<<< Continued from previous page Judgement on Janus, Victory on Janus, The Zero Stone, Witchworld, the Beast Master, the Forerunners, the Solar Queen novels, the Time War series - far too many to name or discuss in depth. If there is a common theme to a Norton book, it is that the story usually involves a young person of low social and economic status who is treated unjustly but perseveres and ultimately, through strength of character and determination, proves their worth. A consistent common element includes a special relationship between the hero and an unusual animal, very often a feline - an element that is very successfully utilized and expanded on by Philip Pullman in the remarkable His Dark Materials series. Children and adolescents identify strongly with the themes of alienation and injustice, tempered by the unconditional acceptance and even love from an unusual or magical animal friend. This formula works extremely well in the best of Norton's work, such that the writing resonates with the adult reader even after many decades have passed.
As to the buying and selling of Norton's books, I don't want to dwell overmuch on that at this time. Suffice it to say that, as discussed above, there is a tremendous interest in and emotional appeal to Andre Norton's books, particularly her earlier novels. As is typical of SF in the 1950s and 1960s, large percentages of the hardback print runs went into libraries, so collectors are far more forgiving of ex-lib faults for the more desirable titles. Andre Norton also published several non-genre books prior to her first Fantasy and SF titles: Huon of the Horn (hardback, New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1951) and Star Man's Son (hardback, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1952). Following is a list of these non-genre titles plus other later non-SF/Fantasy titles up to 1969. All of these are of interest in any condition to Norton collectors:
The Prince Commands (New York, London: D. Appleton-Century Co, 1934) Non-genre titles past 1969 may be of mild interest to collectors and completists, but are readily available in decent condition at low prices and so do not merit discussion here. The majority of the titles listed above are uncommon, so the odds of running across them at the Goodwill or flea market are quite low. However, they could conceivably show up in ex-lib status at library sales, as institutions de-accession their older holdings. The following is probably the best Andre Norton bibliography available. While published in 1995, the authors have made an addendum available online to bring the text up to date. Andre Norton: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography, Second Revised Edition by Roger C. Schlobin and Irene R. Harrison. 1995. Trade paperback. 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", xxvii + 92pp. ISBN: 0915368641. LCCN 94-69292. 500 copies printed (additional 500 copies printed later). $12.50.
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