Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D. by Andre Norton
"Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D." is a science fiction novel set in a post-apocalyptic United States, grappling with the aftermath of a nuclear catastrophe known as the "Great Blow-up." The story follows Fors, a teenage mutant with distinctive white hair and catlike night vision, who struggles to find his place in a primitive mountain community where he is shunned due to his differences. Trained by his father, a respected figure known as a Star Man, Fors yearns to prove himself by exploring the ruins of civilization. He embarks on a daring journey accompanied by Lura, a telepathic mutated mountain cat, to recover valuable relics from the devastated city of Cleveland.
Throughout his adventure, Fors teams up with Arskane, a young man from a tribe of farmers who have fled volcanic eruptions, and together they confront threats posed by mutated creatures known as Beast Things. The narrative also introduces the Plainspeople, nomadic survivors, leading to themes of cooperation and community among diverse groups. Ultimately, Fors’s bravery earns him acceptance as a Star Man, symbolizing hope for a future where humanity may unite and aspire to explore the stars once more. The novel reflects on resilience, identity, and the potential for harmony amidst the scars of a fractured world.
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Subject Terms
Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D.
First published: 1952 (also published as Daybreak, 2250 A.D., 1954)
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—post-holocaust
Time of work: The twenty-third century
Locale: Cleveland, Ohio, and the surrounding countryside
The Plot
First published in hardcover for a juvenile audience, Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. was so popular that in 1954, it was retitled Daybreak, 2250 A.D. and reissued in paperback for adults. With this new set of readers, the novel had its second success.
Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. takes place in a United States devastated by the effects of nuclear war. Fors, the main character, is a teenager trying to make a place for himself in his primitive mountain community. His father was a Star Man, a respected gatherer of information from the long-abandoned cities. He trained Fors in the map-reading and survival skills needed for this job, but Fors has been denied his own chance to become a Star Man because he is a mutant. People fear his white hair and unusual, catlike night vision, both the results of atomic radiation left over from the “Great Blow-up.” The boy knows that no other job in his community will ever satisfy him. He steals the maps that belonged to his father and sets out to prove his worth. Accompanied by Lura, a mutated mountain cat who can share some of his thoughts, Fors hopes to bring back valuable relics from a distant city.
Fors reaches the ruins of Cleveland, where he discovers museum relics and important information about stored supplies. Before he can bring these back to his people, he has many adventures. He befriends Arskane, a black teenager whose ancestors were pilots before the holocaust. Members of Arskane’s tribe are now farmers and artisans who have left their southern homeland to escape erupting volcanoes. Together, the boys battle fierce Beast Things. These vicious mutants are the descendants of people who received massive doses of atomic radiation. The two teenagers also meet a third group of survivors, the wandering Plainspeople. Aided by Lura and her telepathic bonding with Fors, the boys persuade these nomads to coexist peacefully with Arskane’s farming tribe and Fors’s own community of hunters and explorers.
Because of his achievements, Fors is welcomed back into his tribe as a Star Man. He then learns that the Star Men who now explore ruined cities are the descendants of real starfarers. The badges they proudly wear are the insignia worn by astronauts before the Great Blow-up. The novel concludes as characters hope that, with peace, humanity may someday reach the stars again.