About this title: In this juvenile science-fiction adventure, a boy on a mysterious journey to Mars to meet his parents ends up captured and shipped to Venus.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Publishing Group
Date published: 1978
ISBN-13:9780345277961ISBN:0345277961
Description: Grade: B. Catalog: Science Fiction General Synopsis: 190 pages. Don Harvey was attending school on Earth when his parents suddenly and urgently called him home to Mars. He had been skeptical about the ta... read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Del Rey
Date published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780345306333ISBN:0345306333
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Edition: 5th 12/1981
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: DEL REY / Ballantine
Date published: 1982-09-12
ISBN-13:9780345306333ISBN:0345306333
Description: Has no markings or reading creas. Mass Market Paperback: DEL REY / Ballantine: 30633: 5th 12/1981: Has no markings or reading creases. Looks Unread. : Cover Artist: Sweet, Darrell. read more
Edition: Reprint
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Ace Books, New York
Date published: 1951
Description: Fair. No Dust Jacket as Issued. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. Book shows moderate to heavy wear/ spine tight, pages clean/ covers creased; several chips and tears; small stain on rear cover; moderate edge wear/ corners, spine hinge and spine creased and frayed/ readers slant/ several pages and page tips creased/ pages yellowed/ inside of covers discolored/ good readers copy. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Date published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780345306333ISBN:0345306333
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. Audience: General/trade. light readers crease and edgewear. read more
"Short, but interesting; the technology breakthrough at the end by the Venus Republic is reminiscent of similar advances at the end of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (use of the catapult; the self-aware computer), and both are newly independent states, although of course Free Luna is rather better developed. Still, an entertaining read."
"I learned something very important from this book:
1.) If you read every book that an author has written in chronological order;
2.) While working 12-16 hour days in a factory that makes swimming pool liners and covers;
3.) Indeed, most of that reading is accomplished during your breaks and lunches;
4.) And in addition, you are having daily discussions with your father who wants to know why a smart guy like you with a B.A. in English is working at a factory that won't even still be there in ten years. (I Googled it -- Cantar Polyair Youngstown. They still have a factory, and if I had stayed I would be operating an industrial sewing machine by now, instead of being a fabric puller. Maybe I'd even have my forklift license.)
What I learned is that you won't make friends with your coworkers. The no-friends thing especially works well if you initiate conversations that go somewhat like this: "Have you ever read Robert Heinlein? No? Wow, you should, because he is really really good. I could lend you this book when I'm done wit it. Then maybe we could talk about it. Oh you can't read? Whoa there partner, I misheard you, sorry. Yes, I like to read pornography too. No, I don't have any to lend you, sorry. No, I'm only making $5.40 an hour. Well I've only worked here two months, what do you expect?"
It's a guarantee -- people don't trust you if you read too much at work. And initiating unwelcome conversations about those books sure saves a lot of useless water-cooler talk. I have embraced this philosophy, and people have mostly shunned me. It gives me a lot more reading time.
The only downside in particular to Between Planets is that I hardly remember reading it at all. I must have been pretty distracted then. I'm looking at the cover, and it apparently has a dragon in it. And it looks like a cool dragon, so I'm guessing the book would fit nicely in the "liked it" category. Three stars it is!"
"Don Harvey is a young man living on a ranch in New Mexico. His parents are scientists living in the human colonies on Mars. He receives an urgent message from them, asking him to come to Mars, immediately. He is stop and see professor Jefferson, a friend of the family, and bring to Mars whatever the Professor gives him. Political tensions are rising between the Earth Federation and the colonies on Venus and Mars. When war inevitably comes, Don's less than clear citizenship (Mom was born on Vanus, Dad was born on Earth, and Don was born on a spaceship between planets) could make things very difficult for him.
Carrying a cheap, plastic man's ring (which is all that the professor gave him), Don gets to the orbiting space station to catch a ship to Mars, when it is taken over by rebels. Don is given a choice; go back to Earth, or go to venus. Returning to Earth is not an option, because the Federation security forces have taken an interest in Don (due to his unclear citizenship), the sort of interest no one wants.
It helps that Don lived for several years on Venus, so he can speak to the indigenous Venusians (multi-eyed dragons). He can't send a message from Venus to Mars to let his parents know he's alright, and his Federation money is worthless, so he gets a job as a dishwasher in a local Chinese restaurant. One day, the federation invades, and sets most of the town on fire. Don flees, and ends up joining the Venusian army. Weeks later, he finds himself in a palatial mansion, which is also the home of a dragon he met during the trip from Earth. He is facing a man named Phipps, who says he is part of the "organization," and who really wants Don's ring, because of the information carried inside.
This is a young adult novel (as the reader may have guessed), and it's pretty good. It's an interesting story, with a noticeable political subtext, and it's worth reading."
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