Starplex

Rating:
Summary: A remarkably poor science fiction novel
Review: (From Nova Express V4N4) I'll be blunt: Robert J. Sawyer's Starplex is a remarkably bad science fiction novel. It has serious deficiencies in style, tone, plotting, characterization, logic, and extrapolative rigor. Though not unremittingly awful, Starplex has such huge and obvious flaws that publication in its current form calls into question the editing competency at both Ace Books and Analog (where it was serialized). That it garnered both Hugo and Nebula nominations is no credit to the science fiction community. Gardner Dozois once said that when many people asked for more "hard science fiction" in Asimov's, what they actually meant was "stories as close to Star Trek as possible." Anyone with such a prejudice may well enjoy Starplex. Though not as elegant a design as the Enterprise, the bridge scenes in Starplex bear a strong resemblance to TV's most famous SF show. There is even an illustration of where everybody sits on said bridge (though neither it, nor the diagram of the ship, are necessary). The characterization is barely adequate for Campbellian science fiction, much less work in the 1990s. It's been said that many an aspiring writer takes the injunction to "write what you know" entirely too seriously, resulting in numerous bad novels about English professors contemplating adultery. Having a starship captain (excuse me, "director") contemplating adultery is hardly an improvement. Indeed, apart from contemplating adultery (which others have informed me is something of a theme in Sawyer's other books), the only other character trait Lansing betrays beyond the standard issue "competent yet compassionate" template (though he acts far more like the assistant dean of the English department at a small midwestern college than someone who should be running a starship) is a veiled dislike for Waldahudins, left over from his best friend getting waxed during a first contact gone wrong. This latter trait seems to exist so that you can see he's overcome it by novel's end in a scene where high-level Earth government personnel act like bloodthirsty morons so we can all see our hero's moral superiority. It's about as subtle as the writer jumping up and yelling "Look! He's grown!" The Waldahudins are neither convincing nor interesting as a race, and they seem to exist mainly to provide the novel's heavies. The Ibs are more believably delineated, and Sawyer has put a good deal more thought and innovation into their construction than the Waldahudins. Despite living 640 years, Ibs find wasting time abhorrent, and in the book's most powerful scene, Boxcar, the most sympathetic of the Ibs, "discorporates" as punishment for the crime of wasting others' time it committed long ago. Though not on par with science fiction's most memorable aliens, say Octavia Butler's Oankali or Vernor Vinge's Tines, Sawyer's Ibs are a good, solid, professional effort. Likewise, the scenes where Starplex makes contact with the darmats (using mathematics) are effectively handled, even if the communication technique is at least as old as Stanley G. Weinbaum's classic "A Martian Odyssey" from 1934. Even if they owe a nod to Star Trek, the action scenes, both during the green sun's appearance and during the attack, are well handled and reasonably gripping (though the winning battle tactic is stolen outright from David Brin's Startide Rising). Sawyer has obvious skill at handling the interactions of characters in tense situations. However, the book's scientific nadir probably comes during those same scenes, when one of Starplex's dolphin-piloted craft fires a laser, and the enemy ship "swerved to avoid contact with the beam." Neat trick, that, swerving to avoid something moving at the speed of light. (And, for that matter, just how does a ship "swerve" in space? And just how would you be able to see a laser beam in vacuum?) Unfortunately, Starplex suffers from huge lapses of logic and common sense all throughout the novel, with people doing things in impossibly short periods of time. For example, after it gets fried by the new sun's radiation, the entire lower half of the ship (all 34 floors of it) is detached and a replacement put on in a mere 18 hours. (I wish I could have gotten my transmission fixed that quickly.) Let's see, they need to remove the old sections (quite a task in and of itself) without damaging the interlocks linking it to the rest of the ship; repair any damage to the remaining portions; pressurize and leak check the new section; mate it with the ship; make sure all the interlocks are working; ensure all internal and external airlocks and bulkhead are sealed tight (especially since a single leak could result in death for the crew-a more likely schedule is for the safety checks themselves to take at least a day and probably more); hookup, troubleshoot, and configure the electronics and electrical systems, not to mention a dozen other things that would have to be done in order to ready and flightcheck a starship that's undergone a major overhaul. And all this in zero gee. Even with the full benefits of industrious Ibs working around the clock, and without the foreknowledge of how tedious and difficult it has been to do far simpler zero-gee repairs on Mir, a few moments of thought brings the inevitable conclusion that replacing half of a starship in 18 hours is not just unlikely, but downright absurd. An equally absurd condensation of time occurs at the beginning of the battle, when Lansing orders his crew to find anything remotely resembling a weapon and have them mounted on the outside of their probeships in a grand total of fifteen minutes. Now, think this through. They're going to: a.) remove a laser from its current mounting bracket; b.) adjust its focal length and power output to work in a way it was never designed for; c.) take it down to the probeship bay; d.) mount it to the outside of the ship; e.) string power hookups from the ship's system to the newly mounted lasers; and f.) hook up communications (wireless, since only a complete idiot would start drilling holes in a vacuum-sealed spacecraft hull), complete with a targeting system, between the probeship control system and the laser. And remember, this is for not just one, but five ships. In fifteen minutes. One gets the impression that Mr. Sawyer has never had to swap out a hard drive or change an oil filter. The tragedy is, these particular lapses could have been corrected with good editing, or even a few CYA paragraphs to paper over some of the more gaping plot and logic holes. However, no amount of editing is able to save Starplex from one of its central absurdities. The entire Waldahudin war plotline stems from their worry over Earth's economic superiority because Waldahudins don't believe in mass manufacturing. Why? Because they "never build two things the same" because doing so would be "an affront to the God of Artisans." The problem is, a race with such a belief would never develop an industrial society, much less a starfaring civilization. The problem is, such a race could never make (nor program) computer chips, since they are ALL prdicated on the notion of doing the same thing the exact same way. But the absurdity dosn't end there. A few of the other things it is prohibitively expensive or impossible to manufacture one at a time include light bulbs, metal cans, hypodermic needles, staples, ball bearings(!), and even screws and nails. Hell, in Waldahudin society, even candle molds would be anathema. Yet we're to believe they've achieved starflight. The are other dramatic flaws in logic, extrapolation, and construction. The prose is flat at best and at worst is quite clumsy. Nanotechnology is mentioned, then immediately dropped without any explanation (or evidence) of its effect on society. The helmsman is a redheaded Norseman named Thor (not exactly a page out of The Subtle Art of Characterization). Except for some of the prominent used scenery of interstellar SF, almost no new scientific or social developments seem to have come down the pike since our time, allowing the central characters of this one ship to solve nearly all the outstanding problems of astrophysics (including the location of dark matter, the spiral shape of galaxies, and-as an added bonus-the origin and fate of the universe). Indeed, the subtitle could be "How I won an intergalactic war, discovered a new alien race, solved the greatest scientific mysteries of my day, and got to be a billion-year-old immortal without cheating on my wife." Despite all the forgoing, Starplex is not unrelievedly bad. Sawyer clearly has the desire and instinct for engaging the big "sense of wonder" issues at the heart of science fiction. However, the novel displays a distressing lack of basic technical competence, especially for a work so celebrated. It is very possible that Sawyer's subsequent novels (he's published at least two since this came out) are better, and even Starplex, in the hands of a good editor, could have been hammered into acceptable shape. However, in its current form, it should never have been published.

Rating:
Summary: Review excerpts and award nominations for STARPLEX
Review:

STARPLEX by Robert J. Sawyer is:

* A current finalist, Hugo Award, Best Novel of 1996

* A finalist, Nebula Award, Best Novel of 1996

* Winner of the CompuServe SF Forum's HOMer Award, Best Novel of 1996

* Current Finalist, Aurora Award, Best English-Language Novel of 1996

* A selection of the Science Fiction Book Club.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

ABOUT BOOKS: "Very, very cool. This is a book not to be missed."

ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION: "Sawyer's latest should gladden the hearts of readers who complain that nobody's writing _real science fiction_ anymore, the kind of story that has faster-than-light spaceships and far-off planets and interstellar combat and all the neat things they gobbled up so greedily when "Doc" Smith was dealing them out. Here's a story with plenty of slam-bang action but no shortage of material to attract thinking readers, either. Sawyer deftly juggles half a dozen sweeping questions of cosmology (not to mention everyday ethics and morality) while keeping the story moving ahead full speed. His scientific ideas are nicely integrated into the plot, yet they also hint at larger metaphorical levels. Enjoy."

GREGORY BENFORD, author of FURIOUS GULF: "Complex but swift, inventive but real-feeling, with ideas coming thick and fast. For big-time interstellar adventure, look no farther."

THE HALIFAX CHRONICLE-HERALD: " Starplex appears to be traditional science fiction -- it takes place aboard a spaceship, and several characters are extraterrestrial -- but it's actually a rumination on several very deep questions, including: Where did we come from? Where are we going? And the deepest of the deep, Is there a God?"

LIBRARY JOURNAL: "An epic hard-science adventure tempered by human concerns. Highly recommended."

JACK MCDEVITT, author of ANCIENT SHORES: "An elegant intergalactic ride with Sawyer's signature mix of cosmic concepts and solid characterization."

THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF SCIENCE FICTION: "An enormous grab bag of ideas -- and a whole lot of fun."

QUILL & QUIRE: "A swift, inventive, enjoyable book. Unexpected twists keep the plot moving briskly, but Sawyer is able to do this while raising intriguing philosophical issues."

SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE: "Excellent hard SF, with Sawyer tossing stars, people and time travel around with reckless abandon. One of the best SF novels of 1996."

SCI-FI WEEKLY: "An audacious engineering effort that makes Larry Niven's Ringworld look like a high-school science project."

THE TORONTO STAR: "Here, at last, is an ambitious attempt to exploit the possibilities that the science-fiction genre is capable of."

Rating:
Summary: Too much science, not enough fiction
Review:

Starplex tries very hard to give a sense of wonder by introducing lots of wonderful new (and some old) ideas. Everything is here- a universe spanning instantaneous travel network, immortality, myterious superpowerful aliens, interstellar war, dark matter, Jupiter sized intelligent beings, etc, etc, etc...

There's only one problem- it gives far too many new ideas, so many that huge plot arcs are handled in five pages and then discarded like so much used kleenex. The war is a classic example- the causes are mentioned in about two paragraphs with no lead up, the Starplex comes under attack, a Deus ex Machina ends the attack, and the Starplex is flung bazillions of light years away through a totally new method of traversing the wormholes. The Starplex returns to human space after about two pages, gets fixed, the war ends, some pablum about "everyone should live together" is spoken and the war ends. The rest of the topics are treated in much the same manner- great ideas, but no real follow through on what they might mean, or even how they affect the rest of the novel.

The characters are mere cardboard props to try and push the story along. Sadly, we end up feeling no real emotional connection to any of them, even to the tragic story of the Ib.

I give the novel a 4 simply because some of the ideas are neat, and they were fun to contemplate. The rest of the book just doesn't work. If this wins a Nebula or Hugo I'll be disappointed- there's far, far better written SF out there.

Eric

Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: At first glance, it may seem like a hard SF reformulation of Star Trek. Then you realize the tachyon beams, warp speed, subspace disturbances, ... pseudo-science, and deus ex machina-based plots of Star Trek are actually better than this piece of junk.

Sawyer attempts to create a grand space opera and in the process falls flat on his face. The science is miserable, in the league of such travesties as the aforementioned Star Trek: Voyager. It seems like Sawyer read a book on theoretical physics and completely misunderstood it. E.E. Smith's space operas seem like hard SF compared to this.

Aside from the ludicrous science, the book is terrible. The characters are flat and one-dimensional, particularly the lead. The protagonist is constantly whining and more than a little annoying, and as a result the reader cares little for him. The plot is trite and predictable, and has been done dozens of times before.

In short, avoid it like the plague.

Rating:
Summary: Canadian disaster area
Review: Boring, juvenile, absurd...the list goes on and on. Reads like an el cheapo ripoff of Star Trek. Particularly moronic are the aliens.

Rating:
Summary: great book, bad reviews
Review: First of all, I would like to remind some of the other reviewers that the point of the book is to be a STORY and NOT a scientifically documentation of the future. If you think its a problem that some scientific details are wrong, then perhaps you can name a book where every detail is perfect. If you can do so, then I will agree with what you say. The book was interesting and was accurate enough for me. The next thing you comlain about is how the character only things about adultery and his best friends death. Obviously you don't know what it's like to lose someone, otherwise you would realize that it's a hard thing to get over, and for the adultery bit, well, if you were contemplating cheating on your wife, then I assure you that you to would spen a great deal of time thinking about. So what you to be UNrealistic, is actually what the main character WOULD be thinking. Another complaint is that the plot is a copy of Star Trek. Maybe your right, but this was ten times better than Star Trek, because I hate Star Trek and I love this book. You complain about the Waldahudin, and how they are designed, but do you really think an alien race will be thought provoking and in-depth just because they're aliens? No, it's bull and you know it. Aliens don't follow a schematic, they are the author's creation, and he/she can do whatever he/she wants with them. This was an excellent book, maybe even my favourite of all time, and if Mr. Sawyer ever reads this review, I hope he realizes that SOME people actually appreciate good writing, unlike some morons I can think of.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful
Review: Frankly, I'm surprised at some of the reviews of this book. It looks as if some people just want to attack this poor man. This book is great! The aliens are very original, and their physical appearances differ more from humans than a couple of forehead wrinkles(a la Star Trek). Also, their personalities are different enough from humans that you can tell they are aliens, but not so different that you can't identify with them. The book is well written, and the plot is very good. It has multiple twists and turns that leads to a surprising ending. Trust me, if you see this book and like good science fiction, BUY IT! You're doing yourself a favor.

Rating:
Summary: Juvenile
Review: Given the Hugo nomination and others' reviews, I expected more from this book. Some time is spent developing the main character, but most of the other players are bland, colourless props. The science is interesting, but I frankly did not care what happened to anyone. Good character development and a well-developed plot need not be sacrificed on the altar of Science, as shown by such authors as Mary Doria Russel and Michael Swanwick.

Rating:
Summary: The best hard-SF novel I have ever read. Period.
Review: Hard SF often gives short shrift to characterization, but not this book. The characters, human and non, are fascinating and believable (the ETs are at least as good as anything Niven or Clement ever produced). And I have never seen so many cosmological/astrophysical issues addressed in a single book, be it fiction or nonfiction. I see a few people carp below (although others obviously were as enchanted as I was) but this is a really, really fine book. Not only did it deserve its Hugo and Nebula nominations (and its serialization in ANALOG, and its Aurora win, and being a selection of the SF Book Club, and), but it deserved to win those awards. It supplants RINGWORLD as my all-time fave hard-SF novel.

Rating:
Summary: This book is the best I have ever read
Review: I have been looking at the reviews that people have given this book. To be direct I would say that this is an embarrasing attack on one of Canada's best authors. I have read Starplex multiple times and I still enjoy it. It might not be the hardcore science fiction that some crave, but it offers an imaginative look into or our future. It truly deserved to be a Hugo Award nominee. This is one of the most amazing works that I have read by Sawyer. It's excitment and imagination are only surpassed by The Terminal Experiment. This book is awesome. Mr. Sawyer, if you read this. Know that some people still are your fans, we enjoy your writng and we can't wait for more.