The Starchild Compact

Starchild Series, Book 2

By: Robert G. Williscroft

Narrated by: Trenton Bennett

Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

Are we the children of starchildren?

The Starchild Compact is an adventure of heroic proportions, commencing on a planet 500 light-years distant, arriving here just a few years from now, and ending up in the far distant expanses of the Universe.

Is Saturn’s moon Iapetus an artifact? To find out, Jon Stock takes his international exploration team on a 1.4 billion km journey to Saturn, but will Jihadist stowaway Saeed Ismail succeed in sabotaging the mission?

On Iapetus, Jon Stock and his team meet the Founders. Where are they from? How did they get here? How will they impact Earth and the Solar System? Will the Founders' presence signal the end of humanity, or will it pave the way for a joint push to the distant reaches of the galaxy?

The Starchild Compact is hard sci-fi, reminiscent of Arthur C. Clarke or James P. Hogan, with a geopolitical twist worthy of Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2014 Robert G Williscroft (P)2017 Robert G Williscroft

Great story, clever look at the future -- and past

Thoroughly engaging story about a manned expedition to explore the Saturn moon Iapetus. You have to admit the gas giant's moon captures the imagination, with its passing resemblance to the Death Star and its unusual hexagonal shapes on the surface -- not to mention a seam-like equator. This is setting for Williscroft's enjoyable read, complete with intriguing hard science fiction aspects.

Not bad if you are a teenage boy I suppose

Would you try another book from Robert G. Williscroft and/or Trenton Bennett?

Highly unlikely. Disappointing in every way.

Has The Starchild Compact turned you off from other books in this genre?

Hardcore sci-fi? No. Misogynistic, leering, odd toned stories? Yes.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Trenton Bennett?

Stephan Rudnicki, if he would have taken on the job.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. The first episode in this series was oddly compelling and held my interest. This sequel was overtly, and obsessively, focussed on what the women were wearing, what their breasts looked like, etc. etc. Seriously?

Any additional comments?

I was provided a copy of this offering in exchange for a free and independent review. I almost regret I did. I am not sure where the author wanted to take this story arc, but the almost comical references to the clothing the women chose to wear, ( and, for that matter, all the characters chose to wear ) was silly, repetitive and distracting. This author can do better, and should.
The narrator was dry, and not particularly compelling.

All in all, I can't recommend this in any aspect. Oops!

Sublime

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I thought that Williscroft couldn't get any better and then I listened to this. The Starchild Compact was amazing! It was enticing and detailed and it was everything science fiction should be! What was amazing about Williscroft was that he explored other aspects that are often forgotten about by other writers - the behind the scenes people, the aspect of religion in science and space and the book felt like an exploration in itself. This was just amazing.

"Talk to me, John old buddy, talk to me."

Any additional comments?

A very long listen, at almost fifteen hours, this would have been better divided into two books: the journey to, arrival at and exploration of Iapetus in the first book, terminating at the point where the crew is transported to an unknown destination in the clear sided pod crafts, and the subsequent third or so of the book, possibly with a further 'return' as an H.G.Wells glimpse into the future added.to round it off. It would certainly have made the starring award much simpler.

The first 'book' as detailed above, if a little juvenile boys' wet dream in it's approach to the female astronauts aboard the craft sent to determine the nature of Iatecus, is still fascinating in the facts given. There are excitements aplenty, too, as long as the reader isn't looking for fast action battles. The second part, however, is mostly jingoistic rubbish, with good guys squaring up to save the world, at the same time denegrating an entire religious movement and it's millions of adherents worldwide. Such a pity. I salute the narrator for being able to read to the end of this inflammatory rubbish without bursting into sobs or hysterical laughter. Instead, Trenton Bennett continued his steady narration without undue verbal excitement, actually breathing life into the otherwise rather two dimensional characters portrayed. Had I been reading, rather than listening, to this book, I doubt if I would have managed to reach the end. It was only the narration which kept me going.

I received my copy of The Starships Compact, as a gift from the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. My thanks for that. I did enjoy, with small reservations, the initial part, itself alone longer than many other books, but this enjoyment was complete!y nullified by the later writing. Because of that, this is definitely not a book I could recommend.