The Solar Queen
By Andre Norton

      There is nothing like classic 1950’s science fiction for that elusive and oh-so-important “sense of wonder” that they all seemed to invoke so effortlessly. Here is a reprint of two novels from 1955 and 1956 by that grandmaster of SF and fantasy Andre Norton that seem to summon up a time of pulp novels and comic books with bright covers, a time of superheroes and bug-eyed monsters. Set at an unspecified time in the far future, it concerns the eager young Dane Thorson, who is picked by a machine to join the crew of the Free Trader vessel Solar Queen. He will encounter, firstly, a barren-seeming planet with archaeological remains which seems to have a danger all its own, and then another planet inhabited by feline humanoids and a deadly plague.

       Although some of the technology might seem more old-fashioned than that in use today, Norton is adept at creating a believable scenario from page one. The first adventure could have done with a bit more plot, I thought, but the second one is a fine page-turner that shows us the author getting into her professional stride. There is nothing very new about any of it, but this is part of its appeal; here are two novels written at a time before any of these plot devices became clichés. The only fault I can really find with such entertaining and classic fare is the lack of characterization. Many of the crew members are merely names on paper, and none of them are fleshed out enough to be interesting in their own right, with the possible exception of Ali Kamil. Andre Norton went on to write a few other novels about these people, but it seems a shame that, adventures and beautifully drawn background notwithstanding, the folk of the Solar Queen remain largely elusive. Fresh to the point of practically having dew on it, this is real traditional SF and therefore recommended for all fans.