Nor Crystal Tears

This was the first book I ever read by Alan Dean Foster. I had perhaps an unusual reaction to this book. I really, really loved this book. Perhaps he didn't mean to be that powerful, but I was really touched by it. It is the story of the First Contact between two sentient races, the Thranx and the Humans. It is told from the point of view of the Thranx, an insect-like race resembling praying mantises. The main character is a Thranx agricultural engineer named Ryo. I quickly and very strongly ide [...]

This is a re-read for me. I read a fair few of Alan Dean Foster's 'Humanx Commonwealth' books when I was knee-high to a Thranx, but in a somewhat haphazard fashion. Having stumbled across the chronology for the series (made up of lots of series-within-series, much like Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' books) on Foster's website, I decided to revisit the Commonwealth but to read all the books in chronological order this time.'Nor Crystal Tears' was written as a prequel to the entire series, document [...]

My introduction to Alan Dean Foster's Commonwealth Universe.I picked this book up from the giveaway pile at my high school library about 10 years ago, though it wasn't until a few years later that I got around to reading it. When I picked it up, the kid who had picked it up before me dismissed it and said something negative about it (even though he hadn't read it). When I finally read it, I was SO glad I ignored him. I was intrigued by Michael Whelan's cover art--a Human and an insect (two compl [...]

Written from the POV of the alien (humans are the monsters in this story) we learn a great deal about the culture of the Thranx. I love the first chapter which introduces us to Ryo (the protagonist). He is cunning, resourceful and drawn to the humans for some unexplainable reason. I've not read any other books in the Humanx Commonwealth series and I don't think I missed anything by starting here. I am interested to see where this series goes with the human & Thranx relationship now that cont [...]

This is a re-read for me, and I still find it just as exciting and readable as I remember it. Ryo leaves his exceedingly ordered life when he hears that intelligent aliens have been discovered. Along with the poet Wuu he tracks down the persistence rumors and rescues the aliens; fleeing with them to try to establish an alliance between them and his species. After a few false starts and amazingly few dead bodies, they unite against a common enemy--the AAnn.

Awesome book that in my opinion realistically describes the strains between alien races in achieving an alliance. Author is especially clever in devising the plan the protagonist carries out unify the races,

Absolutely amazing book about the problems alien races have with first contact.

Foster's writing reminded me a little bit of Ursula Le Guin's. Which is a good thing. It is simple and elegantly structured prose through which big ideas and small flit around and gain weight. An easy story to enter and a believable story.My one qualm was with the pacing of the last twenty pages. Time, which unfolded quite steadily until then, suddenly became a bit unkempt and hurvy turvy. Changing what would have been a five star review to a four.

I actually finished this two days ago. I really enjoyed 'Nor Crystal Tears'. I take off half a point because it seemed as if the characters were constantly escaping from somewhere (so much so that the main character, Ryo, comments on it!). Still, that's a minor quibble. I loved Ryo, and found the worldbuilding and character details fascinating. I will be reading more of this series as soon as I can figure out the order to read it in.

Ooh, I loved this. Clearly a novel I bought because the cover is amazing, but the story itself is also so much fun. I really enjoy world-building novels, novels where there is an alien perspective, and novels when alien cultures encounter us humans and then try to figure out why the hell we do what we do. This novel is full of all three, but it never gets dull or repetitive. Mainly because the aliens aren’t morons. I mean, you sometimes see sci-fi movies where the humans are on an alien ship a [...]

I think I was pretty much bound to enjoy this book because it involves the idea of "first contact" and a story told from the viewpoint of an awesome alien race. While reading, I admired the logical way Ryo and his fellow Thranx thought, and I definitely think Alan Dean Foster did a great job at characterization in general. The basic idea of this book is that there exists a race of giant, bug-like sentient creatures known as the Thranx. They are very intelligent and technologically advanced. Also [...]

This is one of those books which opens its arms and welcomes you home. So much more than a page-turner, this book is a prime example of why I love science fiction and fantasy. I lost myself in this world and read it all in one sitting in the middle of the night. This is one of those rare books that is a must-have. I wildly recommend it. My dreams after reading were almost as good. My imagination raged about how *I* would have continued the story. Great book. All I have is sleepy and determined p [...]

This is one of the books I totally stole from my mom when I moved out because I couldn't imagine not having it around. Fascinating insectoid space-faring race! They smell like flowers! First contact with humans!And, as usual, Foster is kind of a bio nerd, which is endlessly enjoyable when applied to world building.

An amazing novel of first contact; I've read it at least 3 times and plan to do so again. The Thranx are fascinating and Alan Dean Foster has done a great job of creating them; their thoughts, society, and worlds.

This book has, in my mind, the best starting line ever"It's hard to be a larva." Beyond that I don't think it's the strongest book in Foster's Commonwealth series, but it sets the perfect tone.

This was a great story about first contact between humans and an alien race from the viewpoint of the aliens. I highly recommend giving this one a read!

Although he's ranged across the science fiction and fantasy landscapes in his 45 years as an author, Alan Dean Foster is probably best known for his novels in the universe of the Humanx Commonwealth, a sprawling galactice milieu dominated by humans and the insectoid Thranx. In 1982's Nor Crystal Tears, he told the story of the first contact between the two disparate species, and the bold action taken by some of their more visionary members that helped birth their most beneficial union.Ryozenzuze [...]

An oldie but a goodie. Very satisfying story of first contact between 2 worlds, complete with vivid descriptions of alien biology, history, psychology and careers. Larval thranx and human children at boarding school together was a charming construct, no matter how unlikely it would have been to get parents to cooperate without more info.

This is a great book about perspective and understanding.

Haven't read this book since high school, wanted to see if it held up and it sure did! This book is as cute as its buggy little protag.

Very interesting characters and civilizations; loved the "what if" scenario presented. Has an Asimov-like feel which I enjoyed. Touch of humor. Great read.

Another enjoyable Foster sci-fi story.

Genre: science fiction, space travel, alien contactA bit sloppily written, but an outstanding story.

This novel is an engaging first contact story set some centuries from now and told from an alien's point of view. The alien here is a Thranx; the Thranx are a race of sentient beings reminiscent of giant praying mantises. While the alien's appearance is definitely non-human, his thoughts and feelings are quite akin to those expressed by humans. In the best tradition of first contact stories, this novel makes keen observations about humanity by comparing it to a sentient race equal in technology [...]

I am a particular fan of books that explore the first encounters and steps toward peace between fundamentally different creatures, especially when those books are largely from the point of view of the non-humans. (I've got a pretty good idea of how humans would react to aliens by now, it's more fun to see things from the other side.)I was also quite obsessed with insects as a child, so maybe it was predetermined that I would love this book.This book was a recommendation from a friend, and it's b [...]

I believe this was the first science fiction book I ever read and perhaps even the first 'adult' book. I would take it down from the bookshelf to admire the cover and it felt like years before I successfully convinced my dad that I was ready to read a 'big' book. I don't recall any real details other than that I loved it. I love first-contact stories to this day. I'm almost afraid to track it down to read again, for fear it would be less enjoyable.

Alan Dean Foster is astonishingly prolific and his work is of decent quality-comparable to Golden Age writers like Eric Frank Russell and James H Schmitz. Fast-moving space-operatic sf adventure is his stock-in-trade but he's versatile enough to tackle any subject with aplomb.This book is part of his wonderful Humanx Commonwealth series.

I could not initially get into this book - but after getting nudged by friends I did finish it. Too slow of a start for me - and I'm not keen on bugs - but then again I suppose that is part of the premise. The story does pick up and was more interesting after contact was finally made.

This was the first Science Fiction book that was not Star Wars that I ever read. It launched a decade long love affair with Science Fiction. Although I should point out that ADF's Splinter of a Mind Eye made me remember the author name

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