Nor Crystal Tears

Like many of the other single book stories set in the Humanx universe, this is a great story from start to finish. I was very glad when the "founding of the commonwealth" series came out and knew that this book would really be the foundation of that series as it should be. Having just started the "foundation of the commonwealth" trilogy, I only went a few pages before realizing that I should read this book yet again (and like others here, I have read my first edition copy several times.)

More than ten years after first reading it and having read many other first contact books this one is still my favorite. While doing first contact from an aliens view has been done more realisticly, such as the The Chanur Saga, none has done it quite as fun. Foster has an ability to capture both seriousness and fun in his writing and this book in no exception. This book is a good jumping off point for potential Fosterites and a great book for long time fans.

I rate "Nor Crystal Tears" as Alan Dean Foster's best work, and as one of the best books I have ever read. It is a masterfully written story of first contact. With rarely a dull moment, it really is worth reading.If you haven't read anything by Alan Dean Foster, this is a good place to start.

I read this when it first came out... ages ago. It was my first Alan Dean Foster novel and got me hooked. I still have the book, and while the cover is a bit tattered, I still read it every few years.The main character in this novel is an alien and we get to learn and experience his world through his eyes. It's only later in the book do we get to encounter the real aliens, humans, and what transpires when these two very different races meet and try to understand each other. A great read, with great perspective and characters.

THIS BOOK WAS A BRILLIANT FIRST CONTACT NOVEL. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! TWO VERY DIFFERENT WORLDS MEET AND CROSS THE BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION. A GREAT BOOK ALL AROUND.