I got hooked on science fiction as a boy because of the sense of wonder it evoked as I read of the strange, exotic worlds it described. I first read The Last Planet as a child. It may have been the first mass market science fiction novel I ever read, marking a graduation of sorts from the Scholastic Book Club. This novel made a lasting impression on me.

In 2009, I chanced upon my old paperback copy and re-read it, curious to see how it would hold up decades later. To be sure, it is dated in many ways. Despite their low social standing, the aliens in the book are quite human in outlook, and even resemble human animals such as lizards or birds. There are few female characters, and none are strongly rendered. The futuristic technology described is not surprisingly rather retro, evoking the future as imagined in 1953. Some of the astrography is inconsistent with the setting - at least one or two stars that are basically right next door to our sun are well known to the characters, which would be unlikely if Terra itself, the ancient birthplace of humanity, had truly been lost.

And yet despite this, the magic is still there. We get glimpses of a rich backdrop of history, including hints of a civilization in decline, losing its technology and political integration. We hear of a "mutant rebellion" on the planet Kablo, and there are references to a "Two Sector Rebellion" five years previously in which the main character's home world was "burned off". The setting is exotic. We learn of Tantor, a domed city that lost its entire population two centuries earlier due to plague, but which was still flawlessly maintained by the machines within its domes even though no one dares to visit. There are even hints that humanity is beginning to split into new, separate species. The Faltharians appear to be human, but are adapted to dark worlds, have very keen night-vision, and can't tolerate strong daylight. Kartr, a barbarian from the planet Ylene, is notable for his two-toned hair and his psi powers. Indeed, psi-powers are common in some human populations to the point that there has been armed conflict over it.

Above all, the story itself remains entertaining. As an adventure story, it reminded me that a really good story is ultimately timeless. ( )

Interesting sci-fi by Andre Norton, who, in case you did not know, was a woman. She seems to be advancing a very cautious agenda here. The story involves Rangers, a mixed group of humans and aliens, some of them "sensitives" who can read minds. They work closely with Patrol, a humans-only group that is suspicious of mind reading. Their interactions deliver a message of tolerance and diversity, while also creating a new way to look at men -- as people who can use "sensitivity" as a tool, even a weapon.

While all this is very enlightening, the women in the story are nothing but sex objects and the space-adventure equivalent of secretaries. Very puzzling.

So, while some of the messages are good, especially for men to hear, this book is not particularly tempting for female readers. ( )

http://www.amazon.com/review/RJN... ( )