Company of Stars (Starship Troupers, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Christopher Stasheff (Author)

Book Description

Series: Starship Troupers, Book 1 | Publication Date: July 20, 1992

By the 26th century, humanity had begun its expansion to the stars, and the Interstellar Dominion Electorates reigned over a unified Terra -- but New York was still New York, Broadway was still Broadway, and live theater was bigger and better than ever.

The excited theater pioneers of the newly formed Star Company were dedicated to taking their act on the road -- and out to the stars. They were far too busy with tryouts to pay any attention to current events and the constant harangues of the reactionary LORDS party on the public wallscreens.

Then the Lords party turned its attack on theater and its "timeless repertory of immorality." Suddenly the Star Company was off on a madcap race to finish its preparations, buy a ship and hire a pilot, and lift off Terra before it was grounded forever... or worse!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this venture into science fiction, Stasheff mines the same comedic vein that marks his light fantasy Warlock series ( Warlock Rock ). Fleeing the threat of forced matrimony, Ramou Lazarian skips college and heads for New York. His worsening fortunes turn when he rescues Horace Burbage from a gang of street toughs. Horace, an aging actor whose prospects are dwindling, offers Ramou a place in the newly formed Star Company, founded to carry the timeless pleasures of live theater to the outer colonies. But the prudish Elector Rudders, leader of the LORDS party, is campaigning to censor or eradicate live perfomrances, and focuses specifically on the Star Company and its plan to bring the vice to other worlds. The race is on: Can the company assemble, gather supplies, find a ship and a captain, and lift off before Rudders grounds them permanently? Stasheff's arch, sardonic tone is amusing but sometimes suffocating, and his story, despite the occasional appearance of a robot-driven cab or automated cafe, could just as well be set in the 1950s, with the Company planning to tour the Midwest. Future volumes of this Starship Troupers series may feature alien worlds and space adventures, but this first installment is minimally promising.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In order to escape a stifling atmosphere of censorship, an aging actor in the 26th century forms a touring company to bring the pleasures of theater to the remote outposts of interstellar civilization. This first in a new series by the author of the popular "Warlock" novels begins slowly as Stasheff painstakingly sets the stage and assembles his cast of characters, never really gathering momentum until the final scene. Purchase where the author has a readership--or wait for the paperback.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 313 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (July 20, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345368894
• ISBN-13: 978-0345368898
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,431,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different formula, January 19, 2000

By 

cleverjake (Vallejo, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Company of Stars (Starship Troupers, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Personally, I think that this is Stasheff's best single book, with the possible exception of Warlock In Spite of Himself. The characters are interesting, and different, as is the situation. It's not just the same old story rehashed for the umpteenth time, like too many of the author's works. Of course, this series does become repetitive after the first book, but not so much so as the Warlock books (not to mention the Rogue Wizard series). At least, in this book, it's the first time he's used this formula. And, of course, being Stasheff, it's loads of fun! He's got to be doing something right to keep me reading all his books.

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent sci-fi comedy, January 7, 2007

By 

Blake Petit "Novelist, columnist & reviewer" (Ama, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Company of Stars (Starship Troupers, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Being a longtime theatrical participant myself, I found I rather enjoyed this nice science fiction tale, first of the Starship Troupers series. When Ramou Lazarian is fingered as the parent in a pregnancy he knows full well is impossible, he flees to New York City to make his fortune. Ramou stumbles upon Horace Burbage, an aging actor who is helping to establish a new theatrical company to take live theatre to the Terran colonies on other planets. Ramou signs on as assistant technical director and he, Horace and the group's leader, Barry Tallendar, begin to recruit actors and crew. As they work to build their company, however, the Star Company has fallen under the gaze of Elector Rudders, whose disdain of live theatre threatens to shut them down before they even have a chance to lift off.

This was a fun book, with a light comic touch that really made it feel authentic in terms of characterization. Actors have been the same since the dawn of time, and there's no reason to believe they'd be very different 500 years in the future. However, public opinion does change, and that leads to the fundamental weakness of the story, our villain Rudders. The character -- who in this book appears only in television (or "3DT" broadcasts) and interviews -- is a caricature of the Bible-thumping, moral policeman that has been such a cliched villain over the years. It's hard to believe that a man like Rudders would become such a media darling, as even in this day and age such a person gets targeted by the media and Hollywood alike, who stop at nothing to ridicule him into obscurity.

The book also has a slight problem with shifting viewpoints. The story bounces from Ramou's first person viewpoint to Horace's fairly regularly, and without any sort of set transition. Sometimes it's easy to tell a bounce has taken place, but sometimes it isn't, and that leads to confusion.

Still, the book is funny enough and appeals very much to the performer in me. It's a lot of fun, and I look forward to reading the other two volumes in the series.

4.0 out of 5 stars SF for theater buffs!, October 22, 2005

By 

Michael D. Sweeney (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Company of Stars (Starship Troupers, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I've been in theater as a working technician for most of my adult life. Of course I've read a few backstage mysteries and behind-the-scenes dramas in that time. Well, Chris is the first one to get it right! He is also one of the few writers of any form or ilk I've seen who "gets" technical theater. The interactions between his young techie and the rest of the cast are spot-on and hilarious.

But this isn't just a techie's book. This is a book for the "Man of the Theater" (as Cris has someone refer to one of his characters); a book that understands and celebrates that gaudy, claptrap, whimsical, marginal, mercenary, spiritual, and ever-so-essential creature we call Theater. The backstory conflict with the Lords Party, though overdrawn, amplifies what we in the theater recognize; that we are a voice, a Jiminy Crickett for our oft-fickle public, and a country without street poets and folk singers and live theater is a country that is dying inside.

Okay, it is a bit space-opera with a thin plot and more incident then story. But as a chance to live the dream of live theater and see it go to the stars, this is not a book to pass over lightly.