Synopses & Reviews
Six months have passed since the reappearance of the starship Phoenix - the same ship which brought humans to the world of alien atevi nearly two hundred years ago, leaving a small and vulnerable colony to struggle for survival in a hostile environment. During these six months, the alien atevi have striven to reconfigure their fledgling space program in a breakneck bid to take their place in the heavens alongside humans. But the return of the Phoenix has added a frighteningly powerful third party to an already volatile situation, polarizing political factions in both human and atevi societies, and making the possibility of all-out planetary war an even more likely threat. On the atevi mainland, human ambassador Bren Cameron, in a desperate attempt to maintain the peace, has risked alienation from his own people by communicating with the staff of the Phoenix as spokesman for the atevi, and has arranged for one human representative from the Phoenix to take up residence with him in his apartments, and for another to be stationed on Mosphiera, humanity's island enclave. Now, Bren has the difficult task of indoctrinating Jason Graham, a young man who has never before set foot on a planet, in the intricate, delicate, and potentially lethal maneuverings of the human-atevi interface. And this at a time when, thanks to the assassination of an atevi lord who had been one of Bren's primary adversaries, and the near-collision of Bren's personal plane with a jet manned by an unknown pilot, the relationship between atevi factions is becoming more strained by the minute.
Review
"Cherryh tantalizes our minds...captures our hearts and involves us completely...a consistently thoughtful and entertaining writer."
Publisher's Weekly "Satisfying and rewarding."Analog
Review
"One of the best long-running SF series in existence.... Cherryh remains one of the most talented writers in the field." —
Publishers Weekly
"Some of the finest work of Cherryh's long and distinguished career."—Locus
"My favorite science fiction series is C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner universe. Cherryh deftly balances alien psychology and human vanities in a character caught between being human and part of an alien race."—Denver Post
"There is plenty of intrigue…marvelous attention to detail that makes the culture of the atevi one of the most complex, multi-layered creations in science fiction…. The Foreigner series is about as good as it gets…so finely and densely wrought that you may end up dreaming of sable-skinned giants with gold eyes, and the silver spun delicacy of interstellar politics."—SF Site
"A seriously probing, thoughtful, intelligent piece of work, with more insight in half a dozen pages than most authors manage in half a hundred."—Kirkus
"Cherryh superbly crafts complex intrigues and alien races possessed of integrity, as well as a sense of otherness."—Library Journal
"A large new Cherryh novel is always welcome...a return to the anthropological science fiction in which she has made such a name is a double pleasure.... Superlatively drawn aliens and characterization."—Chicago Sun-Times
Synopsis
The first book in C.J.Cherryh's eponymous series, Foreigner begins an epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft who crash-land on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient alien race. From its beginnings as a human-alien story of first contact, the Foreigner series has become a true science fiction odyssey, following a civilization from the age of steam through early space flight to confrontations with other alien species in distant sectors of space. It is the masterwork of a truly remarkable author.
Synopsis
The fifteenth novel in Cherryh's Foreigner space opera series, a groundbreaking tale of first contact and its consequences...
Civil war on the world of the atevi is finally over. And Cajeiri, son and heir of Tabini-aiji, atevi leader of the dominant Western Association, is about to celebrate his fortunate ninth birthday. Bren Cameron, brilliant human diplomat allied with Tabini, has managed to arrange a visit for Cajeiri's three special associates from the starship Phoenix--ordinary human children who developed a bond with Cajeiri during his two years in space.
After a year of political upheaval, this is a happy event: the heir is safe, the aiji is back in power, and a massive celebration is planned in the capital. The whole world is watching.
But Bren Cameron has received evidence that security has been severely compromised from the aiji's high office on downward. The powerful Assassins' Guild--which provides the judicial system, law enforcement, and personal protection in atevi society--is in the hands of a man who would like to turn the entire world back two centuries.
Bren now knows the details of a decades-old plot that's been threaded through Guild actions since before his arrival on the continent. The enemy's best chance is to strike now, at the public celebration that is much too important and far too advanced to cancel.
Bren and his associates have no choice. If they don't make the first move, the other side will. And the lives of the heir, his innocent human guests, and the entire ruling family are at stake.
The long-running Foreigner series can also be enjoyed by more casual genre readers in sub-trilogy installments. Peacemaker is the 15th Foreigner novel, and the 3rd book in the fifth subtrilogy.
Synopsis
The Hugo Award-winning classic, now available in a trade edition for the first time. Pell?s Station, orbiting the alien world simply called Downbelow, had always managed to remain neutral in the ever escalating conflict between ?The Company,? whose fleets from Earth had colonized space, and its increasingly independent and rebellious colony worlds. But Pell?s location?on the outer edge of Earth?s defensive perimeter? makes her the focal point in the titanic battle of colony worlds fighting for independence?
Synopsis
A legend among sci-fi readers,
C. J. Cherryh's Union-Alliance novels, while separate and complete in themselves, are part of a much larger tapestrya future history spanning 5,000 years of human civilization.
Here is the 20th anniversary edition of Downbelow Station, the book that won Cherryh a Hugo Award for Best novel in 1982. A blockbuster space opera of the rebellion between Earth and its far-flung colonies, it is a classic science fiction masterwork.
Synopsis
At lastCajeiri has his young guests from the starship, three young folk entranced by weather and trees and creatures with minds of their own. Its all he dreamed of...
But now safety is foremost: Cajeiris grandfather has been assassinated, hostile Assassins Guild invaded Great-uncles house, and now Bren Cameron, paidhi-aiji, who was sent to keep the aijis son safe, has more than the young guests on his mind. The aiji-dowager knows whos to blame for the attacks, and theyre going after him.
The fact that the person responsible is in the heart of Assassins Guild Headquarters, the most closely guarded fortress on the continent, is not going to stop her.
Bren Cameron has the pieces now, of a decades-old plot thats been threaded through Guild actions going back before his arrival on the continent, and morehe knows the person responsible is going to find out he knows, and find out within hours.
They have no choice. If they dont move, the other side will.
And the lives of the boy, the guests, the entire ruling family are at stake.
Synopsis
Civil war on the world of the
atevi is finally over. And Cajeiri, son and heir of Tabini-aiji,
atevi leader of the dominant Western Association, is about to celebrate his fortunate ninth birthday. Bren Cameron, brilliant human diplomat allied with Tabini, has managed to arrange a visit for Cajeiris three special associates from the starship
Phoenixordinary human children who developed a bond with Cajeiri during his two years in space.
After a year of political upheaval, this is a happy event: the heir is safe, the aiji is back in power, and a massive celebration is planned in the capital. The whole world is watching.
But Bren Cameron has received evidence that security has been severely compromised from the aijis high office on downward. The powerful Assassins Guildwhich provides the judicial system, law enforcement, and personal protection in atevi societyis in the hands of a man who would like to turn the entire world back two centuries.
Bren now knows the details of a decades-old plot thats been threaded through Guild actions since before his arrival on the continent. The enemys best chance is to strike now, at the public celebration that is much too important and far too advanced to cancel.
Bren and his associates have no choice. If they dont make the first move, the other side will. And the lives of the heir, his innocent human guests, and the entire ruling family are at stake.
About the Author
Of all science fiction writers there is none more highly respected than the brilliant, prolific C.J. Cherryh. Cherryh has written more than fifty novels, has won three Hugo Awards, both in the novel and the short story categories, and has frequently appeared on both the Hugo Award ballot and the Nebula Award ballot.