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Liked It “Not the Russo that you're thinking of. Whether a fortunate or unfortunate coincidence, this Russo doesn't have quite the same accomplished catalog, but this is definitely the crown jewel of the lesser-Russo's catalog. A completely original sci-fi novel that takes place thousands of years in the...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Not the Russo that you're thinking of. Whether a fortunate or unfortunate coincidence, this Russo doesn't have quite the same accomplished catalog, but this is definitely the crown jewel of the lesser-Russo's catalog. A completely original sci-fi novel that takes place thousands of years in the future aboard a "generation" ship that has no real mission and has no memory of how to get back to Earth. Follows the main protagonist, Bartolomeo (one of the ship's mechanics) as they encounter a strange alien world whose civilization has seemingly been slaughtered by another unknown race -who's ship they encounter shortly thereafter. The author also builds in several interesting elements concerning society on the ship, including its leadership and religion and class structure. One of those stories that builds the suspense and horror because of what you don't see. A hidden gem now, that may be difficult to find, but a definite must for any sci-fi fan. ”
Kai P wrote this review Tuesday, September 1 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Loved this story but was bummed about the ending. ”
Shawna wrote this review Sunday, August 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Interesting and captivating. Had to finish it as soon as I started. Filled with suspense, drama, conflicts, and emotion. Takes you to another world.”
Jessica M wrote this review Saturday, July 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Hard sci fi, by a great soft soft sci fi writer”
Mr. Potatoehead wrote this review Sunday, June 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The story of the Argonos and its crew is compelling, well structured, and very well written. Typically, I can't stand a book written in the first person, but here it fit very well. This included so many of my favorite scifi elements, without being of the Star Trek/Star Wars kind. Politics, religion, and the question of true good and evil are central plot elements. A level of suspense and horror is achieved, but in such a way in that it doesn't overpower the story. My only real complaint about the book is the ending: it seems to wrap up too quickly and in a way that was too reminiscent (for me, anyways) of the BSG ending--and yes, I know this was written before BSG.”
Jeramy H wrote this review Tuesday, May 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“SF novel with the inhabitants of a generation starship encountering a mysterious BDO. Most of it's pretty good. The politics and society of the starship are well-defined, with a power struggle between the Captain and a Bishop, and the protagonist is laconically interesting.
TheophileEscargot wrote this review Sunday, May 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
However, the ending is a bit disappointing: the plot is resolved, but the big mysteries aren't explained.”
“The multi-generation starship Argonos has aimlessly wandered the galaxy for hundreds of years, searching for any signs of life. Its original mission and destination have long ago been forgotten. Returning to Earth is not an option, for it has become a toxic, irradiated wasteland. A mysterious signal draws the ship to an abandoned colony on an Earth-like planet. Nikko, the ship’s captain, barely averts a mutiny as several hundred passengers would rather take their chances on the planet than stay on the ship any longer. The planet’s attraction suddenly disappears when several hundred humanoid corpses are discovered in an underground room. The colony is abandoned because the inhabitants were slaughtered. Later, the Argonos comes upon what looks like a huge, derelict alien ship. Bartolomeo, Nikko’s friend and advisor, advocates exploring the ship thoroughly. On the other hand, Bishop Saldana, Nikko’s rival for the captaincy, is all for putting as much distance as possible between the ships. He is not the only one who feels malevolence, if not actual evil, from the alien ship. Room after room is explored on the alien ship, most of them being empty, with little or no sign of aliens. The decision is made to attach the two ships together, and tow the alien ship to an intelligent civilization (there has to be one somewhere) as a peace offering. Then, several hundred more humanoid corpses are discovered on the alien ship. Even Bartolomeo is convinced that the sooner they get away from the alien ship, the better. Now, the alien ship comes alive, refusing to let go of the Argonos. This is a really good, well-done story looking at the concept of evil. The author does a good job with the characters, and it will certainly keep the reader interested. ”
plappen wrote this review Thursday, August 9 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Richard Paul Russo won a Philip K. Dick award for this great novel of space travel, which incorporates moments of terror as visceral as any in the film "Alien".”
Gregory_Frost wrote this review Sunday, July 22 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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