Barbary (novel)

Lore & Background

Thea builds a telescope instrument to be sent toward the alien craft, which has changed course and sent transmissions in many human languages. Mickey climbs inside the instrument package, which is launched on a sled. Barbary and Heather chase after him in Heather's sled, and both sleds are pulled aboard the alien ship by tractor beams. The aliens, mobile crystalline columns, have traveled for a billion years and come to inform humanity of galactic rules. The novel ends with the girls returning to the station.

Reader's Guide

Barbary is significant as a notable entry in 1980s children's and young adult science fiction, praised for its depiction of life in space and its integration of social and environmental themes. The novel reflects the influence of Gerard K. O'Neill's space colonization concepts, featuring lunar mining and space colonies, while also portraying a somewhat bleak Earth where beef is unavailable, pets are rare, and wilderness travel requires permits. It includes political elements such as a Navajo Secretary-General of the United Nations and mentions of a future United States with a vice-president and Secret Service, though their relationship with the United Tribes of North America is left ambiguous. The story's focus on a resourceful orphan, her cat, and first contact with crystalline aliens offers a blend of adventure and speculative world-building that has contributed to its reputation as a standout work for its intended audience.

Did You Know?

• The novel is set on the research space station Einstein.
• Barbary's foster father Yoshi is a poet and college friend of her mother.
• The alien spacecraft does not respond to communications or make powered maneuvers initially.
• The station administrator is a famous astronaut.