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Starswarm  By  cover art

Starswarm

By: Jerry Pournelle
Narrated by: Lloyd James
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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)

What listeners say about Starswarm

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • L.
  • 05-11-07

Genius

I think the Heinlein book others are referring to is actually, "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"… and there ARE many similarities to that book (AND to "Citizen of the Galaxy" also, I guess).

MANY of us grew up on Heinlein,. There's "young Heinlein" (directed mostly at kids, about kids).. and there's the "Older Heinlein" that is more adult oriented.

However, the genius in Pournelle's work is that he knows "people".

MANY of us that actually grew up to be Professional Engineers (and such) remember "Young Heinlein" and we went back to re-read those books as adults at some point, and then we are kind of disappointed at how "young an audience" those books were actually written for. Pournelle has taken a "Young Heinlein TYPE" of story, and written it for Adults. NO ONE likes thinking about their favorite TYPES of stories being "For kids"… Pournelle has bridged the gap.. many have tried to do it over the years (probably without knowing themselves what they were trying to do), but Pournelle has actually DONE IT (and probably KNOWS he did it).

Kudos Pournelle!!!! I'd give it 5 stars, but it's not "the book I judge all others by"… however, I've already sold 8 more friends on buying it to read (or listen to)… It's that good.

There's just no GOOD way to explain the essence of the story itself except to say, "it's the Heinlein-type book you THOUGHT you were going back to re-read as an adult"…

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45 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Well written and mysterious

I am always better at saying what I feel, rather than writing it. So this review may not be well-written. In short, the book is great. I've read it twice since I purchased it. The author develops the characters in a wonderful way and it's hard to tell where the book is heading as it develops. I am always a fan of books which take in the future, but which are realistic in what might actually happen as the human race advances in technology. This book does a great job at describing places, events, and the state of the government.I was truly amazed when I found out who the voice was in Kip's head. This book is definately worth getting.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable Story

I guess this reminded me of my younger years reading Sci-Fi books, where the major character was a young boy coming of age. It has to do with a wrong done to his parents that needs to be corrected. This is your basic Good vs. Evil story. But I liked all the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. I liked the high end techno stuff in the book, made it very up to date. Actually listen to the complete book in one day. That is another nice thing about it, the book is long. I wish there was more by this author on Audible.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Read

I got this book after listening to Jerry on the TWIT podcast. It was a thought provoking sci-fi adventure that will appeal to younger readers as well as older readers. I can't help but think that Jerry has a not-to-subtle message to today's business and industry.
But don't get lost in that. This was an imaginative tale and a superbly written story.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

This is an excellent tale in good science fiction fashion. Its the type of tale that you cannot wait to get back to. I highly recomment it for readers of all ages.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good book, but!

I liked this book a lot, the main players were likable. However I think this book is spot on with a few cosmetic changes to Robert Heimlines book "Citizen of the Galaxy". That doesn’t make it bad just very similar to something I already listened too.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Reminds me of Heinlein

Starswarm reminded me of a Heinlein read. This book is similar in some respects to Citizen of the Galaxy, but there is also some other aspects, such as, alien and artificial intelligence, that are explored. The story is about a child coming of age who discovers that he has a God like voice in his head. This entity tutors and helps him on his adventures. The child is raised by a guardian on a alien world that can be classified as hostile. His identity and reason for being there has been kept a secret and is slowly discovered throughout the novel. The child acts fairly adult for his age, which can make a coming of age story more enjoyable for everyone. The narration was great and I didn't have a dull or boring moment to complain about.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Not bad

Not a bad effort for the team that put together this audiobook. Because the book itself is very derivitive of Robert Heinlien's "Citizen of the Galaxy" and a book by Orson Scott Card I would normaly rate it very low. However, the production values and performance of the Narrator save this otherwise mediocre story.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Instant Classic

As a big fan of the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres, I was extremely pleased with this audiobook. The pace of the story never leaves a dull moment and you will find yourself looking forward to your next session, even if it is your commute to work.

There aren't many books that I can recommend across the board, but this is definitely one of them. Like the Chronicles of Narnia, it may be enjoyed by young and old alike. Jerry does a fantastic job of pulling in technology, pushing the imagination, and making it all believable at the same time.

The only thing left wanting is a couple of more books to round out a series. Keep them coming.

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4 people found this helpful