Thursday, October 10, 2013

Downbelow Station - C.J. Cherryh

This is the Seventy-first in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.


Cherryh is an author that passed me by for many years. I think that the cheap, garish covers on her books may have influenced my avoidance, as I had seen them on the shelves but had never opened one or explored the interior. One of my cousins is a serious reader and has been collecting Cherryh's books for years. She introduced me to this amazing author and I have been a big fan ever since. Unfortunately I don't have many on my bookshelf, having borrowed from my cousin's private collection, but I am on the lookout for some titles that I must have. Unfortunately Cherryh is not a supporter of the ebook format otherwise I would be adding them to my Kindle instead of being disappointed in their availability in new and secondhand bookshops. Some of her earlier works are only in print as omnibus and I don't like that. However I will add to my bookshelf in the fullness of time.

This particular title is an excellent example of what makes Cherryh's science fiction so good. I don't claim that she is always an easy read or that her books don't occasionally have flat patches and can be a little dark and uncomfortable but she captures the reader's sense of perspective in a manner I've not encountered before and then turns you on your head. Traveling and living in space, being a human amongst aliens or being an alien - she is a genius. Seriously. Iconic. Must-read for the serious science fiction fan.


2 comments:

  1. You've stirred my interest now. I've tried Cherryh in the past but not got far through her books. I'm sure we have some rogue Cherryh paperbacks in our book collection somewhere. Going to have to try hunt them down.

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    1. If you have the Chanur books or the first half dozen in the Foreigner series then I would recommend them. Otherwise happy to give an opinion on books I've read. Not read much of her fantasy.

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