But by any reasonable earthly standard, this thing - a 1983 oddity, sort of a feminist, deconstructionist, riddle-filled anti-musical, much of it set on the Icelandic tundra - is pure torture.

Yes, of course, by any earthly standard.

But the question rises: Can our earthly standards, even remotely, be universal?

The features of both sexes were well proportioned--there was not a face among them that would have been called even plain if judged by earthly standards.

A soul entering a sick or damaged body, who meets and overcomes these handicaps with good cheer, grows faster spiritually than one who, by earthly standards, has everything to live for.

CHAPTER 10 Trenco Judged by any earthly standards the planet trenco was-and is-a peculiar one indeed.

It was grotesque by earthly standards and it was pathetic by any standard.

There was a chance--the lesser gravity of the Moon placed the thing within the realm of possibility, and yet by all earthly standards it was impossible.

The furniture, queerly carved and constructed along lines alien to any earthly standard, seemed to be of highly polished, iridescent wood.

Judged by earthly standards, they were grouped peculiarly, but their formation corresponded almost exactly to our planetary system.