Battlestar Galactica Classic: The Saga of A Star World [Mass Market Paperback]

Glen A. Larson (Author), Robert Thurston (Draft Writer)

Book Description

Series: Battlestar Galactica | Publication Date: January 25, 2005

At the end of a bloody thousand-year war against an invincible enemy, an uneasy peace has finally between been achieved between humans and the dreaded cyborg warriors of the Cylon Empire. But peace soon turns to bloodshed when the Cylons launch an unexpected attack against humanity's twelve Colonial worlds, wiping out most of the inhabitants. Pursued by Cylon forces, the survivors gather together a ragtag fleet of ships, their only protection the valiant warriors of the Galactica, the sole battlestar able to escape the sneak attack. Led by Commander Adama and his son, Captain Apollo, the Colonials begin a desperate search for a new home: a planet called Earth, where legend says the long-missing Thirteenth Colony of Mankind will be found. Unfortunately, no one knows where, exactly, Earth might be, and the journey may be a long one-with the Cylons drawing closer with every passing moment¨

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: I Books (January 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416504079
• ISBN-13: 978-1416504078
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,266,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stick with the original., June 22, 2005

By 

Babytoxie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battlestar Galactica Classic: The Saga of A Star World (Mass Market Paperback)

Following the big Battlestar Galactica revamp, I am happy to see that dependable out-of-print sci-fi publisher iBooks decided to reprint the original series of novels by Robert Thurston and Glen Larson. Before I get into the actual review, I'll start by praising the publisher for something that has nothing to do with the quality of the story, but was a huge selling-point for me: the use of Frank Frazetta's original BG television advertising art for the book cover. This is a beautiful piece, and any time a publisher will use Frazetta's work as intended, instead of getting some cheap no-talent, you have to give them a hand.

Anyway, on to the work itself... I am not too keen on the Sci-Fi Network's version of BG, as it seems to rely too much on elements of other space fantasies. Neither am I interested in Richard Hatch's BG novels, so rather than invest my time in these diversions, I decided to go back to the source. As a youngster, I wasn't into Battlestar Galactica "quite" as much as the original Star Wars trilogy (pre-Special Edition, mind you), but I've always held a spot in my heart for creator Glen Larson's saga. The ties to ancient astronauts, mythology, and Judaism really got my imagination going, and I always felt it was unfortunate that the TV series didn't rely more heavily upon these plot points (I was fully expecting BG to conclude with the Galactica reaching a prehistoric Earth, oh well...). Now about 99% of TV-to-novel adaptations I've read, and any stories based upon them, are absolute garbage, but thankfully, BG: SAGA OF A STAR WORLD was a welcome change. The book was written in 1978 by Robert Thurston, based off of Larson's screenplay, and I feel that Thurston does an excellent job. He's a very good writer, not given to trite phrasing, and able to expand on points from the pilot episode and give these characters some personality, even the seemingly inaccessible Imperious Leader. There are a few moments that don't quite fit with the pilot episode, but that just adds to the uniqueness of the story, and Thurston provides enough supporting information that it doesn't even become a problem. Additionally, each chapter begins with an excerpt from "The Adama Journals", where you discover bits of information and history that put the entire story into perspective. In general, this is a good sci-fi adventure that should throw more than a few switches in the old memory. If you're a reader of various Star Wars or Star Trek novels, or even if you're just a general sci-fi fan, this will provide you with a good time.