Forty Thousand in Gehenna — C.J. Cherryh

"Set in the same future as #f r Inning Downbelow Station, but fully self-contain , i5`is a story on the classic theme of human underestimation of the alien. The 40,000 colonists on Gehenna are abandoned for political reasons. When the re-supply ships fail to arrive, the colony begins to collapse. But the real story is yet to come.

"Over a period of 200 years, the descendants of the colonists who couldn't impose Terran conditions on Gehenna become a part of Gehennan ecology themselves, by entering a partnership with the planet's native intelligence--the lizardlike, burrowing calibans.

"Cherryh tantalizes our minds with these enigmatic aliens, captures our hearts with her characters and involves us completely with her mix of broad and narrow views of a new culture's rise. Once again, Cherryh proves herself a consistently thoughtful and entertaining writer."
--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY