The Outposter
by Gordon R. Dickson
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A classic of science fiction from SF legend Gordon R. Dickson, winner of three Hugo awards, a Nebula award, and an inductee into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. IT'S ALWAYS HIGH NOON ON THE FINAL FRONTIER The Earth is overcrowded. Chosen by lottery, people are shunted off to the far-flung planetary colonies. But winning this lottery is no prize, for the colonist are largely ignored by the people of Earth, considered disposable. Left to defend for themselves, the colonists are plagued by show more low supplies and are forced to eke out a hardscrabble existence. Worse, they face an ever-looming threat from without: the alien Meda V'Dans, who routinely attack without provocation. Fortunately, the colonists have the Outposters to protect them. One such Outposter is Mark Ten Roos, a young man with a score to settle against the Meda V'Dans . . . and the will to bring a corrupt system to its knees. About Gordon R. Dickson: "Dickson is one of SF's standard-bearers."--Publishers Weekly "Dickson has a true mastery of pacing and fine understanding of human beings."--Seattle Post Intelligencer "A masterful science fiction writer."--Milwaukee Journal show lessTags
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A future Earth is overcrowded and dumps surplus people onto distant planets, providing low support and treating them as expendable. Special experts trained to lead and protect these colonies from the Meda V'Dans, a warlike alien race that raids them.
Mark Ten Roos, whose parents were killed by the Meda V'Dans, returns to the colonies not just to fight the aliens, but to change the corrupt system that ignores the plight of the colonists.
Mark Ten Roos, whose parents were killed by the Meda V'Dans, returns to the colonies not just to fight the aliens, but to change the corrupt system that ignores the plight of the colonists.
It's good, rousing space opera, from a master of the genre. Thank goodness for the ISFDB, which gave me the name of the cover artist.
I love the blurb on the back:
FORMULA FOR REVENGE:
Take one high-spirited little boy.
Kill his family before his eyes.
Allow him to escape.
Give him time to grow up.
You're in trouble.
I love the blurb on the back:
FORMULA FOR REVENGE:
Take one high-spirited little boy.
Kill his family before his eyes.
Allow him to escape.
Give him time to grow up.
You're in trouble.
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Author Information
293+ Works 33,447 Members
A naturalized American who was born in Canada on November 1, 1923, Gordon Rupert Dickson is a popular science fiction writer. Dickson graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1948 and made his home in Minneapolis. Among his many novels, especially notable is Soldier, Ask Not, which won the Hugo Award in 1965. For many years, Dickson's most show more engrossing project was his Childe Cycle, a series of novels about humanity's evolutionary potential, which included a group of futuristic books that are popularly known as the Dorsai Cycle. Dickson also wrote hundreds of short stories and novelettes including Call Him Lord, for which he received a Nebula Award in 1966. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original title
- The Outposter
- Original publication date
- 1972
- First words*
- La fila dei proscritti dal paradiso era lunga quattro chilometri e mezzo.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)- Sciocchezze, eh? - sorrise Brot, continuando a guardare il cielo nella direzione in cui l'incrociatore, con a bordo Mark e Ulla sotto falsi nomi, viaggiava libero verso un altro futuro.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Reviews
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- (3.50)
- Languages
- English, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 12
