David Falkayn: Star Trader

The Technic Civilization Saga, Book 2

By: Poul Anderson

Narrated by: BJ Harrison

When you trade upon a star...

Think self-congratulating Federation lackeys are going to be the ones to boldly go where no one has gone before? Think again! Now second-son of nobility David Falkayn, hot to prove his worth, leads a team of alien capitalists through deadly threat and gnarly interplanetary dilemma. The mission: to keep intergalactic trade forever free - and always profitable!

Contains mature themes.

©2009 Poul Anderson (P)2020 Tantor

Great Stories

This is an anthology combining short stories, novellas and full length novels covering the career of Muddlin Through and her crew of humans and aliens working together for mutual benefit. I read all of these stories many years ago as a teen from the public library and my mothers personal copies and loved them for the rich diverse future history they paint.

The Audible release is faithful to the text, clearly read and easy to immerse yourself in while doing everyday tasks.

"Muddlin' Through"

A collection of the best Polesotechnic League stories featuring David Falkayn, Chee Lan and Adzel in their spaceship "Muddlin' Through". Poul Anderson introduced Falkayn in several stories found in "The Van Rijn Method" and Nicholas Van Rijn appears prominently in this book. The book begins with a couple of weak stories, but in the "The Trouble Twisters" (1965) Anderson introduces Chee Lan (from planet Cynthia) and Adzel (from Woden) in an adventure on a planet near the bright star Spica.

In "Day of Burning" (1967) the Trader Team try to save the Merseians (who appear in later Technic League books) from the aftereffects of a nearby supernova explosion.

The narrator BJ Harrison does a great job presenting "The Master Key" (1964) where Falkayn learns of an ill fated trading mission as told by survivors of the mission to planet Cain.

The novel "Satan's World" (1968) is my favorite story where the Trader Team and van Rijn battle the Shenna in a life or death struggle over a unique planet discovered near Beta Crucis, or as van Rijn calls it "Beta Crosseyes".

In "A Little Knowledge" (1971) a band of pirates discover the disadvantages of not working on their home turf when they kidnap Witweet of planet Trillia.

In the final story "Lodestar" (1973), Van Rijn plays detective as he attempts to determine the organization behind a mysterious company known as Supermetals.

Poul Anderson ends the book with a tribute to John W. Campbell Jr. who originally published the Polesotechnic League stories in his famous magazine "Astounding Science Fiction". With Campbell as editor, they worked together on these stories throughout the 1950s and 1960s.