Lords of the Starship: When I first saw this Sphere paperback cover online I immediately thought it was Star Wars related. Maybe a Sith Lord like Darth Vader admiring a new ship.
But this novel by Mark S. Geston is from 1972!
The original 1967 first edition art is stunning too, by one John Schoenherr, whom we wrote a lot about here in MC in the past, his son even corresponding with us about his Moon Crawler art!
The blurb at the rear of the 1972 edition is great too! It describes a gigantic spaceship, an ark for a dying Earth's peoples. A familiar dilemma and one at the very heart of say Project SWORD.
Thinking of Star Wars again there's even mention of a dark hideous force!
I am really drawn to the size of the space plane, which took 250 years to build! A sort of mega-Fireflash!
I don't know this book at all or anything by Geston. Do you readers?
Oh wow! I loved this book as a teenager. I had the Sphere edition, I'd never seen the John Schoenherr cover before (thanks Woodsie!)
ReplyDeleteThe story was EPIC with the final battle around the finished starship like a cross between Laurence of Arabia and When Worlds Collide!
The writing style was pretty nihilistic at the time, but it fits in perfectly with the Game of Thrones vibe currently in vogue.
I'm not surprised it has never been filmed, it was Lord Of the Rings in scope, but the centuries long scenario meant you couldn't really relate to characters who died and were replaced on a regular basis.
Mark S Geston wrote a second novel called The Day Star, but it was nowhere near as epic, although it was just as nihilistic!
These days I'm kinda over nihilism. It worked in the edgy Battlestar Galatica reboot and Breaking Bad, but I prefer more positive stories these days!
|Wish I'd have read it back then Looey. I only heard of it this week! ha ha. You do make it sound fascinating, especially that last battle. It really could be a Project SWORD storyline!
DeleteNihilism? its a dead end!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone is actulaly called Niall Isum?
DeleteReminds me a bit of Star Raker
ReplyDeletehttp://spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com/2020/09/star-raker-1978.html?m=1
https://up-ship.com/blog/?p=41374
Yes! Thanks for the link. I love your blog!
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