Leaping to the Stars [Paperback]

David Gerrold (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Tor Books (2002)
• ASIN: B000OTM2B2
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

More About the Author

David Gerrold is a figment of his own imagination.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The three books in this series are excellent, April 7, 2002

By 

ginnyk "ginnyk" (Glenside, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leaping To The Stars: Book Three in the Starsiders Trilogy (Hardcover)

These are excellent books - Jumping Off the Planet, Bouncing Off the Moon, and Leaping to the Stars, especially for adolescents and teens. Having read SF for 50 years I found them to be well written, well plotted, believable and interesting - in some ways reminiscent of Heinlein's best juveniles but with more "human" characters (always Heinlein's weakness). With a 13 year old story teller/protagonist, the series touches on such topics as artificial intelligence, sentience, "who am I", good/evil, the purpose/role of government, and economics. It starts with a believable future Earth (nearing apocolyptic status) scenario, the science is believable and fairly well, if lightly, explained. Lots of adventures, dilemmas, rescues, and some romance. And interesting to see how an originally disfunctional family learns to become functional and a family. A "coming of age" tone for the protagonist as he discovers "who am I". Worth reading, and if you want to introduce an adolescent or teenager to SF, this is a good series to start with.
If you are a parent thinking about these books for your child, note that there is a homosexual relationship in the series. I don't find this a problem, but you might.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth the leap, March 1, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leaping To The Stars: Book Three in the Starsiders Trilogy (Hardcover)

Thirteen-year-old Charles "Chigger" Dingillian and his reconciling family seek a new home. They debate whether to relocate to the Outbeyond, light years from earth. Ultimately they vote overwhelmingly for relocating to the somewhat unknown Outbeyond.

However, the trip across the stars turns dangerous because everyone seems to want Chigger's HARLIE unit, an artificial intelligence device placed inside a monkey. The government, revolutionaries, and revelationists want HARLIE for different reasons. The government believes the device is so superior it will enable them to strengthen their positions of power. The revolutionaries want the unit so they can overthrow the government and take over the positions of power. However, the greatest known peril to the Dingillian brood comes from the revelationists who consider HARLIE as evil and his owners as devils needing eradication. Then there is HARLIE growing in intelligence to the point that even Chigger fears where the AI gadget is going.

LEAPING TO THE STARS is a fantastic concluding tale to David Gerrold's wonderful trilogy starring Chigger and his family. The story line is faster than space travel and will hook fans of the two previous novels from the very first meeting between the Dingillians and Commander Boynton leader of the ship taking them to the Outbeyond. New readers either should try the first two books before this novel or stay patient while Chigger methodically fills in the gaps from events previously told. Science fiction fans will jump, bounce, and leap to the stars with the Dingillian clan trilogy.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars David Gerrolds writting always cuts to the bone, May 2, 2008

By 

Scott B. Carle (South Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leaping To The Stars (Starsiders Trilogy) (Hardcover)

I have read just about everything David Gerrold has written and this the third book in the Dillinger trilogy doesn't disappoint. It is Gerrold at his best, making you feel what it is to be young and facing adult issues, hope and hurt, in the midst of a solid science fiction backdrop.