They said it could never work: one was born of Earth, the other of the sky; one has organized itself into increasingly complex governments, the other stays free as the wind. Yet out of such seemingly disparate materials a single nation, forged from the best of both races, has been formed on the planet Avalon. Then the two races go to war, and Avalon is forced to choose sides--or defy both.
**
Like two giants the old enemies faced each other across the reaches of the galaxy — the Terran Empire and the Ythrian Domain. Terra was a Leviathan, encroaching ever further among the stars, promising peace and prosperity — but at the price of freedom. Ythri was smaller, but an empire in its own right, peopled by birdlike beings with a civilization and intellect that easily matched Terra’s own. Nominated for Nebula Award in 1973, Hugo and Locus awards in 1974.
Description:
They said it could never work: one was born of Earth, the other of the sky; one has organized itself into increasingly complex governments, the other stays free as the wind. Yet out of such seemingly disparate materials a single nation, forged from the best of both races, has been formed on the planet Avalon. Then the two races go to war, and Avalon is forced to choose sides--or defy both.
**
Like two giants the old enemies faced each other across the reaches of the galaxy — the Terran Empire and the Ythrian Domain. Terra was a Leviathan, encroaching ever further among the stars, promising peace and prosperity — but at the price of freedom. Ythri was smaller, but an empire in its own right, peopled by birdlike beings with a civilization and intellect that easily matched Terra’s own.
Nominated for Nebula Award in 1973, Hugo and Locus awards in 1974.