Mission Of Gravity
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Edition: bce
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: Previous owner
A landmark of hard science fiction, Mission of Gravity chronicles the extraordinary journey of Barlennan, a caterpillar-like alien captain, as he navigates the crushing, high-gravity world of Mesklin in a daring partnership with human scientists orbiting above. Hal Clement constructs his alien planet with meticulous scientific rigor, grounding every detail of Mesklin's extreme physics — from its oblate shape to its wildly variable gravitational pull — in real astronomical and physical principles. The narrative unfolds as a tense and intellectually thrilling adventure, following Barlennan's crew as they traverse treacherous landscapes to recover a vital scientific probe that humans cannot retrieve themselves. Clement masterfully illustrates the art of first contact and cross-species cooperation, presenting a relationship built on mutual curiosity, calculated trust, and the universal language of scientific inquiry. Celebrated as one of the finest examples of world-building in genre fiction, this classic work remains a must-read for anyone who believes that rigorous science and compelling storytelling are not merely compatible — they are inseparable.
Author: Hal Clement
Format: Hardback
Published: 1954, Doubleday
Genre: Science fiction
Edition: bce
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: Previous owner
A landmark of hard science fiction, Mission of Gravity chronicles the extraordinary journey of Barlennan, a caterpillar-like alien captain, as he navigates the crushing, high-gravity world of Mesklin in a daring partnership with human scientists orbiting above. Hal Clement constructs his alien planet with meticulous scientific rigor, grounding every detail of Mesklin's extreme physics — from its oblate shape to its wildly variable gravitational pull — in real astronomical and physical principles. The narrative unfolds as a tense and intellectually thrilling adventure, following Barlennan's crew as they traverse treacherous landscapes to recover a vital scientific probe that humans cannot retrieve themselves. Clement masterfully illustrates the art of first contact and cross-species cooperation, presenting a relationship built on mutual curiosity, calculated trust, and the universal language of scientific inquiry. Celebrated as one of the finest examples of world-building in genre fiction, this classic work remains a must-read for anyone who believes that rigorous science and compelling storytelling are not merely compatible — they are inseparable.