Starship

October 5, 2009
Hugo-winner Resnick sets his fifth Starship novel, a classic sprawling space opera, in the vast Birthright universe. Newcomers would probably prefer having the informative appendix shifted to a prologue, but even those who skip ahead will find themselves drawn in by the valiant struggle waged by Wilson Cole and his motley assortment of allies (including an alien convinced he is the real David Copperfield, and an eight-handed criminal kingpin) against the nameless interstellar Republic. The odds are appropriately daunting: while their foes have three and a half million ships, Cole can only muster about 800, forcing the rebel leader to rely on his wits rather than strength to prevail. The cleverness of his schemes and the interesting political struggles will remind genre TV fans of Babylon 5
. The only real flaw is a rather contrived conclusion.

October 15, 2009
Rogue starship commander Wilson Cole believes the galactic Republic has degenerated into a tyrannical organization and, with his loyal crew, is determined to overthrow ita seemingly impossible task. One of the most prolific writers of action-based yet principal-driven sf, Resnick has created another people's hero, a gritty, determined individual who commands respect that has been honestly earned and who symbolizes a kind of rugged, conscience-based independence. VERDICT A master of the tall tale (the "Chronicles of Lucifer Jones") and the sociological allegory ("Kirinyaga"), Resnick understands the multiplicities of human nature. His many fans will want this addition to his ever-growing opus.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2009
Wilson Cole heads a vastly outnumbered, largely out-gunned armada of rebels, and Teddy R, his ship, is wanted across the galaxy. He is absolutely convinced that the Republic is hopelessly corrupt, or at least its top politicians are, and that somehow he must overthrow it/them. His people cant afford armed conflict, so he wages a brilliant war of propaganda and trickery. Of course, in order to make sure it has the correct effect, he must get to Deluros VIII, capital of the Republic, and deal with the politicos himself. When he and his loyal crew, understandably a bit concerned about his mysterious plans as they travel closer to the heart of the Republic, reach the Deluros system, theres another threat to deal with, which means that events take an entirely unexpected turn. Cole thinks well on his feet, though, and turns the tables quite nicely. Fun, fast-paced, laced with a satisfying amount of moral quandary, Cole and crews adventures in rebellion constitute excellent entertainment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

November 6, 2006
One of the characters in this sequel to Starship: Mutiny
(2005) asks, "Whatever happened to heroes who didn't think everything through, but just walked in with weapons blazing?" The answer is "They're buried in graveyards all across the galaxy." This sums up nicely Hugo-winner Resnick's approach to military SF, which isn't so much about fighting and hardware as it is about strategy and leadership. Having busted their commander, Wilson Cole, out of the brig for disobeying orders that would have cost millions of lives, the crew of the starship Theodore Roosevelt
find themselves on the run from their own fleet. The plan? Hoist the Jolly Roger! Since Captain Cole is a moral man, he must figure out a way to practice piracy without actually harming anyone—at least, anyone who doesn't have it coming. As he and the Teddy R.
stumble their way through Piracy for Dummies
, they make new enemies and find new allies that make the difference between real pirates and military professionals all the more apparent. Readers craving intelligent, character-driven SF need look no further.