The Beast Master
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Beast Master is a science fiction novel by Grand Master Andre Norton, first published in 1959. It tells the story of Hosteen Storm, an ex-soldier who travels to a distant planet with his comrades, a group of genetically altered animals with whom he has empathic and telepathic connections. The team are hired to herd livestock, but Storm still harbors anger at his former enemies the Xik, and has sworn revenge on a man named Quade for actions against Storm's family in the past.
In this novel and the following series, Norton explores aspects of Native American culture (specifically that of the Navajo) through metaphors in Storm's life and in the culture he adopts on his new home world.
[edit] Adaptations
- Ideas from the novel were featured in a 1982 film, The Beastmaster, which did not significantly follow the novel's plot.
- From 1999 to 2002, a Canadian television series, BeastMaster, was produced which again used concepts and characters from the novel but did not follow its plot or setting.
[edit] Editions
- Harcourt, 1959 (first edition), ISBN 0-15-206049-9
- Ace Double Novel (abridged edition), 1961; dos-a-dos with Star Hunter, also by Norton
- Fawcett, 1981 (mass market paperback), ISBN 0-449-23637-4
- Del Rey, 1983 (paperback reprint), ISBN 0-345-31376-3
