Starswarm

By: Jerry Pournelle

Narrated by: Lloyd James

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

Kip has a secret. A young boy who lives with his uncle at the Starswarm Station research outpost on planet Paradise, he has heard a voice in his head for as long as he can remember. The voice guides him in all his decisions, helping him through situations with useful information and helpful insight.

One day, finally daring to ask the voice some tough questions, Kip discovers that his computer scientist parents implanted an artificial intelligence chip in his skull, which connects with a powerful mainframe computer via satellite. He also learns that his parents died under suspicious circumstances and that his very existence is a well-kept secret that will soon come to light - putting his own life and the whole of outpost Starswarm in grave danger.

©1998 Jerry Pournelle (P)2000 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"An extremely strong story....plenty of suspenseful action in a well-realized setting." (Booklist)
"This is one you won't want to miss. [A] taut, credible, fast-paced adventure story." (Science Fiction Chronicle)
"SF veteran Pournelle demonstrates his gift for traditional SF adventures in this coming-of-age tale that combines fast-paced action with...an appealing protagonist." (Library Journal)

banger

this book slaps and I have to put twelve more words in this review.

exciting space adventure

very enjoyable story. it is an exciting space adventure reminiscent of Star wars. aliens mystery and strange twists that you would expect.

an enjoyable read

one two three four five six seven eight nine 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Brilliant

This was recommended to me as “like Harry Potter but even better.” I agree. It is gripping and thought provoking, with wonderful characters and a fantastic setting.

Heinlein??? For this book who cares.

I am a Huge fan of Robert Heinlein's books for adult readers.
After seeing the reviews above comparing this to Heinlein's book, I listened to this book before hearing or reading 'Citizen of the Galaxy' and I really enjoyed it. The story is well written, and half way through, I couldn't put it down.
This is good Science Fiction. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good listen.

Great Audio Book

I liked this book a lot. The only weak part is the ending, too much stuff happens in the last 20 minutes, would not of minded if it had been more detailed. Perhaps there will be a sequel (or there already is?).

Great book though!

Classic SF style

Do you remember old style SF stories where a precocious child with a gift and his friends sets out on an adventure to stop the bad guys and save the world?
This is one of those tales, but crafted so that putting a child in dire and dangerous circumstances seems a lot less unlikely than most stories of the type.

With classic SF story-telling, there are aliens (both known and hidden), allies, friends and enemies, enemies turned into friends and enemies plotting in secret. There's a long perilous trek and beings with odd god-like powers. And despite all of this, it often feels understated. Though I may review with some hyperbole, there is very little of it to find in the story, though my descriptions stand as accurate.

Finally, the story's climax seems a bit rushed, but other than that, it works pretty well.

I would read It again, but...

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

This is a good story and is good Sci-Fi. You could say the science is dated but heck, we were supposed to have flying cars by now too!

Would you be willing to try another book from Jerry Pournelle? Why or why not?

Love Pournelle! He knows his Sci-Fi. Don't listen to people that say he pushes his politics in his stories. Everyone who has EVER told a story includes their own opinions.

Did Lloyd James do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I don't like this narrator. Lloyd James reads well but every character sounds the same.

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

Good story but I could wait until the next day to start listening again.

Any additional comments?

Yes I would recommend it but with warnings. I hate a story that takes me through 250 pages just to wrap up in 5. Don't take 10hrs to tell a story just to wrap up in the last 15 minutes.

A quick ending just leaves me with the feeling that author asked his teacher

Unique!

I love the uniqueness of the story and the narrator was wonderful using different voices very consistent. Well done!

really enjoyed listening to this Audio book

easy to listen to and fun listening and visualizing in my head great store line