Icerigger

A starship lands on an isolated planet that is currently in an ice age, but warming up. The natives have perfected ice boats and even developed skate claws! The human survivors of the crash try to nagivate the treacherous natives while staying alive and trying to reach the only port that will provide them a way off. Well written and interesting, and lightly deals with the difficulties of dealing with a very different alien species.

Another fun journey thanks to Mr Foster! The cover calls it 'space opera' but I wouldnt use that definition for this book-its more a planetary adventure, a voyage of discovery that reads rather like science fantasy a la Anne McCaffrey's Dragons Dawn (1988). In other words its like a fantasy adventure with SF elements. Overall, very good!
The only thing with these books is I found that the subject in the title isn't alluded to until you reach the last thrid of the book. In this case I'd forgotten the books title until
*SPOILER suddenly a ship is put together by the Tran and it gets called an Icerigger!*

I'm a hardcore Foster apologist and pretty much love most of his work. But really, guys, who couldn't love an frozen world with ice-skating bat-like people who are roundabout medieval in their social development?

Ethan Frome Fortune, an interstellar salesman, is stranded on Tran-Ky-Ky, a frozen, wind-swept alien planet. Along with a diverse group, including adventurer Skua September, he survives a botched kidnapping and crash-landing, ultimately teaming with feline natives to survive, battle predators, and fight a nomadic Horde.

In the HumanX universe[Nor Crystal Tears]. A small group crashlands on an iceplanet during a bungled kidnapping attempt. Catlike natives, medieval settings in ice. Funny and light.

Un'altra bella avventura, ricca di trovate, personaggi e ambienti esotici stavolta su di un pianeta di ghiaccio abitato da indigeni simili a felini.