Fiction_L Archives SF book with aliens Dates: 5/3/01,4:15 PM  through  5/3/01,4:36 PM  (2 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to May 2001 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: Peggy Hadid <[removed]@multcolib.org>
REC'D: 5/3/01, 4:15 PM

Here's one that we've been unable to track down nor does our SF guru
recognize it.

We were given a rather long written description which I'll give you
verbatim in case I'd leave out a detail that might ring a bell. The patron
read it as a hardcover between 1969-1972. It _might_ have been a YA title.

"A man is sent to another planet to try to communicate with its alien life
forms. The aliens on this planet are leathery-skinned, insect-like
creatures who can only be out on the planet's surface when the temperature
has reached a certain degree of warmth.

"He does not remember much of the story line or the ending, but he does
recall that the man lived with the insects and ate their food. The foods
that the creatures ate had the unusual effect of accelerating the man's
speech right after he consumed it.

"The aliens also considered it to be an aggressive act when the man smiled
and showed his teeth.

"At one point in the story, one of the creatures went outside when the
temperature was too cold. The man took the creature into something like a
sauna and revived. This scored points for him with the aliens."

Thanks a million if you can come up with this one!

Peggy Hadid Library Assistant, Central
Multnomah County Library 801 SW 10th, Portland, OR 97205
[removed]@multcolib.org (503) 988-5471

FROM: Sherri Lazenby <[removed]@dallaslibrary.org>
REC'D: 5/3/01, 4:36 PM

This sounds an awful lot like Camelot 30k by Robert L. Forward, but it came
out in 1993. A group of scientist goes to a planet they call ice because
the temperature is 30 degrees above absolute zero. The planet is inhabited
by ant like creatures and is somewhere out past Neptune or Pluto (I don't
remember which one). The scientists don't eat the food as described below
because they interact with the alien creatures via robots that are made to
look like the natives. I don't remember the natives being unable to go out
on the surface, but they did consider it an act of aggression to smile. The
scientists also aren't allowed to mention anything about sex or reproduction
because this is taboo amongst the natives.

Hope this helps.


Sherri L. Lazenby
[removed]@dallaslibrary.org <[removed]@dallaslibrary.org>
Branch Manager
Audelia Road Branch Library
Dallas Public Library System
10045 Audelia Road
Dallas, TX 75238
(214) 670-1350
(214) 670-0790 FAX


-----Original Message-----
From: Peggy Hadid [[removed]@multcolib.org]
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2001 4:07 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: SF book with aliens

Here's one that we've been unable to track down nor does our SF guru

recognize it.

We were given a rather long written description which I'll give you
verbatim in case I'd leave out a detail that might ring a bell. The
patron
read it as a hardcover between 1969-1972. It _might_ have been a YA
title.

"A man is sent to another planet to try to communicate with its
alien life
forms. The aliens on this planet are leathery-skinned, insect-like
creatures who can only be out on the planet's surface when the
temperature
has reached a certain degree of warmth.

"He does not remember much of the story line or the ending, but he
does
recall that the man lived with the insects and ate their food. The
foods
that the creatures ate had the unusual effect of accelerating the
man's
speech right after he consumed it.

"The aliens also considered it to be an aggressive act when the man
smiled
and showed his teeth.

"At one point in the story, one of the creatures went outside when
the
temperature was too cold. The man took the creature into something
like a
sauna and revived. This scored points for him with the aliens."

Thanks a million if you can come up with this one!

Peggy Hadid Library Assistant, Central
Multnomah County Library 801 SW 10th, Portland, OR
97205
[removed]@multcolib.org (503) 988-5471



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