The subject of the cosmic soldier has become a matter of concern for the science fiction reader. With the award-winning success of <i>The Forever War</i>, and with the great classic novels of Gordon R. Dickson's genetically bred mercenaries, the Dorsai, it is clear that the role of a fighter in a universe of expanding technology and competing alien intelligences is on science fiction's orders of the day.
<p>Gordon R. Dickson has been the master of that field, and his novel, <i>Naked to the Stars</i>, is one of his masterpieces. Long out of print, it is the story of a star soldier who, during a battle against a non-human foe on a far planet, somehow lost sixteen hours from his memory. Discharged for the potential danger those lost hours might have programmed, Cal Truant made it his fixation to uncover the mystery buried in his mind - to find out what had happened in those missing hours - and block the peril it might present to his fellow troopers, to his war command, and to the planet for which they fought - Earth.
According to the copyright page of the first (1961-12-00 Pyramid) edition, "A shorter version of this book appeared in ''Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'' for October and November 1961."
| Year | Award | Category | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Hugo Award | Best Novel | Nominee/Finalist |
| Date | Publication | Publisher | Type | Page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1961 |
|
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1961 | Mercury Press, Inc. | MAGAZINE | 88 |
| November 1961 |
|
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1961 | Mercury Press, Inc. | MAGAZINE | 85 |
| December 1961 |
|
Naked to the Stars | Pyramid Books | Novel | 5 |
| February 1962 |
|
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, February 1962 | Atlas Publishing and Distribution Co. Ltd | MAGAZINE | 83 |
| March 1962 |
|
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March 1962 | Atlas Publishing and Distribution Co. Ltd | MAGAZINE | 78 |
| January 1964 |
|
Urania #326 | Mondadori | MAGAZINE | 3 |
| 1966 |
|
Gewalt zwischen den Sternen | Winther (Germany) | Novel | |
| August 1970 |
|
Naked to the Stars | Lancer Books | Novel | 5 |
| August 1970 |
|
Naked to the Stars | Lancer Books | Novel | 5 |
| January 1975 |
|
Urania #662 | Mondadori | MAGAZINE | |
| January 1977 |
|
Naked to the Stars | DAW Books | Novel | 5 |
| January 1977 |
|
Naked to the Stars | DAW Books / New American Library of Canada | Novel | 5 |
| January 1978 |
|
Naked to the Stars | DAW Books | Novel | 5 |
| March 1978 |
|
Naked to the Stars | Sphere Books | Novel | 5 |
| June 1980 |
|
Naked to the Stars | Ace Books | Novel | 1 |
| February 1982 | Naked to the Stars | Ace Books | Novel | ||
| February 1982 |
|
La missione del tenente Truant | Mondadori | Novel | |
| April 1991 |
|
Naked to the Stars / The Alien Way | Tor | Omnibus | 1 |
| 1996 | Batalha no cosmos | Livros do Brasil | Novel | ||
| September 2003 |
|
Naked to the Stars | Thorndike Press | Novel | 7 |
| September 2011 |
|
Naked to the Stars | Gateway / Orion | Novel | |
| December 2013 |
|
Naked to the Stars | Start Science Fiction | Novel |