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Hell Ship
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
No one writes SF quite like Palmer . . . Hell Ship is a freewheeling extravaganza replete with a hundred varieties of alien, vast spacecraft, exotic worlds . . . aficionados of bizarre space opera will be amazed and delighted. (Guardian )
Book Description
A huge SF adventure of pirates in space, featuring larger-than life-characters and a story to match.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm a little old fashioned when it comes to my Science Fiction, telling me that the thing works is good for me, I don't need to either know the mechanics of why it works, only that its believable and whilst the trend these days is to get quite in depth with the science part of the genre, Philip is an author who believes more in the aspect of storytelling with the science taking a supporting role.
Whilst to some this may seem a little old fashioned, for me it's the perfect combo, great storytelling with a little science and a arc that is character driven, especially this offering with three lead principles against a war faring alien nation. It's beautifully constructed, the characters, whilst in some cases quite alien, work wonderfully well together with each playing off the others strengths as they seek to complete their common goal.
All in a satisfactory tale and one that really was a joy to great. Great stuff from Philip which proves why he's fast becoming my favourite science fiction author.
Whilst to some this may seem a little old fashioned, for me it's the perfect combo, great storytelling with a little science and a arc that is character driven, especially this offering with three lead principles against a war faring alien nation. It's beautifully constructed, the characters, whilst in some cases quite alien, work wonderfully well together with each playing off the others strengths as they seek to complete their common goal.
All in a satisfactory tale and one that really was a joy to great. Great stuff from Philip which proves why he's fast becoming my favourite science fiction author.
Format:Paperback
Philip Palmer is new to me but he comes highly recommended so I had high expectations. Hell ship lived up to my expectations for the most part.
A mysterious vessel travels the universes and destroys all life in them. One survivor from each race is taken to the observation deck to watch their world destroyed before being made a slave forever. The slaves live in an artificial world inside the ship. This is the story of Sharrock who just saw his home world explode. He swears vengeance like all the survivors. Trouble is that Sai-Sai the ruler among the slaves is all for happiness and live the day. So she tries to convert him to acceptance and her way of life. Their struggles are the heart in the story. This is where Palmer does a good job of characterization.
The third point of view character is Jak an Explorer and former trader. He sees the ship from outside as he strives to destroy it. The social life of Jak and his fellow aliens are amusing and might hold a few pointers for real life.
You know characters are important to me so another part that I liked was the flashbacks into the pasts of the main characters which made them make sense. Sai-Sai's makes one of those inner journeys that are at the center of good tales. Jak does too but to a lesser extent. For him it is more about equality.
The hard sciences are not important here. Palmer writes about the characters and the story they create. He does a great job at it. This makes it so sad in the end when he jumps over major resolutions in bylines and implications. The whole book was well written up until the ending and would have been five out of five if it wasn't for a rushed ending.
Bottom line I liked Hell Ship. It was an engaging read about aliens, clashing cultures, secrets revealed and the fight for freedom. But it has, in my opinion, a weak ending, though not a catastrophic one. Hell Ship has a lot of things going for it so I would recommend you to read it but don't expect too much.
A mysterious vessel travels the universes and destroys all life in them. One survivor from each race is taken to the observation deck to watch their world destroyed before being made a slave forever. The slaves live in an artificial world inside the ship. This is the story of Sharrock who just saw his home world explode. He swears vengeance like all the survivors. Trouble is that Sai-Sai the ruler among the slaves is all for happiness and live the day. So she tries to convert him to acceptance and her way of life. Their struggles are the heart in the story. This is where Palmer does a good job of characterization.
The third point of view character is Jak an Explorer and former trader. He sees the ship from outside as he strives to destroy it. The social life of Jak and his fellow aliens are amusing and might hold a few pointers for real life.
You know characters are important to me so another part that I liked was the flashbacks into the pasts of the main characters which made them make sense. Sai-Sai's makes one of those inner journeys that are at the center of good tales. Jak does too but to a lesser extent. For him it is more about equality.
The hard sciences are not important here. Palmer writes about the characters and the story they create. He does a great job at it. This makes it so sad in the end when he jumps over major resolutions in bylines and implications. The whole book was well written up until the ending and would have been five out of five if it wasn't for a rushed ending.
Bottom line I liked Hell Ship. It was an engaging read about aliens, clashing cultures, secrets revealed and the fight for freedom. But it has, in my opinion, a weak ending, though not a catastrophic one. Hell Ship has a lot of things going for it so I would recommend you to read it but don't expect too much.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Alien Cultures Clash
19 July 2011
Format:Paperback
Philip Palmer is new to me but he comes highly recommended so I had high expectations. Hell ship lived up to my expectations for the most part.
A mysterious vessel travels the universes and destroys all life in them. One survivor from each race is taken to the observation deck to watch their world destroyed before being made a slave forever. The slaves live in an artificial world inside the ship. This is the story of Sharrock who just saw his home world explode. He swears vengeance like all the survivors. Trouble is that Sai-Sai the ruler among the slaves is all for happiness and live the day. So she tries to convert him to acceptance and her way of life. Their struggles are the heart in the story. This is where Palmer does a good job of characterization.
The third point of view character is Jak an Explorer and former trader. He sees the ship from outside as he strives to destroy it. The social life of Jak and his fellow aliens are amusing and might hold a few pointers for real life.
You know characters are important to me so another part that I liked was the flashbacks into the pasts of the main characters which made them make sense. Sai-Sai's makes one of those inner journeys that are at the center of good tales. Jak does too but to a lesser extent. For him it is more about equality.
The hard sciences are not important here. Palmer writes about the characters and the story they create. He does a great job at it. This makes it so sad in the end when he jumps over major resolutions in bylines and implications. The whole book was well written up until the ending and would have been five out of five if it wasn't for a rushed ending.
Bottom line I liked Hell Ship. It was an engaging read about aliens, clashing cultures, secrets revealed and the fight for freedom. But it has, in my opinion, a weak ending, though not a catastrophic one. Hell Ship has a lot of things going for it so I would recommend you to read it but don't expect too much.
A mysterious vessel travels the universes and destroys all life in them. One survivor from each race is taken to the observation deck to watch their world destroyed before being made a slave forever. The slaves live in an artificial world inside the ship. This is the story of Sharrock who just saw his home world explode. He swears vengeance like all the survivors. Trouble is that Sai-Sai the ruler among the slaves is all for happiness and live the day. So she tries to convert him to acceptance and her way of life. Their struggles are the heart in the story. This is where Palmer does a good job of characterization.
The third point of view character is Jak an Explorer and former trader. He sees the ship from outside as he strives to destroy it. The social life of Jak and his fellow aliens are amusing and might hold a few pointers for real life.
You know characters are important to me so another part that I liked was the flashbacks into the pasts of the main characters which made them make sense. Sai-Sai's makes one of those inner journeys that are at the center of good tales. Jak does too but to a lesser extent. For him it is more about equality.
The hard sciences are not important here. Palmer writes about the characters and the story they create. He does a great job at it. This makes it so sad in the end when he jumps over major resolutions in bylines and implications. The whole book was well written up until the ending and would have been five out of five if it wasn't for a rushed ending.
Bottom line I liked Hell Ship. It was an engaging read about aliens, clashing cultures, secrets revealed and the fight for freedom. But it has, in my opinion, a weak ending, though not a catastrophic one. Hell Ship has a lot of things going for it so I would recommend you to read it but don't expect too much.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Good variation on a theme.
19 Jan 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
From the Amazon description: "The Hell Ship hurtles through space. Inside the ship are thousands of slaves, each the last of their race...The Hell Ship and its infernal crew destroyed their homes, slaughtered their families and imprisoned them forever...One man refuses to accept his fate."
Hey! Haven't I heard that description somewhere else?
Maybe not exactly, but it kind of sounds familiar. However, Palmer comes at it from a different angle and this ends up being a better story from what I expected. Palmer has enough curves and reverses that he keeps you guessing. But when it curves, it makes sense; he doesn't just jump to something that isn't logical within the story.
The bad guys in this story are really, really bad guys and the heroes are imperfect but real heroes. Overall, this is a fun read.
Hey! Haven't I heard that description somewhere else?
Maybe not exactly, but it kind of sounds familiar. However, Palmer comes at it from a different angle and this ends up being a better story from what I expected. Palmer has enough curves and reverses that he keeps you guessing. But when it curves, it makes sense; he doesn't just jump to something that isn't logical within the story.
The bad guys in this story are really, really bad guys and the heroes are imperfect but real heroes. Overall, this is a fun read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A decent but seriously depressing story
12 Dec 2011
Format:Paperback
There's a lot to like about this book but it has its flaws. It's bold and audacious. Parts of it are fascinating. The characters are unique. The story has a mix of strong and weak plot points. Key protagonists are forced into an existence that is so beyond depressing I still dwell upon it and it almost bothers me. It definitely provokes strong emotions. If you're easily shocked or horrified this book will blow your mind.
As for the science involved a lot could of things could have been explained better. Part of a sci-fi author's job is to make the currently impossible seem plausible. It succeeded occasionally. At times I was engrossed and completely buying the technical aspects. Other times I was left feeling like I had missed a few chapters of details.
I also agree with the previous reviewer that the ending was weak, even predictable. After all of the build-up the story seemed to fizzle out in the last few pages.
In conclusion I have to think hard about whether I would recommend this book. Perhaps. It's a mixed bag but most readers will still likely be entertained.
As for the science involved a lot could of things could have been explained better. Part of a sci-fi author's job is to make the currently impossible seem plausible. It succeeded occasionally. At times I was engrossed and completely buying the technical aspects. Other times I was left feeling like I had missed a few chapters of details.
I also agree with the previous reviewer that the ending was weak, even predictable. After all of the build-up the story seemed to fizzle out in the last few pages.
In conclusion I have to think hard about whether I would recommend this book. Perhaps. It's a mixed bag but most readers will still likely be entertained.
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