Serpent's Reach
1980 novel by C. J. Cherryh
Serpent's Reach is a 1980 science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh. The book was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Novel in 1981. It is set in the author's Alliance–Union universe.
Specific placement of the novel within the Alliance–Union timeline is difficult because two of Cherryh's works provide contradictory dates. The events in the novel most likely begin in the year 3141 (see "Timeline issues" below).
The work was first published as a Science Fiction Book Club edition through Nelson Doubleday in May 1980, followed by a DAW Books paperback edition in August of that year.
Background
The book is set in the constellation Hydrus, which is known in the Alliance–Union universe as the "Hydri Reach", and also as "Serpent's Reach", from which the book takes its title. The Hydri stars are home to the alien Majat, an insectoid race with a hive-mind consciousness. Like some species of Earth insects, the Majat are eusocial, featuring separate Drone, Worker and Warrior castes that serve each hive's single Queen. There are only four distinct hive-mind identities in the Majat species which were arbitrarily assigned colors by the humans: blue and green (the "tame" hives), and red and gold (the "wild" hives).
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Serpent's Reach” as 1980 novel by C. J. Cherryh. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as 1980 novel by C. J. Cherryh. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7455078. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1980 and 1981.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Serpent's Reach”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Serpent's Reach primary sources, Serpent's Reach archive and Serpent's research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Serpent's Reach”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Serpent's Reach” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.