by Hal Clement
First published 1971
Captain Barlennan, the determined Mesklinite commander, finds himself trapped on Dhrawn, a world where immense planetary forces threaten everything he values. The taciturn captain must navigate conditions so extreme they challenge even his species' remarkable adaptability. Alongside fellow crew members and allies, Barlennan confronts the titanic environmental pressures that make Dhrawn one of the most dangerous worlds ever encountered. Each decision carries life-or-death consequences as the planet's relentless forces push the explorers to their limits. Barlennan's tactical mind and unwavering resolve become the only barriers between his people and destruction. The captain who once conquered Mission of Gravity now faces an even more formidable challenge, where survival depends on understanding alien physics that defy conventional logic.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, space-opera, hard-science-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, survival
Setting: Dhrawn
280 pages · Paperback · Ballantine Books Science Fiction