"As commerce flowed between the stars, the Polesotechnic League of star traders was prospering, and Nicholas Van Rijn, its most flamboyant member, was prospering most of all. But not all League members played fair when trading, nor did some of the non-human races of the galaxy object to dirty tricks. And Van Rijn could not be everywhere at once to flummox his competitors and adversaries. Fortunately, he could rely on his crack team of star traders. Leader of the trader team is David Falkayn, younger son of a baronial house on the planet Hermes. Earlier, he had passed a trial-by-fire, and now has been given his own ship, Muddlin' Through, and a most unusual crew." "One crew member is the felinesque Chee Lan, covered with silky white fur on the outside, and with a short-fused temper on the inside. She's a crack shot with a blaster, but doesn't use her teammates for target practice, even when she loses at poker." "Another member, weighing in at a ton in Earth gravity, is the reptilian Adzel. Looking like a centaurian dragon, he's as imperturbable as Chee Lan is high-strung, and abhorred violence even before becoming a Buddhist, though he has no problem defending himself, or his comrades." "Finally, there's Muddlehead, the computer who handles most of the operations of the ship. It often shows initiative at the most unexpected times, sometimes exasperating the organic members of the team, but outsmarting the bad guys at other times. Now if only it didn't sound so smug, particularly when it wins at poker. ..." David Falkayn: Star Trader continues the complete publication in chronological order for the first time of Poul Anderson's Technic Civilization series, a landmark in sciencefiction to equal Robert A. Heinlein's Future History series, Frank Herbert's Dune series, and Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.
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The Polesotechnic League of star traders was prospering, and Nicholas Van Rijn, its most flamboyant member, was prospering most of all as commerce flowed between the stars. But not all League members played fair when trading, nor did some of the non-human races of the galaxy object to dirty tricks. Van Rijn could not be everywhere, and relied on his representatives, foremost among them his young protégé, David Falkayn, and the members of David’s trader team: Adzel, a large dragon-like being who practiced Buddhism, and Chee-Lan, a brilliant but hot-tempered felinesque extraterrestrial.
This is the second volume in the first complete edition of Poul Anderson’s Technic Civilization saga. And, after the three volumes chronicling the Polesotechnic League’s rise and fall will come more volumes, telling of the rise of the Terran Empire and the adventures of Poul Anderson’s other legendary character, Captain Sir Dominic Flandry.
3 • Hiding Place • [Nicholas Van Rijn] • (1961) • novella by Poul Anderson
57 • Territory • [Nicholas Van Rijn] • (1963) • novella by Poul Anderson
129 • The Master Key • [Nicholas Van Rijn] • (1964) • novelette by Poul Anderson
Description:
"As commerce flowed between the stars, the Polesotechnic League of star traders was prospering, and Nicholas Van Rijn, its most flamboyant member, was prospering most of all. But not all League members played fair when trading, nor did some of the non-human races of the galaxy object to dirty tricks. And Van Rijn could not be everywhere at once to flummox his competitors and adversaries. Fortunately, he could rely on his crack team of star traders. Leader of the trader team is David Falkayn, younger son of a baronial house on the planet Hermes. Earlier, he had passed a trial-by-fire, and now has been given his own ship, Muddlin' Through, and a most unusual crew." "One crew member is the felinesque Chee Lan, covered with silky white fur on the outside, and with a short-fused temper on the inside. She's a crack shot with a blaster, but doesn't use her teammates for target practice, even when she loses at poker." "Another member, weighing in at a ton in Earth gravity, is the reptilian Adzel. Looking like a centaurian dragon, he's as imperturbable as Chee Lan is high-strung, and abhorred violence even before becoming a Buddhist, though he has no problem defending himself, or his comrades." "Finally, there's Muddlehead, the computer who handles most of the operations of the ship. It often shows initiative at the most unexpected times, sometimes exasperating the organic members of the team, but outsmarting the bad guys at other times. Now if only it didn't sound so smug, particularly when it wins at poker. ..." David Falkayn: Star Trader continues the complete publication in chronological order for the first time of Poul Anderson's Technic Civilization series, a landmark in sciencefiction to equal Robert A. Heinlein's Future History series, Frank Herbert's Dune series, and Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.
Read More
Product Description
The Polesotechnic League of star traders was prospering, and Nicholas Van Rijn, its most flamboyant member, was prospering most of all as commerce flowed between the stars. But not all League members played fair when trading, nor did some of the non-human races of the galaxy object to dirty tricks. Van Rijn could not be everywhere, and relied on his representatives, foremost among them his young protégé, David Falkayn, and the members of David’s trader team: Adzel, a large dragon-like being who practiced Buddhism, and Chee-Lan, a brilliant but hot-tempered felinesque extraterrestrial.
This is the second volume in the first complete edition of Poul Anderson’s Technic Civilization saga. And, after the three volumes chronicling the Polesotechnic League’s rise and fall will come more volumes, telling of the rise of the Terran Empire and the adventures of Poul Anderson’s other legendary character, Captain Sir Dominic Flandry.
3 • Hiding Place • [Nicholas Van Rijn] • (1961) • novella by Poul Anderson
57 • Territory • [Nicholas Van Rijn] • (1963) • novella by Poul Anderson
129 • The Master Key • [Nicholas Van Rijn] • (1964) • novelette by Poul Anderson