The Dark Beyond the Stars [Hardcover]

Frank M. Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1991

For two thousand years, the starship Astron has search the galaxy for alien life--without success. Now, just as the ship is falling apart, the only direction left to explore is across the Dark, a one-hundred-generation journey through empty space.

The ship's captain--immortal, obessed--refuses to abandon the quest. He will cross the Dark, or destroy the ship trying.

Only Sparrow, a young crewman uncertain of his own past, can stand against the captain, and against the lure and challenge of the dark beyond the stars....

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sparrow is a crew member on the Astron , a multigenerational ship sent from earth on an unavailing, 2000-year search for other life-bearing worlds. On the last planet, Seti IV, Sparrow fell off a cliff and nearly died, losing his memory in the process. While recovering in sick bay and also while back on the job, he is beset by more accidents. Eventually he decides that someone is trying to kill him. Trying to find out who and why, Sparrow is plunged into an ever-deepening mystery; nobody will discuss his past with him, the computer has restricted his data, and the little he does discover about his history leads only to further secrets. Robinson ( The Power ) plants plenty of clues for the reader, scattering them skillfully amid exciting action and dialogue. The technical and social aspects of a centuries-long voyage are ingenious and clearly depicted. This is a welcome variation on an old SF theme, and the writing easily holds the reader's interest.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Aboard the generation ship Astron , bound on a mission to seek out life amid the stars, an insane captain resolves to lead his crew into empty space (and almost certain death), while a crewman struggles to retrieve his lost memories so that the last remnants of humanity can survive. Best known for his coauthorship with Thomas N. Scortia of The Glass Inferno ( LJ 7/74), Robinson demonstrates his storytelling expertise in a gripping psychological sf drama that belongs in most libraries.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (July 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312851669
• ISBN-13: 978-0312851668
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,568,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unforgetable read, June 11, 2003

By 

abt1950 "abt1950" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Beyond the Stars: A Novel (Paperback)

I read "The Dark Beyond the Stars" shortly after its original publication in 1991 and was blown away by it at the time. I lost track of both the name and the author, but the plot stayed with me. Thanks to Google, I've rediscovered the bibliographic details and plan to reread the book in the near future.

This book is an engrossing piece of SF that blends many disparate elements into a coherent whole. It takes place on a decaying generations ship whose mission has been to search for sentient life. Robinson ably depicts the necessities of life in such a closed environment, but he also uses them as a backdrop against which to spin out other themes--the protagonist's search for identity, the captain's obsession with the mission and his endangerment of the crew, plus portrayals of love, friendship, rivalry, competition, and above all, loneliness.

The many plot twists and reversals make "The Dark Beyond the Stars" an exciting read, but what lingers afterwards is the humanity of its characters and their sense of aloneness in a big, dark universe.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great sci-fi even for the casual fan, January 12, 2005

By 

Chad Sosna "Doo-Lang Love" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Beyond the Stars: A Novel (Paperback)

I'm a periodic sci-fi reader and must be interested to finish a book in this genre. This met my needs--a thrilling page-turner that's a fine blend of sci-fi (without too much science) and suspense. I heard about this after finding it was a Lambda award winner in 1991. After reading it, I'm surprised it won a "gay" award--though that occurs in the book, it's in the context of how all of society feels. I wouldn't call it a "gay" novel.

The story is of 17-year-old Sparrow, who, after an accident, has no memories. He's on a ship called the Astron, which has been in space for centuries looking for other life. As others and events begin to seem vaguely familiar, he discovers a secret movement aboard--some want to go back to earth. They've been to hundreds of planets and found nothing and believe earth truly is the only source of life.

Things are at a crisis point now. They must enter the "dark," a part of space where there are no planets to explore. After they will pass through it (which will take a whopping 100 generations), they will enter an area of more planets to explore.

This story kept me gripped, and the main character and other characters were well-drawn. I was surprised at the level of sophistication in the characterization. Fine points usually found only in literary novels make the characters a rich tapestry. The spaceship environment seems likely and real. Apparently Frank M. Robinson has not written a lot of sci-fi, but I am sure to read the rest of his books.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Time Waits For No-one, July 28, 2000

By 

Cartimand (Hampshire, UK.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Beyond the Stars: A Novel (Paperback)

This immensely thought-provoking sci-fi extravaganza must surely be the most vibrant depiction ever of the generation-ship concept.

The Astron, once the shining zenith of humankind's technological achievement, has been in deep space searching unsuccessfully for alien life for two millennia, and is now rapidly falling into decrepitude. Robinson paints vivid pictures of the grime-smeared bulkheads, the fetid stench of recycled air, bland reconstituted food and gradually failing life support systems. In this daunting environment however, the ever hopeful spark of human spirit shines forth like a diamond. The few hundred crew represent a true microcosm of humanity. Good, bad, noble and treacherous; everyone has hidden depths and all the time in the world to reveal them.

The skillfully depicted dynamic human interaction would be enough in itself to recommend this book. But there's more, much more. Our hero - Sparrow's quest for his missing memories reveals intrigue and mind-blowing secrets of Machiavellian proportions, which lead to a breathtaking conclusion. Throughout, Robinson's prose is flawless - I'm sure I shivered whilst reading the description of the frozen methane hell of Aquinas II. My only criticism would be that the novel does take rather a long time to gather momentum. It is a substantial work (over 400 pages) and its measured pace may not appeal to lovers of more conventional action-packed sci-fi.

The poignancy in the book's denouement, generated by relentless turning of the wheel of time, has a profound philosophical edge to it and will certainly make you consider your own humanity. I am very glad to have read this book.