Synopsis

Steena is a quiet, mysterious, incredibly intelligent spacer with aknack for finding space treasure. She has a cat named Bat. Steena drifted from port to port getting work with different ships. Steena seems to have been a computer expert. She meets Cliff Moran, a kind of tough Han Solo type of spacer. She tells him the Empress of Mars is about to appear again, appraently a lost ship that spacers wanted to find for slavage rights. Stena and Cliff and Bat go after the ship.

History

First publication: Fantastic Universe August-September 1953

Originally published under the pseudonym Andrew North.

Review

Not her first story, but a very early short story by Andre Norton, one of the first female SF authors and one who had been very popular in the YA market for many years. The amazing thing about this is that the hero, Steena, is a woman who is handicapped. This level of diversity is unique among SF in the 1950s. The handicap does play an important part in the story. I love everything about this story except the length. Like a lot of pulp stories back then you are left feeling like it could have been a bit more. Maybe not a whole novel, but at least a few more pages filling in some more details. And the characters here are strong enough that you want a whole series of adventures! This is Star Wars before Star Wars, where that style of science fiction comes from. Recommended, for anyone wanting a short break between more serious books!