The Wreck of The River of Stars
Michael Flynn
(Reviewer - D. H. BROWN)
2003 TOR Books
ISBN: 0765300990

A compelling space ship tale of the glory that was.

In the days of the great sailing space ships, in the mid-21at century, when magnetic sails drew cargo & passengers alike to every corner of the solar system, their sailors had high status among spacemen, & the crew of the luxury liner the River of Stars, the highest among all.

With the development of the Farnsworth fusion drive these sailing ships became doomed, & now the River of Stars is the last of its kind, retro-fitted with engines, her mast vestigial, her sails unraised for years. An ungainly hybrid, she now operates as a mere tramp freighter among the outer planets, with a motley group of misfits for a crew.

When a catastrophic engine failure strikes the River of Stars, the the last of the 'old hands' plot to save the ship with a glorious last gasp for the old ways, mesmerized by a vision of arriving at Jupiter proudly under sail.

Sr. Staff Reviewer D. H. BROWN writes:

A tour de force! It has been said that Michael Flynn writes like a reincarnation of Robert A. Heinlein. That his language is a poetic kaleidoscope that draws the reader's eye to something more beautiful than mere words. Wait a minute! I said that, OK, it's true!

He fills up my senses. I get a feeling that I'm reading something as timeless as Homer. The Wreck of The River of Stars combines hard science fiction with the mythos of Greek tragedy. Like watching a train wreck in sloooow motion, as characters decline, collide & ricochet in a complex drama that is slowly spelling the doom of all.

Starting with the Prelude, one can hear the sharp clack of the cueball striking the head ball on a billiard table of stars. That scattering, rebounding velocity is transmitted to each & every ball put in play until they grandly come once again to random rest, with only individual redemption. There is a sense that the scales have been loaded & weighed as each player pays the price of their individual admission into the Grand Game of Life.

I didn't think that after Firestar Michael Flynn would have another really, really big book left in him! Well he did! & The Wreck of The River of Stars is it!

Different & engrossing are too weak terms to use in describing what can only be classed as a MAJOR science fiction work.

More from Michael Flynn:
Firestar
Lodestar
Rogue Star
Falling Star
In the Country of the Blind
(09/26/04)

D. H. BROWN
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Staff Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries.  In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow.  During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN).  While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.

D. H. BROWN has worked as a Logistics and Weapons Specialist in Viet Nam; day laborer; Director of Security; Armored Car Driver; Police Officer; Professional Hunting Guide; Trapper; Dog Sledder; Homesteader; Truck Driver; General Contractor; Minister; Editor; Writer; Speaker; Restaurateur; Movie Producer; Antique Restoration Specialist; Personal Care Worker; PC Repair Specialist; Computer Instructor; Webmaster and Web Designer. "I write about what I know."

He lives deep in the Pacific Northwest rainforest with his wife, author and editor Rebecca and Buddy Dog, working on his next book.
Visit him at: www.dhbrownbooks.com