Unfortunately for sci-fi fans, Cyril M. Kornbluth had a very short life (1923-1958). Nevertheless he was able to deliver several very good sci-fi novels alone or usually in collaboration with other authors as "The Space Merchants" (1952) and "Gladiator-at-law" (1954) in association with his friend Frederik Pohl, "Gunner Cade" (with Judith Merril 1952).
Frederik Pohl (1919) the other co-author is one "Sci-fi Golden Age" writers. He is still producing new books, imagine! He has authored more than one success as the already mentioned collaborations with Kornbluth, the underrated but excellent "Drunkard's Walk" (1960) and Hugo & Nebula winner "Gateway" (1977).
"Search the Sky" (1954) was Kornbluth's second novel, written in collaboration with Pohl.
The plot is as follows: humankind has expanded from Earth thru the vast universe. At the present moment each stellar system is more or less isolated from the rest. Long reach spaceships arrive around every twenty years with exotic cargoes from faraway systems.
Ross is a resident of Halsey planet disquieted by evident decadence around him.
Fate give him the opportunity to ride a spaceship "faster than light" to investigate a series of planetary systems and try to discover what's going on.
The reader will assist to an interesting cavalcade thru a fading universe.
Enjoy this little known sci-fi classic!
Reviewed by Max Yofre
