This review is followed by some notes on the story, points I find
interesting, especially in considering Andre Norton's general back-
ground of Galactic Civilization for many of her novels. These notes
are by no means comprehensive. Some more information may also be
found in the Norton planet list. Last updated September 3, 2006 C.E.

SECRET OF THE LOST RACE, Ace, 1959.

This is a novel near the beginning of at least one of the ventures by
Terrans into space. In this one there is not the same situation of
many alien species already organized, such as we meet in STAR GUARD.
Here humans are predominant, and the main theme is the contact with
a specific highly civilized species. There has been contact with
some other species:

   "But the Kandas, the Thas, the Zaft," Joktar told the roll of
   the planet civilizations the Terrans had found, "none of them
   have galactic ships, and only the Tlolen are free in their own
   system." p. 123

The book begins with the unusual protagonist, Joktar, looking very
young, on his last day as a dealer, of that so popular game in the
Norton corpus of Stars and Comets, at the Sun Spot, a place of
entertainment in the spaceport district of N'Yok on Terra. He is
scooped up in a raid by the E-men, emigration officials. In this
time, it seems, human colonization off the homeworld is facilitated
by enforced emigration. Those with the credits can buy their way
free, and Joktar's boss, the Sun Spot's owner, attempts to save his
so competent employee. However, Joktar is discovered to be carrying
a Scout ident, his truthful assertion he's had it ever since he can
remember is disbelieved and he is manhandled and illegally exported
to the harsh world of Fenris.

There an attempt by a local trapper to buy him at auction fails and
he follows the usual path into the employ of one of the mining
companies. Because of his youth a couple of fellow labourers try to
bully him. Because of his underworld training he makes short shrift
of them in the unarmed combat that ensues. Because of normal means
of handling those with such spirit, the company overseer assigns him
extra duties. Because of the inclement weather of Fenris, he finds
himself on his own outside a crashed vehicle. And, because he is
who he is, he doesn't die out there.

Joktar is not a normal human. He has an increased capacity to
withstand the cold. He has this thing about looking younger than his
years. As one who has to some extent shared those traits, I very
much identified with Joktar, especially when I first read the story
so very long ago. The story proceeds with him making contact with
the trapper types who tried to buy him at auction, and getting
involved with the opposition to the mining companies on Fenris.

   "Fenris would be a deserted hell hole without the mines. But we
   are at war with their methods and their deliberate hogging of
   this planet. The alibite mines occupy a few pimples on this
   continent, the companies exploit them and that's that. They will
   do nothing to build up trade or import any goods save the supplies
   they themselves need. They won't sell passage on their ships to
   free men, but they bring in their bonded employees and emigrants
   they can control utterly. The freeze-out is on and has been for
   two years. Not a single free trader can get field clearance at
   Siwaki. No ship save a company one or a patrol cruiser can set
   down here. They think they have Fenris sewn up tight and they
   want to keep it that way." p. 83

However, notwithstanding this so fascinating situation and the very
natural intricacies of the political situation of those opposing the
mining companies, the real story is the identity and origin of
Joktar. He is addressed in a hauntingly familiar tongue, but he has
been conditioned, his memory locked. The real story takes him away
from Fenris to Loki, another world in the Zeta Lupi system.

   "Loki is a central meeting place, not only for this system, but
   for the planets of Beta Lupi and Alpha Lupi as well." p. 136

With some resourcefulness, Joktar avoids the obstacles and comes to
the attention of higher authorities, and a major historical event is
facilitated. As would be quite normal in a Star Trek story and very
much a challenge to the modern scientific concept of species, there
is a highly civilized people who can mate with humans. Indeed, in
this Norton tale they cannot produce offspring except by mating with
compatible aliens. It is this sexual fact that caused xenophobic
space explorers to try to prevent contact and to seek to hide the
information behind their concealed action. Joktar is one of the
progeny of such a union of alien and human. The story ends with a
more understanding attitude by higher authorities and a reversal of
a policy that had been ongoing for half a century.

As I say above, I really identify with Joktar. I like this story's
presentation of so many elements of later High Galactic Civilization
tales as can be seen even in this short review. I like the complex
situation of the streets in N'Yok, of the companies and trappers on
Fenris, of the interstellar politics at Loki and beyond. And, I am
one too well taught modern science to respond well to the Trek like
breeding of two different species. I've no trouble with Sprague de
Camp's stories about humans and humanoid aliens being able to have
fun together without children, but while I understand the writer's
reluctance in the 60s to present TV viewers with a wholly alien main
character, hence Spock's half-human origins, it does require a
suspension of disbelief. It is the same with the Norton book.

Despite that central problem, SECRET OF THE LOST RACE is a novel I
found quite enjoyable.

Michael McKenny July 1, 2002 CE.

Notes on Secret of the Lost Race

p. 2 Star and Comet table
p. 2 force blade
p. 2 E(migreation) men
p. 3 vip p. 118, 125, 169 (note veep not used)
p. 3 all around the galaxy
p. 5 eazirest p. 166
p. 7 '08 15 years ago
p. 15 tangle field
p. 16 invisible energy
p. 15 Galactic Council p. 106
p. 15 E raids on civilized worlds (note plural)
p. 25 colours of uniforms p. 153, 166
p. 28 traces on Fenris of earlier race now extinct
p. 32 lamby
p. 34 credits and skins
p. 35 Jard Nellis Corporation
p. 35 needlers
p. 38-39 jumper (note not hopper)
p. 61 Terrans little less than 3 centuries in space
p. 63 'copters or sweep ships
p. 63 vibrator p. 81, 160
p. 64 zazaar p. 49-50 = cat-bear p. 81
p. 64 vorp rod p. 66 vorpmen
p. 66 thermo suit
p. 77 star & comet, three worlds wild, nigs & naughts (card games)
p. 79 ver-talk
p. 79 kas-cards
p. 84 3rd and 5th sectors
p. 89 Martian
p. 94 atomic explosions Terran past
p. 103 free traders and companies
p. 106 Alban Freight, the Orsfo-Kol Mining Co., etc.
p. 110 Fenris' moon
p. 111 crawler
p. 118 Harband (Company)
p. 124 Hel labor battalion
p. 124 quite a few scouts went to aliens
p. 131 description of planet Loki
p. 132 subsector (scout) commander
p. 133 funfoid fever
p. 135 scooters powered by beam broadcast
p. 136 ident tapes
p. 137 force field
p. 140 video of no weight ballet
p. 140 creeper floor polishers and two dust suckers
p. 150 basic Terran speech, etc.
p. 156 gentlehomo
p. 157 swear on the Truth of the Ancestors
p. 161 non-vi suit protects against blaster
p. 164 scouts answer to Patrol admiral
p. 172 others shared our galactic space
p. 173 wolfhead (outlaw)

These notes were added here on September 3, 2006 C.E.


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