The Killing Star [Mass Market Paperback]

Charles Pellegrino (Author), George Zebrowski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1996

The only survivors from Earth after an alien species attempts to wipe out all life, a small group of people frantically studies the destructor's technology in the hopes of escaping the same fate. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Pellegrino and Zebrowski hang a whirlwind of ideas within the framework of the traditional sf concept of first contact with intelligent aliens. Their yarn is full of action and danger to the human race, too--and without dividing the cast into good guys and bad. Among their double handful of ideas are concepts concerning enhanced human intelligence, several superweapons, new energy sources, and the Titanic disaster (on which Pellegrino is a recognized expert). All of this does not make the book's plot easy to follow. On the other hand, all the idea mongering shows so much creativity and knowledge that you almost wind up not caring whether the book has a plot. Pellegrino and Zebrowski are working territory not too far removed from Arthur C. Clarke's, and anywhere Clarke is popular, this book should be, too. Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Dr. Charles Pellegrino is the author of twelve books, including Unearthing Atlantis and Her Name, Titanic. He is a paleontologist who designs robotic space probes and relativistic rockets. In his spare time, Pellegrino writes mindbending technothrillers. Jan de Bont, the director of Speed and Twister, has recently signed on to direct the film adaptation of Pellegrino's Dust. Dr. Pellegrino lives in New York. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books; 1st edition (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380770261
• ISBN-13: 978-0380770267
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,089,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Charles Pellegrino is the author of twelve books, including Unearthing Atlantis and Her Name, Titanic.He is a paleontologist who designs robotic space probes and relativistic rockets and is the scientist whose dinosaurs cloning recipe inspired Michael Crichton's bestselling novel Jurassic Park. In his spare time, Dr. Pellegrino writes acclaimed sf novels and mind-bending technothrillers. Jan de Bont, the director of Speed and Twister, has been signed on to direct the film version of Pellgrino's biological disaster novel Dust.The recipient of the 2000 Isaac Asimov Memorial Award for Science Writing, Dr. Pellegrino lives in New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The dangers of life in the universe, January 6, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Killing Star (Mass Market Paperback)

A realistic answer to Fermi's paradox: "Why are They Not Here?". A space-faring civilization will have ships travelling at a good fraction of the speed of light. Such ships pose a grave danger to any inhabited planet. Because of the high kinetic energies involved, such a ship would wipe out life on a planet, were it to collide with it. In other words, a star-travelling ship is indistinguishable from a planet-busting relativistic bomb. What would a rational civilization do, given this scenario? It would lay low, and pre-emptively strike against any new neighbor. The situation is not the same as the state of mutually assured destruction existent on our planet. The first relativistic strike is not traceable to the origin, and is likely to be decisive. The answer to Fermi's paradox? They are all hiding. As for the book, it has an audacious style, which I like very much. An action oriented book on a grand scale with solid technical underpinnings.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Maybe SETI is not such a good idea!, November 19, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Killing Star (Hardcover)

I read a lot. Quite frankly, most of what I read is trash. However, "The Killing Star" is one of a select few hard sci-fi novels I really, really, enjoyed. It is the only book I have read this year that I am still discussing with my friends. Get a buddy to read this book with you and the debate can be endless (i.e. a great choice for a sci-fi book club).The basic premise is that the search for extraterrestrial life (SETI) is frought with dangers. With some nicely done analogies and symbolism, the authors equate SETI to the the voyage of the TITANIC going full speed through fields of ice. Basically, the authors opine that any sufficiently advanced alien lifeform has no choice but to destroy any technologically advanced race it comes into contact with, so human beings should not be so eager to contact aliens by sending messages, radio communications, etc., into the deep reaches of unknown space. Why? Read the book. You will not be disapointed.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King of Pop Destroys the World, May 18, 2004

By 

Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Killing Star (Mass Market Paperback)

While looking for some hard science fiction I happened across THE KILLING STAR by Charles Pellagrino and George Zebrowski. This is hard science fiction at it's best. The novel comprises a number of cautionary tales and thumbs its nose at Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov.

The book opens with relativistic bombs wiping out almost all life in the solar system. Relativistic bombs are missiles (just chunks of rock, really) that have been accelerated to a significant portion of the speed of light. Carl Sagan has stated that any advanced civilization that does not destroy itself becomes peaceful. THE KILLING STAR claims otherwise. I do not recommend this book to anyone that has paranoid tendencies. It is well written and frightening. So clearly frightening that it reminded me of THE HOT ZONE which is nonfiction.

Most of the book follows the few survivors scattered across the solar system and their efforts to survive after the cataclysm. Many interesting scientific studies and theories are brought up muck like in a goor Arthur C. Clarke novel.

So why do aliens try and wipe us out? Michael Jackson wrote a song about unity. Hordes of artists sang it. In 1985 every radio station on the planet broadcast it simultaneously. The song was We Are The World and the broadcast was the single "loudest" shout sent by us into space. Think about the song's message and the way it was broadcast. Read this book.