My copy of this novel is a British paperback. See image. On the front cover, the Yorkshire Post is quoted as saying that "Poul Anderson is one of the best." Jerry Pournelle said somewhere, "Everyone knows that Poul Anderson is one of the best. They're wrong. He's better!"
This novel has a Cast of Characters before the Biblical quote. The Cast is divided into "Crew of the Spaceship Henry Hudson" and "The 'Rorvan' strangers." The latter are clearly aliens. The international spaceship crew includes a Lunarian astronomer and a Martian physicist but, since these crew members are named "John Lorenzen" and "Joab Thornton," respectively, we infer that they are human colonists of the Moon and Mars.
The back cover blurb informs us that there has been an as yet unsuccessful search for extrasolar planets to colonize and that the Henry Hudson is about to embark for a system from which the Da Gama has failed to return.
The plot thickens.
6 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Sometimes I find cover blurbs wonderfully amusing and not quite right! But, I agree with the YORKSHIRE POST and Jerry Pournelle in this case.
Sean
Paul and Sean:
Perhaps the most astonishing case I've ever seen of an author praising another's work on a book-cover blurb was when best-selling thriller writer Alistair MacLean was quoted, on a book by Desmond Bagley, as saying, "I've read all of Bagley's novels. I think he's better than I am."
I thought that was pitching it a bit too high, until I reflected on the fact that I've read quite a few of MacLean's books, but only valued two of them highly enough to buy copies, whereas my personal library holds 11 of Bagley's 16. So I guess I, too, think Desmond Bagley is better than Alistair MacLean.
David,
On the back of an sf paperback (I remember neither title nor author):
"'Move over, Arthur C. Clarke. Your replacement is here.' Isaac Asimov.
"'Much as I hate to agree with Isaac, I think he's right.' Arthur C. Clarke.'"
We were supposed to find this amusing. I found it annoying. These two guys supposedly recommending a new author (whom I don't remember) but instead just patting each other on the back.
Paul.
Kaor, DAVID and Paul!
David: Alas, I've never read any of Maclean or Bagley's novels. So I can't comment on how well they wrote.
Paul: While I understand your point, I still thought these blurbs by Asimov and Clarke to be amusing. And could they have been subtly insinuating the OPPOSITE of what they said?
Sean
Sean,
I never thought of that. It would be rather unpleasant if they were subtly putting the new author down.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly! Authors can sometimes use hyperbole and exaggeration to mean the opposite of what they were literally saying.
Sean
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