Starseed [Paperback]

S. Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1992

When a personal tragedy destroys her hopes for fame as a dancer on Earth, Rain McLeod volunteers for the Starseed Foundation, a symbiotic lifeform that enables her to defy the laws of gravity in space. Reprint. LJ. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Robinsons return to the setting of their previous collaboration ( Stardance ) to further explore a universe in which humans are given the opportunity to live rarefied lives on the transplanted asteroid Top Step. The Starseed Foundation offers to train volunteers in preparation for joining with a symbiotic lifeform that provides all needed nourishment--food, water, air--and allows humans to live in vacuum. Humans who sign on also become telepathic with one another. The price, one's worldly possessions, is gladly paid by 46-year-old Rain McLeod, who has had to give up dancing (in gravity) because of knee and back injuries. She and several dozen other hopefuls move to Top Step, where the plot expands to include several religious groups offended by the heaven-off-earth created by the symbiote and the plans of various power hungry countries back on earth. The Robinsons' message--that love and communication are what being human is really about--is delivered with plenty of action, high tech and character development in a story that moves along briskly.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

For Rain MacLeod, the Top Step program, which transforms humans into immortal Stardancers able to live in the vacuum of space, represents her only hope of continuing her dance career despite her failing body. For a few short-sighted others, the existence of Stardancers represents a threat to all humanity. Suspense builds slowly but inexorably in the latest novel by the authors of Stardance (Dell, 1979) as Rain must choose between her private dream and the greater good in a world poised on the verge of an evolutionary leap. Solid plotting enlivened by dashes of zen and modern dance make this a good choice for most libraries.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 247 pages
• Publisher: Ace; 1ST edition (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441783600
• ISBN-13: 978-0441783601
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,030,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a magical dream, June 15, 2000

By 

"nyki" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starseed (Hardcover)

For anyone that has a love of space and Earth itself, this a dream come true to read. The storyline is truly compelling, and the philosophies are enlightening. I was 15 when I first read this book, and was so touched by it that I was dreaming about it at night, and began looking up any organizations that were trying to achieve something like "TopStep". A great book, anytime.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I really injoyed this book!, May 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Starseed (Hardcover)

I have never read Stardance so I am not comparing it to Starseed. I really injoyed this book. I couldnt keep it down. Im an avid book reader and this one is now one of my faviorits! I loved the way that the author told the story as if she were Morgan McLeod. I liked the use of zen in the book it was intresting to find out more about another cluture while reading an intresting book. I am really looking foward to reading Stardance now.

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent sequel to Stardancer., December 21, 2003

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Starseed (Paperback)

I'd been a big fan of Stardancer/Starseed as a young teenager, so I was curious and picked the book up again now. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up all that well over time. The plot is okay, and a lot of the book is well written.

Where it falls down is the pacing (weirdly way too fast in some places) and some pretty serious plot inconsistencies. I got the feeling (fair or not) that the Robinsons wrote this book too quickly and without leaving themselves enough time to finish it properly.

A dancer joins a foundation designed to help people become symbiotic stardancers, but becomes embroiled in a plot to destroy the stardancers entirely.