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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

BROTHERS OF EARTH

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

HUNTER OF WORLDS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Glossary of Foreign Terms

Praise for the novels of At the Edge of Space :

“This is top-flight adventure, with plenty of action and very good plotting. But it’s a great deal more. It’s a novel of the evils and virtues of power, of spirituality and purpose, of prejudice and of love in many forms.... The writing is clear and direct, but it never lacks feeling. The characters are shown simply and they develop into people we know and respond to deeply. This is an admirable display of good writing without any unnecessary pyrotechnics to exaggerate it. If I seem to be raving a bit, I am. I read few books that please me totally as much as this one.”

—Lester Del Rey, Analog

“An uncommonly convincing and moving novel.”

—Cleveland Plain Dealer

And for the science fiction of CJ Cherryh:

“Cherryh provides a riveting plot that emphasizes intense human/alien interactions instead of physical violence. Perhaps undervalued because she writes in traditional forms that don’t appeal to the literati, while too difficult for some fans of space opera, Cherryh remains one of the most talented writers in the field.”— Publishers Weekly

“One of SF’s most powerful imaginations.” —Booklist

“A seriously probing, thoughtful, intelligent piece of work, with more insight in half a dozen pages than most authors manage in half a hundred.” —Kirkus

“Cherryh is a born storyteller.”

—The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

DAW Titles by

C.J. CHERRYH

THE FOREIGNER UNIVERSE

FOREIGNER

INVADER

INHERITOR

PRECURSOR

DEFENDER

EXPLORER

THE ALLIANCE-UNION UNIVERSE

DOWNBELOW STATION

MERCHANTER’S LUCK

FORTY THOUSAND IN GEHENNA

SERPENT’S REACH

BROTHERS OF EARTH

HUNTER OF WORLDS

THE FADED SUN Omnibus:

Kesrith| Shon’jir| Kutath

The Chanur Novels

THE CHANUR SAGA Omnibus:

The Pride Of Chanur| Chanur’s Venture| The Kif Strike Back

CHANUR’S HOMECOMING

CHANUR’S LEGACY

THE MORGAINE CYCLE

THE MORGAINE SAGA Omnibus:

Gate of Ivrel| Well of Shiuan| Fires of Azeroth

EXILE’S GATE

OTHER WORKS:

THE DREAMING TREE Omnibus:

The Tree of Swords and Jewels| The Dreamstone

ALTERNATE REALITIES Omnibus:

Port Eternity| Wave Without a Shore| Voyager in Night

ANGEL WITH THE SWORD

CUCKOO’S EGG

VISIBLE LIGHT

SUNFALL

BROTHERS OF EARTH

Copyright © 1976 by C.J. Cherryh

HUNTER OF WORLDS

Copyright © 1977 by C.J. Cherryh

AT THE EDGE OF SPACE

Copyright © 2003 by C.J. Cherryh

All Rights Reserved.

DAW Book Collectors No. 1269.

DAW Books are distributed by the Penguin Group (USA).

All characters and events in this book are fictitious.

Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other

means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law.

Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or

encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the

author’s rights is appreciated.

First Printing, September 2003

DAW TRADEMARK REGISTERED

U.S. PAT. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES

—MARCA REGISTRADA.

HECHO EN U.S.A.

S.A.

eISBN : 978-1-101-49560-5

http://us.penguingroup.com

The Hanan Rebellion

Someday far, far in the future, in the 4000s, a segment of humanity fairly well splits itself off from the rest of human space and takes armed exception to intervention in their territories.

Out of this era come two stories set on the very fringes of human exploration, in Hanan space. Don’t worry that in one of them humanity seems to be on the decline . . . we’re widespread by then, and this is a local issue. Science fiction is a literature of optimism, and we’re a hardy breed . . . as witness the people caught up in these two tales.

Brothers of Earthwas, right along with Gate of Ivrel(see: The Morgaine Saga), my first novel. Hunter of Worldswas right along with these two, very early. Some have asked me where the influence for the culture might lie—and I’ll surprise no few critics who think they know by saying really it’s closer to Roman than anything you’ll see on television.

Hunter of Worldsinvolves perception and language and what’s truly alien—which might look just like us, being real competitors and instinctually different. The language freights the mental differences. If you don’t catch a word at first, look at the situation in which it’s used. You may find yourself thinking in a predatory way.