Hard Landing by Algis Budrys

Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:55:38 -0500 (EST), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

Hard Landing by Algis Budrys

Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway

The "marsupial version of a camel" would, presumably, be the
"marsupial version of a horse designed by a committee".

But what either would look like I have no idea.

Bing brings up Palorchestes, but this is only said to be horse-sized.
And even that may not be correct, apparently, although I suppose
different species could have had different sizes.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2025-12-16, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:

Hard Landing by Algis Budrys
Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway

| There are oxygen-breathing and methane-breathing interstellar
| civilizations;

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_,
where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical
background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

| I am not sure what the marsupial analog of a camel is.

Something extinct. Possibly South American. ... A quick trawl of
Wikipedia doesn't net anything. Maybe a confusion with some South
American native ungulates? Those convergently evolved to resemble
extant ungulates--but they were placentals, not marsupials.

| It?s not especially plausible but the story falls apart if the
| crew is purple, be-tentacled Things.

But it would make the "life of debauchery and unsafe sex" so much
more intriguing!

--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 12/16/25 11:36, Christian Weisgerber wrote:

On 2025-12-16, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:

Hard Landing by Algis Budrys
Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway

| There are oxygen-breathing and methane-breathing interstellar
| civilizations;

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_,
where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical
background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

Methane breathers in the Lensman stories by Doc E.E. Smith.

| I am not sure what the marsupial analog of a camel is.

Something extinct. Possibly South American. ... A quick trawl of
Wikipedia doesn't net anything. Maybe a confusion with some South
American native ungulates? Those convergently evolved to resemble
extant ungulates--but they were placentals, not marsupials.

| It?s not especially plausible but the story falls apart if the
| crew is purple, be-tentacled Things.

But it would make the "life of debauchery and unsafe sex" so much
more intriguing!

But complicated.

bliss

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 12/16/2025 9:20 AM, Paul S Person wrote:

On Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:55:38 -0500 (EST), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

Hard Landing by Algis Budrys

Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway

The "marsupial version of a camel" would, presumably, be the
"marsupial version of a horse designed by a committee".

Since marsupials were obviously designed by a committee you now have a
second committee redesigning the first committee's design.

But what either would look like I have no idea.

Bing brings up Palorchestes, but this is only said to be horse-sized.
And even that may not be correct, apparently, although I suppose
different species could have had different sizes.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 12/16/25 17:58, Dimensional Traveler wrote:

On 12/16/2025 9:20 AM, Paul S Person wrote:

On Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:55:38 -0500 (EST), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

Hard Landing by Algis Budrys

Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway

The "marsupial version of a camel" would, presumably, be the
"marsupial version of a horse designed by a committee".

Since marsupials were obviously designed by a committee you now have a second committee redesigning the first committee's design.

Camels are said to be designed by a committee but marsupials
evolved to suit conditions. We see no marsupial camels nor even
cameloids so the adaptation of the marupial and the camel are
not mutually advantageous. Then too humans have been around
camels quite a while now and selective breeding might have
eradicated any hint of marsupialism in the parent stock.

But what either would look like I have no idea.

Bing brings up Palorchestes, but this is only said to be horse-sized.
And even that may not be correct, apparently, although I suppose
different species could have had different sizes.

The same species can have widely different sizes as looking at
Canis familiaris from the tiny Chihuahua to the Great Dane. They all
came from Grey Wolves and are fantastically interfertile. All the sizes
and utility in various breeds are the result of 14,000 years of human selection. I think that the wide range of sizes in the kangaroo is
from natural selection and may represent different species.
If people for some odd reason domesticated kangaroos then
they might as have dogs, pigs. horses, foxes, cows and chickens, they
would develop more individual looks which humans would find pleasing
and select them for breeding.

bliss



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:58:46 -0800, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 12/16/2025 9:20 AM, Paul S Person wrote:

On Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:55:38 -0500 (EST), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

Hard Landing by Algis Budrys

Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway

The "marsupial version of a camel" would, presumably, be the
"marsupial version of a horse designed by a committee".

Since marsupials were obviously designed by a committee you now have a >second committee redesigning the first committee's design.

Hardly an unknown phenomenon, I would think.

Or, at least, it won't be as Time Marches On and the original
committee members retire permanently.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:40:41 -0800, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

On 12/16/25 11:36, Christian Weisgerber wrote:

On 2025-12-16, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:

Hard Landing by Algis Budrys
Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway

| There are oxygen-breathing and methane-breathing interstellar
| civilizations;

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_,
where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical
background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

Methane breathers in the Lensman stories by Doc E.E. Smith.

| I am not sure what the marsupial analog of a camel is.

Something extinct. Possibly South American. ... A quick trawl of
Wikipedia doesn't net anything. Maybe a confusion with some South
American native ungulates? Those convergently evolved to resemble
extant ungulates--but they were placentals, not marsupials.

| It?s not especially plausible but the story falls apart if the
| crew is purple, be-tentacled Things.

But it would make the "life of debauchery and unsafe sex" so much
more intriguing!

But complicated.

Oh, I don't know.

Two of the characters in /Galaxyquest/ didn't seem to have any
problems.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2025-12-17, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_,
where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical
background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

Methane breathers in the Lensman stories by Doc E.E. Smith.

I seem to recall that there were various "poison gas" breathers and
Smith was oddly unspecific about the makeup of their air.

--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Christian Weisgerber <naddy@mips.inka.de> schrieb:

On 2025-12-17, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_,
where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical
background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

Methane breathers in the Lensman stories by Doc E.E. Smith.

I seem to recall that there were various "poison gas" breathers and
Smith was oddly unspecific about the makeup of their air.

Methane isn't toxic, but it is of course asphyxiating and burns
(or explodes) with oxygen.

But that reminds me of the description of a very persuasive salesman
(was it in Perry Rhodan? It's been so many decade since I last read
that...) "He could sell an oxygen apparatus to a methane breather".
--
This USENET posting was made without artificial intelligence,
artificial impertinence, artificial arrogance, artificial stupidity,
artificial flavorings or artificial colorants.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Dec 16, 2025, Christian Weisgerber wrote
(in article<slrn10k3d64.68a.naddy@lorvorc.mips.inka.de>):

On 2025-12-16, James Nicoll<jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:

Hard Landing by Algis Budrys
Starmen marooned in barbaric America!

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway

There are oxygen-breathing and methane-breathing interstellar civilizations;

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_,
where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical
background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

I am not sure what the marsupial analog of a camel is.

Something extinct. Possibly South American. ... A quick trawl of
Wikipedia doesn't net anything. Maybe a confusion with some South
American native ungulates? Those convergently evolved to resemble
extant ungulates--but they were placentals, not marsupials.

It?s not especially plausible but the story falls apart if the
crew is purple, be-tentacled Things.

But it would make the "life of debauchery and unsafe sex" so much
more intriguing!

Japanese manga is FULL of stuff which, as Schlock Mercenary put it, rhymes with pentacle rex.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Dec 17, 2025, Christian Weisgerber wrote
(in article<slrn10k5von.165f.naddy@lorvorc.mips.inka.de>):

On 2025-12-17, Bobbie Sellers<bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_, where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

Methane breathers in the Lensman stories by Doc E.E. Smith.

I seem to recall that there were various "poison gas" breathers and
Smith was oddly unspecific about the makeup of their air.

Probably chlorine or fluorine. Fluorine breathers showed in some early SF, until someone had a look at just how reactive fluorine is.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In article <slrn10k5von.165f.naddy@lorvorc.mips.inka.de>,
Christian Weisgerber <naddy@mips.inka.de> wrote:

On 2025-12-17, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_,
where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical
background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

Methane breathers in the Lensman stories by Doc E.E. Smith.

I seem to recall that there were various "poison gas" breathers and
Smith was oddly unspecific about the makeup of their air.

IIRC, there were Chlorine breathers in _Skylark of Valeron_. And a
galactic empire of them in _Skylark Dequesne_.

--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_. ?-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Robert Woodward <robertaw@drizzle.com> schrieb:

In article <slrn10k5von.165f.naddy@lorvorc.mips.inka.de>,
Christian Weisgerber <naddy@mips.inka.de> wrote:

On 2025-12-17, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

BTW, where did this trope start? It appears early in _Perry Rhodan_,
where genocidal wars between the two are part of the historical
background, but nothing is ever original in _PR_.

Methane breathers in the Lensman stories by Doc E.E. Smith.

I seem to recall that there were various "poison gas" breathers and
Smith was oddly unspecific about the makeup of their air.

IIRC, there were Chlorine breathers in _Skylark of Valeron_. And a
galactic empire of them in _Skylark Dequesne_.

How would these evolve?

Any kind of photosynthesis releasing Chlorine would
be... interesting. It would probably have to start from HCl
instead of CO2, but hydrogen is not a good building block for
large molecules, you would have to get carbon from somewhere.
Plus, the acidity of HCl would vastly influence organic chemistry.

Hmm... has anybody ever tried to create an even quarter-plausible
handwaving biochemistry out of HCl/Cl2?

--
This USENET posting was made without artificial intelligence,
artificial impertinence, artificial arrogance, artificial stupidity,
artificial flavorings or artificial colorants.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)