Nor Crystal Tears

by Alan Dean Foster

The Humanax Commonwealth Books:

• Nor Crystal Tears [1982] [prequel to the Flinx books]

The Flinx Books:

• For Love of Mother Not [1983]
  
• The Tar-Aiym Krang [1972]
  
• Orphan Star [1977]
  
• Bloodhype [1973]
  
• The End of the Matter [1977]
  
• Flinx in Flux [1988]
  

Characters:

• Thranx:
  
  • Ryo (Ryozenzuzex)
    
  • Fal (Falmiensazex)
    
  • Wuu (Wuuzelansem)
    
  • Moul
• Human:
  
  • Bonnie
    
  • Loo
    
  • Jahan Bhadravati
    
  • Elvira Shanchez
    
  • Matthew
    
  • AAnn (only appear remotely; what type of life are they?)
    

Category: First contact novel, sf.

1. Is this a successful portrayal of an alien species?

• Are Thranx (giant insects) really possible?
  
• Lungs,exoskeletons, vestigal wings
  
• They evolved from winged species, not related to earth arthropods
  
• Consider the exploration of the space ship Broh and crew find--what are
  
• all the things they see? (p.34-35)
  

2. Is the Thranx society believable?

• Hives, especially Hive-home
  
• Group thought in some cases
  
• Hive-mothers
  

3. Why is Ryo different? How could this develop if all learning is in the larval stage?

4. Contrasting human/Thranx attitudes

• Each resembles each other's worst nightmares, "shapefear"
  
• Consider Thranx attitudes towards intelligence requirements (humans don't meet them so how can they be intelligent?)
  
• Thranx don't meet human attitudes toward intelligence either, but his isn't brought up
  
• The human scientists were planning to kill Ryo--what were the Thranx planning to do with the Seeker's crew?
  

5. After reading this story, was Ryo truly alien and frightening?

6. Was it a good story? Were the characters and situations believable?

These notes were written by Pat Sayre McCoy.

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