The People of the Crater
Garin Featherstone, an unemployed war pilot, is recruited by Antarctic explorer Gregory Farson to fly on a polar expedition. Farson seeks to investigate a mysterious blue haze glimpsed by earlier expeditions, believing it may mark a break in the ice crust hiding mineral wealth. After landing, the expedition flies toward the haze; the lead plane is repelled, but an alien mental force seizes control of Garin's aircraft and drags it down through the mist into a hidden green land beneath the ice. The Presence releases him near the surface, but engine failure sends Garin crashing among giant fern trees. Injured, Garin is rescued by the Folk, a lizard-like humanoid race, and healed by their light-ray technology in their underground Caverns. He is adopted by an Ana, a small loyal creature, and taught the Folk's language and history by Urg. He learns the Folk serve the Ancient Ones, a vanished race who fled a dying world beyond the stars and created Tav, the crater world, along with the Folk, the elephantine Tand, the burrowing Eron, and the giant Gibi bees. A renegade branch of the Ancient Ones interbred with primitive men to produce the evil Black Ones, confined south of the River of Gold in the Caves of Darkness under an ancient law. Trar, Lord of the Folk, reveals that the Black Ones, led by Kepta, have broken the law and hold Thrala, "Daughter of the Light," captive, intending to sacrifice her to their laboratories. Long ago the dying Thran, last Lord of the Caverns, prophesied that a "sun-haired youth" from the outer world would rescue Thrala and destroy the Black Throne. Equipped with a metal-corroding rod, Garin sets out alone, guided by his Ana, across Tav's forests and the River of Gold to the Caves of Darkness. Infiltrating the Caves, Garin confronts Kepta and rescues both Thrala and her fellow prisoner Dandtan, who calls Thrala "beloved." The three flee through the dark passages, evading morgels (monstrous hound-like slaves) and Kepta's illusions, cross the river, and take refuge with the Gibi before the deadly Great Mists seal Tav for forty days. Back in the Caverns, Garin is grieved to learn Thrala already loves Dandtan, and though the household prepares for renewed war, Garin and Dandtan labor together building weapons against the Black Ones' return, while Thrala treats Garin with cold formality that wounds him. When the Mists lift, Kepta's forces attack with towers of "Black Fire," but the Folk's screen and gas-globe weapons destroy the attackers. Kepta then tries to abduct Thrala from the Hall of Thrones; Garin fights and seemingly kills him. Overcome, Garin embraces Thrala and she responds—until Dandtan appears, stricken. Before dying (or vanishing), Kepta reveals he, Garin, and Thrala have been bound across past lives. An earthquake seals the Caves of Darkness forever, apparently ending the Black Ones. Believing he has betrayed Dandtan's claim to Thrala, a guilt-ridden Garin avoids her afterward. Dandtan and Trar, believing Garin has rejected a mystical "summoning," put him on trial for defying it, threatening the ancient punishment of exile. Confronted, Garin admits he loves Thrala but refuses to claim her, believing her promised to Dandtan. Dandtan then reveals the truth: he is Thran's son and Thrala's brother, not her lover. Freed from his misunderstanding, Garin goes to Thrala, and the two are united, beginning Garin's new life in Tav.
By Andre Norton · First published 1953 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy · 18,097 words
First lines
Six months and three days after the Peace of Shanghai was signed and the great War of 1965-–-1970 declared at an end by an exhausted world, a young man huddled on a park bench in New York, staring miserably at the gravel beneath his badly worn shoes. He had been trained to fill the pilot's seat in the control cabin of a fighting plane and for nothing else. The search for a niche in civilian life had cost him both health and ambition.
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The People of the Crater is listed on Textopian as a novel by Andre Norton, dated 1953 CE.
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- Work type: Novel
- Author: Andre Norton
- Date: 1953 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Dystopian
- Length: 18,097 words
- Structure: 1 section, 469 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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Genres
- Science Fiction — The plot involves exploration of an alien world and advanced technology, typical of the science fiction genre.
- Adventure — The narrative follows a perilous journey into uncharted territory, emphasizing themes of exploration and survival.
- Fantasy — The presence of fantastical creatures and a hidden civilization within a crater introduces elements of fantasy.
- Speculative Fiction — The story speculates on alternate realities and the consequences of human actions in a post-war setting.
Tags
Science Fiction · Fantasy · Adventure · Romance · Coming-of-Age · Young Adult · Alien Invasion · Space Opera · Planetary Colonization · Human Evolution · Social Hierarchy · Power Struggle