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Fragile and Distant Suns: A Poul Anderson Collection
NOTE: This edition has a linked "Table of Contents" and has been beautifully formatted (searchable and interlinked) to work on your Amazon e-book reader, Amazon Desktop Reader, and your ipod e-book reader.
A collection of science fiction stories written by acclaimed author Poul Anderson.
Poul Anderson is best known for sci-fi adventure stories in which larger-than-life characters succeed gleefully or fail heroically.
Anderson's also famous for writing 'Call Me Joe' (not included in this volume) which featured the premise of a paralyzed man whose mind is remotely controlling an alien body. This same theme also appears in James Cameron's 2009 movie "Avatar" – similar enough that some reviewers are calling for Anderson to receive some form of credit.
Included in this volume:
Story One: Duel on Syrtis
Bold and ruthless, he was famed throughout the System as a big-game hunter. From the firedrakes of Mercury to the ice-crawlers of Pluto, he'd slain them all. But his trophy-room lacked one item; and now Riordan swore he'd bag the forbidden game that roamed the red deserts ... a Martian!
Story Two: Security
In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure. A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space. Or loyalty may prove to be high treason. But it has its rewards...
Story Three: The Valor of Cappen Varra
We have said that there are many and strange shadows, memories surviving from dim pasts, in this fantastic universe of ours...
Story Four: Industrial Revolution
Ever think how deadly a thing it is if a machine has amnesia—or how easily it can be arranged…
Story Five: The Sensitive Man
One man stood between a power-hungry cabal and world mastery--but a man of unusual talents...
These are the original and unabridged versions of these classic science fiction treasures. A must-have for fans of classic sci-fi!
A collection of science fiction stories written by acclaimed author Poul Anderson.
Poul Anderson is best known for sci-fi adventure stories in which larger-than-life characters succeed gleefully or fail heroically.
Anderson's also famous for writing 'Call Me Joe' (not included in this volume) which featured the premise of a paralyzed man whose mind is remotely controlling an alien body. This same theme also appears in James Cameron's 2009 movie "Avatar" – similar enough that some reviewers are calling for Anderson to receive some form of credit.
Included in this volume:
Story One: Duel on Syrtis
Bold and ruthless, he was famed throughout the System as a big-game hunter. From the firedrakes of Mercury to the ice-crawlers of Pluto, he'd slain them all. But his trophy-room lacked one item; and now Riordan swore he'd bag the forbidden game that roamed the red deserts ... a Martian!
Story Two: Security
In a world where Security is all-important, nothing can ever be secure. A mountain-climbing vacation may wind up in deep Space. Or loyalty may prove to be high treason. But it has its rewards...
Story Three: The Valor of Cappen Varra
We have said that there are many and strange shadows, memories surviving from dim pasts, in this fantastic universe of ours...
Story Four: Industrial Revolution
Ever think how deadly a thing it is if a machine has amnesia—or how easily it can be arranged…
Story Five: The Sensitive Man
One man stood between a power-hungry cabal and world mastery--but a man of unusual talents...
These are the original and unabridged versions of these classic science fiction treasures. A must-have for fans of classic sci-fi!
- GenresScience Fiction
170 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 16, 2010
42 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Poul Anderson
1,615 books1,095 followersPseudonym A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, Winston P. Sanders, P. A. Kingsley.
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.
Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]
Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.
Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.
Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]
Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.
Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 20, 2018
Disappointed in the Production and Marketing: A Review of Fragile and Distant Suns by Poul Anderson.
This book interested me because I was a fan of Poul Anderson when I was in my teens, so I bought this anthology for a dollar from Amazon. Described as "beautifully formatted (searchable and interlinked)" on the Amazon website, this book contains the text of five Poul Anderson stories that are evidently in the public domain. It is hard to know their exact age or source because there is no title page. Story four has the word "[illustration]" in various places to let you know what you are missing.
Even more disappointing to me is a note from the author's widow posted in the review section: "My livelihood depends on income from authorized editions of my husband's works. Payments for this edition go only to the person who is selling it. Please, instead, buy editions like 'Call Me Joe' from Trigonier Trust (my own), or from Baen Books, Tor Books, or NESFA Press. --Karen Anderson".
In general, I am a big fan of relaxing U.S. copyright law, because I believe the restrictions are too broad and the length way too long. If it is reasonably to be expected that a work will be lost before it can be copied, copyright is too long. I believe this is especially true for digital media were all hardware and software needed to access such media will be long gone before copyright expires. But in cases where the work is still in print and the new publisher is just selling cheap knockoffs and avoiding royalties, I am far less charitable.
This book interested me because I was a fan of Poul Anderson when I was in my teens, so I bought this anthology for a dollar from Amazon. Described as "beautifully formatted (searchable and interlinked)" on the Amazon website, this book contains the text of five Poul Anderson stories that are evidently in the public domain. It is hard to know their exact age or source because there is no title page. Story four has the word "[illustration]" in various places to let you know what you are missing.
Even more disappointing to me is a note from the author's widow posted in the review section: "My livelihood depends on income from authorized editions of my husband's works. Payments for this edition go only to the person who is selling it. Please, instead, buy editions like 'Call Me Joe' from Trigonier Trust (my own), or from Baen Books, Tor Books, or NESFA Press. --Karen Anderson".
In general, I am a big fan of relaxing U.S. copyright law, because I believe the restrictions are too broad and the length way too long. If it is reasonably to be expected that a work will be lost before it can be copied, copyright is too long. I believe this is especially true for digital media were all hardware and software needed to access such media will be long gone before copyright expires. But in cases where the work is still in print and the new publisher is just selling cheap knockoffs and avoiding royalties, I am far less charitable.
May 10, 2020
Classic Poul Anderson
September 4, 2024
I always enjoy Poul Anderson. If you haven't read anything of his yet, try this one.
April 9, 2016
An interesting collection of stories. Before beginning I must point out that the description about the contents of this book appear to be in error as the first included story is "The Burning Bridge" and not "Duel on Syrtis".
As has been pointed out some of the material is dated as Anderson wrote these some time ago. The world and our knowledge of it has changed. It was nice to revisit this view of SciFi's past.
As has been pointed out some of the material is dated as Anderson wrote these some time ago. The world and our knowledge of it has changed. It was nice to revisit this view of SciFi's past.
August 19, 2014
A fine Sci-Fi story from one of the masters of the genre.
This was a re-reading of the book as I first read it at school. It has lost none of it's brilliance and the short stories contained within cover many many aspects of future times.
Thoroughly recommend this as a break book, you can dive in a read a story in between other thing.s
This was a re-reading of the book as I first read it at school. It has lost none of it's brilliance and the short stories contained within cover many many aspects of future times.
Thoroughly recommend this as a break book, you can dive in a read a story in between other thing.s
May 28, 2010
Hate to say it, but a lot of it was horribly dated. I hope I don't end up feeling like that about all my favourite sci-fi... chances are though, it's gonna happen.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews