Design for Great-Day

Follows the adventures of a lone human who must outwit two alien races bent on catastrophic war with one another

In keeping with the practice of resuscitating standard works of the SF genre, Foster here expands Russell's 1953 novella Design for Great-Day to novel length. The story, related mainly through the perceptions of a major participant, is one of Russell's few works in which humans comprise part of a pacificist force instead of finding themselves subjugated by one. (Indeed, the original tale's resonance with the Korean conflict has itself been made new again by recent world events.) Though Foster's amplification, which notably makes the warring alien factions even more villainous, is generally no more than serviceable, his writing blends well with Russell's. He highlights his predecessor's disdain for authority?especially those intent on wreaking destruction in the name of "peace"?while maintaining the narrative's brisk pace. Also, he wisely has not attempted to update the original "scientific" explanations with more contemporary bafflegab. Readers drawn to this title by Foster's currently familiar name (novelizations such as Star Trek adventures and the Alien films) will be gratified by this intriguing renaissance of a work that otherwise might have been unjustly forgotten.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Now an internationally best-selling author, Foster credits the 1953 novella form of Russell's "Design for a Day" as the inspiration that launched his career. In homage to his mentor, Foster expands the tale, highlighting its original brilliance and restoring it and Russell to well-deserved prominence. Sneaking past a fleet of military sentries in a superfast starship, a mysterious, beige-colored alien named James Lawson sets down on a planet of bellicose, six-limbed creatures and demands to see their ruler, Markhamwit. Lawson's only request of Markhamwit and his underlings is to stop making war in space "or else." Unable to believe any race is superior to his, Markhamwit quickly suspects a plot by his planet's foes, the Nileans, and endlessly ruminates about how to uncover Lawson's true motives. Meanwhile, Lawson placidly discusses his progress via telepathy with fellow members of his race whose origin is, of course, Earth. Russell's deceptively simple plot, embellished and brought up to date by Foster, refreshingly explores the classic sf theme of overcoming alien differences to eliminate war. Carl Hays

Foster returns to his roots with this expansion of a classic sf novella originally written by mentor Russell in 1953.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.