Wave without a Shore

By C.J. Cherryh

Book Overview

Freedom was an isolated planet, off the spaceways track and rarely visited by commercial spacers. It wasn't that Freedom was inhospitable as planets go. The problem was that outsiders -- tourists and traders -- claimed the streets were crowded with mysterious characters in blue robes, and with members of an alien species. Native-born humans, however, said that was not the case. There were no such blue-robes and no aliens. Such was the viewpoint of both Herrin the artist and Waden the autocrat -- until a crisis of planetary identity forced a life-and-death confrontation between the question of reality and the reality of the question . . .

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0886771013
• ISBN13: 9780886771010
• Release Date: August 1981
• Publisher: Daw Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

A Rude Awakening

Wave Without a Shore (1981) is a standalone SF novel within the Alliance-Union Universe. It is set on the planet Freedom, where humans coexist with ahnit -- the indigenous aliens -- but have little interaction with each other. The planet is mostly agricultural, with few industries. The only spaceport is outside the town of Kierkegaard on the continent of Sartre. In this novel, Herrin Alton Law is a gifted child -- at least according to the instructional supervisor -- who will surely go on to University in Kierkegaard. When he hears the news, the seven year old Herrin immediately feels a sense of distance from his family. This feeling is strengthened by the reaction of his family and others in his home town. Perrin Law is his older sister, but she feels like the younger sibling after hearing about his test scores. From this moment on, Herrin is the center of the family, with Perrin relegated to the periphery. She can hardly wait until he goes off to University. Keye Lynn is a student of ethics and soon becomes Herrin's lover. Herrin considers her probably the third most brilliant student during their time in University. Naturally, Herrin considers himself the most brilliant and Waden Jenks as the second most brilliant. Waden is the son of First Citizen Cade Jenks, the ruler of Freedom. Waden is an indifferent student, but highly intelligent. He is still preparing himself to succeed his father. In this story, Man is the measure of all things. Thus, the ahnit are Invisibles, unnoticed by the humans. There are also human Invisibles, who "pilfer" goods to eat and use. Even the offworlders are considered as Invisibles to most of the University trained. University trains its students in an extreme form of self-centered philosophy. The environment is whatever one makes of it. If it is raining, the precipitation can be ignored by one strong enough. Even the offworlders can be ignored by the strong willed. Herrin is one of the strongest in willpower. He focuses mostly on his art. Everyone else is a means to achieving his artistic expressions. Waden thinks that he is the strongest willed, but he is not creative. He uses Herrin to produce an artistic treasure based on himself as a means of influencing future generations. Unfortunately, Herrin comes to know all his apprentices and workers on the project and they come to know him. The structure is deliberately placed at the center of the town. The population of Kierkegaard wanders through the construction and talks to the workers. They learn that Herrin is the originator of the artform and are highly impressed. When the sculpture is completed and opened to the public, the masses cry "Master Law" in praise of the artist. Even though a bust of Waden's head is the center of the structure, he is not pleased by Herrin's popularity. This story is about a world that exists mostly in the imagination of the leading characters. The outsiders usually deal with the First Citizen, so the

Subjective and Objective Reality

This is one of my all time favorites. I will admit to having to have read it several times before understanding all of the nuance. A very well written book investigating the great question of philosphy... what is truth? A stark look at bigotry. And a clarifying look at lonliness. A novella packed with tons to think about. A book I have bought several times and given to several people. An insightful story for the manager or politition. Not a quick read, but a satisfying one.