Customer Reviews

The Middle of Nowhere

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"The Middle of Nowhere" accomplishes what few science fiction novels attempt, to explore the aftermath of the "great battle" and its lasting effects on survivors. The starship LS-1187 has limped back to starbase after surviving a battle which destroyed the entire armada to which it had been assigned. The crew, exhausted and elated by their survival against all odds, is treated to the coldest of receptions, while doubt and suspicion hang over the actions and dispositions of their ship. The author gives the reader an intimate view of his character's motivations and emotions, something often lacking in the genre. Add to this a more scientific rendering of space warfare (rather than the romanticised STAR WARS variety.) "The Middle of Nowhere" is engrossing and sometimes enlightening, always entertaining. You needn't have read the other books in the series "Voyage of the Star Wolf" and "Star Hunt" to enjoy this book... but when you are finished with "Middle of Nowhere" you will find yourself seeking them out!

Although this book is a continuation of of another novel (The voyage of the starwolf), it easy to grasp the events that occurred in the first novel without reading it. the events take place onboard a star faring destroyer which is subjected to sabotage by the enemy, and how the crew deal with it. Although this does not seem exciting, but the speculation of the author on how a deep space faring ship would probably be built is appealing to SF fans who insist on finding new and original ideas in every novel they read

AFter the VOYAGE OF THE STARWOLF, I expected the crew to come back to base, get refitted and go after the bad guys. Instead, they remain stuck at Star Dock, savenging their ship to others and playing cat and mouse with a Morthan Imp.

One of the premises of the book is that the humans have superior technology to the Morthan wannabes, but if one Morthan can take down a complete starship, then why do you need all these power warships. All you would need are stealthy transports to get your monsters close.

I realize that any Sequel needs a certain amount of repitition to link to a previous book, but it seemed like a good quarter of the books was the same thing said slightly different.

On whole an unsatisfying read.

If you enjoy a solidly thought out book that explores the strategic implications for interstellar war in the carefully outlined faster than light travel physics in a Star Trek like universe, then you should enjoy this book. You'll need to be very patient if action is more your interest, as the author uses an extended introduction to set the scene and acquaint you with the ship and its crew via the new recruit's initiation task of finding the left handed moebius wrench. The story then segues into an engrossing battle of wits as the crew execute a cunning intellectual strategy to eliminate an enemy imp that is repeatedly sabotaging their efforts to return to battle readiness. What is the imp so effectively and desperately trying to achieve? What ship systems can the crew trust as they try to capture the imp?

While part of a series, the book can equally be enjoyed on its own for the intellectual stimulation, though you do have to live with the loose ends. There are a few non sequiturs (or at least omissions) which could somewhat detract, but I guess these can be forgiven considering the informative detail - not to mention the degree of character development included in the book.

Emerging victorious from another David-eats-Goliath encounter with the Morthan Solidarity, the Star Wolf licks its wounds and makes its way home. The ship's unwelcome reception at Starbase is no surprise to readers of David Gerrold's preceding book, The Voyage of the Star Wolf. The cast of now-familiar characters are joined by some new faces as they and their not-quite-yet-captain Commander Korie struggle to rebuild the ship. They face enemies on all sides as they deal with Morthan sabotage, attempts by the fleet to break up their ship for spare parts, and an impending Morthan attack that no one else sees coming.

This book really should have been packaged with The Voyage of the Star Wolf as a single offering. Although it stands on its own reasonably well, it fixes some flaws in the previous book. In Middle of Nowhere we finally see into the minds and cabins of the Star Wolf's crew and gain some sense of their motivations and concerns. It would be better still if less of this perspective were sexual, and more richly emotional or intellectual. But the main characters at least achieve a second dimension to their personalities, a dimension lacking in the previous book. And Commander Korie's flashbacks build a more credible emotional link with his lost wife and sons.

If you are hooked on the Star Wolf and its Star Trek seen-through-a-glass-darkly universe, this book is for you. If David Gerrold's first book in the series fell a little flat, this sequel could still save it for you. After reading it, I was convinced to move the next book in the series, Blood and Fire, a little higher on my recreational reading list.

Emerging victorious from another David-eats-Goliath encounter with the Morthan Solidarity, the Star Wolf licks its wounds and makes its way home. The ship's unwelcome reception at Starbase is no surprise to readers of David Gerrold's preceding book, The Voyage of the Star Wolf. The cast of now-familiar characters are joined by some new faces as they and their not-quite-yet-captain Commander Korie struggle to rebuild the ship. They face enemies on all sides as they deal with Morthan sabotage, attempts by the fleet to break up their ship for spare parts, and an impending Morthan attack that no one else sees coming.

This book really should have been packaged with The Voyage of the Star Wolf as a single offering. Although it stands on its own reasonably well, it fixes some flaws in the previous book. In Middle of Nowhere we finally see into the minds and cabins of the Star Wolf's crew and gain some sense of their motivations and concerns. It would be better still if less of this perspective were sexual, and more richly emotional or intellectual. But the main characters at least achieve a second dimension to their personalities, a dimension lacking in the previous book. And Commander Korie's flashbacks build a more credible emotional link with his lost wife and sons.

If you are hooked on the Star Wolf and its Star Trek seen-through-a-glass-darkly universe, this book is for you. If David Gerrold's first book in the series fell a little flat, this sequel could still save it for you. After reading it, I was convinced to move the next book in the series, Blood and Fire, a little higher on my recreational reading list.