Very good SF book by one of the forgotten writers of the Golden Age of SF. I love this British writer's short stories and some of his novels. This is one of Cooper's better works. Good tale of survivor/survivors of exploratory ship stranded on an inhabited planet. ( )

For those who love sci fi of the mid- or slightly later-20th century, this is an entertaining and thoughtful story of the lone survivor of one of the starships sent from 20th century Earth in various directions to find what they may among the stars. After almost 20 years, most spent in hibernation, the 12 astronauts land on a vaguely Earth-like planet 16 light-years from Earth. There are indeed humanoids, and after several exploration parties disappear, Paul Marlowe finds himself prisoner in a primitive town where a god-king rules in absolute power for one year before being ritually killed and replaced. As he learns the language and makes a few friends, Paul seems to make somewhat of a life for himself until tragedy forces him to investigate an ancient myth about a structure which sounds an awful lot like a another starship. ( )

I read this book a long time ago. It wasn't this edition, but I remember the cover featuring a much more exotic spaceship and background. I loved the alien world setting and the title. And I loved the idea how the crew with all their skill and technology were totally unprepared for the world they so unwittingly walked on. The alien world and the culture of the people living there are fully described in both their beauty and brutality. And the central idea of the main character, the only survivor from the spaceship, becoming assimilated into the society he finds there is also beautifully done, so that you fully accept his reasons for staying and fulfilling his role at the end.I have read a large number of this author's books, and many, like The Cloud Walker, The Last Continent, and particularly 5 to 12 and Who Needs Men, affected my own writing. I would recommend this author and this book to anyone. ( )