The starmen

"The Starmen" by Leigh Brackett is a science fiction novel written in the early 1950s. The story centers on Michael Trehearne, a man who feels disconnected and alone in his life, only to find himself embroiled in a mystery of identity that spans across worlds when he encounters a mysterious stranger named Kerrel and a captivating girl named Shairn. As Trehearne searches for his family roots and grapples with his existence, he discovers he is part of a secret lineage tied to the enigmatic Vardda people and the truth about interstellar life. At the start of the novel, Trehearne recalls a fateful evening in Brittany, where he meets Kerrel, a striking stranger with a notable resemblance to himself. This encounter ignites Trehearne’s quest to uncover his family's past, leading him to confront local prejudices and uncover the allure of Shairn, who shares a connection to both Kerrel and a heritage that fascinates and frightens him. The tension escalates as Trehearne gets pulled into a larger narrative involving ancient bloodlines, alien worlds, and the potential for remarkable transformation as he navigates the strange and powerful undercurrents of his newfound identity and the responsibilities it entails. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Leigh Douglass Brackett was an American author and screenwriter. Nicknamed "the Queen of Space Opera," she was one of the most prominent female writers during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. As a screenwriter, she was best known for her collaborations with director Howard Hawks, mainly writing Westerns and crime films. She also worked on an early draft of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), elements of which remained in the film; she died before it went into production.