Star Hunter

Andre Alice NortonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 190K words
Chapters: 19

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Star Hunter by Andre NortonAuthor: Norton, Andre, 1912-2005,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Aug 21, 2006

Editor's review

Star Hunter is a science fiction novel by Andre Norton, belonging to the space adventure genre she excelled in. The story revolves around pursuit and survival in an interstellar setting, with the tension and sense of exploring unknown star regions common in Norton's work. Her narratives usually do not rely on elaborate technical worldbuilding but focus more on characters' adaptability and growth in unfamiliar environments, and on the suspense driving the adventure, making them relatively accessible to readers new to science fiction. Released as a public-domain electronic text, the book is moderate in length and suitable as an introductory read for understanding the mid-twentieth-century American science fiction adventure tradition. While reading, note how the author creates an alien atmosphere and arranges chases and turns with concise prose; consider it also within the context of the science fiction magazines and genre writing of its time, and appreciate the narrative appeal that generation of writers offered to general readers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Science fiction readers who enjoy space adventure and pursuit themes
Readers who want to understand Andre Norton's style
Learners looking for a moderately long, fast-paced English science fiction book for beginners
Readers interested in mid-twentieth-century American genre science fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer hard science fiction with technical detail and rigorous worldbuilding
Readers expecting deep philosophical exploration or literary experimentation
General readers with no interest in adventure and pursuit themes

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to become familiar with the characters and worldbuilding before entering the main pursuit plot.
Pay attention to the author's word choices in describing alien environments and tense scenes, and build up common science fiction expressions.
Read other works by Norton alongside this one to compare her consistent adventure narrative techniques.
After finishing, revisit the key turning points and consider how the suspense was set up and resolved.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for science fiction beginners?

Fairly suitable. The book is a space adventure with a fast pace and uncomplicated setting, focusing on characters' responses and plot development rather than difficult technical explanations. As long as you are interested in adventure stories, you can get into it quickly even with little science fiction reading experience.

Who is Andre Norton?

Andre Norton (1912–2005) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer known for her prolific adventure-oriented works, often about interstellar exploration, survival on alien worlds, and young people's growth. Her writing was aimed at general readers, and she is representative of mid-twentieth-century American genre science fiction.

Do I need to read earlier books in a series first?

According to the available information, the book can be read independently and does not depend on prior knowledge. If readers notice apparent continuations of characters or background, they can look up related works by Norton; starting from the beginning will not affect understanding of the main plot.

Does the public-domain electronic edition have notes or an introduction?

The public-domain electronic text provided by Project Gutenberg usually contains only the main text, generally without modern notes or an introduction. Readers who need background information can look up introductions to the author and the era of the work, or use other science fiction history materials to support their reading.

Comments

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About the author

Andre Alice Norton Author · American · 1912–2005

Andre Norton (1912–2005), born Alice Mary Norton, was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. She worked as a children's librarian at the Cleveland Public Library for eighteen years and published her first work under a pen name in 1934. Over her career she wrote more than 130 novels, and is best known for the Witch World series; in 1983 she received the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The library holds fourteen of her works, including The Time Traders, Star Born, Key Out of Time, Plague Ship, The Gifts of Asti, Star Hunter, Ride Proud, Rebel! and The Defiant Agents. Her writing often explores interstellar exploration, alien civilizations and adventurous coming-of-age, with brisk storytelling and vivid imagination, and has had a lasting influence on the development of American science fiction and fantasy.