dumped on a planet, freezing night, attacked by unrelenting creatures,

[humbear]

The title has two words: "Calling R . . . ". It was hardbound, from a library, possibly a YA book. I read it maybe 30-40 years ago, though it wasn't new at that time.

Pirates attack a ship and drop the passengers off on an unknown planet. The first night many humans die from the attacks of wild creatures (wolf-like?) and the freezing temperature. Someone opens one of the dead creatures up and stuffs a youngster inside it for warmth. The next day they set up a sort of fortress. The colony grows and eventually if found.

 

[Vertigo]

That sounds a bit like The Survivors (aka Space Prison) by Tom Godwin in which aliens rather than pirates maroon a bunch of colonists on a world with freezing nights (and weird seasons).

 

[humbear]

That sounds similar, but it's not the one I'm looking for. I appreciate your help. Thanks.

 

[otistdog]

How sure are you about details, and is there any chance you are conflating two stories? ISFDB doesn't have that many potential matches for 20th century novels with "calling" in the title.

Most likely candidate would be "Calling B for Butterfly" by Louise Lawrence (1982). The GoodReads writeup summarizes the plot as:

Four teenagers must fend for themselves and two babies when the space liner on which they are traveling is destroyed by an asteroid.

which is a reasonable match for a 30-year-old memory dimmed by time.

 

[NannyOgg]

How sure are you about details, and is there any chance you are conflating two stories? ISFDB doesn't have that many potential matches for 20th century novels with "calling" in the title.

Most likely candidate would be "Calling B for Butterfly" by Louise Lawrence (1982). The GoodReads writeup summarizes the plot as:

Four teenagers must fend for themselves and two babies when the space liner on which they are traveling is destroyed by an asteroid.

which is a reasonable match for a 30-year-old memory dimmed by time.

Quick note: I've read 'Calling B for Butterfly' (wow, blast from the past - hadn't even thought about that book in I don't know how long) and can confirm it definitely *wasn't* that one, even allowing for the vagaries of memory. Absolutely none of the details Humbear gave match up. It is of course possible that Humbear has conflated the title of 'Calling B for Butterfly' with the plot of whichever book s/he is thinking of, but the book described isn't 'Calling B for Butterfly'.

(Sorry not to be helpful, but hopefully you've at least avoided a wild-goose-chase there!)

 

[monkeypooper]

"she" no clues here spent an hour googling last night even went to images of book covers but found nothing

 

[Danny McG]

Ragnarok? --- don't know why ..subconscious thought on reading original post so it must have some bearing

 

[Vertigo]

Ragnarok was the name of the planet in The Survivors (aka Space Prison) that I mentioned above. There is a sequel called Space Barbarians (which I've not read as the first book wasn't good enough for me to justify it) and an omnibus of the two called Ragnarok. The first book is available on Gutenberg.

 

[Danny McG]

think I got it at some point from project Gutenburg and that's why i half remembered the story. not the answer to original post though

 

[Talos]

I can't recall the name of the book right off, but perchance did these people who were stranded, did that Planet have a much higher gravity and it was about how the survivors eventually (over generations) adapted to this planet and eventually evolved to a point where they were able to set a trap for the race who dumped them on that planet and took over their ship and escaped?

 

[Talos]

Found someone else who was looking for this I think and someone answered it. It's the book I was thinking about. I believe the book you're looking for is "The Survivors" Tom Godwin. Whoops, someone already mentioned that one. Sorry.