Other editions of book Star Born

The saga begun in The Stars Are Ours! continues as the growing human colony settles onto their new home world only to discover an unforeseen enemy. . . Generations after landing on the planet Astra, humankind is still working alongside the friendly aquatic native merpeople to survive and thrive. But young Dalgard Nordis is yearning to see more. Taking his man-journey, he sets out to find and explore the ruins of a city rumored to have belonged to the Others—the mysterious beings whom the merpeople despise and fear. With this feat of bravery he hopes to prove his worth to the Council of Free Men. But instead his courage will prove costly, as the long-unknown Others are on their way back to the city. Even more daunting is the news that a starship has just arrived on Astra, carrying those who forced the colonists to flee centuries ago: the people of Earth.

"The two voyagers were neither of the same race nor of the same species, yet they worked together without words, as if they had established some bond which gave them a rapport transcending the need for speech." When Raf Kurbi's spaceship from Earth burst into unexplored skies of the far planet Astra, it was made welcome by the natives of a once-mighty metropolis. But Kurbi was unaware of three vital things: (1) that Astra already harbored an Earth colony - descended from refugees from the world of the previous century; (2) that these men and women were facing the greatest danger of their existence from a new outburst of the inhuman fiends who had once tyrannized Astra; and (3) that the natives who were buying Kurbi's science know-how were those very fiends - and their intentions were implacably deadly for all humans, whether Earth born or star born! Much of the planet's hopes lie with young Dalgard Nordis and his companion, Sssuri, a telepathic native of this alien world. If they fail, their planet will be subjugated and enslaved by that inhuman race. Here is a top-notch planetary adventure novel by science fiction grand master Andre Norton.

Dalgard Nordis, with his knife brother Sssuri, has gone on his man-journey. Three generations after his people came to Astra he has set out to explore the ruins of a city that once belonged to Those Others, thereby extending the Colony's map of this world and in the process demonstrating his suitability to sit on the Council of Free Men. In telepathic contact with the local fauna, Sssuri senses danger and the sight of a flaming object crossing the sky from east to west, toward where Those Others are rumored to live, underscores that judgement.

Dalgard Nordis, with his knife brother Sssuri, has gone on his man-journey. Three generations after his people came to Astra he has set out to explore the ruins of a city that once belonged to Those Others, thereby extending the Colony's map of this world and in the process demonstrating his suitability to sit on the Council of Free Men. In telepathic contact with the local fauna, Sssuri senses danger and the sight of a flaming object crossing the sky from east to west, toward where Those Others are rumored to live, underscores that judgement.

When Raf Kurbi's Terran spaceship burst into the unexplored skies of the Astra and was immediately made welcome by the natives of a once-mighty metropolis, Kurbi was unaware of three vital things: One was that Astra already harbored an Earth colony--descended from refugees from the world of the previous century. Two was that these men and women were facing the greatest danger of their existence from inhuman fiends who had once tyrannized Astra. Three was that the natives who were buying Kurbi's science know-how were those very fiends--and their intentions were deadly for all humans, whether Earth born or STAR BORN! "One of her best!" -- The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

When Raf Kurbi's Terran spaceship burst into the unexplored skies of the Astra and was immediately made welcome by the natives of a once-mighty metropolis, Kurbi was unaware of three vital things: One was that Astra already harbored an Earth colony--descended from refugees from the world of the previous century. Two was that these men and women were facing the greatest danger of their existence from inhuman fiends who had once tyrannized Astra. Three was that the natives who were buying Kurbi's science know-how were those very fiends--and their intentions were deadly for all humans, whether Earth born or STAR BORN! "One of her best!" -- F&SF

Science Fiction: Pax/Astra series, Book 2, July 1978 Sixth Ace printing. Cover art by Gino D' Achille. "When Raf Kurbi's Terran spaceship burst into unexplored skies of the far planet Astra and was immediately made welcome by the natives of a once-mighty metropolis, Kurbi was unaware of three vital things: One was that Astra already harbored an Earth colony - descended from refugees from the world of the previous century. Two was that these men and women were facing the greatest danger of their existence from a new outburst of the inhuman fiends who had once tyrannized Astra. Three was that the natives who were buying Kurbi's science know-how were those very fiends - and their intentions were implacable deadly for all humans, whether Earth born or STAR BORN."