Orn

by Piers Anthony

Book Overview

The trio of scientists had been ordered to survey the planet's flora, fauna and mineral resources, and from the very beginning of their mission everything they observed led to one startling... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0006FB42W
• Release Date: January 1970
• Publisher: Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
• Length: 247 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Even better than Omnivore

The mantas are back along with our old friends and new agents! Better than Omnivore but the star rating only goes to 5.

Science Fiction fans won't be disappointed

Reviewed by Joe Graham for Reader Views (10/06) Piers Anthony is a name that is known to the fans of science fiction, and Anthony has chosen to reprint his "Of Man and Manta" series that was originally printed in the late sixties and early seventies. "Orn" is Book Two in the series, but it certainly can stand alone and the reader can read and enjoy Book Two without reading Book One, but after being engaged by the characters in Book Two, they may find themselves compelled to read Book One and Book Three. Three scientists, two men, Cal and Veg and one woman, Aquilon, have been sent to map the flora and fauna of an unknown planet. Along with them are several fungoid creatures called Mantas. When they arrive on the planet, they discover a world that is virtually identical to Earth, but the Earth of the Paleocene period which was the beginning of the advance of mammals and they begin to call the planet Paleo. At first, they believe they have experienced some kind of time travel, but they ultimately believe they are on a parallel planet that is an earlier stage of development. The scientists find an enclave where some of dinosaurs have managed to survive and they also come in contact with a large wingless bird, Orn, which two of the humans develop a rapport with. The scientists quickly come in conflict with each other when they realize that their mission is to report back to Earth if the planet is habitable so the planet and its resources can be exploited by Earth. It was interesting to me that even though the book was initially written in 1968, it sounds like it could have been written today with the concerns we have today with what man is doing to our Planet Earth. The woman Aquilon says "Colonization would destroy Paleo as it is, you know that. They'd decide the dinosaurs were a menace to tourists or navigation or something, and wipe them out." This sounds very similar to some of the debates going on in our society today as we try to protect some of our wild areas and species. I enjoyed the book, the description of the animals and plants of the Paleocene era appealed to my biology teacher side teaching me things that I did not know, but the story of the struggle of the bird Orn to survive and breed and the struggle of the humans against the dinosaurs like T-Rex and then the struggle of Veg, Cal and Aquilion against the Earth government agents who want to exploit the planet made for a good read. The mantas were helpers for the three scientists and helped them in most of their struggles as sort of almost voiceless sidekicks. Science fiction fans won't be disappointed by the book, but "Orn" should also appeal to those who don't like their science fiction too far out as the scientists grapple with what to do to save Paleo. "Orn" was a very good read; it teaches, tells a good story and raises issues that you continue to ponder long after you have closed the book.

An interesting saga...

An interesting issue of who(or what) is the superior being arises in part 2 of this ongoing saga of humanities quest for an alternate earth.Read it and you will understand....

Orn,The Einstein equivalent to E=mc2

A book to provoke a number of theories,none of which are in agreement with Darwin`s theory of evolution.Trully, a book to require a new train of thought,and to inspire the reader to consider the possibility of what is now an acceptable belief, of alien intervention in the natural order of things.An interesting fictional hypothesis, that could rival the age old proverb. "Truth is stranger than fiction."An incredibly inspiring read for those with inquiring minds,who also love science fiction.As dictated to me,by my mother,who read this book in 1976,and asked me to write this review in the year 2000. Sincerely, Shanan Price

Great Book

Its a fantasy thriller, when three people go to the past, adn find out it's earth