Planet of the Voles [Paperback]

Charles Platt (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: NY Berkley 1971.; 1St Edition edition (1971)
• ASIN: B002CSVKXE
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

More About the Author

Charles Platt became interested in computers when he acquired an Ohio Scientific C4P in 1979. After writing and selling software by mail order, he taught classes in BASIC programming, MS-DOS, and subsequently Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. He wrote five computer books during the 1980s.

He has also written science fiction novels such as The Silicon Man (published by Wired books) and Protektor (from Avon Books). He stopped writing science fiction when he started contributing to Wired magazine in 1993, and became one of its three senior writers a couple of years later.

Charles began contributing to Make magazine in its third issue and is currently a contributing editor. Make: Electronics is his first book for Make Books. Currently he is designing and building prototypes of medical equipment in his workshop in a northern Arizona wilderness area.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A mediocre sf war story, November 13, 2010

By 

TChris (Tzer Island) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Planet of the Voles: A Science Fiction Novel. (Hardcover)

Genetically engineered soldiers, born in a bio-womb, are bred to fight an interstellar war against the Voles. As the novel opens, a warship is on its way to liberate a planet that the Voles occupy. Tomas, the ship's artist, and Jon, a smallish engineer whose job is to clean the ship's drive tube, are the only two survivors when Voles attack the ship while it's in hyperspace. The reason for their survival is something of a mystery until the story nears its end.

After the ship enters normal space, it automatically goes into orbit around the Vole-occupied planet. Tomas and Jon take a lander to the planet's surface to find a water supply so they can refuel the ship. There they encounter Voles and some humans from a previous expedition who now live a zombie-like existence. The story moves on from there, all too predictably.

Tomas' battle against the Voles depends upon an unlikely technological device that's conveniently available to Tomas -- one of a few silly plot devices that detract from the novel's credibility. The reason for Tomas' ability to survive the Vole's attack wasn't hard to guess, leading to a predictable resolution that was probably meant to be surprising. The story moves quickly and the writing is competent but it's easy to understand why this novel hasn't stayed in print. It's okay for what it is, but barely okay. I would give it 2 1/2 stars if that option were available.