Alien Art

by Gordon R. Dickson

On the planet Arcadia a young man and woman and a swamp otter join together to haul the otter's eleven hundred pound statue overland to meet the deadline of a prospective buyer from another planet.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Gordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author. He was born in Canada, then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota as a teenager. He is probably most famous for his Childe Cycle and the Dragon Knight series. He won three Hugo awards and one Nebula award.

Reviews

[SciFiOne · Rating 5 out of 5]

1988 Grade A-
2017 Grade A

Good Book! The novel tells the story of a frontier man and a city woman moving a life size statue from the back country to a city. They have a 10 day limit and only travois, sledge, raft, and muscle to do it. They also have people trying to stop them and the alien artist with them. If the story had been set on earth in the 1800s instead of on an another planet with aliens, settlers, and outsiders, it might have earned major literary respect. It reminded me of some Jack London stories, except I liked this one! Recommended.

[Darnoc Leadburger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some people call Gordon R. Dickson a master of science fiction and some say he's nothing more than a a minor author - that is, if you even know who he is anymore. He was one of those prolific mid-to-late-20th century SF authors who was very active in the science fiction scene but whose works aren't still being held up by contemporary SF readers, kind of like Damon Knight. For what it's worth, he's one of the first "real" SF authors I ever read thanks to finding *The Right to Arm Bears* hilarious in my 8th grade social studies class, but I must admit that I didn't find any of the other books I've read by him too memorable, even if I did enjoy the fun of *The Lifeship* that he cowrote with Harry Harrison. Still, he wasn't an innovator, and you won't find his name among the likes of Budrys, Dick, Sturgeon, Vonnegut, or even Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke. That didn't stop me from picking up *Alien Art*, even when I was at Uncle Hugo's bookstore - it's like the SF Literature Mecca - because it's got an otter on the cover and I've wanted this cover for years - but it's easy to say that it didn't really impress me, and that even though I'm about to give a nice summary of the book, it really wasn't too much of... anything, beyond being a fun adventure.

*Alien Art* begins with Cary, a frontier man from the planet Arcadia, trying to sell a crop of stones that his "buddy" Charlie carved to an interstellar art dealer named Lige. Even though Lige laments how Arcadia is posed to become just another city-sprawling colony planet with no wilderness once they re-mortgage the planet, he isn't willing to buy the "worthless" carvings. He does tell Cary that he may offer up to two thousand interworld units for a full-sized carving of a man, though, if he has it to him when he comes back in time for the remortgaging vote in ten days. Cary rushes off to a young woman who lends him money for these art-dealing trips, Mattie, and while she does fund the expedition, she insists on going to collect the statue and bring it back to the city with him. There's just one thing that Cary forgot to tell Lige: Charlie isn't just any old guy from the mountains, but a swamp otter who Cary has a special bond with and believes is sentient. He and Mattie meet him by Cary's mountain-side cottage (which was being squatted in by another frontier man who promptly leaves upon hearing Cary's name - apparently his reputation precedes him), wrap the big carving that Charlie made of Cary in a box with a bunch of stuffing, and set out to the city. Mattie doesn't think Charlie should come, but Cary allows it - after all, his fellow otters don't appreciate his art, and Cary thinks nothing could bring Charlie the joy of seeing humans appreciate his work...

Cary and Charlie first met back when Cary was an otter-trapper and fur-trader and trapped Charlie's lifelong mate and killed her. Charlie wanted to understand why a human would do such a thing, and they learned to communicate; Cary soon turned over a new leaf. Now, with Mattie, they haul the statue across a swamp and use a pulley-esque system to lower it (and themselves) down through a series of rocky ledges. Then an offworlder's hovership shoots Charlie because he wants to "save" the two humans next to him, and Mattie gives him an embarrassing chewing out before sending him on his way, especially since Charlie is hurting. Repercussions surface when they arrive at a trading post with four offworlders after a harrowing experience on the river and the offworlders prove pissed off on behalf of the friend who shot Charlie, so they want to kill the otter and tie up Cary and Mattie. With the post's owner's help, they escape the situation, but Charlie's still hurting, and when they reach the locking system, the owner won't let them through because the offworlders spread a rumor that Cary and Mattie are returning to the city to turn the tides of the mortgage vote, which voting against would "invalidate" generations' worth of industrial progress. A local woodsman helps them through the river anyways, but Charlie dies due to sustained wounds in the process; they then gather an army of frontier men and farmers at the gateway to the city after being turned away because of their statue and the threat it poses to the mortgage, but with a show of solidarity, the naturalists convert the police and set up their display right next to the voting booths, where not enough people can bring themselves to vote for the re-mortgaging - just like that, Arcadia is saved, in Charlie's memory.

*Alien Art* was a pretty standard adventure novel. You've got a guy who's a bit rough around the edges trying to do the right thing (and possibly grabbing a woman while he's at it) who has a series of obstacles, both physical and personal, thrown at him over a short period of time. This could appeal to you if you like authors like Alan Dean Foster, Keith Laumer, or even more general writers like Jack London, But you're not going to get a bunch of crazy philosophy or intricate characters in this book. You don't even get *that* cool of a world - but Dickson is a readable writer, and the kind of physical situations his characters get into are portrayed and explained very clearly. More clearly, I'd say, than other writers like the aforementioned Foster, whose prose can sometimes be too blocky too engage with for me; Dickson never falls into that trap. Now, unlike his prose, Dickson's plot elements do get away from him a few times .example, what exactly the mortgage vote entails seems to be mislaid all over the place. What's said about it during the book doesn't exactly line up with how it's portrayed at the end of the book - do they need to lodge votes *for* or *against* the motion to remortgage? - and the scale of it, and the whole city/planet structure of Arcadia, is murky too. This world isn't really put into scale, and that leads to the whole place feeling like one small town; maybe that's a good thing, and maybe it isn't, but I always like it if a bit more of the scenery behind a standalone world is painted in than there is in this one's.

As far as the characters go, I'll say this: *Alien Art* is more like a Disney movie for adult science fiction fans (or young adults ones, for that manner) than a lot of print science fiction, and just like any Disney movie I've seen, the characters have vaguely complex motivations and do wrestle with them throughout the book (namely Mattie and her dedication to keeping Prayer Day for prayer and not work, which conflicts with keeping Charlie safe and getting his statue to the city on time), but never get too intricate or messy, and they deliver a fist-pumping ending. Before talking about that, though, I do want to remark upon the similarities between this book and H. Beam Piper's book *Little Fuzzy*, which is similar to *Alien Art* in some regards and really leans into the question of whether or not the cute aliens are really sentient or not. *Alien Art* just kind of assumes this, and it's never really put to the test, where *Little Fuzzy* puts a lot more thought into that. It's just a bit more intricate take on the whole Disney-for-SF-Fans thing, which is worth checking out, even if its sequels aren't quite as worthy...

*Alien Art*'s ending is kind of a double-edged sword; it's really heartening in one way, but it also kind of pissed me off in another one, specifically when Charlie died. Like... He's a cute otter, and killing him off was a bolder choice than a Disney movie would've made, but it wasn't worth anything. The monument of his statue in front of the voting booths would've been even more powerful if he was there with it, and I would've liked the emotional payoff of that cute little guy seeing what his work could mean to people. It would've been so emotionally pleasing! Still, the story hits most of the other emotional beats you want it to, so I won't get too up-in-arms about it. It is interesting how this story is also rooted in conservation of nature and all of that jazz when Gordon R. Dickson was traditionally seen as a more right-wing author, and with more naturalistic/health-conscious elements being wrapped into the American right wing as of late (if not the global warming/climate change end of things), this book might be of slight interest as a historical document, especially when looking at from 2024, for what it's worth.

Overall, this is popcorn science fiction, but I enjoyed it and smiled at the ending along with all the other readers. This won't be winning any awards from anywhere, but still, I think it's worth a 6.5/10. It's cute, and I'd recommend it if any of this cute adventure stuff gets you excited or warms you heart, but... I'm not going to think about it too much. While that's okay, I'd like to get to some more serious and thought-provoking stuff right now, so... thanks for reading, and I guess I'll see you next time you peruse reviews of an adventure-SF book here on Goodreads. Until then - safe travels by foot, helicopter, raft, wagon, and whatever other contraptions you get roped into...

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A frontier planet deciding it's fate... that's what this book suggests is the story. But in actuality, the book is about two (three?) people journeying with an art piece across the wilds, and the way it affects them and those they meet along the way. The story does a good job implying slang and using a method of speech that gives the book an appropriate tone.

You'll know how it turns out right as you start to read, but you'll enjoy the journey.

[Crosby Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rustic sci-fi. It's leanness allowed the author to explore issues like interstellar financial colonialism and frontier expansionism, invasive species, and animal sentience. I picked it up because the cover art and synopsis seemed hilariously ludacris but I'm blown away by the serious approach of timeless concepts in this quick read. By far one of my recent favorites, especially recommended for fans of videogames like Bioshock, Outer Worlds, and Borderlands.

[Daniel LeSaint · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Mister…you’re blind”

“You know who’s not a man?…none of us…to Charlie’s people…We’re animals. Aliens. We’re alien animals come out of someplace else where we had a right to be, to here where we got no right.”

[Devinwatson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun short little sci-fi story about a backwoods man, a city trader, and a artistic giant river otter. This story really pulled me in and I fished it in two evenings.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun romp! Starts as a "move the Mcguffin" tale and ends up being a minor planetary revolution.

[Cozy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise but most of the book was spent with a very repetitive traveling sequence followed by a decent ending. I liked it well enough but it was only alright. Excellent cover art though

[David MacDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Gordon Dickson book. It was a good light sci-fi novel, with some sparse but interesting world-building. It held together thematically as well. I'm excited to check out more from this author.

[Luca Dofus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little unexpected gem found in a used books shop in a small town.
I though it was going to be a simple story, that wouldn't carry me away much (and it did start as such). But 3 or so chapters in and the characters were already acquiring dimensions and personalities, the story shape and rhythm.
The more I continued the more I enjoyed it, it sped up and took unexpected turns and it all came together in a lovely ending. And, it couldn't more actual!

[Helga Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this in one morning. I didn't mean to. I read the first thirty pages,flipped to the end and discovered it was as I had expected. I was very disappointed. I read 10 pages before the end,then 10 pages before that,and on,and on and on, till I came back to page 30 and discovered I had to make the journey with these characters. The dialogue is very readable. No other way to describe it. It drew me in,obviously. Breakfast was late and it really deserves a 3 1/2.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting novel. Humans have spread out to other worlds. First the settlers are sent and then later the corporations come and see if they want to re-mortgage the planet to make it more like every other planet humans are on. But this planet has a young man named Cary Longan and he and his native friend Charlie want to take a statue Charlie carved to town. Sounds simple, right?

[Zachary Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, you won't quite die of boredom. Typical Gordon R. Dickson

[Steve Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable potboiler that does its job by keeping you wanting to turn to the next page.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty simple sci-fi story oddly focusing on a trip through swamps and forests and farmland with a giant otter, but with the theme of resistance to industrialization dominating the plot.

[Alien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein reisender Kunsthändler besucht den unentwickelten Hinterwäldlerplaneten. Ein Trampel aus dem Sumpf will ihm Steine verkaufen, die kaum als Kunst erkennbar sind.