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The
Hoffmans would prefer to deal honestly with the Mesklinites, but they have to deal with the prejudices, not only of fellow humans with political motives, but with the more paranoid of the non-human supervisors of the mission. Having an inkling of what Barlennan is really after, to have his people
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mixture which melts and freezes at a much lower temperature than water. Although the scientists on the satellite attempt to supply weather forecasts for the
Mesklinites, they are using tools designed for Earth's weather to predict conditions in a two-component water/ammonia system instead of Earth's
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The main theme revolves around hard science, particularly the physics and thermodynamics of mixtures. While water should be in the form of ice at all times on Dhrawn, the effect of ammonia in the atmosphere is to cause it to become a liquid under certain conditions of temperature and pressure,
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of water and ammonia mixtures at these low temperatures mean that a frozen lake can melt in seconds, carry the ship off in a flood, and equally suddenly leave it hung up on large rocks, unable to move as the liquid around it freezes again, trapping some of the crew below the surface in their
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above the explorers on the ground. Unfortunately, the planet's slow rotation means that they are about 10 million kilometres above the surface, and signals take over 30 seconds to travel to the satellite. Real-time conversations are therefore impossible.
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that
Barlennan is clandestinely using to move his men and matériel around. He momentarily appears on a screen and is recognized by Easy. While the other humans believe that she is mistaken, Ib begins to suspect that something underhanded is going on.
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A consortium of spacefaring races, including humans, recruits
Mesklinites, the centipede-like natives of the high-gravity planet Mesklin, to explore Dhrawn. The recruits include Barlennan and Dondragmer, respectively the Captain and First Mate of the
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from mixtures undergoing freezing or condensation, can produce drastic changes in conditions. Seemingly solid surfaces can liquefy under the pressure of the land cruisers, even as individual
Mesklinites can walk on them in complete safety.
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learn to fly starships and eventually explore the galaxy in their own right, Ib finally convinces the human administrators that they should treat the bug-like creatures as equals rather than hired hands.
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sailed to
Mesklin's south pole to rescue a probe sent by humans. Now, thanks to institutes of learning set up on Mesklin, the natives have produced capable explorers who can go where other races cannot.
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The novel ends with the
Mesklinite colonies receiving clandestine help and communication with the Hoffmans, but it is not revealed whether Barlennan's machinations remain secret from the other humans.
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The novel posits that full disclosure is best in a situation where unpredictable changes can occur. Ib
Hoffman relates the story of how his son Benj, at the age of thirteen, designed and built
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Mesklinites in
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s crew are dispatched to report on the condition of the surroundings, but come across one of the crew from the
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Barlennan is in command of the main base on Dhrawn while
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was first published as a paperback book by Ballantine Books in September 1971.
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as a base. This has been proceeding successfully for several months.
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This article is about the Hal Clement novel. For other uses, see
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one-component system. Even local effects, such as liberation of
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Works originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact
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is in very real trouble. As the planet warms, the complex
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382:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
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603:American science fiction novels
349:because of the formation of a
105:June - September 1970 (serial)
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216:from June to September 1970.
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16:1970 novel by Hal Clement
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308:Soon, however, the
200:by American writer
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447:Mission of Gravity
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419:Hal Clement
356:latent heat
237:failed star
202:Hal Clement
48:Hal Clement
27:Star Light
592:Categories
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377:Star Light
330:dirigibles
229:Star Light
218:Star Light
190:Star Light
57:Dean Ellis
567:Half Life
417:Works by
241:red dwarf
129:Paperback
90:Publisher
439:Iceworld
351:eutectic
322:Kwembly'
285:Stennish
133:Hardback
125:Magazine
62:Language
310:Kwembly
270:Kwembly
224:Setting
168:4106267
123:Print (
74:Mesklin
65:English
578:(2003)
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562:(1993)
559:Fossil
554:(1987)
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80:Genre
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162:OCLC
149:ISBN
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