''Orion's Belt'' ( no, Orions belte) is an action-thriller

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

written by Norwegian author Jon Michelet. It was published by Oktober Forlag in 1977 and became a popular seller. It was translated into English by Ellen Nations.Skagen: 10 The novel was adapted into a 1985 film by the same name, which is regarded as Norway's first modern action film. The novel follows three shabby

Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...

-based seamen who discover a Soviet bearing station. They are subsequently both targets of Soviet liquidation and American interrogation in an attempt quiet them and retain the political ''status quo''. The

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

topics were a critique of the Norwegian policy of allowing a Soviet presence on Svalbard. The book received mixed reviews. It was appreciated by '' Dagbladet'', but criticized by '' Aftenposten''.Skagen: 9 The book's popularity came in part from the public interest in what 3,000 Russians were doing living on the Norwegian archipelago. The title is a reference to that Svalbard was as central located in a potential Cold War war theater as Orion's Belt. The novel also played on the fear of

nuclear war Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear w ...

and the lack of information from Norwegian media about the issue.Skagen: 17

References

;Bibliography * ;Notes 1977 novels Novels set during the Cold War Norwegian novels adapted into films 20th-century Norwegian novels Norwegian-language novels Svalbard in fiction Novels set in the Arctic Novels set in Norway Novels set on islands Forlaget Oktober books {{ColdWar-novel-stub