Wall Around a Star

Last updated
Wall Around a Star
WallAroundAStar.jpg
First edition
Author Frederik Pohl
Jack Williamson
Cover artist David B. Mattingly
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Saga of Cuckoo
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Del Rey Books
Publication date
January 12, 1983
Pages275
Awards1984 Locus Award - Best SF Novel (21st place)
ISBN 0-345-28995-1
OCLC 9184254
Preceded by Farthest Star  

Wall Around a Star is a science fiction novel by American writers Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson, the second book of the Saga of Cuckoo series, following Farthest Star . The book was published by Del Rey Books on January 12, 1983, with cover art by David Mattingly. [1]

In this novel linguist Jen Babylon is called on to translate alien records which may explain the nature of "Cuckoo", a sphere built around a star, and thus save the galaxy. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyson sphere</span> Hypothetical megastructure around a star

A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that encompasses a star and captures a large percentage of its solar power output. The concept is a thought experiment that attempts to imagine how a spacefaring civilization would meet its energy requirements once those requirements exceed what can be generated from the home planet's resources alone. Because only a tiny fraction of a star's energy emissions reaches the surface of any orbiting planet, building structures encircling a star would enable a civilization to harvest far more energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Kesey</span> American writer and countercultural figure

Ken Elton Kesey was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automaton</span> Self-operating machine

An automaton is a relatively self-operating machine, or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions. Some automata, such as bellstrikers in mechanical clocks, are designed to give the illusion to the casual observer that they are operating under their own power or will, like a mechanical robot. The term has long been commonly associated with automated puppets that resemble moving humans or animals, built to impress and/or to entertain people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Park</span> New Zealand-Australian writer

Rosina Ruth Lucia Park AM was a New Zealand–born Australian author. Her best known works are the novels The Harp in the South (1948) and Playing Beatie Bow (1980), and the children's radio serial The Muddle-Headed Wombat (1951–1970), which also spawned a book series (1962–1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuckoo clock</span> Clock that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoos call

A cuckoo clock is a type of clock, typically pendulum driven, that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo call and has an automated cuckoo bird that moves with each note. Some move their wings and open and close their beaks while leaning forwards, whereas others have only the bird's body leaning forward. The mechanism to produce the cuckoo call has been in use since the middle of the 18th century and has remained almost without variation.

<i>The Midwich Cuckoos</i> 1957 science fiction novel by John Wyndham

The Midwich Cuckoos is a 1957 science fiction novel written by the English author John Wyndham. It tells the tale of an English village in which the women become pregnant by brood parasitic aliens. The book has been praised by many critics, including the dramatist Dan Rebellato, who called it a searching novel of moral ambiguities, and the novelist Margaret Atwood, who called the book Wyndham's chef d'oeuvre. The book has been adapted into several media, such as film, radio, and a TV series (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsha Norman</span> American writer

Marsha Norman is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play 'night, Mother. She wrote the book and lyrics for such Broadway musicals as The Secret Garden, for which she won a Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and The Red Shoes, as well as the libretto for the musical The Color Purple and the book for the musical The Bridges of Madison County. She is co-chair of the playwriting department at The Juilliard School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Doerr</span> American author

Anthony Doerr is an American author of novels and short stories. He gained widespread recognition for his 2014 novel All the Light We Cannot See, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Cloud cuckoo land is a state of absurdly, over-optimistic fantasy or an unrealistically idealistic state of mind where everything appears to be perfect. Someone who is said to "live in cloud cuckoo land" is a person who thinks that things that are completely impossible might happen, rather than understanding how things really are. It also hints that the person referred to is naive, unaware of realities or deranged in holding such an optimistic belief.

The Mighty Heroes is a Saturday morning animated television series created by Ralph Bakshi for the Terrytoons company. The original show debuted on CBS, on October 29, 1966, and ran for one season with 21 episodes.

<i>One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest</i> (novel) 1962 novel by Ken Kesey

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel by Ken Kesey published in 1962. Set in an Oregon psychiatric hospital, the narrative serves as a study of institutional processes and the human mind, including a critique of psychiatry and a tribute to individualistic principles. It was adapted into the Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Dale Wasserman in 1963. Bo Goldman adapted the novel into a 1975 film of the same name directed by Miloš Forman, which won five Academy Awards.

<i>Saga of Cuckoo</i> Series of science fiction novels

The Saga of Cuckoo is a series of science fiction novels by American writers Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson. It consists of two novels, Farthest Star and Wall Around a Star.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to:

Constable & Robinson Ltd. is an imprint of Little, Brown which publishes fiction and non-fiction books and ebooks.

<i>One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest</i> (play)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1963) is a play based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name.

<i>Star Begotten</i> 1937 novel by Herbert George Wells

Star Begotten is a 1937 novel by H. G. Wells. It tells the story of a series of men who conjecture upon the possibility of the human race being altered, by genetic modification, by Martians to replace their own dying planet.

<i>One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest</i> (film) 1975 drama film based on the novel by Ken Kesey

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American psychological drama film directed by Miloš Forman, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey. The film stars Jack Nicholson who plays a new patient at a mental institution alongside Louise Fletcher who plays an austere nurse. It also features a supporting cast of Will Sampson, Danny DeVito, Sydney Lassick, William Redfield, as well as Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif in their film debuts.

<i>The Cuckoos Calling</i> 2013 detective novel by J. K. Rowling

The Cuckoo's Calling is a 2013 crime fiction novel by J. K. Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. It is the first novel in the Cormoran Strike series of detective novels and was followed by The Silkworm in 2014, Career of Evil in 2015, Lethal White in 2018, Troubled Blood in 2020 and The Ink Black Heart in 2022. A seventh book The Running Grave is scheduled for release 26 September 2023.

<i>Cloud Cuckoo Land</i> (novel) 2021 novel by Anthony Doerr

Cloud Cuckoo Land is a 2021 historical and speculative fiction novel by Pulitzer-prize winning author Anthony Doerr. It was first published on September 28, 2021, in the United States by Charles Scribner's Sons and the United Kingdom by Fourth Estate. The novel centers around an Ancient Greek codex that links characters from fifteenth-century Constantinople, present-day Idaho, and a twenty-second-century starship.

The Midwich Cuckoos is a British science fiction television series on Sky Max, created by David Farr. It is based on the 1957 book of the same name by John Wyndham. It stars Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley. It began airing on 2 June 2022, and all episodes became available on Sky On Demand. In Australia, the entire series is available on Stan.

References

  1. "Book Information: Wall Around a Star". Internet Book List. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  2. Nickerson, Susan L (1983-02-15). "Wall Around a Star (book)". Library Journal. 108 (4): 415.