Customer Reviews

Lords of the starship (The Gregg Press science fiction series)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I just finished this book a couple of days ago, and i found it to be acceptable but hardly exceptional. The concept is interesting but it is executed in a somewhat perfunctory manner. For a novel set in a post-apocalyptic landscape and era, for me it failed to conjure up much sense of despair of hopelessness. The characters are all pretty similar and they are given little actual development, have limited emotional ranges and all seem to have the same sorts of characteristics. In fact parts of this read like a narrative of ideas and images rather than an integrated novel. In regards the 250 year story arc, credit must go to the author for brevity. If this novel were written now it would be a trilogy of massive tomes, each outlining every minute degtail such as how many cats the main characters had in childhood and what their names were. That said though each different era of the novel recieves only pretty cursory treatment, sometimes entire generations are skipped because, well, nothing happened. There are elements of the book that are left un-explored and unexplained and ideas crop up and are forgotten within a page or two. The plot twist that some have referred to was telegraphed from only a short way into the book and was hardly a major surprise.

Overall, the limited depth, characterisation and somewhat limited scope of the authors expression all serve to hold this book back. Basically, yes, you can feel that this is a first novel from a young man, writing a book with guns and swords and tanks, etc. On occassions the characters take second place to the descriptions of machines and battles. Middling writing, fairly average character development.

So, its ok, its not a masterpiece and its not exceptional, its alright, but not great, its so so, the sort of book that you could read amongst a dozen other sci-fi and forget in a week.

This first novel, written while the author was still in college, would be a remarkable achievement for a writer of any age. The premise: in a war-wracked, decaying future, the building of a magnificent starship is planned in order to inspire the populace and help rebuild society. But what sinister power lies behind this noble plan? Not merely generic Evil, but the empty spirits of Entropy and Despair, suggesting that humanity's striving for something wonderful and uplifting is doomed by its own nature ... or is it the uncaring Universe itself that crushes hope? A powerful, thought-provoking novel that deserves to be reprinted. Highly recommended!

Mark Geston wrote this thin book almost 30 years ago and the sense of wonder he is able to invoke in this story is incredible. You actually feel a great sense of the history of the world he fabricates, and the hoplessness, and the hopefulness, too. The idea of building a starship that is seven miles long and a wingspan of three and a half miles, with the exact purpose of carrying man to the new 'Eden' is what grabs you from the get-go, but the further into the book you travel, the more intensely interested you become, for his world is a unique one, and completely unforgettable. I hope someday, he will write another book set in this world

To the customer below asking about the sequel (Out of the Mouth of the Dragon) -- i found it at Berkeley's Dark Carnival. The only reason this is four stars and not five is that the sequel is better. Lords of Starship ends as the last battle -- analogous to Armagedon -- is about to take place. Out of the Mouth of the Dragon takes place centuries later after several "last battles" have tried and failed to bring the endtime. There is no redemption, no final hope, and for the protagonist, not even death --

As a teenager someone gave me this book along with a stack of trashy second-hand pulp sf. Unimpressed by its ... cover and terrible blurb it lay unread. But for some reason I kept it while all the other pulp went straight back to the second-hand shop. Then one summer afternoon years later I took it down off the shelf and I couldn't believe what I'd found. This is a dark, desperate story told with brevity and style and I could not stop reading it until it had reached its terrible but inevitable conclusion.

I've read it again many times and have always forced it on friends as some kind of over-looked masterpiece. Do yourself a favour - find a copy and read it. I would also make it required reading for any would be fantasy writer. Before you begin your turgid trilogy read this book, learn from it, and spare us the tedium. It proves that fantasy can be well written and intelligent.

One of the best SF books you're ever likely to read, (if you can find a copy), with a breadth and scope which is spellbinding. I first read this book in my early teens and it made a huge impression then: The effect has not diminished over the last 25 years. I found the book in a bargain bin and imagined that I was probably one of only a handful to have read and appreciated it. It's great to see that the book and the author enjoying a well deserved high status in the SF world. I can also recommend the classic 'Earth Abides' if you enjoy apocalyptic fiction, and both the 'Complete works of H.G.Wells' and 'Marchers of Valhalla' by R.E. Howard for two strange and haunting collections of short stories.

I have read science fiction for years and years. There are a handful of novels that just rise above the rest. And this novel is right there. It is constantly interesting, fascinating. Read it at least three times before you pass judgment. It is a densely layered but short piece of fiction and endlessly entertaining.

If you liked this one try to find the even better sequel - "Out of the Mouth of the Dragon." It was one of the earliest SF novels that I got into, back when Harlan Ellison's "Dangerous Visions" broke all the rules and ushered in the new age. I was in jr H.S., our S.E. Asian adventure was all the rage and the B-52 was the symbol of man's never ending search for the perfect suicide. Geston's novel of a world aching for its own end was harrowing and beautifully written. Although it has been 30 or more years since I've even seen a copy of it, it's vision still haunts me. If anyone can find a copy, let me know where you got it.

Everyone who has read this has loved it. A very well crafted world. No story I've read since has had this twist of a plot. (and I've been looking) A hidden classic

Many movies and novels have been written about the colony type ships and their trips to the stars. This 1967 novel is a fine example of this type of novel.