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at the protective field. Starr searches Hennes and finds incriminating evidence. The next day, at a meeting with
Silvers, Makian, Hennes and Benson, Starr again appears as the masked Space Ranger. He reveals that it was Benson who poisoned the food while pretending to take samples of it, while Hennes
420:, as well as spreading to other planetary systems with separate and sometimes hostile governments. The most powerful organization in the Solar System is the Council of Science, which uses scientific expertise and intrepid field agents to counter political and military threats to Earth's government.
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The next day, Benson makes Starr his assistant, to keep him from the vengeful Hennes. Bigman receives his references from Hennes and takes his leave, but returns that night to the farm to meet Starr, and tells him he has recognized him as belonging to the
Council (whose members are publicly listed,
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After again trying to kill Starr, Hennes accuses Starr of being the poisoner. Bigman enters, having brought from the city Dr. Silvers of the
Council, who announces that the government has declared a System Emergency and that the Council will take control of all farms on Mars. If the mystery is not
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Starr says his name is
Williams and he came from Earth to investigate his sister's death from food poisoning. Makian sends him to the farm's agronomist Benson, who explains that the poisoned food came from several Martian farms and was exported through the domed Wingrad City. Meanwhile Makian and
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Starr uses the mask to shield himself from a
Martian dust storm as he returns to Makian's farm, where he is questioned on how he survived the storm and answers that he was rescued by a masked man called the Space Ranger. Benson tells him the farm owners have received an extortion letter from the
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There Starr meets John "Bigman" Jones, a short but pugnacious
Martian farmboy blacklisted by the Martian Farming Syndicates after witnessing underhanded dealings. When his former boss Hennes orders Bigman out of the Farm Employment Building, Starr stands up for him and gains positions for both
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orphaned as an infant and raised by his guardians
Augustus Henree and Hector Conway, high-ranking Council members who send David on his missions for the Council. They tell him of some 200 recent victims fatally poisoned by produce imported from
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introduces the series' setting and main characters. The novel is set around A.D. 7,000 (five thousand years after the first nuclear bomb, as stated at the beginning), when humanity has founded colonies on the inner planets of the
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Starr tells Bigman that he believes in Benson's
Martians, and that the crevasse into which Griswold fell is an entrance to their caverns. Starr descends into the crevasse and is captured by Martian
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have rendered some of the novel's descriptions of that world inaccurate. The novel was originally intended to serve as the basis for a television series, a science-fictionalized version of
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himself and Bigman. The humiliated Hennes subsequently has Starr and Bigman knocked out and brought to the farm owned by Hennes' boss, Mr. Makian, who apologizes and appears friendly.
577:, Ellen Lewis Buell reported that Asimov "ingeniously combines mystery with science fiction, saying that "his inventiveness and use of picturesque details" were reminiscent of
486:; the distraught Benson confesses. Afterward, Bigman confides to Starr that despite the disguise, he recognized him by his black-and-white boots, too plain for any Martian.
451:. After Bigman discovers the car is missing the required ballast-weights, Starr accuses Griswold of trying to kill him. They fight, and Griswold falls into the crevasse.
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Makian sends Starr and Bigman on a survey of the farmlands led by Hennes' friend
Griswold. Unfamiliar with Martian gravity, Starr nearly skids his sand-car into a
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is the only Asimov novel set on Mars. Asimov's
Martian atmosphere is one-fifth as dense as Earth's and lacks oxygen. He does not mention the famous
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that originally appeared under the pseudonym Paul French. The novel was written between 10 June and 29 July 1951 and first published by
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praised the novel as effective juvenile fare: "no romance, parlous little science, but endless imagination, exciting ideas and events."
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other farm owners have been pressured to sell their farms for ridiculously small sums. Benson also suggests that intelligent native
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in January 1952. Since 1971, reprints have included an introduction by Asimov explaining that advancing knowledge of conditions on
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described it as "fast-moving space opera of a type we all know, with no particular regard for scientific plausibility."
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poisoner, threatening to a thousandfold increase of poisoned food unless they sell out to him within 36 hours.
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solved by the deadline, all Martian food exports to Earth will stop, forcing food rationing.
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living below the planet's surface are poisoning the food to drive off the human colonists.
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Disguised by his Martian mask, Starr confronts Hennes, who blinds himself firing a
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was his accomplice in contact with criminal syndicates in the
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by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise.
90:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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900:Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids
355:Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids
53:Learn how and when to remove these messages
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544:Learn how and when to remove this message
455:though they try to minimize publicity).
222:Learn how and when to remove this message
204:Learn how and when to remove this message
150:Learn how and when to remove this message
1098:Science fiction novels by Isaac Asimov
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1032:Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain
914:Lucky Starr and the Big Sun of Mercury
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667:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
921:Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter
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404:was already in the planning stages.
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88:adding citations to reliable sources
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928:Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn
907:Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus
466:that can protect and disguise him.
423:Protagonist David Starr is a young
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1133:Children's science fiction novels
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611:"New Books for Younger Readers",
34:This article has multiple issues.
986:Norby and Yobo's Great Adventure
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337:Print (hardback & paperback)
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179:too long or excessively detailed
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1118:American science fiction novels
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75:needs additional citations for
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971:Norby and the Queen's Necklace
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614:The New York Times Book Review
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1138:Fiction set on desert planets
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175:This article's plot summary
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991:Norby and the Oldest Dragon
961:Norby and the Lost Princess
524:the claims made and adding
99:"David Starr, Space Ranger"
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996:Norby and the Court Jester
644:Astounding Science Fiction
369:is the first novel in the
16:1952 novel by Isaac Asimov
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950:Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot
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893:David Starr, Space Ranger
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662:David Starr, Space Ranger
641:"The Reference Library",
626:"Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf",
557:David Starr: Space Ranger
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401:Rocky Jones, Space Ranger
366:David Starr, Space Ranger
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386:Doubleday & Company
966:Norby and the Invaders
866:Forward the Foundation
647:, November 1954, p.143
629:Galaxy Science Fiction
1113:Novels set in deserts
1005:Other science fiction
976:Norby Finds a Villain
859:Prelude to Foundation
831:Foundation and Empire
794:The Currents of Space
665:title listing at the
1128:Space Western novels
1103:1952 American novels
956:Norby's Other Secret
940:The Norby Chronicles
852:Foundation and Earth
787:The Stars, Like Dust
84:improve this article
1025:The Gods Themselves
1013:The End of Eternity
981:Norby Down to Earth
632:, April 1953, p.115
617:, February 17, 1952
248:First edition cover
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1108:Novels set on Mars
757:The Robots of Dawn
743:The Caves of Steel
736:The Positronic Man
593:P. Schuyler Miller
579:Robert A. Heinlein
574:The New York Times
509:possibly contains
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1069:The Death Dealers
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838:Second Foundation
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321:January 1952
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82:Please help
77:verification
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36:Please help
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882:Lucky Starr
571:Writing in
464:force field
372:Lucky Starr
287:Lucky Starr
1092:Categories
824:Foundation
813:Foundation
713:Foundation
702:Novels by
599:References
588:Astounding
534:April 2015
518:improve it
380:novels by
194:April 2015
140:April 2009
110:newspapers
39:improve it
1046:Nightfall
591:reviewer
567:Reception
522:verifying
310:Doubleday
306:Publisher
45:talk page
715:universe
449:crevasse
442:Martians
274:Language
1039:Nemesis
516:Please
479:blaster
277:English
184:Please
177:may be
124:scholar
884:series
815:series
778:series
727:series
490:Themes
460:aliens
374:series
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289:series
282:Series
254:Author
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725:Robot
342:Pages
301:novel
295:Genre
131:JSTOR
117:books
430:Mars
390:Mars
103:news
520:by
345:186
86:by
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