Cruiser Dreams [Unknown Binding]

Product Details

• Unknown Binding
• Publisher: Berkley (1983)
• ASIN: B000GRDL62
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,463,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 20 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. She has contributed short fiction to the shared universe fantasy series Thieves World, in which she created the Sacred Band of Stepsons, a mythical unit of ancient fighters modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes. She created, orchestrated, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series Heroes in Hell, writing stories for the series as well as co-writing the related novel, The Little Helliad, with Chris Morris. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, February 10, 2000

By 

Rod Bray (OZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cruiser Dreams (Mass Market Paperback)

Good story, well written. It is a further development of political intrigues introduced in Dream Dancer ... complex society ... good depictions of developing artificial conciousness(es).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent second installment, March 9, 2005

By 

Ishtar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cruiser Dreams (Paperback)

Cruiser Dreams continues the story and concepts set out in Dream Dancer, following the crisis within the Kerrion family, as they attempt to reclaim control of their empire. The second volume does a really good job of developing Chaeron's character, and the relationship between him and Shebat. I think what I found really appealing is that you can see them change and mature as they adapt and react to their circumstances and decisions they make. Sponge travel and theory is explained more in depth. There is also a lot more here about the idea of cruiser sentience and individuality and the threats and opportunities this new technological evolution poses.

2.0 out of 5 stars Irritating little barbarian of a hero., January 26, 2007

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Cruiser Dreams

I decided to reread this series as part of an undergoing nostalgia project which sees me revisiting books that I first read when I was a teenager.

I actually read a lot of Janet Morris when I was younger. I was a big fan of both this series (The Kerrion Empire) and the Silestra novels. Very difficult for me to imagine right now, but I read and enjoyed Cruiser Dreams itself multiple times.

Cruiser Dreams continues where Dream Dancer left off. Shebat's husband Chaeron retrieves her from planet Earth and she returns to stake her claim to her cruiser and her role in the Kerrion dynasty. Along the way, she decides to defend the right of the space cruisers to develop their own intelligence.

There are a lot of interesting elements in the book, but I have rarely been as irritated by a main character as I was with Cruiser Dreams. Shebat had started to grate on me in Dream Dancer, but it took her adventures in this book to make me swear off the idea of ever picking up Earth Dreams-- nostalgia book tour or not.

First of all, if I had a dime for every time Morris used the word "little" to modify some aspect of Shebat, I would be a millionaire. She had little curls, little body, little feet-- you get get the picture. Second of all, she's not just little, but she's a little barbarian-- something that is pointed out by every male character ad infinitum. Third of all, there are no functional female characters in the book. You have a choice between mannish, scheming and Shebat the little barbarian. Shebat actually is kind of likable next to the other women, but that is not saying very much.

I really did love this novel at 14. Very hard to imagine right now, since I hated it as an adult. Perhaps I just have less invested now in believing in a teenaged character who manages to display no restraint, logic or competence yet who somehow manages to succeed at everything she touches. And who is desirable to every man around her, including the gay men. I dunno.

In this day and age of female characters in speculative fiction, it seems to me that we no longer need Shebat.