Dorsai!

Dorsai Series, Book 1

By: Gordon R. Dickson

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Throughout the Fourteen Worlds of humanity, no race is as feared and respected as the Dorsai. The ultimate warriors, they are known for their deadly rages, unbreakable honor, and fierce independence. No man rules the Dorsai, but their mastery of the art of war has made them the most valuable mercenaries in the known universe. Donal Graeme is Dorsai, taller and harder than any ordinary man. But he is different as well, with talents that maze even his fellow Dorsai. And once he ventures out into the stars, the future will never be the same....

©1988 George R. Dickson (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

35 years ago I loved this. Now it seems very thin

In 1957, two years before the first version of “Dorsai!” was serialized in in “Astounding Science Fiction”, Peter Graham coined the phrase: “The Golden Age of Science Fiction is twelve.”

I started reading science fiction in the sixties when I was ten but I didn’t get to “Dorsai!” until my early twenties. I was still a twelve-year-old at heart and most science fiction excited me. I loved the puzzle-solving, the removal of constraints, the triumph of optimism. I was already being lured towards a different, more socially-based sensibility by writers like Ursula K Le Guin and her “Left Hand of Darkness” but I was still up for hard-core space opera when I read “Dorsai!”

At the time, I found it literally astonishing: the idea of a military race, bred to fight and lead and win, producing a genius who would shape the fate of many world’s by fighting as little as possible was new and fresh. The pace was brisk, The plot turned on its heals at lightning speed and the ending caught me completely by surprise. It was a celebration of what I was looking for in Science Fiction at the time.

So, when I saw the audio version on audible.com, I thought it would be fun to relive all of that.

It turns out, I’m not twelve any more. I was not thrilled. The plot is still clever and the pace is still brisk but how had I not seen how shallow the characters were, how ridiculously male-dominated the book was, how morally bankrupt the politics was and how dishonestly bloodless the fighting was?

“Dorsai!” is well read by Stefan Rudnicki and offers a pleasant way to while away the hours. It is a book of its time but that time is no longer mine.

Ok This is the outline, where is the book?

I enjoy Scifi and books in series so I was hoping for a good one here. I wound up frustrated and shaking my head. It is like an outline with no details. Very little is explained enough so you can swallow it. WARNING-Spoilers ahead...So this 18 year old leaves home by himself for space for the first time, meets a prince on board the ship he is on, who puts him in charge of a force of seasoned ground fighting mercenaries who he then saves because he knows more than they do and then he has the commander of the group shot. Huh? The prince is mad, but that's ok cause the kid already has another job where where he takes 5 ships and does something that everyone said couldn't be done, so they put him in charge of a planetary force. Makes sense, right? He wins one battle on the ground and commands five ships that pretend to attack to scare a planet, so that qualifies him in to be in charge of a whole planet's army. He wins one battle, so then the make him Commander and Chief of All of the planetary armies! At that point I gave up and moved on to a much better book. oh well...I wish I had that credit back....

50's superhero

Share's review pretty much tells it. I believe this is the kind of Sci Fi that John W. Campbell pushed back when he ruled the Sci Fi world. Our hero never ever makes a mistake. He makes all the right decisions and predicts what everyone else is always going to do before they know they are going to do it. Not once but twice the higher command is all killed off and our hero takes immediate charge. Unlike some other books of this time, he has no interest in woman. Woman fall for him, but he seems to have no hormones. The moral of the story seems to be that we all need to make the right decisions.

Story showing its age, but excellent reading

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Sure. It's the first in a series, though when it was written I don't think a series was planned. And the story is sometimes a bit thin. But the reading by Stefan Rudnicki is excellent, and overall well worth the credit.

Have you listened to any of Stefan Rudnicki’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to many of Mr. Rudnicki's readings, and enjoy them all. He has become the voice I want to hear when listening to science fiction/fantasy.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, not particularly. That's generally not an option for me regardless.

Any additional comments?

Will be trying later books in the series.

dorsai

Dorsai tells a story about a man is unique in his intelligence and abilities. He is from a world where people are mercenaries and have a code of honor and higher themselves to other planets as elite soldiers. By smart thinking, tactical genius, and strength, he elevates himself in power and becomes a hero. There are multiple worlds, space flight and fights, politics and power struggles. I enjoyed following the main character on his journey through his life. However, it got a little strange and hard to follow when the author went on about genes and these strange super abilities. There was a feeling of something missing at times and the book jumps around strangely. The ending lost a star for me as well. I was looking forward to the next book, but I am not sure anymore.

A Classic that still holds up well

Although a bit dated these days in terms of modern culture and technology, it is still well worth following Dickson as he explores his ideas.

Before it's time.

Would you consider the audio edition of Dorsai! to be better than the print version?

I read the book when it first came out. At that time it was cutting edge SF. Super-ior fighters, mental powers, great stuff. The listen was as good as I remember the read was.
Ive been wanting to re-visit some old time memories, this was and now IS a good one.
However, not as much action as I remembered.

Who was your favorite character and why?

When I first read it I WAS the lonely misunderstood hero . . . maybe I still am.

What about Stefan Rudnicki’s performance did you like?

The narration didn't intrude on the story. I wasn't aware of the characters more than the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I thought the part about the hero

Any additional comments?

I'm looking forward to the rest of the 'Dorsai' series.

old fav, new format

Would you consider the audio edition of Dorsai! to be better than the print version?

only better in terms of storage, we're downsizing!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Donal Graeme was a strong believable character throughout his growth as a person

What about Stefan Rudnicki’s performance did you like?

unobtrusive

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

All Gordon R. Dickson books are books you want to inhale

Dorsai. Not enough "meat" to the story

I listen while working, and kept imagining that I'd zoned out and missed some key detail of the book. But when I rewound the audio, there wasn't anything I'd missed. There are HUGE leaps of faith in the tale, and the reader is expected to just accept. In the end, I wasn't sure what had happened. I don't think I'll be continuing the series.

A sentimental favorite from childhood/adolescence.

Many elements of "Tactics of Mistake" which was my first time seeing this general plot and main character. It was a lot more profound when I was less educated in science and math. Listening to "Dorsai!" many years later, some of his technical stuff is just gobbledygook. I think I prefer "Tactics of Mistake" to this one. But I'm going to try to go thru the whole series, to see where Dickson took it. He wrote some pretty tight shorts and novellas in the Dorsai universe.

I think my first exposure to this universe were shorts/novellas in Dad's Analogs, back in the '70s.

I’d forgotten how good these books are!

I first started reading these books in the mid ‘80s. The local newsagent used to buy in books cheap that had printing errors. I bought Dorsai! for a price of a couple of Marathon bars and a bottle of pop.
I was a hard science-fiction fan even then, but I remember being blown away by the quality of writing for something I had bought so cheaply!
I had no idea at the time that I held in my hand a classic of science fiction.
So here I am 30+ years later being thrilled once again by this incredible work of fiction. The character depth, and the story are still as engaging as ever. Timeless.

I was not sure when I started listening that the deep gruff voice of Stefan Rudnicki would sit well with my personal narration preferences, but I have to say that now I have finished this listen, he was the perfect choice for this reading.
Clear, concise, and giving a no-nonsense ‘manly’ telling of war and intrigue in a distant future of the human race.

Gordon R. Dickson - the world is poorer for your loss.

Great to listen to story I read 40 years ago

Would you consider the audio edition of Dorsai! to be better than the print version?

Can't remember as so long ago, but narration is good

What did you like best about this story?

A persons story - in a futuristic galaxy

What about Stefan Rudnicki’s performance did you like?

Good

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Dorsai - to me its catching, but perhaps best as a series - so solder ask not is probably more catching

Any additional comments?