Orion Among the Stars [Mass Market Paperback]

Ben Bova (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1996

More than human and less that a god, John O'Ryan is Orion, made by the Creators who rule outside of time. His purpose is to do their bidding. Now, Orion has becomee a key piece in a cosmic game between two of the Creators--Anya, the goddess he loves, and Aten, the god who toys with his destiny.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This book continues the saga of Orion the Hunter (Orion and the Conqueror, etc.), as he seeks to wrest control of his soul and destiny from the Creator, Aten, and be joined with his beloved Goddess and lover, Anya. In this volume, the stakes have escalated. Orion, who is sent by Aten to fight in wars throughout the vast continuum of space and time, is now a soldier in an intergalactic war, commander of a troop of cloned humans whose sole reason for existence is to serve the rest of humanity as cannon fodder. Gradually, Orion realizes that just as these clones are pawns in a fight that's not really theirs, he is a pawn of Aten and the Creators. As his power and independence develop, Orion realizes that all the wars in which he fights are battles in an epic conflict among the Creators. He is contacted by the Old Ones, an ancient race which threatens to destroy the younger, sentient species if they do not cease developing their ultimate weapon of destruction. Six-time Hugo winner Bova tells a suspenseful tale in workmanlike prose, keeping things simple enough to be enjoyed even by those unfamiliar with the earlier books in the saga.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The popular author of numerous sf classics returns to his swashbuckling fantasies (e.g., Orion and the Conqueror, LJ 2/15/94) with this tale of swords and spaceships.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812535111
• ISBN-13: 978-0812535112
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Orion finally makes it into the "future", February 26, 2004

By 

Adam Missner (Roswell, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orion Among the Stars (Hardcover)

Orion Among the Stars is the first Orion novel set entirely in the future. Orion leads a band of cloned soldiers in a galactic civil war that pits Creator against Creator. In this novel Orion is again out of place, but this time he does not have the advantage of his understanding of the future to help him in his battles. The story's action is just as strong as the previous 4 Orion books, but Bova introduces some unique new ideas in this book, such as cloned soldiers who are frozen between battles and do not have the rights one would expect human beings to have. In one interesting sequence Orion is arguing with an old time Army officer that the soldiers deserve a batter life, while the officer cannot get over the idea that they were cloned to be warriors and they are somewhat less than human. Obviously, this parallels Orion's own existence. Bova also introduces the idea that there are other species in the galaxy with more power than even the Creators, and those advanced species do not want to get involved in the petty disputes of the less advanced species. This acts as a reminder that the Creators themselves are descended from humans, because their strongest desire is for war and domination. Sadly, this is the last Orion novel and while Bova ended it on the same note of continuation, it does not look like Orion will be resurrected anytime soon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Orion among the stars, November 19, 2002

By 

GilGaMish (Flint, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orion Among the Stars (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book a year before my first year in college. I definitely recommend this book for anyone that enjoyed books like "Starship Troopers", "Forever War" and etc. "Orion Among the stars" is a book in the same grain as those. The book is military sci-fi (the best type of fiction of course).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating, June 22, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orion Among the Stars (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book last year and I still think about how well written it was, I absolutely loved every page. I mean the plot is great with real characters that put you at the edge of your seat. The action parts are fairly descriptive and there is some great ideas put into the plot. Overall excellent story, I will treasure this book dearly. I recommend you read it, it's fabulous. A great sci-fi read. Try it!