Book description
Classic space opera adventure, Book #7 in the "Family
D'Alembert" series. For centuries, the planet Gastonia has been a
planet of exile, an escape-proof prison world for the worst sorts of
traitors. But now, it seems, prisoners are indeed escaping, and all
evidence points to the sinister, all-knowing conspiracy that continues
to shadow the Throne. The D'Alemberts must infiltrate this world of
traitors - and they must do it without a safety net, because if they
fail they themselves will be trapped on this inhospitable world.
Stephen Goldin (1947 - )
Stephen Charles Goldin began publishing science fiction with 'The Girls
on USSF 193' for If
in 1965. He has written a number of novels and received a Nebula
nomination for his short fiction, but is best known for writing the
Family D'Alembert sequence, based on a story by E. E. 'Doc' Smith. He
lives in California. E. E. 'Doc' Smith (1890 - 1965)
Edward Elmer Smith was born in Wisconsin in 1890. He attended the
University of Idaho and graduated with degrees in chemical engineering;
he went on to attain a PhD in the same subject, and spent his working
life as a food engineer. Smith is best known for the 'Skylark' and
'Lensman' series of novels, which are arguably the earliest examples of
what a modern audience would recognise as Space Opera. Early novels in
both series were serialised in the dominant pulp magazines of the day: Argosy
, Amazing Stories
, Wonder Stories
and a pre-Campbell Astounding
, although his most successful works were published under Campbell's
editorship. Although he won no major SF awards, Smith was Guest of
Honour at the second World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago, in
1940. He died in 1965.
