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Title: Starfire by Charles Sheffield ISBN: 0-553-57739-5 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 02 May, 2000 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.91 (11 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Will the real Nero Wolfe please stand up?
Comment: Starfire is ostensibly a sequel to Aftermath, but you don't really need to read Aftermath first. Me, I read them in the wrong order and still enjoyed both.
This book is Sheffield's take on the old Nero Wolfe concept - a brilliant detective who has someone else to do the legwork. In this case, the Wolfe role is filled by the serial killer/Clone King Dr. Oliver Guest, and the Goodwin role by our old friend Seth Parsigian.
The science is, as always for Sheffield, spot on... within the limits of SF. The best definition of Hard SF I ever heard was this: Take or create *one* outlandish but possible theory, assume that it's true, and leave the rest of known science intact. Project how the truth of such a theory would affect humanity, and then write the book. Mr. Sheffield stayed true to this concept throughout his career, with admirable results.
My one real problem from a character perspective in this book is based on the interactions from the prior one: Imagining a Tanaka/Auden ticket forming in the first place seems quite a stretch for both of them. But maybe that's just me.
Rating: 4
Summary: Terrific hard SF intertwined with a good murder mystery
Comment: I read this book without realizing it is a second part of a series. It gives enough background information to stand on its own - and stand very tall indeed. "Star Fire" is both a good science and a good fiction fiction, with a scientifically plausible yet totally unexpected ending. At least one unexpected ending - I figured out the killer's identity about halfway through the book, but it does require careful attention to details. While it is hard to imagine detectives who would keep their mind on solving a murder while the world is about to end, Sheffield manages to make it believable. The most complex and interesting character in the book is one of two detectives - a Hannibal Lecter type genius serial killer enlisted to catch another serial killer, - but other characters are good also. The weakest point - indeed the reason I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 5, - is one major female character who starts out as an incredibly tough and ruthless "corporate Mata Hari", then suddenly falls in love and comes totally unglued. Considering the nature of organization she works for and the fact that she managed to reach Number 2 in it, this is pathetic.
I am looking forward to the sequel, but I don't think I will bother reading the first book in the series ("Aftermath"). It did not get very good reviews, and "Star Fire" seems to adequately summarize what happened before.
Rating: 4
Summary: Sheffield, give us more!
Comment: This book was one of the most frustrating books I have ever read and enjoyed. Since I did not read Aftermath, it took me a while to get into the story and understand the characters. Sheffield offers too many charachers and it is quite a challenge to determine who is going to be key and who is forgettable. However, by the time I got to the middle of the book I was hooked. I read until 4 AM and had bloodshot eyes and a crick in my neck. But then I got to the end, and hence my frustration, and my criticism.
1. In a hurry, skip "the private diary of Oliver Guest". The Sky City murders were a completely separate story. It seemed they existed simply to reprise a favorite character, but there was no real tie in to the Alpha C story. The motive did not support the crime. The crime did not make any difference to the future of Sky City. The criminal was not publically unmasked so the community was not satisfied. This subplot may have been better resolved in its own book.
2. The main story seemed oddly incomplete. I like a story that is character driven, but I want complete characters. I do not want to wait on a sequel, I want to know now. What happens to the Argos Group? What was Gordy's legacy? Was Nick redeemed? Was Seth redeemed? Did Maddy and John ever hold hands? What happened to other countries and the other world leaders? And who are those people pictured on the book cover?
I have read other novels by Sheffield and this is not the first time that I thought he just stopped writing when the main plot was solved. I would like a little bit more. I need an upbeat ending that is both positive for science and positive for people.
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Title: Aftermath by Charles Sheffield ISBN: 0553577387 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 03 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Spheres of Heaven by Charles Sheffield ISBN: 067131856X Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Dark as Day by Charles Sheffield ISBN: 0812580311 Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Pub. Date: 14 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Cold As Ice by Charles Sheffield ISBN: 0812511638 Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Pub. Date: 15 June, 1993 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Transvergence by Charles Sheffield ISBN: 0671578375 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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