West of the Sun

Rating:
Summary: Delightful story of three different species interacting.
Review: I first read this book at the age of 10 or so and loved it.

The first human ship to explore another solar system crash lands on a planet which is home to two intelligent species. One species is gorilla-like---large, gentle, peace-loving. The other is a female-dominated race of warlike cannibalistic pygmies. A basic theme is that intelligent species should think alike and have similar emotional makeup. It explores the way individuals within species can be enemies and looks at the formation of inter-species alliances.

Good character development. Some very heart-warming episodes. But the story follows very predictable lines.

Rating:
Summary: Great Novel of First Contact
Review: The reprinter of E E Smith's Lensman series - Old Earth Books - has begun reissuing all of Pangborn in classy carefully proofread editions. This is the first one in the program. The new edition has praise from Harry Turtledove, Kim Stanley Robinson, and John Clute. Well worth owning.

Rating:
Summary: Great Novel of First Contact
Review: The reprinter of E E Smith's Lensman series - Old Earth Books - has begun reissuing all of Pangborn in classy carefully proofread editions. This is the first one in the program. The new edition has praise from Harry Turtledove, Kim Stanley Robinson, and John Clute. Well worth owning.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Novel of First Contact
Review: This is the first volume in the reprinting of ALL of Edgar Pangborn (includig such hard to find non-sf as "The Trial of Calista Blake" and the next to impossible to find "Wilderness of Spring") by Old Earth Books. Comes with great quotes from Harry Tutledove ("Edgar Pangborn was one of the really great ones."), Kim Stanley Robinson ("One of the greatest American science fiction writers.") and John Clute ("It takes us away to a better world, where it leaves us. Today, we need this.")

So, what is the novel about?

A spaceship crashes on a planet the crew names: Lucifer - Son of Morning. Full of hope and excitement, the six explorers encounter an alien world full of bat-winged monsters, painted witches, and armies of pygmy cannibals. But for each threat, objects of great beauty await them: blue fireflies, red-green forests, vast mountains and deep seas. With ever dwindling supplies, and a war in the making, these adventurers emabark on one of the most fascinating journeys of survival in science fiction . . . somewhere West of the Sun.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Novel of First Contact
Review: This is the first volume in the reprinting of ALL of Edgar Pangborn (includig such hard to find non-sf as "The Trial of Calista Blake" and the next to impossible to find "Wilderness of Spring") by Old Earth Books. Comes with great quotes from Harry Tutledove ("Edgar Pangborn was one of the really great ones."), Kim Stanley Robinson ("One of the greatest American science fiction writers.") and John Clute ("It takes us away to a better world, where it leaves us. Today, we need this.")

So, what is the novel about?

A spaceship crashes on a planet the crew names: Lucifer - Son of Morning. Full of hope and excitement, the six explorers encounter an alien world full of bat-winged monsters, painted witches, and armies of pygmy cannibals. But for each threat, objects of great beauty await them: blue fireflies, red-green forests, vast mountains and deep seas. With ever dwindling supplies, and a war in the making, these adventurers emabark on one of the most fascinating journeys of survival in science fiction . . . somewhere West of the Sun.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Look at First Contact
Review: West of the Sun is, I think, a very early work by Edgar Pangborn. I ran across it and was pleasantly surprised that it's still good. Yes, it has a major flaw that really isn't the author's fault, the attitude towards women. At least the women take an active part in the story, but they're still out of the 1950s. That aside, this is a good account of first contact with not one but two alien races on a planet. The little group of six astronauts accidentally land in a messy conflict, on top of which they have their own conflicts within their group. Everything is nicely drawn and I like the fact that the end of the story is not the end but clearly a beginning for all three races.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Look at First Contact
Review: West of the Sun is, I think, a very early work by Edgar Pangborn. I ran across it and was pleasantly surprised that it's still good. Yes, it has a major flaw that really isn't the author's fault, the attitude towards women. At least the women take an active part in the story, but they're still out of the 1950s. That aside, this is a good account of first contact with not one but two alien races on a planet. The little group of six astronauts accidentally land in a messy conflict, on top of which they have their own conflicts within their group. Everything is nicely drawn and I like the fact that the end of the story is not the end but clearly a beginning for all three races.

Rating:
Summary: First, but not the best, however...
Review: West of the Sun was Pangborn's first novel, published in 1953. While it is not his best (that would come with his second, the International Fantasy Award-winning A Mirror for Observers) it does end on such a poignant and hopeful note that the reader is left with many profound thoughts on which to ponder. The story revolves around six U. S. astronauts stranded on the far planet of Lucifer, and they must survive and cope with not only each other but also with that planet's two native sentient species. Many years later, when a rescue ship finally arrives, they decide to remain to continue developing their thriving society. This reissue is from Old Earth Books, and it is their intention to follow-up with all of Pangborn's titles in uniform editions. It is extremely encouraging that there is renewed interest in this excellent but sadly neglected writer.