Downbelow Station

By: C. J. Cherryh

Narrated by: Brian Troxell

Pell's Station, orbiting the alien world simply called Downbelow, had always managed to remain neutral in the ever escalating conflict between The Company, whose fleets from Earth had colonized space, and its increasingly independent and rebellious colony worlds. But Pell's location - - on the outer edge of Earth's defensive perimeter - makes her the focal point in the titanic battle of colony worlds fighting for independence.

©1981 C.J. Cherryh (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1982

Long on Fi, short on sci.

More of a political story then as Arthur Clark might have said, exploring the awe and wonder of the universe. To my ear it was hours of neighbors endlessly arguing.

Even better now

I read this book many years ago when it first came out in print. It was good then, but even better now. The realities of space station life, exoplanet life, the inevitable politics of us versus them at the height of the Cold War here, makes this story one for the ages. I think this might have been the first offering by Ms Cherryh. She never fails to amaze or draw us into the fray.

Mallory, forever lost?

Would you try another book from C. J. Cherryh and/or Brian Troxell?

I love Cherryh's Known Space series and will buy any of them in Audible, except if Troxell is involved. His murdering of the female characters is akin to what Highlander 2 did to Highlander! Have I lost Mallory? At the moment I believe so. The sad part is I liked his overall style, but nearly choked when he turned on that strange teenage girl voice for Mallory.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Downbelow Station?

Too many to mention, the book is a masterpiece.

Would you be willing to try another one of Brian Troxell’s performances?

Only if all the characters are male.

Any additional comments?

I have read Downbellow station many times, and am amazed at C.J's skill at creating a timeless masterpiece.

What an amazing book!

C.J. Cherryh starts with a really interesting projection of future space exploration. She walks us confidently and convincingly through an evolution of science, technology, economics, politics, and sociology up to an interesting tipping point.

At a certain point in space exploration, the Earth would not be and could not be the center of human civilization. Would we forge something new, splinter into factions, or simply fall apart? As Yeats asks, "when the centre cannot hold" is "mere anarchy ... loosed upon the world"?

This book is long but the story never slows down. For a book of ideas, it's driven forward very much by the characters and their actions. I was forced to reappraise characters constantly as each new event caused me to view them in a different light.

amazing story, but unlistenable narrator

should've had Dina Pearlman or Gabra Zackman. There was once a recording, book on tape, narrated by another woman half on YouTube who did a wonderful job narrating.
but this guy only sounds like he's done voices in mocking attempt in his life.
a dreadful shame for such an amazing book.