''The Stardroppers'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novel by British writer John Brunner. It was originally published at novella-length in 1962 as ''Listen, the Stars'', 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 ...

'' and then as part of an

Ace Double American company Ace Books began publishing genre fiction starting in 1952. Initially these were mostly in tête-bêche format with the ends of the two parts meeting in the middle and with a divider between them which functioned as the rear cover ...

in 1963; in 1972 the revised, novel-length form was published by DAW Books.

Plot introduction

''The Stardroppers'' is about an undercover

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

agent investigating a new fad, "stardropping", whereby physics-violating equipment is used to listen to sounds believed to be

alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

or paranormal signals. Superficially a harmless but expensive hobby, stardropping reigns in a fanaticism resembling addiction, where some users assemble in semi-social communes and spend all of their money on increasingly improved equipment. The fad gains an additional aspect of risk when users begin disappearing into thin air, in cases of increasing profile and witnessing.

Reception

Lester del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and scienc ...

characterized the novel as "a good adventure story utnot of one Brunner's stronger literary efforts.""Reading Room", ''If'', April 1973, p.167

References

1963 British novels 1963 science fiction novels British science fiction novels Novels by John Brunner DAW Books books {{1960s-sf-novel-stub