starfarer n.

an interstellar traveller

  • [1945 ‘B. Sterling’ Red Sun of Danger in Startling Stories Spring 21/1 page image Edmond Hamilton bibliography

    The man Rab Cain got away—took passage in the Starfarer, the emigrant ship bound for Arkar.]

  • 1961 R. A. Lafferty Weirdest World in Galaxy Magazine June 76 R. A. Lafferty

    As I am now utterly without hope, lost to my mission and lost in the sight of my crew, I will record what petty thoughts I may have for what benefit they may give some other starfarer.

  • 1970 A. Norton Dread Companion (1984) 140 Andre Norton

    The skin of his hands and face was very dark, the space tan of a starfarer, but on the less exposed parts of his body it was ivory-white.

  • 1974 P. Anderson Fire Time 140 Poul Anderson bibliography

    Well, they died, they died, the poor all-powerful star-farers.

  • 1987 D. Brin Uplift War 271 David Brin

    Throughout the Five Galaxies the Thennanin were known as tough fighters and doughty starfarers.

  • 1989 V. McIntyre Starfarers 19

    Starfarer lay in the far distance, barely visible to the naked eye. Charge-coupled binoculars brought the ship into view, its dual cylinders spinning, the mirror lined with light, the sailhouse an eerie glow floating among the cables, and beyond it all a silver line that soon would unfold into a tremendous solar sail.

  • 1991 J. Brunner Maze of Stars i. 9 John Brunner

    Then, when owners and baggage had been reunited, the crew would descend at a more leisurely pace and make way for locally recruited staff, cleaners always, sometimes bodgers—as starfarers contemptuously termed Trevithra’s finest craftspeople—to take care of minor repairs.

  • 1996 M. Scott Night Sky Mine ii. 39

    You didn’t just walk out on a mine platform, especially not that far out on the fringes of a system—hell, the first rule any starfarer learned was to stay with the ship as long as possible.

  • 2000 D. Drake Lt. Leary Commanding xxix. 473 David Drake

    Canals fed by the river to the north crisscrossed the land and provided reaction mass, but the Selma pirates didn’t favor water harbors the way most starfarers did.

  • 2000 P. Anderson Genesis iv. 43 Poul Anderson bibliography

    When it reached its goal it transmitted its discoveries and experiences back to the central intelligence and to any humans who cared. Many did, often because the starfarer was not altogether alien. A robot aboard carried the spirit of Christian Brannock.


Research requirements

antedating 1961

Earliest cite

R.A. Lafferty, "The Weirdest World"

Research History
Michael Dolbear submitted a cite from a 2001 reprint of David Drake's "Lt. Leary Commanding".
Douglas Winston submitted a 1992 cite from a reprint of John Brunner's "A Maze of Stars".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1997 reprint of Melissa Scot's 1996 "Night Sky Mine".
Douglas Winston submitted a 2000 cite from Poul Anderson's "Genesis".
Jeff Prucher submitted a cite from a 2000 reprint of David Weber and Steve White's 1997 "In Death Ground".
Edward Bornstein submitted a cite from the Book Club reprint of Poul Anderson's 1974 "Fire Time".
Irene Grumman submitted a 1989 cite from Vonda N. McIntyre's "Starfarer"
Fred Galvin submitted a 1961 cite from R.A. Lafferty's "The Weirdest World".

Last modified 2021-01-11 23:13:32
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.