During the 1960s, John Brunner published his Zarathustra Refugees Planets series (aka, Zarathustra Trilogy). The books concerned a disastrous nova that forced the millions of residents of Zarathustra to abandon their planet before the nova destroyed it. Over two million escaped Zarathustra in 3000 starships. Many of the ships were lost, but many found livable planets to land on.
The first book in the series, Castaway’s World (aka, Polymath), centers around the survivors of a crashed starship on a hostile planet. The 800 survivors work to secure a food supply and defend themselves from the alien environment. The group is threatened when their water supply is cut off by a second group whose starship crashed on a plateau nearby. The conflict between the two groups amid the dangers of the planet risk everyone’s lives. GRADE: B
The Avengers of Carrig (aka, Secret Agent of Terra), opens with young Maddalena Santos sent to Zarathrustra Refugee Planet #14 to investigate the death of a Galactic agent. Maddalena crashes on the planet when an orbiting space ship attacks the Galactic Patrol cruiser that brought her to ZRP #14. The rest of the novel has Maddalena attempting to stop the group that is looting the planet. GRADE: B+
Repairmen of Cyclops brings Maddalena Santos back to investigate a mystery on the poverty-ridden planet of Cyclops. A former military hero is injured by an alien sea creature and loses part of his leg. The Galactic Patriot base on Cyclops rescues the man, but the doctors determine the leg that was damaged had a mysterious past. Cyclops lacks the technology to regenerate limbs–although the Galactic Patrol does–and Maddalena sets out to determine where that phantom leg came from. The solution triggers a planetary upheaval. GRADE: B
Victims of the Nova brings the expanded stories together in a single volume. Not Brunner’s best work, but entertaining nonetheless!
Even Brunner’s most pedestrian work has a lot going for it.
Jerry, I know I read the original stories in the ACE Doubles I’ve included in this review, but after reading VICTIMS OF THE NOVA I sensed an expansion over the ACE versions.
The premise seems interesting. A dying planet and starships taking off…and then crashing and fighting on alien lands.
Neeru, interesting premise with interesting characters!
As always, I will credit you with the most wide-ranging reading material of anyone I know. A wonderful trait.
Patti, VICTIMS OF THE NOVA was an exercise in pure nostalgia. I read all three stories back in the Sixties. Brunner later expanded them and DAW Books published those editions. Then ARROW Books collected the trilogy in this handsome volume.