Darkover Landfall

Darkover Landfall is a science fiction novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in the Darkover series. It was originally published in 1972 by DAW Books.^[1] It has since been republished several times and is included as part of the Darkover: First Contact omnibus. According to Bradley's obituary, the events of this book take place at the end of the 21st century.^[2]

Plot summary

Darkover Landfall concerns the crew and colonists of a spaceship that is forced to crash land on Cottman IV, an inhospitable planet in orbit around a red giant. The crew become accidental colonists when the ship loses contact with Earth and they realize rescue is impossible. The book introduces surnames, religious and cultural themes that echo throughout the Darkover series of books. This series spans millennia, as the ship's descendants populate the world and develop unique cultures and psi abilities. Though Darkover Landfall is not the first book written in the series, in the Darkover timeline its events are the beginning for all that follows.

Of this book, J. John Jones, writing for Amazing Stories, notes, "Landfall has been a disappointment for some women. I’ve read reviews by some feminist critics who have vilified the work, expecting something more radical, apparently, from a woman writer. I still find her ideas provocative. No doubt some women are offended by the roles of planned breeding that her women characters portrayed. Still, stimulating rage is one way to effect social change so you might suppose that her works still gave some impetus for social change even with the roles that her women characters portray in this imagined society." ^[3]

Major characters

• Captain Harry Leicester
• Rafael MacAran, one of the ship's officers
• Camilla Del Ray, one of the ship's officers
• Ewen Ross, medical officer
• Judith Lovat, biologist
• Father Valentine, order of St. Christopher of Centaurus

Publication history

• 1972, US, DAW Books OCLC 715454, Pub date December 1972, Paperback
• 1976, France, Éditions Albin Michel ISBN 2-226-00406-8, Pub date 1977, in French as La planète aux vents de folie
• 1978, US, Gregg Press ISBN 0-8398-2404-1, Pub date 1978, Hardcover
• 1978, Netherlands, Elmar Science Fiction ISBN 9061201330, Pub date 1978, in Dutch as Darkover - Wereld van Waanzin
• 1984, US, Science Fiction Book Club, Pub date 1984, Hardcover
• 1985, Italy, Editrice Nord, Pub date 1985, in Italian as Naufragio sul Pianeta Darkover
• 1986, UK, Severn House ISBN 0-7278-1228-9, Pub date March 1986, Hardcover
• 1987, UK, Arrow Books ISBN 0-09-915410-2, Pub date August 1987, Paperback
• 1987, Germany, Moewig, Pub date 1987, in German as Landung auf Darkover
• 1987, Japan, Shogensha, Pub date 1987, in Japanese as Darkover Fujichaku
• 1989, Brazil, Editora Imago, Pub date 1989, in Portuguese as A Chegada em Darkover
• 2004, Croatia, Izvori, Pub date 2004, in Croatian as Brodolom na Darkoveru

References

• Brown, Charles N.; William G. Contento (2007-11-20). "The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984-1998)". Retrieved 2008-09-03. 
• Jaffery, Sheldon (1987). Future and Fantastic Worlds. Mercer Island, Washington: Starmont House. p. 13. ISBN 1-55742-002-5.