Starswarm
by Brian W. Aldiss
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Explore the fate of humankind across the stars in this classic collection of stories by the Hugo and Nebula Awardwinning author of the Helliconia trilogy. "Aldiss' stories are cleverly conceived and deeply felt." -- The A.V. Club In the far-distant future, refugees from Earth leave their dying planet behind for a wondrous galactic cluster known as "Starswarm." Originally published in 1963, Starswarm takes readers on a grand tour of the civilizations inhabiting this galaxy's vast sectors show more through a series of eight interconnected stories. Discover the strange new worlds and how humans have adapted to their new homes. A young man must make contact with an alien for the sake of his government. A new drug empowers soldiers at a great cost. A man and woman travel to a promised utopia only to be consumed with regret. A seasoned explorer crashes into what he believes is a primitive society. Something horrifying lies buried in the mud. A hero treks through a world full of a putrid stench. Witness the remnants of humanity as they struggle to survive and shape their destinies amidst harsh landscapes. Each world is different from the next, but all of them could only come from the mind of Science Fiction Grand Master. "Aldiss . . . has sufficient integrity never to put a piece of paper into his typewriter before he has hit on a really original idea. [ Starswarm ] is a perfect example of this." -- Oxford Mail "Given the brilliant success of [the Helliconia series], I would say Mr. Aldiss is now in competition with no one but himself." -- The New York Times Book Review show lessTags
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Eight interconnected stories set in the distant future, exploring humanity's diverse descendants across a vast galactic cluster, the "Starswarm," focusing on unique adaptations, societal struggles, alien contact, and the timeless human quest for survival and meaning, all linked by a chronicle-novel framework depicting humanity's fragmented, evolved state after leaving Earth.
A pretty decent collection of SF shorts. it has aged better than most collections, probably because it doesn't get very much into the technology. I give it:
Mr. Aldiss deals here with the idea of differing evolutions of humanity caused by a colonization thrust from Earth outwards. A collection of shorts, the evening passed quite pleasantly reading them.
Miriaden zonnen en evenzovele bewoonde planeten; een heelal slechts begrensd door de fantasie. Mensen, veranderd en in hun oude gedaante, andere wezens - Vreemdelingen. Het tragische drama van hem, die in een doodlopend slop van evolutie, zijn doel vergeet.
Een dwaze kermis ook, tonelen zoals zelfs die ervaren ruimtereiziger zich nooit had gedroomd. Verdwaald en verkocht aan een krab. Hij trekt door een wereld waar stenen omhoog vallen en waar, als de zon op komt, de duisternis invalt. Een meisje berijdt een voorwereldlijk monster in de verre toekomst.
In deze verhalen maken wij een rondvaart langs de beklemmende werelden en de verrassend gekke bezienswaardigheden van het onmetelijk universum. De reis voert langs alle gebieden van de show more moderne essef. Wie nog mee wil moet zich haasten.
Sterrenhoop bevat de volgende verhalen:
Sector Azuur: Nu komt de blanke maan - O moon of my delight
Sector Diamant: Het spel van een god - The game of god
Sector Geel: Legenden van Smids Dreun - Legends of Smith's Burst
Sector Grijs: Harten en machines - Hearts and engines
Sector Groen: Scherven - Shards
Sector Vermiljoen: Een kunstig ambacht - A kind of artistry
Sector Violet: De misdeelden - The underpriviliged
De Trog: De oude honderd - Old hundredth show less
Een dwaze kermis ook, tonelen zoals zelfs die ervaren ruimtereiziger zich nooit had gedroomd. Verdwaald en verkocht aan een krab. Hij trekt door een wereld waar stenen omhoog vallen en waar, als de zon op komt, de duisternis invalt. Een meisje berijdt een voorwereldlijk monster in de verre toekomst.
In deze verhalen maken wij een rondvaart langs de beklemmende werelden en de verrassend gekke bezienswaardigheden van het onmetelijk universum. De reis voert langs alle gebieden van de show more moderne essef. Wie nog mee wil moet zich haasten.
Sterrenhoop bevat de volgende verhalen:
Sector Azuur: Nu komt de blanke maan - O moon of my delight
Sector Diamant: Het spel van een god - The game of god
Sector Geel: Legenden van Smids Dreun - Legends of Smith's Burst
Sector Grijs: Harten en machines - Hearts and engines
Sector Groen: Scherven - Shards
Sector Vermiljoen: Een kunstig ambacht - A kind of artistry
Sector Violet: De misdeelden - The underpriviliged
De Trog: De oude honderd - Old hundredth show less
Mar 31, 2025Dutch
Indeholder "Sector Vermilion, a kind of artistry", "Sector Grey, hearts and engines", "Sector Violet, the underpriviledged", "Sector Diamond, the game of god", "Sector Green, shards", "Sector Yellow, legends of smith's burst", "Sector Azure, o moon of my delight", "The Rift, old hundredth".
"Sector Vermilion, a kind of artistry" handler om 215000 planeter med en form for fælles kultur i denne del af stjernesværmen. Iblandt planeterne er Abrogun, hvor Derek Flamifew/Ende forlader sin mor/partner My Lady for at drage på en mission til The Cliff, som er et vældigt stort væsen, der er svært at komme ind på livet af. Da det er lykkedes, vender han tilbage og da My Lady forsøger at få ham til at love aldrig igen at forlade hende, show more springer han ud fra en klippe.
"Sector Grey, hearts and engines" handler om ???
"Sector Violet, the underpriviledged" handler om ???
"Sector Diamond, the game of god" handler om ???
"Sector Green, shards" handler om ???
"Sector Yellow, legends of smith's burst" handler om ???
"Sector Azure, o moon of my delight" handler om ???
"The Rift, old hundredth" handler om ???
??? show less
"Sector Vermilion, a kind of artistry" handler om 215000 planeter med en form for fælles kultur i denne del af stjernesværmen. Iblandt planeterne er Abrogun, hvor Derek Flamifew/Ende forlader sin mor/partner My Lady for at drage på en mission til The Cliff, som er et vældigt stort væsen, der er svært at komme ind på livet af. Da det er lykkedes, vender han tilbage og da My Lady forsøger at få ham til at love aldrig igen at forlade hende, show more springer han ud fra en klippe.
"Sector Grey, hearts and engines" handler om ???
"Sector Violet, the underpriviledged" handler om ???
"Sector Diamond, the game of god" handler om ???
"Sector Green, shards" handler om ???
"Sector Yellow, legends of smith's burst" handler om ???
"Sector Azure, o moon of my delight" handler om ???
"The Rift, old hundredth" handler om ???
??? show less
Sep 17, 2012 (Edited)Danish
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Author Information
Brian W. Aldiss was born in Dereham, United Kingdom on August 18, 1925. In 1943, he joined the Royal Signals regiment, and saw action in Burma. After World War II, he worked as a bookseller at Oxford University. His first book, The Brightfount Diaries, was published in 1955. His first science fiction novel, Non-Stop (Starship in the United show more States), was published in 1958. He wrote more than 80 books including Hothouse, Greybeard, The Helliconia Trilogy, The Squire Quartet, Frankenstein Unbound, The Malacia Tapestry, Walcot, and Mortal Morning. His short story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long was the basis for the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence. He has received numerous awards for his work including two Hugo Awards, the Nebula Award, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and an OBE for services to literature. He was also an anthologist and an artist. He was the editor of 40 anthologies including Introducing SF, The Penguin Science Fiction Omnibus, Space Opera, Space Odysseys, Galactic Empires, Evil Earths, and Perilous Planets. He was an abstract artist and his first solo exhibition, The Other Hemisphere, was held in Oxford in August-September 2010. He died on August 19, 2017 at the age of 92. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Contains
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Airs de Terre
- Original title
- Starswarm
- Original publication date
- 1964
- People/Characters
- Derek Flamifew Ende; Lady Mother of Endehaaven
- Important places
- Endehaaven
- First words
- The most simple statement you can make is also the most profound: Time passes.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And there were voices singing: 'All creatures that on Earth do dwell...'
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 823.087620
- Disambiguation notice
- Starswarm and The Airs of Earth are not the same collection: although there is considerable overlap, the contents are different. See the Internet Speculative Fiction Database for details.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Science Fiction, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 823.087620 — Literature & rhetoric English & Old English literatures English fiction By type Genre fiction Adventure fiction Speculative fiction Science fiction Collections and anthologies
- LCC
- PR6051 .L3 — Language and Literature English English Literature 1961-2000
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 435
- Popularity
- 70,718
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.20)
- Languages
- 5 — Dutch, English, French, German, Japanese
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 22
