adventure replete with the stock in trade of hard core 1950s pulp science fiction - blasters, disrupters, rockets, anti-gravity, aliens, galactic empires, inter-stellar travel, androids, near miraculous medical techniques like "renewer rays", traction beams (come to think of it, it sounds like a pretty fine pre-cursor to Star Trek)! But, take a second look! In 1953, only one year after Rosa Parks became known as the founder of the US Civil Rights movement by her courageous refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man, Norton has taken the pioneering step of exploring prejudice and race issues in the context of a science fiction novel. Zinga, a member of the reptilian Zacathans, and Fylh, a bird-like Tristian, encounter the hatred and mistrust of small-minded humans who lump all aliens into the category "Bemmies". Similarly, the land-based Rangers are all too aware that the space-focused Patrol holds them in contempt and perceives itself to be the elite of the Central Control. Telepathic mind control and the use of empathic abilities to perceive a person's emotional state are explored both as weapons and a means of enhancing a deeper, more complete level of communication. The "sensitives" who have this ability are feared by both humans and aliens alike who have a desperate fear of losing their minds to some sort of mental incursion.
Deep stuff, indeed, and my only criticism of this particular novel is that Norton didn't take the time to explore these compelling issues much more deeply. The novel is a short one and is finished all too quickly but, as a classic, it certainly deserves to be read today and will no doubt continue to stand up well to the test of time.
Paul Weiss
April 16, 2011
This was the first book I ever owned, and it set me on the path to being a science fiction writer.
October 3, 2011
Typical Norton. And make no mistake, that's a good thing.
One of the last Patrol vessels of the crumbling Galactic Empire, Starfire, crashes on an uncharted planet and the surviving crew (regular Patrolmen and the Rangers who explore new worlds) must cope with surviving on an unfamiliar world and coming to terms with the end of their civilization.
As the straight-forward, old-school, YA SF adventure at which Norton excelled, The Last Planet does a good job of entertaining the reader with a quickly paced story and a cast of interesting, if not overly memorable, characters: Kartr, a Ranger serjeant with powerful-but-untrained psionic powers; Zinga, a Zacathan Ranger; Rolth, another Ranger, a human whose people have adapted to a low-light world; Fylh, an avian Ranger; and the chief "bad guy," Joyd Cummi, a power-mad survivor from an earlier crash.
There's also a strong, salutary message about the stupidity of prejudice. The "African Americans," in this case, are aliens - aka "bemmys" (Bug Eyed Monsters) - who are second-class citizens of the empire. In order to survive, everyone has to and do learn to cooperate and appreciate one another as individuals.
Despite its racially progressive tone, there is a depressing male chauvinist aura. Ms. Norton is usually pretty good about this sort of thing - many of her characters are intelligent, capable women who don't need rescuing all the time (e.g., Jaelithe of the Witch World novels) - but this novel is pretty much a "males only" club. The only woman who gets to say much of anything is a corpswoman in what sounds like an 81st century version of the WACs, and she's immediately relegated to essentially getting all the men coffee.
Yet, despite that misfire, I would recommend this book and Norton in general. I'm not a fan of all the subjects she tackles and if you read too much of her at once, it can become repetitious, but she's a good storyteller, her tales are always uplifting and positive, and she's a good introduction to the SF/Fantasy genre for the 'tween crowd.
One of the last Patrol vessels of the crumbling Galactic Empire, Starfire, crashes on an uncharted planet and the surviving crew (regular Patrolmen and the Rangers who explore new worlds) must cope with surviving on an unfamiliar world and coming to terms with the end of their civilization.
As the straight-forward, old-school, YA SF adventure at which Norton excelled, The Last Planet does a good job of entertaining the reader with a quickly paced story and a cast of interesting, if not overly memorable, characters: Kartr, a Ranger serjeant with powerful-but-untrained psionic powers; Zinga, a Zacathan Ranger; Rolth, another Ranger, a human whose people have adapted to a low-light world; Fylh, an avian Ranger; and the chief "bad guy," Joyd Cummi, a power-mad survivor from an earlier crash.
There's also a strong, salutary message about the stupidity of prejudice. The "African Americans," in this case, are aliens - aka "bemmys" (Bug Eyed Monsters) - who are second-class citizens of the empire. In order to survive, everyone has to and do learn to cooperate and appreciate one another as individuals.
Despite its racially progressive tone, there is a depressing male chauvinist aura. Ms. Norton is usually pretty good about this sort of thing - many of her characters are intelligent, capable women who don't need rescuing all the time (e.g., Jaelithe of the Witch World novels) - but this novel is pretty much a "males only" club. The only woman who gets to say much of anything is a corpswoman in what sounds like an 81st century version of the WACs, and she's immediately relegated to essentially getting all the men coffee.
Yet, despite that misfire, I would recommend this book and Norton in general. I'm not a fan of all the subjects she tackles and if you read too much of her at once, it can become repetitious, but she's a good storyteller, her tales are always uplifting and positive, and she's a good introduction to the SF/Fantasy genre for the 'tween crowd.
February 5, 2019
130917: at the moment i have been reading woman-authored pulp/golden age us science fiction/fantasy, roughly 1930 to 1960. this is another attempt to immerse myself in popular culture of that time no matter how despised that writing might have been. this is not high lit or big bestsellers, this is not poetry, modernism, avant-garde, maybe not something to study at u (though reading this at u special collections). but many people read this, so it must have appeal of the era...
this is probably sff as tv miniseries by now, in that the 'science' aspect of sff is neither significant, unique, credible, but only a way of enabling 'adventure' fiction to encompass space travel, aliens, blasters etc. this by norton might be emblematic: there are loyal remnants of fallen roman-type space empire, space travel not much different than sea sailing, robots and vanished civilizations, primitives who worship 'gods of space', carefully graded 'psi' powers, essential mystery and essential gunfights... but also progressive attitudes re alien comrades, dealing with primitive cultures, honour against dishonour...
so i enjoyed this, perhaps aided by low expectations, but it is an easy read, plot, characters, motivations, emotions, actions all essentially human (essentially male). no women, no irony, no confusion, no difficulty in knowing who and how the good are good and the bad are bad. reading this reminds me of stanislaw lem claiming the american sff authors were 'charalatans' around singular genius (philip k dick). well sure, if you want innovative, satirical, memorable work. but if you want downmarket sff adventure this is fine...
this is probably sff as tv miniseries by now, in that the 'science' aspect of sff is neither significant, unique, credible, but only a way of enabling 'adventure' fiction to encompass space travel, aliens, blasters etc. this by norton might be emblematic: there are loyal remnants of fallen roman-type space empire, space travel not much different than sea sailing, robots and vanished civilizations, primitives who worship 'gods of space', carefully graded 'psi' powers, essential mystery and essential gunfights... but also progressive attitudes re alien comrades, dealing with primitive cultures, honour against dishonour...
so i enjoyed this, perhaps aided by low expectations, but it is an easy read, plot, characters, motivations, emotions, actions all essentially human (essentially male). no women, no irony, no confusion, no difficulty in knowing who and how the good are good and the bad are bad. reading this reminds me of stanislaw lem claiming the american sff authors were 'charalatans' around singular genius (philip k dick). well sure, if you want innovative, satirical, memorable work. but if you want downmarket sff adventure this is fine...
December 17, 2019
This unsurprisingly reads like a sci fi novel from the early 50’s but is not offensive any way. It’s not particularly good but it’s short enough to get into and finish before letting irritation over the writing and endless action plot taking over.
July 19, 2021
3.5 Will review at www.fantasyliterature.com.
September 5, 2017
Not bad.
July 23, 2023
1979 Grade A-
2023 Grade B+
Pretty standard Norton. Good story but her characters always seem a little off probably because of the sexism of the 50s. She was a woman writing male characters in science fiction stories when the audience was mainly male teens. I also never fully cared for the mentalism in the stories, with battles being fought via mind control. It was too much like dreams. But when I started reading SciFi, there was a lot of Norton available and the basic story is sound. I'm just not as tolerant of the problems now. I did speed read as needed, not too much, but noticeable.
The story is the end of an era and the start of a new one. A patrol ship of a dying empire crashes, and the characters have to start a new life on the last planet. The beginning of the ending.
aka Star Rangers
Title on book =
The Last Planet
Original Title: Star Rangers
2023 Grade B+
Pretty standard Norton. Good story but her characters always seem a little off probably because of the sexism of the 50s. She was a woman writing male characters in science fiction stories when the audience was mainly male teens. I also never fully cared for the mentalism in the stories, with battles being fought via mind control. It was too much like dreams. But when I started reading SciFi, there was a lot of Norton available and the basic story is sound. I'm just not as tolerant of the problems now. I did speed read as needed, not too much, but noticeable.
The story is the end of an era and the start of a new one. A patrol ship of a dying empire crashes, and the characters have to start a new life on the last planet. The beginning of the ending.
aka Star Rangers
Title on book =
The Last Planet
Original Title: Star Rangers
March 19, 2012
Of the two novels in Star Soldiers, I enjoyed this one more than Star Guard. It had more of the things I always liked about Norton's stories: inter-species cooperation, telepathy, and an upbeat ending. The characters evince ranges of behavior, with the major ones developing as the story progresses. "People" (not all of them human) you don't mind hanging out with, for awhile.
August 8, 2008
The Last Planet is the same book as Star Rangers. Under either title it's pretty good.
May 21, 2019
Probably my favorite book by Andre Norton. The ensemble cast of Kartr, Fylh, Zinga and Rolth were fun to read.
November 18, 2020
Just read this for the third time! First was in middle 1950's, second in 1965 when I was in junior college, and third was just now. It still is one of the best SciFi books I have ever read!
Read
December 19, 2014While the history doesn't seem to quite match up, this is ostensibly set in the same universe as Star Guard, after jumping forward a thousand or so years to the decline the galactic empire that humans have become part of. A little laggy in parts, but with some enjoyable parts.
Women actually appear in the book! And a couple have names and everything. :) Actually serving in the Patrol, but in a kind of "Women's auxiliary" supply corps. And the usual wives and mothers.
Women actually appear in the book! And a couple have names and everything. :) Actually serving in the Patrol, but in a kind of "Women's auxiliary" supply corps. And the usual wives and mothers.
April 26, 2009
I first read this book when i was 8 or 9, back in the 1960's, when i found it in the school library. i enjoyed it then, being the target audience, and I have a hardback copy now on my bookshelf. I will always enjoy this book, even though my tastes have inevitably become more sophisticated, because there is an innocence and clarity about the story and the writing style that I find immensely appealing, even after all these years. Definitely a keeper!
September 29, 2014
I had never managed to get much farther than a couple chapters into a Norton book. Maybe I just needed to be in the right frame of mind or my taste in books needed to change but after having this one on my shelves for 7 years I decided to give it another try.
While it came across as a boys adventure story with some aliens and spaceships thrown in for fun and a racism is bad message, I ended up enjoying the story.
While it came across as a boys adventure story with some aliens and spaceships thrown in for fun and a racism is bad message, I ended up enjoying the story.
August 20, 2014
I read this book about 35 years ago when I was a kid. There was very little of the plot that I recalled, but I always remembered enjoying it. Strangely enough, I always recalled the cover art from the 1974 paper back version. Norton's writing is obviously a bit dated (published in 1953). But she spins a great "old school" science fiction story that concentrates on the characters rather than the technology, and then she plugs in a twist at the end that's both poignant and hopeful.
April 9, 2015
(4.5)
What a fun book! Good old-fashioned space (well, planet) adventure, with an ending that shot the story well past "pretty good" and into "great!" I already knew I loved Andre Norton, but I'm extra loving discovering more of her work.
What a fun book! Good old-fashioned space (well, planet) adventure, with an ending that shot the story well past "pretty good" and into "great!" I already knew I loved Andre Norton, but I'm extra loving discovering more of her work.
April 11, 2007
This book cemented my love for sci-fi when I first read it. Norton is a true master.
May 14, 2012
I read this book the first time at 15. It was a nice visit with an old friend
March 12, 2024
I'd really expected a follow-on to Star Guard, which ends with a remaining cadre of the Space Patrol, but instead we get a new story, though still set in the same time period.
For the first part of the book, this is a series of adventures, much like Edgar Rice Burroughs (is Kartr distantly related to John Carter?). But then it gets an overarching plot and even gets epic.
It is too bad that there are only two books in the Central Control series, because she did a ton of world building for this. There is a lot of room for longer, multi-book stories here. But maybe these just didn't sell for a writer starting out in 1953. This is the third book she published and it dives into some pretty big themes for a new writer, with racism, ethics of telepathy, choosing between industrial and rural culture, and so on.
For a really deep dive, see this review at Reactor Magazine (tor.com): https://reactormag.com/marooned-on-th...
For the first part of the book, this is a series of adventures, much like Edgar Rice Burroughs (is Kartr distantly related to John Carter?). But then it gets an overarching plot and even gets epic.
It is too bad that there are only two books in the Central Control series, because she did a ton of world building for this. There is a lot of room for longer, multi-book stories here. But maybe these just didn't sell for a writer starting out in 1953. This is the third book she published and it dives into some pretty big themes for a new writer, with racism, ethics of telepathy, choosing between industrial and rural culture, and so on.
For a really deep dive, see this review at Reactor Magazine (tor.com): https://reactormag.com/marooned-on-th...
June 3, 2018
Although Star Rangers is an otherwise straightforward scifi adventure novel, a big part of the book revolved around the racial tension between humans and non-humans. The “bemmys” (aka BEM, aka Bug Eyed Monsters) are neither bug-eyed nor monsters, but the humans of the story treat them as outsiders, even as they serve on the same crew. In fact, the story is mostly from the non-humans’ point of view. I was not expecting this from a book written in 1953. Another aspect I liked was the importance of psychic abilities in the plot. Again, not what I was expecting. Overall, although I gave the book 4/5 stars due to a somewhat muddled ending, I was pleasantly surprised by what I anticipated to be a by-the-numbers adventure story.
March 25, 2019
I've been going through a classic sci-fi binge lately and I found this well worn paperback at the LSU book bazaar this spring. I loved it! I love the way it was a well-thought out plot, with plenty of action and suspense. Norton made each character unique and with a depth in only 192 pages. I like the way authors could just make up words and names however they saw fit. Sgt. Katr (which I still took to pronouncing at "cat-R") was a likable character thrust into a new position of leadership on an alien world with few resources. Together with his diverse squad of Patrolmen he must forge a new path.
February 22, 2021
The galaxy wide civilization is falling apart. Those in charge want to take over by getting rid of the Patrol. So they send them all on mapping expeditions and slowly starve Central Control of resources to support them. So our hero's ship fails on landing on the latest survey planet. And adventures start off from there. I won't ruin the surprises; I hate spoilers. However, I will say that I had already guessed the big secret long before the hero and his friends find the confirmation. Ms. Norton has been a long time favorite author of mine. This one lives up to her rep and I didn't realize while reading it that it's the first in a series. More fun to come! Definitely recommended.
December 5, 2024
Typical of Ms. Norton's works, her story unfolds on a strange and mysterious planet on the far fringes of the galaxy. There, she depicts a time and place where a once great galactic empire has begun to decay and crumble under its own weight. The crew of a lone patrol ship are perhaps the last guardians of law and order left. This hardy yet weary crew, devoid of fuel and other resources, must crash land on a desolate and forbidding world. There, the patrol survivors make a startling discovery about their empire's shadowy origins. I won't give away anymore. You'll have to read it for yourself. This book is a great old-fashioned romp of an adventure. I would recommend this book.
August 4, 2023
Inoffensive and entertaining enough for an evening of lazy reading, but nowhere near the quality of Norton's best efforts.
The story stalls at various points, shifts its entire focus a bit too often for my tastes, and the prose is merely perfunctory, but every so often an exciting scene of action or action will pull you in for some thrilling few moments before the dullness pushes you back. The big twist is also smidge predictable, but I won't hold that against it.
A middle-of-the-road read, but one that goes by quickly. Recommend it to any sufficiently interested Sci-Fi enthusiast.
The story stalls at various points, shifts its entire focus a bit too often for my tastes, and the prose is merely perfunctory, but every so often an exciting scene of action or action will pull you in for some thrilling few moments before the dullness pushes you back. The big twist is also smidge predictable, but I won't hold that against it.
A middle-of-the-road read, but one that goes by quickly. Recommend it to any sufficiently interested Sci-Fi enthusiast.
September 29, 2017
This is a grand old ('53) epic of science fiction, a true precursor to "Star Wars". It falls just short of a 5-star rating, I would give it 4.5 stars if I could. Interstellar craft crashes on an earth-like planet with a group of space rangers on board and the fun begins. Norton always displayed a great imagination in her work and it is at its' zenith here. Highly recommended to sci-fi fans and recommended to anyone who wants to enjoy a good adventure story.
December 9, 2022
Not really a review. More like a database table.
But, still not found anywhere.
Prologue p. 5
Last Port p. 6
Green Hills p. 17
Mutiny p. 28
Beacon p.39
The City p. 51
The City People p. 62
The Rangers Stand Together p. 74
Palace Revolution p. 85
Showdown p. 97
Battle p. 107
Outcast p. 119
Kartr Takes the Trail p. 129
Cummi's Kingdom p. 139
Plague p. 150
The Meeting Place of the Gods p. 160
Terra Calling p. 171
The End is not Yet p. 181
no epilogue, no ads
But, still not found anywhere.
Prologue p. 5
Last Port p. 6
Green Hills p. 17
Mutiny p. 28
Beacon p.39
The City p. 51
The City People p. 62
The Rangers Stand Together p. 74
Palace Revolution p. 85
Showdown p. 97
Battle p. 107
Outcast p. 119
Kartr Takes the Trail p. 129
Cummi's Kingdom p. 139
Plague p. 150
The Meeting Place of the Gods p. 160
Terra Calling p. 171
The End is not Yet p. 181
no epilogue, no ads
March 13, 2023
I liked the themes of the book but it felt very stripped down. There were glimpses into a decaying galactic civilization that I think would have been more engaging if fleshed out across a longer novel or even a series.
As it was, trying to cram the whole narrative in led to a rushed experience without much conflict or risk because every problem resolved within a chapter or two to make took for the next plot point.
Also, of course the last planet was Earth. 🫣
As it was, trying to cram the whole narrative in led to a rushed experience without much conflict or risk because every problem resolved within a chapter or two to make took for the next plot point.
Also, of course the last planet was Earth. 🫣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2023
Andre Norton does not disappoint. This is the author that got me hooked on sci-fi way back in fourth grade when I read The Time Traders. Because her books do not rely on gimmicks, but are more character driven, they stand up to the test of time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews