The Forlorn [Mass Market Paperback]

Dave Freer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

While the xenophobic alien Morkth race searches the galaxy to destroy the last of human "vermin", the lightly armed members of the only human colony must figure out how to defend themselves from the coming attack. Reprint.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Baen; Reprint edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671578316
• ISBN-13: 978-0671578312
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,794,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dave Freer is a former Marine Biologist who specialized in fish (an Ichthyologist), proving that you can end up as an academic even if you did win a sports bursary (for rock-climbing) to take you through college. At seventeen was a conscripted Medic during the Angolan/South African conflict. Politically from a liberal anti-apartheid family this was quite an experience. He lived through it and came out as a 45 year old in a nineteen year old body, which may explain his frequent confusion. He is still deciding just what do when he grows up. His first postgraduate job was as Chief Scientific Officer for the Western Cape Commercial Shark fishery. As a biologist he's spent a lot of time working in water no sane person would go near, having encounters (both in small boats and in the water) with sharks, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, electric rays and a number of other toxic/lethal creatures. He has worked as a salvage diver, run two major fish farms (he's a very good plumber), as well as doing some steeplejack work. Additionally he has worked as the relief chef for a group of exclusive luxury game/ ecotourism/ whitewater-rafting lodges. He has an obsession with food, recreating traditional fare, something he uses in his books. He's a top mountaineer and rock-climber, opening many of his country's best rock routes. He's a fanatical spiny-lobster diver and flyfisherman and the author of a number of articles on both. If it is dangerous and a little crazy -- he's done it. Besides writing some amazingly boring but fundamental papers on shark age and growth and reproductive biology, he has authored or co-authored eight sf/fantasy novels, with number nine and ten in press, and further four contracted. He's also written a lot of shorter fiction, appearing in various collections.
He lives on a wonderful remote Island off the coast of Tasmania, Australia, a ten hour ferry trip to anywhere, with 3 dogs to do his thinking, 3 cats to be waited on, two sons to lead him astray, and a wonderful wife to be patient with him and them, although it is a task that would tax a saint. Sometimes he wonders why he does this. Other times he just wonders. See his webpage if you really want more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science Fiction in the old style, July 23, 2000

By 

"ly_reese" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Forlorn (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was a rare find. I didn't like the cover much, so I nearly didn't buy it. I'm really glad I did. It is writing of type I thought had died out of science-fiction. Exuberant, fun and fast. A little clumsy at times - but the pace carries you through it. Reminiscent of Andre Norton's early books, with just that bit more character-development, and complexity. The story follows three distinct threads - The street-thief boy with soul of a prince, the princess with the soul of a courtesan, the utterly terrible alien-raised shadow of a man with a tabula rasa soul. Appealing characters in very different ways. These three move at breakneck speed on a collision course in a sort of `medieval' world. It's a quest story across painted deserts, mountains and oceans. There is very little description, but it is descriptively the best I've read for a long time. Most authors seem to describe in rather tedious detail if they describe at all. This guy comes up with one sentence stuff. `In the moonlight the tangled weave of sharp edged valleys lay like some gargantuan mauled tapestry below them.' That's all, but I've been into the desert. I worked there for three months, it's a brilliant description. For an American his use of English is very good indeed. Easy to read and with bits of dry humour. The other things I found fascinating was an alien culture where only one sex was intelligent. Oh yes, and food, this guy should definitely on a cooking channel. The story does indeed have a fantasy-like quality to it for sf, but I guess at the level of technology that was inevitable. My favourite character is the hairy gene-splice Beywulf with ape and bear genes in a human - the guy gets described as a cross between mine host of the friendly pub and an axe murderer. That's a great description. I read the book at sitting, because it is sort of a mystery story too and I wanted to know just what happened. No, I didn't work it out, but the clues were there. Also it is fast paced and easy to read. It was only the next day at work that I found myself thinking about the book. Its a good book when you find yourself doing that. I sat there with my mouth open. The author is a sneaky... It's a damned clever spoof of fantasy. It's got all the stock characters doing the opposite to normal fantasy. It's clever but non-intrusive. My only real criticism is that the end is too sudden. I would have liked an epilogue at least to find out what happened. I hope that's because there is a sequel in the pipeline.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced coming-of-age fantasy in science fiction clothing, September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Forlorn (Mass Market Paperback)

"The Forlorn" is at once familiar and intriguingly strange, blending high fantasy archetypes with a fast-paced science fiction plot. Against a backdrop of programmed medieval culture, alien invasion and centuries-old betrayal, a street-rat, a spoiled princess and a born-and-bred warrior must live, learn, grow up and try to save the world from the devilish insectoid Morkth. Guiding our heroes is someone very like an ageless wizard, subtle and quick to anger. The objects of their quest are the gem-like shards of a transporter, a technology so advanced, it is almost indistinguishable from magic.

"The Forlorn' is classic science fiction. It is high fantasy. It is a coming-of-age story reminiscent of S.E. Hinton's works. Read it. It's good.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Medieval adventure with high-tech futuristic twist, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Forlorn (Mass Market Paperback)

The plot of 'The Forlorn' combines an epic old world adventure with a high-tech sci-fi sub-plot, the implications of which only emerge towards the end of the book. The story centres around the life of the main character, a young boy, misfit to the medieval anarchic society from which he escapes. As the boy matures into a young man the plot follows his progress: surviving his escape into the desert, foruitously meeting a mentor, a tough desert rat prospector who has found a fortune in gems but is unwilling to re-join society other than for the momentary pleasures that frontier towns offer. The stability of the young hero's life is abandoned with his first confrontation with the sci-fi element in the book which catapults him into an adventure of epic proportions with strange hostile creatures, treachery, narrow escapes, and even gory battles. Of course there is also a romantic interest woven into the story. The story ends with an unusual twist. It's a good read, I found myself absorbed and not wanting to put the book down, I'm new to sci-fi but thoroughly enjoyed the mix of classic old style adventure story and high-tech futuristic characters. Got to recommend the book if you're looking for some absorbing escapism.