Alpha Centauri or Die!
Alpha Centauri or Die! is a science fiction novel by American writer Leigh Brackett.
![]() First edition | |
Author | Leigh Brackett |
---|---|
Cover artist | Jack Gaughan |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Science fiction |
Publisher | Ace Books |
Publication date | 1963 (first book publication) |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 121 |
OCLC | 33273412 |
Publication
The novel is a fixup[1] of two earlier short stories, "The Ark of Mars" (first published in the September 1953 issue of Planet Stories) and "Teleportress of Alpha C" (first published in the Winter 1954-1955 Planet Stories). Its first book publication was as half of Ace Double F-187 with Legend of Lost Earth by G. McDonald Wallis.[2]
Summary
In Brackett's future solar system, manned interstellar flight is forbidden with only the government's robotic spaceships being permitted. Attempting to escape the regime, Kirby, a former starship pilot, and his wife Shari construct the "Ark of Mars", a refitted freighter named the Lucy B. Davenport and with their crew set out to a habitable planet around Alpha Centauri. They run through the government blockades and defeat a robotic pursuit ship in battle, before setting out on a five-year voyage to the new planet. However, after arriving, they begin to realize that they are not aloneā¦
Influence and reception
Rich Horton's review was mixed. He felt that the novel didn't have "the frisson of Dunsany-esque fantastical imagery that so drives her best work," concluding that it was "[m]ediocre stuff, really, though Brackett is never unreadable, and I did enjoy the book."[3]
References
- Liptak, Andrew (2013-08-05). "A.E. van Vogt and the Fix-Up Novel". Kirkus Reviews.
- "F-series Ace Doubles". University of North Carolina Wilmington. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
- "Alpha Centauri or Die!, by Leigh Brackett". sff.net. Archived from the original on 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2013-06-14.