Saga of Cuckoo: Difference between revisions

Wall Around a Star
	Cover of the first edition.
Author	Frederik Pohl; Jack Williamson
Cover artist	David B. Mattingly
Language	English
Series	Saga of Cuckoo
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Del Rey Books
Publication date	January 12, 1983
Publication place	United States
Pages	275
Awards	1984 Locus Award - Best SF Novel (21st place)
ISBN	0-345-28995-1
OCLC	9184254
Preceded by	Farthest Star

Farthest Star
	Cover of the first edition.
Author	Frederik Pohl; Jack Williamson
Cover artist	Philip Perlman
Language	English
Series	Saga of Cuckoo
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Ballantine Books
Publication date	1975
Publication place	United States
Pages	246
ISBN	0-345-24330-7
OCLC	073857
Followed by	Wall Around a Star

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The Saga of Cuckoo is a series of science fiction novels by American writers Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson. It consists of two novels, Farthest Star and Wall Around a Star.

The books feature an interstellar teleporter that leaves the original being behind and sends only a duplicate. When a person is duplicated, the original can just pass out of the machine without a second thought. The copies also can be "edited" at destination.

Farthest Star

Farthest Star was published by Ballantine Books in 1975,^[1] as a fix-up of the 1973 novella "Doomship" and the 1974 serial "The Org's Egg".^[2]

In the novel, engineer Ben Charles Pertin is selected to be humanity's representative in a multi-race mission to reach "Object Lambda", a mysterious object traveling towards the galaxy at 1/6th lightspeed. Since the object is still approaching, Ben and the others are transported to the probeship Aurora by a matter duplication transporter. While the original goes on with his life, the duplicate (Ben James) and his Companion, Doc Chimp, work with the rest of the beings to construct a faster drone to get a transporter in orbit of the object, racing against time as the ionizing radiation from the ship's fusion drive is slowly killing them. After a struggle, the drone is successfully launched, killing all on board.

The drone performs as planned and an orbiting habitat called Cuckoo Station is constructed. A new duplicate arrives, Ben Linc.

Wall Around a Star

Wall Around a Star was published by Del Rey Books on January 12, 1983. The cover art for the 1983 edition was done by David Mattingly.^[3]

In this novel linguist Jen Babylon is called on to translate alien records which may explain the nature of "Cuckoo", a sphere built around a star, and thus save the galaxy.^[4]

References

^ "Farthest Star (Saga of Cuckoo, book 1) by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson".
^ "Title: Farthest Star". isfdb.org.
^ "Book Information: Wall Around a Star". Internet Book List. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
^ Nickerson, Susan L (1983-02-15). "Wall Around a Star (book)". Library Journal. 108 (4): 415.

Sources

Pohl, Fred; Jack Williamson (1983). The Saga of Cuckoo (SFBC ed.). Nelson Doubleday. OCLC 9879683.

This article about a 1970s science fiction novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page.

This article about a 1980s science fiction novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page.

[1] "Farthest Star (Saga of Cuckoo, book 1) by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson".

[2] "Title: Farthest Star". isfdb.org.

[IBL-3] "Book Information: Wall Around a Star". Internet Book List. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2013-05-14.

[4] Nickerson, Susan L (1983-02-15). "Wall Around a Star (book)". Library Journal. 108 (4): 415.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Series of science fiction novels}}{{Redirect|Farthest Star|the most distant star|List of star extremes}}
-{{Notability|books|date=August 2008}}
+{{Infobox book| <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
-{{Infobox book series
-| name             = Saga of Cuckoo
+| name          = Farthest Star
+| title_orig    =
-| image            = <!-- include the file, px and alt: [[File:Example.jpg|200px|Cover]] -->
-| image_caption    =
+| translator    =
+| cover_artist  = [[Philip Perlman]]
-| books            = Farthest Star <br> Wall Around a Star
-| author           = [[Frederik Pohl]] <br> [[Jack Williamson]]
+| image         = FarthestStar.jpg
-| title_orig       =
+| caption       = Cover of the first edition.
+| author        = [[Frederik Pohl]]<br> [[Jack Williamson]]
-| translator       =
-| illustrator      =
+| country       = United States
-| cover_artist     =
+| language      = English
-| country          = US
+| series        = Saga of Cuckoo
-| language         = English
+| genre         = [[Science fiction]]
-| genre            = Science fiction
+| publisher     = [[Ballantine Books]]
-| publisher        =
+| release_date  = 1975
-| pub_date         = 1975 / 1983
+| isbn          = 0-345-24330-7
-| media_type       = Print
+| oclc          = 073857
-| number_of_books  = 2
+| pages         = 246
+| awards=
-| list_books       =
+| followed_by=[[Wall Around a Star]]
 }}
+{{Infobox book| <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
-The '''''Saga of Cuckoo''''' is a series of [[science fiction]] novels by [[Frederik Pohl]] and [[Jack Williamson]]. It consists of two novels:
+| name          = Wall Around a Star
+| title_orig    =
+| translator    =
+| cover_artist  = [[David B. Mattingly]]
+| image         =
+| image_size    = 200px
+| caption       = Cover of the first edition.
+| author        = [[Frederik Pohl]]<br>[[Jack Williamson]]
+| country       = United States
+| language      = English
+| series        = Saga of Cuckoo
+| genre         = [[Science fiction]]
+| publisher     = [[Del Rey Books]]
+| release_date  = January 12, 1983
+|isbn= 0-345-28995-1
+| oclc= 9184254
+| pages = 275
+| awards=1984 [[Locus Award]] - [[Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel|Best SF Novel]] (21st place)
+| preceded_by=[[Farthest Star]]
+}}
+The '''''Saga of Cuckoo''''' is a series of [[science fiction]] novels by American writers [[Frederik Pohl]] and [[Jack Williamson]]. It consists of two novels, '''''Farthest Star''''' and '''''Wall Around a Star'''''.
-*''[[Farthest Star]] ''(1975)
-*''[[Wall Around a Star]]'' (1983)
+The books feature an [[interstellar teleporter]] that leaves the original being behind and sends only a duplicate.  When a person is duplicated, the original can just pass out of the machine without a second thought.  The copies also can be "edited" at destination.
-Cuckoo is a new planet that has been discovered in a distant part of the galaxy.  It is millions of kilometers in diameter but paradoxically lightweight.  It has low gravity, an atmosphere and many strange lifeforms on it.
+==''Farthest Star''==
-Physical travel to Cuckoo takes a long time, but items can be copied there using a matter transmitter and duplicator.  This can include people.  In the process, "editing" can take place to alter the body of the people transmitted to make them better able to carry out the mission.  For the copies it is a one-way trip, and often a suicide mission.
+''Farthest Star'' was published by [[Ballantine Books]] in 1975,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/frederik-pohl/farthest-star.htm|title = Farthest Star (Saga of Cuckoo, book 1) by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson}}</ref> as a [[fix-up]] of the 1973 novella "Doomship" and the 1974 serial "The Org's Egg".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?3512|title = Title: Farthest Star|website = isfdb.org}}</ref>
-In the second novel Cuckoo is discovered to be the outer surface of a [[Dyson shell]] around a star.
+In the novel, engineer Ben Charles Pertin is selected to be humanity's representative in a multi-race mission to reach "Object Lambda", a mysterious object traveling towards the galaxy at 1/6th lightspeed. Since the object is still approaching, Ben and the others are transported to the probeship Aurora by a matter duplication transporter. While the original goes on with his life, the duplicate (Ben James) and his Companion, Doc Chimp, work with the rest of the beings to construct a faster drone to get a transporter in orbit of the object, racing against time as the ionizing radiation from the ship's fusion drive is slowly killing them. After a struggle, the drone is successfully launched, killing all on board.
+The drone performs as planned and an orbiting habitat called Cuckoo Station is constructed. A new duplicate arrives, Ben Linc.
-==Characters==
-*Ben Charles Pertin - an engineer
-**Ben James - Duplicate, Deceased (Aurora)
-**Ben Frank - Duplicate, Deceased (Aurora)
-**Ben Linc - Duplicate, Cuckoo Station
-**Ben Yale - Edited<ref>{{harv|SC: FS|p=130}}</ref> Duplicate, Cuckoo
-**Ben Tom - Duplicate, Deceased<ref>{{harv|SC: FS|p=167}}</ref> (Cuckoo)
+==''Wall Around a Star'' ==
-*Napier Chimski<ref>{{harv|SC: FS|p=41}}</ref> (Doc Chimp) - an intelligent if pessimistic chimpanzee.
-*Zara Doy - Ben's fiancee, married to Jon
-**Zara Gentry - Edited Duplicate, Cuckoo
-*Jon Gentry - Husband of Zara
-**Jon - Edited Duplicate, Cuckoo
-*Fifteenth (Org Rider) - Native of Cuckoo (Human)
-*Redlaw - Native of Cuckoo (Human)
-*Venus - Purchased Person, Cuckoo Station
-*Valkyrie - Edited Duplicate, Cuckoo
-*Nlem (Nammie) - t'Worlie
-**Nloom (Nammie) - Edited Duplicate, Cuckoo
+{{main|Wall Around a Star}}
-==Races==
+''Wall Around a Star'' was published by [[Del Rey Books]] on January 12, 1983. The cover art for the 1983 edition was done by [[David Burroughs Mattingly|David Mattingly]].<ref name="IBL">{{cite web  | url = http://www.iblist.com/book19581.htm  | title = Book Information: Wall Around a Star  | publisher = Internet Book List  | access-date = 2013-05-14  | archive-date = 2012-07-28  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120728074306/http://www.iblist.com/book19581.htm  | url-status = dead  }}</ref>
-*Human
-*t'Worlie - collective intelligence<ref>{{harv|SC: FS|p=13}}</ref>
+In this novel linguist Jen Babylon is called on to translate alien records which may explain the nature of "Cuckoo", a sphere built around a star, and thus save the galaxy.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nickerson|first=Susan L|title=Wall Around a Star (book)|journal=Library Journal|date=1983-02-15|volume=108|issue=4|page=415}}</ref>
-*[[Sheliak]] - dough like beings
-*[[Beta Boötis]] (Boaty Bits) - collective intelligence<ref>{{harv|SC: FS|p=39}}</ref>
-*[[Scorpius|Scorpi]]ans - robotic lifeforms, resembling metal octopoids<ref>{{harv|SC: FS|p=52}}</ref>
-*[[Aldebaran]]ian - reptilian<ref>{{harv|SC: FS|p=66}}</ref>
-*Watchers
-==Themes==
-The series explores several themes, the most used is the notion of an [[interstellar teleporter]] that leaves the original being behind and sends only a duplicate.
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
+==Sources==
-*{{cite book|last=Pohl|first=Fred|title=The Saga of Cuckoo|year=1983|publisher=Nelson Doubleday|author2=Jack Williamson|edition=SFBC|ref=harv|oclc=9879683}}
+*{{cite book|last=Pohl|first=Fred|title=The Saga of Cuckoo|year=1983|publisher=Nelson Doubleday|author2=Jack Williamson|edition=SFBC|oclc=9879683}}
 {{Frederik Pohl}}
+[[Category:Book series introduced in 1975]]
 [[Category:Science fiction book series]]
 [[Category:Works by Frederik Pohl]]
-[[Category:Works by Jack Williamson]]
+[[Category:Novels by Jack Williamson]]
+[[Category:1975 science fiction novels]]
+[[Category:1983 novels]]
+[[Category:Collaborative book series]]
+[[Category:Del Rey books]]
+[[Category:Books with cover art by David Burroughs Mattingly]]
+[[Category:Fiction about teleportation]]
 {{1970s-sf-novel-stub}}

v t e Works by Frederik Pohl
Undersea Trilogy (with Jack Williamson)	Undersea Quest (1954) Undersea Fleet (1956) Undersea City (1958)
Heechee Saga	Gateway (1977) Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (1980) Heechee Rendezvous (1984) The Annals of the Heechee (1987) The Gateway Trip (1990) The Boy Who Would Live Forever: A Novel of Gateway (2004)
Eschaton trilogy	The Other End of Time (1996) The Siege of Eternity (1997) The Far Shore of Time (1999)
Mars series	Man Plus (1976) Mars Plus (1994) (with Thomas T. Thomas)
Saga of Cuckoo (with Jack Williamson)	Farthest Star (1975) Wall Around a Star (1983)
The Starchild Trilogy (with Jack Williamson)	The Reefs of Space (1964) Starchild (1965) Rogue Star (1969)
Space Merchants series	The Space Merchants (1953) (with Cyril M. Kornbluth) The Merchants' War (1984) Venus, Inc. (1985 Omnibus) (this is a two-in-one volume containing The Space Merchants and The Merchants' War)
Other	Search the Sky (1954) (with Cyril M. Kornbluth) Gladiator-At-Law (1955) (with Cyril M. Kornbluth) Preferred Risk (1955) (with Lester del Rey) Slave Ship (1956) Presidential Year (1958) (with Cyril M. Kornbluth) Wolfbane (1959) (with Cyril M. Kornbluth) Drunkard's Walk (1960) A Plague of Pythons (1964) The Age of the Pussyfoot (1965) Day Million (1970) The Best of Frederik Pohl (1975) Jem (1979) The Cool War (1981) Syzygy (1981) Starburst (1982) The Years of the City (1984) Black Star Rising (1985) The Coming of the Quantum Cats (1986) Terror (1986) Chernobyl (1987) Land's End (1988) (with Jack Williamson) The Day the Martians Came (1988) Narabedla Ltd. (1988) Homegoing (1989) The World at the End of Time (1990) Outnumbering the Dead (1990) Stopping at Slowyear (1991) The Singers of Time (1991) (with Jack Williamson) Mining the Oort (1992) The Voices of Heaven (1994) O Pioneer! (1998) The Last Theorem (2008) (with Arthur C. Clarke) All the Lives He Led (2011)