- Hardcover: 573 pages
- Publisher: Tor Books (May 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0312855257
- ISBN-13: 978-0312855253
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.7 x 4.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,969,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"As Robert A. Heinlein did and all too few have done since, Michael Flynn writes about the near future as if he'd been there and was bringing back reports of what he'd seen. A splendid piece of work." --Harry Turtledove
"Michael Flynn has restored heroism and romance to near future exploration. Not to be missed." --Nancy Kress
""Firestar "is a broad, sweeping saga of the near future. Michael Flynn has a lot to say, and this is the book where he says it." --Roger MacBride Allen
"This is the best book ever written on the science, people, and politics need to move us into space--to stay." --Charles Sheffield
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
"Michael Flynn has restored heroism and romance to near future exploration. Not to be missed." --Nancy Kress
""Firestar "is a broad, sweeping saga of the near future. Michael Flynn has a lot to say, and this is the book where he says it." --Roger MacBride Allen
"This is the best book ever written on the science, people, and politics need to move us into space--to stay." --Charles Sheffield
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
Product Description
It is the dawn of the twenty-first century, and America is in trouble. Our public schools breed apathy and ignorance. Politics has become the art of the quick fix. But one woman has the vision and money to leverage change. Mariesa Gorley van Huyten, heiress to one of the great American fortunes, founds an educational subsidiary - Mentor Academies - and begins to subcontract public school systems in order to raise a new, less cynical generation. But her clandestine program is much larger, including the founding of a private space program, the eventual construction of an orbital power station, and supporting technological innovation on Earth. Firestar is a chronicle of private enterprise and individual initiative - the story of one woman's quest that becomes the focus for a whole new world of the future. Her program lets teachers strive to teach, hires astronauts who have no government space program to fly for, and provides productive outlets for the idealistic desires of the rich and powerful - at least those who remain sane enough to have such desires in the face of a crumbling America. And it just might work.
--This text refers to the
Mass Market Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
FIRESTAR is a very near future novel about an extremely wealthy business woman who believes that we need to be in space. She launches a very complicated, expensive, and VERY BELIEVABLE plan to get us there.
There are good guys, bad guys, flawed heroes and heroines, action, "police action," intrigue, great science, and extremely believable characters and situations.
If you want a book that will make you think as well as challenge your assumptions in a lot of different areas you will love it. If however, you are a doctrinaire Liberal, Libertarian, or Conservative you will hate this book.
Flynn has a deep respect for Robert Heinlein. A number of writers over the years have been acclaimed as the next Heinlein only to falter. Flynn is the first I have seen that has a real chance of truly deserving that type of honorific. This novel fares very favorably with Heinlein at his best and is head and shoulders above 90% of what passes for SF.
Mike
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Flynn's exposition of a Rand-esque privatization of the US education system and space program reads like a Libertarian Party position paper -- it is interesting only to other Libertarians. The characterizations would be laughable if they weren't so trite. Rich young idealistic heiress finds love and destiny with old, poor, burned-out teacher, incidentally solving the crisis in the American educational system and putting the American space program back on track. Feh. A disappointing rehash of themes Rand and Heinlein have already championed with far more style.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I really liked this book, and found it difficult to put it down. The characters are good, the writing is good, the plot is good. Can't wait to read Rogue Star.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent book for anyone fed-up with the current system
This book has some excellent ideas for changing the way people are educated. It may be science fiction now but in five years it will be science. Read more
Published on 24 April 1999
inspiring hard science in the near future
If only we had a Mariesa van Huyten to lead us back to space. The characters are complex. The politics nerve racking. The hard science exciting. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 1998
Great near future novel...only hope we can get there.
I just finished reading Ben Bova's "Moonrise" and both novels make a GREAT case for privatization of global space programs. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 1998
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