''The Demon Breed'' is a 1968 science fiction novel by

James H. Schmitz James Henry Schmitz (October 15, 1911 – April 18, 1981) was an American science fiction writer born in Hamburg, Germany of American parents. Life Schmitz was educated at a ''Realgymnasium'' in Hamburg, and grew up speaking both English ...

, originally serialized in ''

Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

'' in a shorter form as "The Tuvela". It was first published in paperback in the

Ace Science Fiction Specials Ace Science Fiction Specials are three series of science fiction and fantasy books published by Ace Books between 1968 and 1990. Terry Carr edited the first and third series, taking the "TV special" concept and adapting it to paperback marketing. Th ...

line, with a

Science Fiction Book Club Bookspan LLC is a New York–based online Bookselling, bookseller, founded in 2000. Bookspan began as a joint endeavor by Bertelsmann and WarnerMedia, Time Warner. Bertelsmann took over control in 2007, and a year later, sold its interest to N ...

edition following in 1969. MacDonald & Co. issued a British hardcover the same year, reprinting it as a Futura paperback in 1974. A Dutch translation, ''Des Duivels'', appeared in 1971, and a French translation, ''Race démoniaque'', in 1973. Ace reissued its edition in 1979 and 1981. In 2001,

Baen Books Baen Books () is an American publishing house for science fiction and fantasy. In science fiction, it emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, and military science fiction. The company was established in 1983 by science fiction publisher an ...

compiled the novel in its paperback omnibus ''The Hub: Dangerous Territory''.ISFDB publishing history
/ref> Part of Schmitz's "Hub" sequence, ''The Demon Breed'' centers on the conflict between the Parahuans—a "physically powerful, resourceful, technically advanced and fearfully cruel""The Future in Books", ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...

'', January 1969, pp.142-43 nonhuman species—and a human-colonized water world. It shares characters and setting with Schmitz's 1965 novella "Trouble Tide". Schmitz specialized in strong female characters, but the Nyles Etland character in ''The Demon Breed'' was ultra-competent and represents to this day what every woman can strive to be, making this book possibly the earliest instance of

feminist science fiction Feminist science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction (abbreviated "SF") focused on theories that include feminist themes including but not limited to gender inequality, sexuality, race, economics, reproduction, and environment. Feminist ...

. This novel is Schmitz' least known story, likely because in order to read it, one must learn about the complex environment of the planet on which it takes place. Its main character, a woman named Nyles Etland, had no special advantages such as psionic powers. It was her intelligence and intimate knowledge of her home environment, as well as of science, and of another person involved, that allowed her to intimidate an alien species.

James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case of Conscienc ...

praised the novel, writing that its protagonist is "very well realized" and that "Schmitz's style is a joy -- precise, flexible, colorful, and frequently witty". He noted that the novel's title was double-edged, because Schmitz was exploring a theme "dear to the hearts of both

Heinlein Heinlein or Henlein is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Karl Heinlein (1892–1960), Austrian former footballer * Klaus Heinlein (born 1953), German former footballer * Konrad Henlein (1898–1945), Nazi German politici ...

and

Campbell Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...

. . . that human beings are the toughest, most vicious race anyone is ever likely to encounter".

References

1968 American novels Ace Books books American science fiction novels {{1960s-sf-novel-stub