.jpg) Cover of 1981 Book Club edition (hardcover) | |
| Author | C. J. Cherryh |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Alliance–Union universe |
| Genre | Military science fiction |
| Published | 1981 (DAW Books) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 438 pp |
| Award | Hugo Award for Best Novel |
| ISBN | 84-7002-376-4 |
| OCLC | 434070670 |
| Preceded by | Heavy Time, Hellburner |
| Followed by | Merchanter's Luck |
Downbelow Station is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982,[1] was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year,[1] and was named by Locus magazine as one of the top 50 science fiction novels of all time in 1987.
The book is set in Cherryh's Alliance–Union universe during the Company Wars period, specifically late 2352 and early 2353. The book details events centering on a space station in orbit around Pell's World (also known as "Downbelow") in the Tau Ceti star system. The station serves as the transit point for ships moving between the Earth and Union sectors of the galaxy.
The working title of the book was The Company War, but Cherryh's editor at DAW, Donald A. Wollheim, believed that the moniker lacked commercial appeal, so Downbelow Station was selected as the title for publication. It was the first novel edited by current DAW president Elizabeth Wollheim, who worked alongside her father.[2]
- ^ a b "1982 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ Wollheim, Betsy (2004). "A Pioneer of the Mind". In Carmien, Edward (ed.). The Cherryh Odyssey. Wildside Press. p. 59. ISBN 0-8095-1071-5.