Starfire

Kim Stanley Robinson

Sheffield is one of the very best hard science fiction writers in the world. — Locus

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

High-tech hard SF and murder mystery converge in Sheffield's (Aftermath) latest, multi-voiced narrative, but the result does credit to neither genre. After escaping from the "judicial sleep" in which he was to have spent six centuries atoning for killing 18 adolescent girls in order to clone happier versions of them, infamous murderer Oliver Guest hid in an Irish castle. More than 11 years later, in 2053, Guest, still on the lam, is found by Seth Parsigian, who blackmails him into helping to identify a serial killer who has been slaying teenage girls on Sky City. The murders are upsetting the city's dedicated residents, who are building a shield to help Earth survive an oncoming wave of deadly particles from Alpha Centauri. While U.S. president Celine Tanaka handles the political fallout from physicist Wilmer Oldfield's disastrous predictions about the proximity of the approaching particles, Gordy Rolfe, the short, depraved genius who is in charge of building the protective shield, sabotages Earth's plans for survival so he can rule the depopulated planet that will be left in the wake of the disaster. Though there is plenty of action--the murders are solved, a love affair begins, evil characters are vanquished--the many switches in points of view produce a herky-jerky narrative, and there are long, dull expositions about particle waves and space stations. Sheffield creates powerful space-faring women, but his dark wit sparkles most in his depiction of Oliver Guest, who is rewarded for his crimes by having a houseful of loving little girls always at his beck and call. (Nov.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA

Earth has survived a major catastrophe courtesy of the Alpha Centauri supernova, but the planet is on the brink of another disaster. Humankind's survival and sanity is in the hands of a select few. Two major events slow the progress of the space shield that is supposed to protect Earth from the impending particle storm. Someone is deliberately sabotaging construction of the shield, and a serial murderer is on the loose in Sky City, the Earthorbiting community where the shield is being constructed, distracting everyone and causing additional stress. To make matters worse, the catastrophic particle storm is going to arrive in days rather than months. Because construction is already behind schedule, disaster seems imminent. This work includes many of the characters from its prequel, Aftermath (Bantam, 1999), while also introducing some new ones. These multidimensional characters are shaped by their complicated pasts. Some work feverishly to save Earth or themselves, whereas others try to lead a quiet life, divorced from the past. The challenging situations lead to strange alliances and fascinating plot developments. The author cleverly weaves together multiple plot lines, slowly linking them and unraveling the mystery. The story is intense, and a few topics are suitable only for more mature young adult readers. References are made to intimate sexual relationships, both heterosexual and homosexual, and swear words are peppered throughout the dialogue, although completely appropriate to the situation. Gruesome descriptions of death, such as the Sky City murder, seem incomplete. Nevertheless Starfire is generally well written with enough suspense and technical details to leavereaderspondering the story's nuances and eager to learn more about science. VOYA CODES: 4Q 2P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 1999, Bantam Spectra, Ages 16 to Adult, 401p, $13.95 Trade pb. Reviewer: Joyce Yen

Library Journal

Nearly 30 years after the Alpha Centauri supernova wrought disaster, the citizens of Earth brace themselves for a second wave of destruction stemming from an influx of high-energy particles. As the engineers of the Sky City space colony work against an impossible deadline to construct a shield to protect the planet from the particle storm, a serial killer stalks the corridors of the colony, plunging it into a stalemate of paranoia and fear. Continuing the story begun in Aftermath, Sheffield ups the ante with a complex tale of personal rivalries, political intrigue, and hard science that should appeal to fans of disaster fiction and sf adventure. A strong choice for most sf collections. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Don D'Ammassa

A suspenseful, exciting post-disaster thriller from one of the most reliably entertaining writers in the genre.
—Science Fiction Chronicle

Tom Easton

Whoopee!...You'll enjoy it, for Sheffield as usual tells a rousing good story with plenty of hard science content for his fans.
— Analog

Kirkus Reviews

Sequel to Aftermath (1998), in which the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, went supernova, devastating much of Earth with a blast of radiation. Now, a recovering planet waits for a second cataclysm, this time via a slower but more destructive particle storm. Among others, US President Celine Tanaka, electronics genius Gordy Rolfe, and space engineer John Hyslop race against the clock to ready a shield that will protect the Earth from the coming barrage. Unfortunately, physicists soon determine that the particle storm isn't behaving according to theory: it'll arrive within days, and the current shield will be useless. More sinister yet, the supernova was artificially created, focusing the particle storm on Earth. A series of horrible child murders aboard Sky City, where the shield is being constructed, has disrupted work schedules. And Rolfe himself, source of the most advanced robots or "rolfes" essential to building the shield, has his own agenda: he'll sabotage the project and allow billions to die on Earth so that, after the particle storm, he can grab power and loot. Still, Hyslop labors to built a different type of shield that can deflect the weirdly clumped particles, while child murderer Oliver Guest cooperates to help track down the murderer. And President Tanaka navigates the treacherous political shoals, attempting to neutralize Rolfe's sabotage. Stunning extrapolations and tense maneuvers: an engrossing high-tech apocalypse.