The Star Beast is a 1954 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein about a high school senior who discovers that his extraterrestrial pet is more than it appears to be. The novel was originally serialised, somewhat abridged (as Star Lummox ), in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (May, June, July 1954) as Star Lummox and then published in hardcover as part of Scribner's series of Heinlein juveniles .
23-472: (Redirected from Star Beasts ) Star Beast or starbeast , may refer to: Literature [ edit ] The Star Beast (novel) , 1954 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein Star Beast (novel) , 1996 novel by Will Baker "The Star Beast", a 1949 short story by Damon Knight "The Star Beast", a 1950 short story by Poul Anderson "The Star Beast",
46-524: A 2022 short story by Connie Wilkins , writing as Sacchi Green Doctor Who [ edit ] "The Star Beast" ( Doctor Who episode) , a 2023 episode of the 60th anniversary specials The Star Beast , a 2024 novelization of the Doctor Who episode by Gary Russell "Doctor Who and the Star Beast" (comic) , the original 1980 Doctor Who comic "Doctor Who and the Star Beast" (audio drama) ,
69-797: A Star Beast", a 1998 short story by Steve Lyons Huangfu Duan (alias "Beast Star"), a fictional character from Water Margin , one of the 108 Stars of Destiny Beast Star (Japanese: ビーストスター , romanized: Bīsuto Sutā ), a fictional character from the tokusatsu TV series Uchu Sentai Kyuranger ; see List of Uchu Sentai Kyuranger characters Beastars , a Japanese manga Beast (disambiguation) Star (disambiguation) All pages with titles beginning with Star Beast All pages with titles beginning with Starbeast All pages with titles containing Star Beasts All pages with titles containing Star Beast All pages with titles containing Starbeasts All pages with titles containing Starbeast Topics referred to by
92-527: A fictional creature type from the Hanna-Barbera animated cartoon TV series Space Stars Other uses [ edit ] "*BEAST" (starbeast), a Bayesian software package for phylogeny; see Multispecies coalescent process Star Beast , the working title of the film Alien See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Search for "starbeast" , "starbeasts" , "star beast" , or "star beasts" on Misplaced Pages. "Wish Upon
115-473: A hobby: the raising of John Thomases. She makes it clear to the other Hroshii that she intends to continue doing so. This gives Mr. Kiku, the chief negotiator, the leverage he needs to pressure the aliens into establishing diplomatic relations. At the insistence of Lummox, the newly married John and Betty accompany her back to the Hroshii homeworld as part of the human diplomatic mission. Damon Knight wrote: This
138-796: A master of the genre. To the general public he is best known as the author of " To Serve Man ", a 1950 short story adapted for The Twilight Zone . It won a 50-year Retro-Hugo in 2001 as the best short story of 1950. Knight was also a science fiction critic, a career which began when he wrote in 1945 that A. E. van Vogt "is not a giant as often maintained. He's only a pygmy who has learned to operate an overgrown typewriter." He ceased reviewing when Fantasy & Science Fiction refused to publish his review of Judith Merril 's novel The Tomorrow People . These reviews were later collected in In Search of Wonder . Algis Budrys wrote that Knight and "William Atheling Jr." ( James Blish ) had "transformed
161-583: A zoo. He rapidly changes his mind and runs away from home, riding into the nearby wilderness on Lummox's back. His girlfriend Betty Sorenson joins him and suggests bringing the beast back into town and hiding it in a neighbor's greenhouse. However, it is not easy to conceal such a large creature. Eventually, the court orders Lummox destroyed. City officials try several methods to kill Lummox but fail, as his alien physiology appears to be virtually invulnerable to ordinary weapons or poisons, and Lummox does not even realize they are attempting to execute him. Meanwhile, at
184-505: Is a novel that won't go bad on you. Many of science fiction's triumphs, even from as little as ten years ago, are unreadable today; they were shoddily put together, not meant for re-use. But Heinlein is durable. I've read this story twice, so far – once in the Fantasy and Science Fiction serialized version, once in hard covers – and expect to read it again, sooner or later, for pleasure. I don't know any higher praise. Groff Conklin described
207-519: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages The Star Beast (novel) In the future, Earth has had interstellar spaceflight for centuries and has made contact with numerous extraterrestrial intelligent species. John Thomas Stuart XI, the teenage protagonist, lives in a small Rocky Mountain town, Westville, caring for Lummox, an extraterrestrial beast his great-grandfather had brought home. Lummox has learned how to speak, and has gradually grown from
230-516: The 2019 Big Finish audio drama adaptation of the comic Fictional characters [ edit ] Starbeasts (Japanese: 星獣 , romanized: Seijū ), a fictional race from tokusatsu TV series Seijuu Sentai Gingaman Star Beasts (Seishinjuu), a fictional type of creature from tokusatsu TV series Genseishin Justirisers Star Beasts, a fictional creature type from the anime TV series Beyblade: Metal Fury Starbeasts,
253-519: The Earth government Department of Spacial Affairs, Mr. Kiku, the Permanent Undersecretary and an expert diplomat, is dealing with the Hroshii, a previously unknown, advanced and powerful alien race. They demand the return of their lost child, or they will destroy Earth. A friendly alien diplomat of a third species intimates that the threat is not an empty one. Initially, no one associates Lummox with
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#1732883928379276-505: The Summer 1940 number of Futuria Fantasia , edited and published by Ray Bradbury . "Resilience" followed in the February 1941 number of Stirring Science Stories , edited by Donald A. Wollheim . An editorial error made the latter story's ending incomprehensible; it was reprinted in a 1978 magazine in four pages with a two-page introduction by Knight. At the time of his first story sale he
299-526: The entries in his great-grandfather's diary of how Lummox was found. Of significance on the omitted page is that: The diary skipped a couple of days; the Trail Blazer had made an emergency raise-ship and Assistant Powerman J. T. Stuart had been too busy to write. John Thomas knew why ... the negotiations opened so hopefully with the dominant race had failed ... no one knew why. The rest of the page summarizes John Thomas' grandfather's family history, discussing
322-442: The first John Thomas Stuart, who had retired as a sea captain. The history, as reprinted in the paperback and Science Fiction Book Club editions, then resumes with John Thomas Stuart, Junior. Damon Knight Damon Francis Knight (September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002) was an American science fiction author , editor, and critic . He is the author of " To Serve Man ", a 1950 short story adapted for The Twilight Zone . He
345-449: The newcomers, in part due to the size difference (Lummox grew very large from overfeeding). Lummox is finally identified as important Hroshii royalty, as well as approximately female (the Hroshii have six sexes). It turns out that the relationship between John Thomas and Lummox may be the only thing that saves Earth from destruction. From her viewpoint, during her centuries on Earth, the young but extremely long-lived Lummox has been pursuing
368-434: The novel as "one of Heinlein's most enchanting tales." P. Schuyler Miller found The Star Beast to be "one of the best of 1954." The F&SF serialization has a series of illustrations by Fred Kirberger (two covers plus black and white interior art). Although the secondary protagonist Mr. Kiku is clearly portrayed in the text as a black Kenyan, he is illustrated as a white man. None of Kirberger's art depicts Lummox or
391-565: The other Hroshii except as vague shapes or textures at the edges of some scenes. The original Scribner's hardcover edition has cover art and a frontispiece by Clifford Geary that do depict Lummox. Some paperback editions and the Science Fiction Book Club hard cover edition omit page 148 of Chapter VIII, "The Sensible Thing to Do", which was in the Scribner's edition and the magazine serialization . In this chapter, John Thomas rereads
414-457: The reviewer's trade in the field", in Knight's case "without the guidance of his own prior example". The term " idiot plot ", a story that only functions because almost everyone in it is an idiot, became well known through Knight's frequent use of it in his reviews, though he believed the term was probably invented by Blish. Knight's only non-Retro-Hugo Award was for "Best Reviewer" in 1956. Knight
437-465: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Star Beast . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Beast&oldid=1260192681 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Articles containing Japanese-language text Short description
460-478: The size of a collie pup to a ridable behemoth—especially after consuming a used car. The childlike Lummox is perceived to be a neighborhood nuisance and, upon leaving the Stuart property one day, causes substantial property damage across the city. John's widowed mother wants him to get rid of it, and brings an action in the local court to have it destroyed. Desperate to save his pet, John Thomas considers selling Lummox to
483-513: Was living in New York and was a member of the Futurians . One of his short stories describes paranormal disruption of a science fiction fan group and contains cameo appearances of various Futurians and others under thinly-disguised names; for instance, non-Futurian SF writer H. Beam Piper is identified as "H. Dreyne Fifer". Knight's forte was the short story ; he is widely acknowledged as having been
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#1732883928379506-507: Was married to fellow writer Kate Wilhelm . Knight was born in Baker City, Oregon , in 1922, and grew up in Hood River, Oregon . He entered science-fiction fandom at the age of eleven and published two issues of a fanzine titled Snide . Knight's first professional sale was a cartoon drawing to a science-fiction magazine, Amazing Stories . His first story, "The Itching Hour", appeared in
529-1009: Was the founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), cofounder of the National Fantasy Fan Federation , cofounder of the Milford Writer's Workshop , and cofounder of the Clarion Writers Workshop . The SFWA officers and past presidents named Knight its 13th Grand Master in 1994 (presented 1995). After his death, the associated award was renamed the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award in his honor. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted him in 2003. Until his death, Knight lived in Eugene, Oregon , with his second wife, author Kate Wilhelm . His papers are held in
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