Darkness and Dawn

By Andre Norton

Book Overview

Civilization had collapsed on Earth. But one young rebel fought to find the ancient knowledge that had taken men to the stars. When he found the truth, his people could regain the stars themselves-if... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743488318
• ISBN13: 9780743488310
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Baen
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.1" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Thank you Baen for reviving two old favorites

DARKNESS AND DAWN DARKNESS AND DAWN is an omnibus edition put out by Baen that contains two of Andre Norton's post-apocalyptic stories, Star Man's Son: 2250 A.D.and No Night Without Stars Thank you Baen for reviving two old favorites StarMan's Son This was the very first Science Fiction book that I ever read, my Brother had purchased the paperback version sometime in the 1950's and was kind enough to let me read it, I was "hooked" then and still am, Andre Norton shall never die as long as she has readers. This is about a young boy, Lars of the Puma clan; Lars's father was a Star Man- explorers of the blasted wilderness beyond the mountain stronghold of the Star Hall. The brotherhood of Star Men sought to carry on the tradition of their research scientist ancestors- to seek out new knowledge for the betterment of the tribe- and of the world. Unfortunately Lars was a mutant, and his mutation was very apparent, his hair was white, and the Clan had not accepted him. What was not so apparent was that he had the ability to telepathically communicate with his great hunting cat, Lura. When Lars's Father failed to return from his last mission Lars snuck out of his village to explore the vast Wilderness, rather than accept the insult of a lesser life, Lars took up his sword, bow, and his father's pouch, and along with his great mutant hunting cat, Lura, went out to find the great lost city of the Old Ones that his father's last journal entry spoke of. Published in 1952 this was one of the first post-apocalyptic novels. It is also one of the most believable. Even in light of current knowledge you still find it believable. One other thing, in spite of the tales about the unimaginable horror of nuclear war, this book was about hope. You see, even after you press that big "reset" button, mankind will yet find a way to survive; the great cycle of re-civilization from the ruins of former greatness will start again. If you were a kid growing up during the Cold War this was an important message to keep at the back of your mind. I believe that this was the first book that I used a lined 3 X 5 card as a bookmark. Anytime I came across a word that I wasn't 100% sure of the meaning I wrote in on the lined 3 X 5 card. At the end of the book, I would write down the word and the definition into my personal Lexicon. Over the years I found that there were fewer words on the 3 X 5 cards. Science fiction seems to have an unwritten rule that the author must use a wide vocabulary. I strongly recommend this book to every teenager who wants to discover the exciting world of Science Fiction and to their parents who want to improve their reading ability and their vocabulary. You might want to do the lined 3 X 5 card thing, also. No Night Without Stars No Night without Stars is a post-apocalyptic novel that takes place centuries after the cataclysm that caused the Dark Time. "When the Earth danced, mountains belched fire and sea waves hammered the land",

Post-apocalyptic Quests

Darkness and Dawn is an omnibus edition of two independent novels. It includes Star Man's Son and No Night Without Stars. Both novels are post-apocalyptic stories set after great cataclysms that destroyed the previous civilizations. Both involve quests for knowledge and materiel from the prior age. And both feature symbiotic relationships between humans and animals. Star Man's Son (1952) takes place after the Great Blowup. Many areas are still radioactive. Mutated plants and animals abound. Fors is the son of Langdon, a Star Man killed by Beast Things on an exploration into a far city. Fors is rejected by the Star Men due to his white hair, a sign of mutation, and so he and his great hunting cat, Lura, leave on a great journey to search for the lost city in the north that was never bombed and thus is safe for scavengers. No Night Without Stars (1975) takes place three centuries after the cataclysm that caused the Dark Time. Many animals and countless men perished, with only a handful of survivors here and there and, after the skies cleared once again, there were changes. Sander left his people to search for the secret of working the strange metals found among the ruins. Fanyi seeks weapons to pay back the blood debt due to the slavers who have killed or captured her people. Together with their mutated animals -- Rhin, Kai and Kayi -- they follow her pendant toward the Great Place of the Before People. These stories are classical Norton. Star Man's Son was her first science fiction tale, written more than a decade prior to No Night Without Stars. They are very similar, but the second tale includes a heroine, which was against publisher policy when the first tale was written; however, the author has since produced many female characters with more substantial personalities. Highly recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of quests among the ruins of destroyed civilizations. -Arthur W. Jordin