- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Grafton (9 Sep 1999)
- ISBN-10: 0586212183
- ISBN-13: 978-0586212189
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,543,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Synopsis
The starfarers are a group of men and women being trained for humanity's greatest adventure - a voyage to the distant star Tau Ceti to befriend the intelligent aliens who live there. Vonda N. McIntyre is the author of "Star Trek II: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
This book is the first in the Starfarers Quartet. It introduces a range of characters, most important of whom are the alien contact team whose job it will be to attempt to find and communicate with aliens from other star systems. Much of the action takes place on a huge starship which is designed to be self sufficient, with its own ecology and an extremely egalitarian (and idealistic) internal organisation.
As the various characters come together on the starship to prepare for the "transition" to hyperspace (which will take them to the Tau Ceti system), political intrigue on Earth puts the mission at threat; and a sinister character from the GAO (Government Accountability Office) appears to be spying on people - what is his real objective?
There are lots of interesting ideas here, from the enigmatic "Divers" (half human, half dolphin), to the troubled political shenanigans on Earth - and their contrast with the free and democratic set-up on board ship. Despite being American herself, McIntyre has a real go at the US, painting their president as ruthless and war-mongering.
I found the storyline interesting and the book was certainly easy to read. However, considering it has 450 pages, it is disappointing how little the plot developed in the time, and how shallow the characterisations are. Instead the author concentrates on showing us her inventive ideas for how the starship will work (both in environmental terms and in political ones). But there is also far too much not very interesting detail.
I felt that the book is very derivative of the sort of sci-fi I used to read in the 70s (Asimov, Heinlein, McCaffrey, etc) - but not nearly as good! It makes a pleasant, light-weight read if you are a fan of sci-fi, but if you are new to the genre and looking for excellent fiction, then give it a miss.
As the various characters come together on the starship to prepare for the "transition" to hyperspace (which will take them to the Tau Ceti system), political intrigue on Earth puts the mission at threat; and a sinister character from the GAO (Government Accountability Office) appears to be spying on people - what is his real objective?
There are lots of interesting ideas here, from the enigmatic "Divers" (half human, half dolphin), to the troubled political shenanigans on Earth - and their contrast with the free and democratic set-up on board ship. Despite being American herself, McIntyre has a real go at the US, painting their president as ruthless and war-mongering.
I found the storyline interesting and the book was certainly easy to read. However, considering it has 450 pages, it is disappointing how little the plot developed in the time, and how shallow the characterisations are. Instead the author concentrates on showing us her inventive ideas for how the starship will work (both in environmental terms and in political ones). But there is also far too much not very interesting detail.
I felt that the book is very derivative of the sort of sci-fi I used to read in the 70s (Asimov, Heinlein, McCaffrey, etc) - but not nearly as good! It makes a pleasant, light-weight read if you are a fan of sci-fi, but if you are new to the genre and looking for excellent fiction, then give it a miss.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Appealing but not as good as her earlier books
28 Jan 2007
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I absolutely adore Vonda McIntyre's earlier books (esp. Dreamsnake, Exile Waiting). This series has a very different feel and I didn't enjoy it as much. Each book covers only a few days of time, so every moment of every character's life during that time is told in the tiniest detail (right down to meal and bathroom breaks). Their double-cylinder spaceship is intriguing and many of the characters are interesting as they prepare for their journey, and I did enjoy spending time with them... just not *that* much time.
There are some interesting sci-fi ideas scattered throughout the book, but it does lack one big idea or focus. The goal of the "crew" (the huge ship is set up more like a university campus) is to search for alien life, which is not a compelling hook in my opinion. When they find it, it's just not that interesting. The scenes of first contact (in later books) lack a sense of importance and so I wasn't left feeling awestruck. Maybe I was expecting too much or missing the point... I simply didn't get that sense of wonder that I got with Dreamsnake.
But I'm currently re-reading the series... so there's no doubt it's retained some appeal through the years.
There are some interesting sci-fi ideas scattered throughout the book, but it does lack one big idea or focus. The goal of the "crew" (the huge ship is set up more like a university campus) is to search for alien life, which is not a compelling hook in my opinion. When they find it, it's just not that interesting. The scenes of first contact (in later books) lack a sense of importance and so I wasn't left feeling awestruck. Maybe I was expecting too much or missing the point... I simply didn't get that sense of wonder that I got with Dreamsnake.
But I'm currently re-reading the series... so there's no doubt it's retained some appeal through the years.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
The best is yet to come
27 Mar 2002
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Admittedly not the strongest start, but recommended regardless as the first volume of one of my favorite science fiction series of all time. Vonda McIntyre tends to incorporate a few favorite elements into many of her short stories and novels, and I consider this series to be the culmination of her imaginings, even if it didn't get the same kind of critical attention as "Dreamsnake" or "The Moon and the Sun." "Starfarers" is a bit slow, used mainly to introduce the principals and really only hinting at the adventures to come, but the payoff in the next three novels is more than worth it.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Not Disappointed - an exciting, intriguing tale
16 April 1998
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Layer upon layer of juicy speculative detail about Earth in the near-future, particularly North America, and the events leading up to the launch of a space exploration habitat. Not your thing if you're into alien shoot-em-ups--the excitement here is more subtle, emotional and intellectual. Excellent political suspense, fascinating scientific ideas, interpersonal and sexual tension. People I cared about. I was particularly impressed with the way the writer tied all of her diverse storylines together, and spoke authentically from the perspectives of very different characters. I loved this book!
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