The Stars Are Also Fire [Mass Market Paperback]

Poul Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1995

Larry Niven called Harvest of Stars "a masterpiece."

Now Poul Anderson returns to the same brilliantly conceived future to tell a story of revolution and liberation on the Moon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this semi - sequel to last year's Harvest of Stars , Anderson, winner of seven Hugos and three Nebulas, gets back on track. Where its predecessor was disjointed, unbalanced and clogged with capitalist-libertarian preaching, this novel offers suspense, vivid writing and appealing characters wrestling with a big philosophical problem: Is a peaceful, stable life under the benign rule of superintelligent machines a utopia--or comfortable slavery? To explore this question, Anderson traces two converging plot lines. In one, Dagny Beynac--a descendant of Anson Guthrie, founder of the vastly powerful Fireball Enterprises--devotes her life to preserving peace on the Moon, in the process becoming the progenitor of a new race of genetically engineered "Lunarians." Centuries after her death, the solar system is governed by the "cybercosm," a network of machine intelligences--but a secret preserved since Dagny Beynac's time could threaten the cybercosm's hegemony. Ian Kenmuir, a space pilot in the service of the Lunarians, and Aleka Kame, a human ally of the genetically engineered "metamorphs" of Earth, race against time, their own consciences and the deadly pursuit of the cybercosm's agent Venator to bring the secret to light. Though Anderson's politics still color the tale, Kenmuir and Kame are never so certain of themselves or the answers as were Guthrie and others in Harvest , and the result is an engrossing story that leaves the reader wondering about the human need for fresh horizons, adventure and danger.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

As human governments labor to construct a habitat in space that will enable Earth's population to exploit the mineral resources of its moon, a small group of Lunarians, genetically altered for survival in low gravity, search the past to find a way to preserve their way of life and their independence. Spanning 500 years, Anderson's latest novel offers a tale of dynastic intrigue and high adventure as two distinct visions of human destiny struggle for ascendancy. Combining complex, believable characters with a skillfully orchestrated plot, the author of Harvest of Stars (Tor Bks., 1993) continues to demonstrate his storytelling excellence. Recommended for most libraries.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Tor Science Fiction; First Edition edition (October 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812530225
• ISBN-13: 978-0812530223
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I struggled with this book for about 75 pages, then..., September 8, 2011

By 

ricko - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stars Are Also Fire (Hardcover)

I struggled with this book for about 75 pages, then I got it, then I lost it again, then I didn't understand what all the commotion was about at the end. I thought all the flip-flopping between centuries and all the technical jargon made this novel taxing for me. It's not a bad novel, it's just not what I expected from the great sci-fi writer, Poul Anderson. The idea that the Human Race could be controlled by a cybercosm ( an network of artificial intelligences ) is not new, but it's motives are. The idea that a A.I. system would care if we explored the heavens, or got along with each other is doubtful.

The novel switches back and forth between the early days of moon occupation and the drama of moon/ earth tension centuries later. It seems that Lunarians want absolute sovereignty from the World Federation and Peace Authority, which are now the chief honchos on Earth. The Lunarians are genetically altered humans that were honed for survival in low gravity.

The early part of the story mainly concerns Dagny Beynac, her children, Anson Guthrie and his company Fireball Enterprises. They control the moon's activities and provide Earth with many minerals and innovations. Dagny's children find a new planet, but keep it a family and Fireball secret. Why a secret? What's to be learned from it? The Beynac family die off as the centuries go by with the secret intact. Later Anson Guthrie, now a downloaded robot, and some Lunarians depart for Alpha Centauri for eternity.

The other part of the story is about a powerful Lunarian, Lilisaire; and her agents, Ian and Aleka chasing down the concealment from the Beynac family centuries past. They believe the secret will hold off Earth's invasion of people and give the moon it's independence. They are pursued by the Cybercosm and it's agent, Venator. Will the mystery of the Beynac's be solved? Will the information gain the Moon's freedom? Is the secret about the unknown planet, or something completely different?

I thought the novel was well written with good character development, but was filled with too much nonsensical technical language. Since it's a Poul Anderson book, I still recommend this work.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As brilliant in scope and accomplishment as Harvest of Stars, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Stars Are Also Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

This second installment in Anderson's H.O.S. universe takes place about hundreds of years after the first one. Now the world is controlled by benevolent and caring but stifling machine intelligences. Dagney Beynac, a descendent of Anson Guthrie's, and others go on a round the solar system jaunt searching for an elusive secret that she believes is the key to reigniting the passion for exploration that the majority of now-pacified humans had lost in their centuries of being coddled by AI beings. A secret that the AIs and their conglomerated consciousness, the Teramind, will do anything to protect. Really on par with Harvest Of Stars, which means a lot, unless you haven't read HOS in which case you shouldn't be trying to buy this book, because it is a sequel to an equal or better novel.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Reluctant two stars, March 20, 2009

By 

paladin "voracious reader" (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stars Are Also Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

I gave it two stars, reluctantly, because despite the libertarian politico-economic spouting of some of the characters, and the tired back and forth across centuries, the first half or so of the book at least had some suspense and (slow and creaky) character development, and an expectation of an exciting and interesting denouement. But by the end I was left sitting there thinking, "That's it? That's it?!"

All along I kept thinking that there had to be something about the object of the search other than its simple existence. Why otherwise would one side try so valiantly to find it, and the other side so desperately to keep it hidden. Why, indeed? I'm still wondering...

Pass this one up. I've been a fan of Poul Anderson's for a long time, but some of his latter-day stuff just isn't up to it. This is one fine example.