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Title: Blood and Fire by David Gerrold ISBN: 1-932100-11-3 Publisher: Benbella Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.71 (7 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: But how does Gerrold REALLY feel about Gene Roddenberry?
Comment: Based on the rather reiterative fore- and afterwords by DC Fontana and Gerrold, respectively, this installment of the Star Wolf's misadventures is a bit of a catharsis for Gerrold regarding the headaches he received trying to get this story filmed as an episode of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. The book is interspersed with sharp jabs at the Star Trek franchise, such as Captain Parsons' previous posting, the "Big E" (the US Navy's nickname for the Enterprise) being too valuable to risk on the front lines due to potential morale problems if it's destroyed, and one of the Norway's doomed crewmembers being named M. Okuda, after TNG production staffer Michael Okuda; I also suspect that the Norway's AI "LENNIE" is named after Roddenberry's lawyer who shot down the episode in preproduction. The death of one recurring character wasn't a surprise if you'd read the Star Wolf Briefing Book, which had marked said character for death. The complaints about it not reading like the earlier Star Wolf books do have merit, since this is technically a novelization of a teleplay, but I was able to shrug it off because I've been experiencing similar with novelizing a screenplay of my own.
Rating: 5
Summary: Another great Star Wolf novel!
Comment: Blood and Fire is another great book, in a wonderful series, from one of America's most underappreciated authors.
I do not understand where the criticisms of some are coming from. The characters and story of Blood and Fire have all of the depth and breadth that those of us who read Gerrold have come to expect from one of his books. In this book, perhaps, Gerrold places a bit more emphasis than he usually does on the subject matter rather than on the internal lives of the characters; the unsophisticated reader may not appreciate that this is a perfectly valid and, in this case, appropriate approach. But don't be surprised to find significant character development here too; Gerrold is, after all, Gerrold.
Blood and Fire is a fantastic continuation of the Star Wolf story and should not be missed.
Rating: 2
Summary: Different writer?
Comment: One of the best books I've ever read in Sci-Fi, was The Voyage of the Star Wolf. In fact, I had re-read it in anticipation of the final book of the trilogy.
It was as fresh and engaging as the first time I had read it. I had forgotten some of the plot, so it was fun to see how Brik and Korie would out smart the terrifying Morthan assassin. Characters were well developed and smartly defined, with fast paced action. The reader is left on the edge of the seat to the very last minute; even past the very last minute.
Blood and Fire reads like a NASA narrative of a Mars mission. Some of the story seems intended to fill pages. Take this passage:
"On the Bridge, Captain Parsons watched the progress of the docking procedure with deep concern."
No, this is not a NASA narrative, this is one of those silly soliloquies one expects from the mouth of an airhead blond on "Days of Our Lives".
Why couldn't Gerrold show us Captain Parsons' concern?
Compare that with this passage from The Voyage of the Star Wolf:
--------
"Korie looked to the captain. The old man was frozen.
"Sir-?"
Captain Lowell started to lift a hand, as if he was about to say something. A thought flashed through Korie's mind. He's never been in a real battle.
Korie whirled. ""Targeting-? Get a lock on her. Battle stations! Stand by to fire.""
HARLIE replied instantly. "Targetting now."
Captain Lowell blinked, as if abruptly realizing where he was: "Uh- what did the flagship say?"
-----
See the contrast? We don't need the author to tell us Captain Lowell was completely freaked out by the Morthan attack, we could feel what was going on in the Captain's mind. We were on the deck of that ship with the attack of the dreaded Morthans underway.
This is Gerrold at his best. Which is why Blood and Fire is a real disappointment. It's as if a really good story concept, Star Wolf, was being used to generate a sequel, and the job was handed off to a team of contract script writers because the original writer was fighting over a contract.
Come on David, you can do better then this.
Two stars only because I admire the author.
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Title: The Middle of Nowhere by David Gerrold ISBN: 1932100105 Publisher: Benbella Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Voyage of the Star Wolf by David Gerrold ISBN: 1932100075 Publisher: Benbella Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold ISBN: 1932100040 Publisher: Benbella Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Starhunt by David Gerrold ISBN: 0553568248 Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 1995 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson ISBN: 0743471792 Publisher: Baen Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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