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John Maddox Roberts
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Eric Kotani
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Island Worlds Paperback – June 1, 1987

by Eric Kotani (Author), John Maddox Roberts (Author)
3.0 3.0 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
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Because of a world-spanning socialistic bureaucracy on Earth in the twenty-first century, those who seek freedom must journey to the space colonies established in the asteroid belt
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  1. Print length
    279 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Baen
  4. Publication date
    June 1, 1987
  5. ISBN-10
    9780671656485
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0671656485
  7. See all details
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3 out of 5 stars
5 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Judah
    2.0 out of 5 stars Predictable Space Cowboys, Pulpy 1980's Style
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2010
    The opening scene features exploitation capitalists going to a party, including Taggart (dig at Dagney from Rand's Atlas Shrugged?). Similar mythological/literary references are sprinkled around the novel: characters are named 'Brunhild' and 'Thor,' a guru calls upon Shiva, and the Hall of the Mountain King is the main center of the asteroid-island of Avalon. Is Van Doorn supposed to parallel comic book villain Von Doom? This is lazy writing rather than an homage. Plotting is space colony rebellion against oppressive Earth, low quality and predictable, with a thick helping of politics. The resource problems of 2010 aren't mentioned, no oil peak or global warming, and the science is sensationalist (nukes and anti-matter) instead of exact.

    Quote from page 17: "The Soviets are headed for the trashbin of history." --> Probably my favorite line from the book.

    Expect more telling than showing, an overuse of expletives involving parentage, hell, and damnation (space cowboy style), and the Texas drawl accent on minor characters. Two and a half stars, rounded down to two.
    One person found this helpful
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  • L.D.Bronstein
    3.0 out of 5 stars Yet another American Revolution In Space novel
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2013
    Yet another "American Revolution In Space" novel. (Curse you, Robert Heinlein, for creating the cliche that became a blight upon us!) It was an enjoyable-enough read, though there's not really much to reccomend it, though there's a bit about a Space Marine hero from a previous generation who's family were sort of hiding the fact he was a midget just mostly out of embarasment. That was a throw-away gag, but was kind of fun. There's an uncomfortable subplot about a teenaged girl being impregnated by a middle-aged man, and this is put forward as if it's ok because the girl is a super-genius, and hence fully in charge of her own decisions. It's a very minor part of the book, but it's still rather ookey and put forth as though it's perfectly OK.

    Haven't read any other books in the series. Doubt I will.
    One person found this helpful
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  • sjm23
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great scifi
    Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2012
    This book explores some interesting topics. Ranging from geo-political power struggles, overpopulation, the ever decreasing natural resources of earth, mass population manipulation through multi-media, and social class structures. The main theme throughout revolves around how it feels to be a colony and the dynamics of wanting to remain independent, reminiscent of stories about the American Colonies wanting to break away from Britain, or Brazil breaking away from Portugal, etc.

    Wonderful concepts are explored about how humanity might go out into space. About how we would live and adapt to life on other planets, moons, and eventually large asteroids.

    Overall a very enjoyable read.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • not4prophet
    2.0 out of 5 stars Predictable, not much fun
    Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2002
    I picked this book up from the library and read it over the holidays since I didn't have anything else to do. While I do enjoy some science fiction, this one was remarkably boring. The authors simply don't have the talent necessary to create real suspense. In addition, this book doesn't feature any of the scientific creativity that marks any good SF works.
    The Island Worlds is set a few hundred years in the future, when some humans have established colonies in the asteroid belt. The Earth, meanwhile, is controlled by one government, and a group of bureaucrats is trying to shut down the space exploration industry, leading to a war between the "good guys" in space and the "bad guys" from Earth. The ending of the book is entirely predictable, and there aren't any major plot events that you can't see coming well in advance. Overall, this book just doesn't stand out from the thousands of other SF titles out there.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • R.P.
    3.0 out of 5 stars Pulp sci-fi
    Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2004
    I read this book back in junior high school. Space colonists residing on the Moon, Mars and hollowed out asteroids rebel against the centralized government of earth. No deep thinking or theorizing along the lines of Heinlein or Asimov, but an enjoyable read.
    7 people found this helpful
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