There is, of course, very little chance that there would be habitable worlds orbiting the bright, massive, extremely short-lived stars in the Pleiades, but Lightner is hardly the first author to make that mistake. It’s unfair.Īnd if Tyros somehow manages to win despite bribes and unfair handicaps? Well, the Arcadians are very creative when it comes to ensuring that their games have the proper outcomes. But the handicap that Tyros is given is much greater than it should be. It’s only fair that athletes from low-gravity worlds should also have a chance. He’s handicapped due to coming from a high-gravity world. When Tyros turns him down, higher-ups try to stop him by upping his handicap. A local gambler tries to bribe Tyros to lose.

Tyros soon discovers that the Arcadians are far less enthusiastic about permitting off-worlders to win. The Arcadians are enthusiastic about allowing everyone - well, every human, as aliens, even Arcadia’s natives, are barred - to compete. Despite the best efforts of his high-spirited kids to die in youthful hijinks on alien worlds, Barnum delivers his team to Arcadia. Barnum’s quest to find noteworthy athletes on the worlds of the Pleiades is entirely successful. With the permission of his parents, Tyros sets out on the second space flight of his life 2. Barnum is travelling from planet to planet, scouting local talent for his sector team. The other worlds of the sector probably have other such athletes. But it can provide at least one athlete, as Tyros has all the makings of a fine discus thrower. The high-gravity world is too undeveloped to provide a whole team. Tyros’ adopted home-world Permia is a fair example of the worlds in Permia’s sector of the Pleiades cluster. Barnum is determined to deliver a team of athletes to compete. The first games, held three years ago, were a success. The Arcadians have decided to capitalize on tourism and sports tourism in particular: they will host interstellar sports events inspired by the ancient Olympics. The world Arcadia is unsuitable for industrial development and has been set aside as a park world. It all has to do with the brand-new Space Olympics. Winkle has a dream, a dream to which young people like Tyros could be the key. This hobby makes Tyros of considerable interest to Barnum Winkle, space trader.

Herding merinolas 1 with his dog Wolf has allowed young Tyros Vann to spend a lot of time throwing things for his dog to retrieve. Lightner’s 1967’s The Space Olympics is a standalone juvenile-SF novel.

Star Dog by A.M. Lightner