Starlight by Hal Clement (book review).
Hal Clement created the Mesklinites in his 1953 novel “A Mission of Gravity.” The Mesklinites resided on the planet Mesklin, a peculiarly shaped planet with a strong gravitational pull towards the equator, making it uninhabitable for humans. The Mesklinites evolved into a multi-limbed species that resembled caterpillars with mandibles, but were significantly heavier. They lived in an ammonia atmosphere and breathed hydrogen, just like humans do. Clement really did make a unique, radically alien species who sailed their planet and ultimately rescued a stranded astronaut.
They return with ‘Starlight’, a 1970 release. Man has discovered Dhrawn, a planet that is 3,000 times larger than Earth and spans 17,000 billion square miles. Its atmosphere is composed of ammonia, oxygen, and a hint of hydrogen. The Mesklinites could thrive in such an environment. Clement is an expert on world-building. Man desires to explore the planet, but the conditions are too harsh for him to survive. This species would tolerate it, so they convince Dondragmer and his Kwembly crew to do it. He doesn’t explain how they shipped them there as we join them on the planet and how they have to handle their contained ship when Dhrawn has a seasonal upset. Interestingly, we don’t reintroduce Barlennan from the original novel until much later, even though he is at the planet’s base. There is also another missed craft, the Esket. Don’t expect to receive all the information you need as the story unfolds.
Only a few chapters in, we find ourselves captivated by the human station hovering above them, keeping an eye on the weather conditions for them, and the peculiar situation of teaching or enhancing humans through their language and vice versa. Picking out lead humans takes time. Elise ‘Easy’ Hoffman and her son, weatherman Benj, form a friendship with Kwembly helmsman Beetchermarlf. It’s interesting to note that the humans abbreviate the Mesklinite names, indicating that even they struggle with pronunciation.
The last couple chapters reveal Barlennan’s ulterior motives, despite the back cover hinting at them. Make no mistake, this is a complex plot where the enemy is really the environment. About the only thing he glosses over is how the humans created a heavy gravity environment for the Mesklinites to travel in between planets. It appears that Hal Clement occasionally cares more about the planetary environment than the actual story, but it’s unclear who will verify his calculations. He taught chemistry and astronomy for a living. However, this story will leave you rooting for the Mesklinites and learning about the creation of a unique alien species.
GF Willmetts
October 2024
(pub: Del Rey, 1978. 279 page paperback. Price: varies. This is a second edition. ISBN: 345-27358-3-175)