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had been shown part of the novel by Pohl. Gold wanted to serialize the novel in Galaxy, which was good news. Gold's suggestions, however, were not as welcome as Bradbury's. |
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Eventually, the novel was serialized in Galaxy under Gold's title, Tyrann, which Asimov disliked. "An absolutely silly title," he called it, and added that "Gold was a good editor, but his taste in titles was execrable." That too contributed to Asimov's feelings about the novel. |
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The Stars, Like Dust is an adventure story without any meaningful theme or concept. The story is set in Asimov's future history considerably before Pebble in the Sky, perhaps one thousand years in our future. (Early in the novel, one character reflects on the "Earthman's habit of building structures of reinforced concrete, squat, thick, and windowless. It was a thousand-year-old tradition dating from the days when the primitive nuclear bomb had not yet been countered by the force-shield defense.") Mankind is still spreading out to the stars, but the Galactic Empire is not yet even a dream; rather various kinds of governmental systems are being tried. At one point in the novel, Gillbret oth Hinriad describes the four stages of development of a new planet: 1) agriculture or ranching to feed itself; 2) mining and exportation of agricultural surpluses; 3) beginnings of industrialization; 4) mechanization, importation of food, exportation of machinery, investment in development of more primitive worlds. Certain kinds of government are appropriate to each stage, he suggests. Most governments are autocracies, either hereditary or elective, but one planet, because it was initially barren, directed its inhabitants outward for conquest. The Tyranni have conquered fifty worlds with their advanced spaceships, their Spartan culture, and their military skills. |
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Earth, which is dangerously radioactive in many spots, still is recognized as the birthplace of humanity, and to its university, the University of Earth, come students from many other planets. One of them is Biron Farrill, son of the ruler called the Rancher of Widemos, of the agricultural planet Nephelos. Biron is within a few days of graduation when he is awakened in the night by a visiphone call from a fellow student, Sandor Jonti. But the sending part of the visiphone does not work. Neither do the lights, ventilation, or door when Biron tries to escape a "radiation bomb" building toward explosion in his closet. Jonti, however, blasts the lock, releases Biron, and tells him his life is in danger; his father has been arrested by the Tyranni and may have been executed. Biron, under an alias, should go to the planet of Rhodia and the court of the Director of Rhodia, Hinrik, who has influence with the Tyranni and may be able to get Biron reinstated as his father's successor. Biron |
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