Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
New York: Ace, 1989
Pages
280
Description
Victoria MacKenzie plans to uphold the spaceship Starfarer's original scientific purposes even if it means hijacking the ship.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1989-04
Physical description
280 p.; 6.7 inches
ISBN
0553563416 / 9780553563412
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User reviews
LibraryThing member ChrisRiesbeck
First in a tetralogy. As such, this is very much "here are the main characters, here is the situation" but the star-faring is for volume 2. They're the crew of the Starfarer so technically the title is not wrong. It's set in the same universe as her young adult novel Barbary. There's no character
I didn't buy this years ago because the packaging and acknowledgments made it seem like she was doing a variant of her Star Trek adventures in her own universe. That's doing it a disservice. This has more in common with Slonczewski's A Door into Ocean. Women of science dominate the story. It is not as black-and-white as Door -- while all the villains and dupes of villains are male, there are good males as well. Sexism seems, in this book at least, to be mostly a thing of the past -- not distant past, but about two generations back.
The focus is on the huge space station cum star ship, how it's constructed, what it's like to live on it, and the community that is forming on it, waiting for their chance to catch a ride on a wandering cosmic string to another star system. Sitting somewhat awkwardly in this not-so-far future is that a new race of altered ocean-dwelling humans has been created and been around long enough to have their own culture. This part feels like Star Trek -- we need an alien on the crew so shoehorn one in. It made more sense on Star Trek.
Recommended for the world-building and quiet feminism, with a caveat that very little happens in this first volume.
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overlap but both involvethe same O'Neill-style structure and a passing reference is made to the plot of Barbary. I didn't buy this years ago because the packaging and acknowledgments made it seem like she was doing a variant of her Star Trek adventures in her own universe. That's doing it a disservice. This has more in common with Slonczewski's A Door into Ocean. Women of science dominate the story. It is not as black-and-white as Door -- while all the villains and dupes of villains are male, there are good males as well. Sexism seems, in this book at least, to be mostly a thing of the past -- not distant past, but about two generations back.
The focus is on the huge space station cum star ship, how it's constructed, what it's like to live on it, and the community that is forming on it, waiting for their chance to catch a ride on a wandering cosmic string to another star system. Sitting somewhat awkwardly in this not-so-far future is that a new race of altered ocean-dwelling humans has been created and been around long enough to have their own culture. This part feels like Star Trek -- we need an alien on the crew so shoehorn one in. It made more sense on Star Trek.
Recommended for the world-building and quiet feminism, with a caveat that very little happens in this first volume.
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LibraryThing member LBrary
This review is for the e-book edition, which included all four books in the series.
I usually love a sci-fi book to throw me in the middle of a new world, without any explanations, and let me figure it out. But after a couple hundred pages of the first book of the series, I still felt as if I were
I usually love a sci-fi book to throw me in the middle of a new world, without any explanations, and let me figure it out. But after a couple hundred pages of the first book of the series, I still felt as if I were
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missing large parts of the story, parts that the author assumed I knew. I couldn't find a way to connect the future depicted to any imaginable timeline. The pleasure I get from learning about the book's environment though immersion never came, as the pieces just wouldn't fall into place. I probably would have continued reading, except that I also felt as if the characters were complete strangers to me, even halfway through the first book. Perhaps in this case, the e-book format was against me in enjoying this series. But in any case, I just didn't want to devote more time to reading something I wasn't enjoying. Show Less
LibraryThing member donaldmcobb
I received the omnibus of this through the Early Reviewers program. To be honest, I could not get through it. However, this is not a reflection of Vonda McIntyre's abilities as a writer - what I did read was wonderfully written and I probably would have loved it ten years ago. Sadly, though, it
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seems my interest in science fiction has all but disappeared, at least for the time being. When I find myself in the mood for sci-fi (since I'm sure it's a matter of when and not if), I will revisit this book and write a proper review. Show Less
LibraryThing member abatishko
I received this omnibus book through the Early Reviewers program. I took a good long time to try and get through it, but I finally just had to give it up. The author's style did not appeal to me. There were multiple things that struck me as unrealistic and ruined me immersion. I was also put off by
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what felt like the author pushing their social and moral views on me (it didn't feel like an established part of the setting, but rather things put in the story for meta-reasons). I can see that some people might enjoy this book, but I didn't care for it at all. Show Less
LibraryThing member jhoddinott
I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers programme, and whilst I do like science fiction from time to time, I probably would not have come across this book otherwise.
This is a long read - not surprising for a quartet - but the stories did not feel discreet enough to be able to read the
Overall I enjoyed the books, they weren't great, but I did enjoy them. For my taste there was a little too much sex and personal angst, it started to get in the way of the story really. A more interesting aspect is what the books say about expectations of technological advances. They were only written in the early 90's, but even so the descriptions of the internet seem slightly quaint.
I won't be rushing out to find more books by the same author, but if sci-fi is your thing then I'd recommend giving this a go.
This is a long read - not surprising for a quartet - but the stories did not feel discreet enough to be able to read the
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four books individually over a longer period. If I had been reading them at the time they were written I don't think I would have bought book two as I did not feel particularly hooked on the story until I was into book two. This does not have the depth and intricacy of a Peter Hamilton for example.Overall I enjoyed the books, they weren't great, but I did enjoy them. For my taste there was a little too much sex and personal angst, it started to get in the way of the story really. A more interesting aspect is what the books say about expectations of technological advances. They were only written in the early 90's, but even so the descriptions of the internet seem slightly quaint.
I won't be rushing out to find more books by the same author, but if sci-fi is your thing then I'd recommend giving this a go.
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LibraryThing member tortoise
(This review actually applies to the omnibus consisting of this novel and its three sequels, and is also posted there. I couldn't figure out a way to get the Early Reviewers gizmo to give me credit without posting it here, too.)
An extended first-contact story. I liked the characterization and human
An extended first-contact story. I liked the characterization and human
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politics a lot but was rather bored by most of the aliens. The physics is surprisingly good for such a seemingly soft sci-fi book -- in particular, I kept thinking she'd screwed up some bit of rotational dynamics (as the book is mostly set on board a spaceship that generates artificial gravity by rotation) and then realizing on further examination that I'd either misread the book or my intuition was wrong. I'd have liked to see more of what happened after they returned to Earth, though... Show Less
LibraryThing member david7466
Fun and creative, this is a series that can take you places for an escape.
LibraryThing member ddupont
This is another review of the four-book omnibus.
I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I love the fact that the cast of characters isn't just white men -- many of the main characters are women, and the crew consists of Canadians, Americans, Russians, Pacific Islanders, East Asians,
Unfortunately, especially for a four-book series, the plot is too vague. The world-building is great, but time after time I was irked by a plot thread that was dropped, picked up, and then dropped again.
I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I love the fact that the cast of characters isn't just white men -- many of the main characters are women, and the crew consists of Canadians, Americans, Russians, Pacific Islanders, East Asians,
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etc.Unfortunately, especially for a four-book series, the plot is too vague. The world-building is great, but time after time I was irked by a plot thread that was dropped, picked up, and then dropped again.
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LibraryThing member moniqueleigh
Note: I received this as a review copy from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
This is an e-book reprint in omnibus format of Vonda N. McIntyre's Starfarers Quartet, originally published in the late 1980s - early 1990s. In a nutshell, what if first-contact were handled by academics? The
The science is well-done throughout the books. The environmental concerns of a space-faring community are covered quite nicely, as well as how easily that environment can be disrupted. I can't speak to the hard science of the form of travel, but it certainly seems consistent with what I remember of cosmic string theory in that time (anybody with more current knowledge care to chime in?) The genetics research seems to at least be in line with the time period, and nothing stood out as being too overly dated upon reading in 2011. McIntyre's AI/intranet is a bit dated to anyone familiar with today's social networking, but it still reads as a rather fond retro bit of tech.
On the emotional side of things, it is absolutely wonderful to see so many non-White Male American characters. More authors should try it. Full disclosure, I'm a white female American, so it's entirely possible that someone actually from the cultures discussed in the book might see issues that I don't. Even so, it's refreshing to see such a diverse cast and how that not only doesn't detract from the storytelling, but actually seems to enhance it, allowing the reader multiple perspectives. I found each character's emotional journey to be quite well developed. Sometimes, the journeys felt a bit slow, but that's often the way life works.
While the first book could be read on its own, I wouldn't recommend reading any of the others alone as they are quite dependent on the reader's familiarity with previously-described physical & personality descriptions. The last book ends with something of a cliffhanger as much as the earlier books do, making me wonder if there were meant to be more installments in the series. This is good in the "leave 'em wanting more" school of thought, but it can be frustrating when you realize there isn't more.
This is an e-book reprint in omnibus format of Vonda N. McIntyre's Starfarers Quartet, originally published in the late 1980s - early 1990s. In a nutshell, what if first-contact were handled by academics? The
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research starship named Starfarer has been designed as a university campus under international control, but the US government wants to re-purpose it as a military station. In order to escape this fate, the academics, including the Alien Contact Team, decide essentially to steal the ship. The next three books continue the story with what they find in alien systems, dealing with shortages from having left so precipitously, and the emotional tangles from having multiple people in close quarters who don't always necessarily like each other very much. The science is well-done throughout the books. The environmental concerns of a space-faring community are covered quite nicely, as well as how easily that environment can be disrupted. I can't speak to the hard science of the form of travel, but it certainly seems consistent with what I remember of cosmic string theory in that time (anybody with more current knowledge care to chime in?) The genetics research seems to at least be in line with the time period, and nothing stood out as being too overly dated upon reading in 2011. McIntyre's AI/intranet is a bit dated to anyone familiar with today's social networking, but it still reads as a rather fond retro bit of tech.
On the emotional side of things, it is absolutely wonderful to see so many non-White Male American characters. More authors should try it. Full disclosure, I'm a white female American, so it's entirely possible that someone actually from the cultures discussed in the book might see issues that I don't. Even so, it's refreshing to see such a diverse cast and how that not only doesn't detract from the storytelling, but actually seems to enhance it, allowing the reader multiple perspectives. I found each character's emotional journey to be quite well developed. Sometimes, the journeys felt a bit slow, but that's often the way life works.
While the first book could be read on its own, I wouldn't recommend reading any of the others alone as they are quite dependent on the reader's familiarity with previously-described physical & personality descriptions. The last book ends with something of a cliffhanger as much as the earlier books do, making me wonder if there were meant to be more installments in the series. This is good in the "leave 'em wanting more" school of thought, but it can be frustrating when you realize there isn't more.
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LibraryThing member leahsimone
Starfarers, by Vonda N. McIntyre, follows the story of several people who have applied for passage on the Starfarer, a spaceship designed to make first contact with aliens, unaware that the U.S. Government intends to coop the ship and turn it into a military stronghold. The premise hooked me but I
Despite this, the story is told from multiple viewpoints, which helped give it a sense of scope, and characterization was diverse and interesting. Among the characters there is a “large woman with a plane face” who is the alien contact specialist, a “diver” who has been genetically altered for life in the sea, a black woman who is a genius and involved in a polyamorous relationship with two other characters, a “sensory artist” who has growths all over her face and a famous old cosmonaut recluse. McIntyre does a good job of developing the characters and describing their motivations. By the middle of the book, I was invested enough in their individual stories to be curious about what would happen to them.
Occasionally, the narrative became mired in the descriptions of the environs but the scientific explanations were interesting without being dense or overdone. Most of the novel takes place in the sea, on a transport or on the spaceship and despite brewing political upheaval these settings fostered a feeling of distance from earth and it’s concerns. It wasn't until the last third of the novel that the U.S. Government truly feels menacing as it beings to encroach on the character's freedom and the Starfarer mission. It was at this point that I became truly hooked by the story. The ending is exciting and it leaves off on a great cliffhanger. I will definitely read the next in the series. Recommend.
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found most of novel was devoted to setup and therefore had a distinct first-book-in-a-series feel. There was a lot of character back-story, traveling between land and space (time in the transport) and working out living arrangements on the spaceship.Despite this, the story is told from multiple viewpoints, which helped give it a sense of scope, and characterization was diverse and interesting. Among the characters there is a “large woman with a plane face” who is the alien contact specialist, a “diver” who has been genetically altered for life in the sea, a black woman who is a genius and involved in a polyamorous relationship with two other characters, a “sensory artist” who has growths all over her face and a famous old cosmonaut recluse. McIntyre does a good job of developing the characters and describing their motivations. By the middle of the book, I was invested enough in their individual stories to be curious about what would happen to them.
Occasionally, the narrative became mired in the descriptions of the environs but the scientific explanations were interesting without being dense or overdone. Most of the novel takes place in the sea, on a transport or on the spaceship and despite brewing political upheaval these settings fostered a feeling of distance from earth and it’s concerns. It wasn't until the last third of the novel that the U.S. Government truly feels menacing as it beings to encroach on the character's freedom and the Starfarer mission. It was at this point that I became truly hooked by the story. The ending is exciting and it leaves off on a great cliffhanger. I will definitely read the next in the series. Recommend.
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LibraryThing member xxcoder
The book is an interesting combination of space travel and inter-species social interactions.
The good:
The author sets up an interesting concept of space travel, alien cultures and its member’s differences in view. The story parts on these, including “excluded” or species the civilization
The meh:
For me, there’s a little too much crew interpersonal stories, including gene-modified humans, throughout the book. But then there is people that would like that kind of stories.
The bad:
Some of certain points of story points are fairly unbelievable, but is a big definite spoiler so I won’t say what it is.
The good:
The author sets up an interesting concept of space travel, alien cultures and its member’s differences in view. The story parts on these, including “excluded” or species the civilization
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decided are uncivilized, are pretty well written. Sometimes there are surprises on the differences even between member species of this space civilization.The meh:
For me, there’s a little too much crew interpersonal stories, including gene-modified humans, throughout the book. But then there is people that would like that kind of stories.
The bad:
Some of certain points of story points are fairly unbelievable, but is a big definite spoiler so I won’t say what it is.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
Superb. Thoroughly enjoyable example of what SF should be like. Interesting characters living in a novel environment with clever technologies in thebackground to support it. A clear inspiration of science and politics commenting subtly on the society around us today. The plot isn't original, it
Mankind is preparing to visit the stars, a drifting Cosmic String provides the necessary FTL possabilities, and at vast expense a giant spaceship consisting of two rotating cylinders has been constructed (this is the bit that feels very Eon-esque). However in the time taken to complete this world-wide project, the political support on Earth has altered. New powers have arisen, and the old powers wish to subvert the new project to helping them maintain the status quo. The scientists on board are not amused. We bounce around between various characters, not a style that usually appeals to me, but it works well enough here. Victoria is our main protagonist part of the alien contact team - just in case - but also physics and astronavigation. Her partners and the relationship between the three of them provide much of the characterisation of the story. SD sauvage is the other principle character. She applied and was declined before being re-invited and nearly declines herself. Only a secret that she learns from the genetically altered divers and the Ocra family around her, allows her to consider the possabilities space offer her. Her last minute acceptance to the program provides plenty of cues for explanations.
The character intereactions are superb, whether it is the lover's banter between Victoria and her family; or the artists and journalists responding to events; or even the Grandparents in Space program to provide stability, all are well crafted with joy and wit, and incitefulness that bring out the vivid descriptions of the world. I'm eager to try out the rest of the quartet and see whether this degree of joy can be continued.
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feels very much like a retelling of Greg Bear's famous Eon although it does actually differ substantually in several areas. Where Eon is stilted and badly dated, despite only being written a few years apart, this sparkles with fun characters and a much more relevant political scenario - that is likely to remain relevant in the future too. Mankind is preparing to visit the stars, a drifting Cosmic String provides the necessary FTL possabilities, and at vast expense a giant spaceship consisting of two rotating cylinders has been constructed (this is the bit that feels very Eon-esque). However in the time taken to complete this world-wide project, the political support on Earth has altered. New powers have arisen, and the old powers wish to subvert the new project to helping them maintain the status quo. The scientists on board are not amused. We bounce around between various characters, not a style that usually appeals to me, but it works well enough here. Victoria is our main protagonist part of the alien contact team - just in case - but also physics and astronavigation. Her partners and the relationship between the three of them provide much of the characterisation of the story. SD sauvage is the other principle character. She applied and was declined before being re-invited and nearly declines herself. Only a secret that she learns from the genetically altered divers and the Ocra family around her, allows her to consider the possabilities space offer her. Her last minute acceptance to the program provides plenty of cues for explanations.
The character intereactions are superb, whether it is the lover's banter between Victoria and her family; or the artists and journalists responding to events; or even the Grandparents in Space program to provide stability, all are well crafted with joy and wit, and incitefulness that bring out the vivid descriptions of the world. I'm eager to try out the rest of the quartet and see whether this degree of joy can be continued.
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LibraryThing member PrincessNoseInBook
Note that I am reviewing the e-book quartet edition of Starfarer's.
It took me awhile to get past the first book as the pace seemed really slow. I did not get much plot development in the first book and felt like it did not truly advance until the following books when more events happened to push
It took me awhile to get past the first book as the pace seemed really slow. I did not get much plot development in the first book and felt like it did not truly advance until the following books when more events happened to push
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the boundaries of each character's personalities. That was when I finally started to enjoy the book. The interactions between the characters was well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member ascexis
This is a review of the 4 book e-book edition. I remembered the first book fondly and was keen to follow on with the next three. Unfortunately, the world building, intensity and complexity of the first book, while just as I remembered, was overwhelmed by the self-absorption and unpleasantness of
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hte characters. Perhaps I missed something that would have left me still interested in them, but I found myself uninterested and actively put-off. So much so that I did not make it past the second book. Show Less
LibraryThing member zeborah
I wanted to like this more than I did. There's a lot of cool elements to it, and all the structure to be a great story, but... I felt it's better at plot than at characterisation. So many of the characters were so one-note. The antagonists were never allowed to really have good reasons to disagree
As set-up for the rest of the series it might work better than as a stand-alone. But as set-up it hasn't really convinced me that I care enough about the characters to read more.
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(or even to be wrong with dignity) and the government was plain evil. The minor characters got to be the Temperamental Artiste, the Possibly-Senile Grandmother, the Hermit Hero, the Dashing Journalist, etc. And the main characters are never wrong about anything of substance.As set-up for the rest of the series it might work better than as a stand-alone. But as set-up it hasn't really convinced me that I care enough about the characters to read more.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
First in a series of 4.
It could be humanity's most glorious accomplishment - an interstellar ship designed for a peaceful scientific mission of exploration and searching for sentient life elsewhere in the universe.
Unfortunately, international politics being as you might expect, not everything is
Against this background, the book focuses more on interpersonal relationships and politics than on action - we get to know Victoria, Satoshi and Stephen Thomas - partners in a multiethnic group marriage that old-timers find shocking and young folks feel is old-fashioned. Theoretical alien-contact specialist J.D. and her genetically altered 'diver' friend Zev. Elderly ex-General Cherenkov - former hero or terrorist? And possibly, the screwdriver in the works - undercover agent and militarist Griffith...
Good, but the book ends leaving you feeling like it's all a set-up for events yet to come... luckily I've got the next book!
It could be humanity's most glorious accomplishment - an interstellar ship designed for a peaceful scientific mission of exploration and searching for sentient life elsewhere in the universe.
Unfortunately, international politics being as you might expect, not everything is
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running as smoothly as the researchers might wish - as a matter of fact, some countries have pulled out their personnel, funding to the ship has been cut, and there are plans afoot to scuttle the whole mission, arm the ship with nuclear devices and use it as an orbiting weapons platform, never to leave our solar system.Against this background, the book focuses more on interpersonal relationships and politics than on action - we get to know Victoria, Satoshi and Stephen Thomas - partners in a multiethnic group marriage that old-timers find shocking and young folks feel is old-fashioned. Theoretical alien-contact specialist J.D. and her genetically altered 'diver' friend Zev. Elderly ex-General Cherenkov - former hero or terrorist? And possibly, the screwdriver in the works - undercover agent and militarist Griffith...
Good, but the book ends leaving you feeling like it's all a set-up for events yet to come... luckily I've got the next book!
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LibraryThing member haloedrain
Academic politics IN SPACE!
Between the soviet politics and the genetically engineered people who swim with whales I was worried this would turn out to be that very 80s sort of sci fi book, but it did not.
Between the soviet politics and the genetically engineered people who swim with whales I was worried this would turn out to be that very 80s sort of sci fi book, but it did not.
LibraryThing member scifiguy7
I received a special ebook edition for early review which is a compilation of all four books in the Starfarer's Saga series; they all flow quite naturally and almost seemlessly into one another, so I would not recommend it to someone who is not willing to invest in the entire series now that it is
It is an enjoyable space adventure which borders on Space Opera. The reading is a bit slow at times with all the character development as it is generally more character driven than plot driven.
The basic plot idea is scientsts on Earth's first FTL starship attempt to escape a poilitical environment which seeks to weaponize the ship and use it for in-system monitoring instead of its intended interstellar first contact mission.
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complete and all books in the series are available.It is an enjoyable space adventure which borders on Space Opera. The reading is a bit slow at times with all the character development as it is generally more character driven than plot driven.
The basic plot idea is scientsts on Earth's first FTL starship attempt to escape a poilitical environment which seeks to weaponize the ship and use it for in-system monitoring instead of its intended interstellar first contact mission.
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