The Voyage of the Star Wolf (1990)

Can't say I remember this one well at all, so it must not have made much of an impression. I'll post a better review when I've re-read it. ( )

This is solid military sf with the emphasis more on characters than on whiz-bang space battles. In fact there is only one space battle, that too right at the beginning of the book, and that definitely lacks the whiz-bang element because the starship on which our protagonists are based is hit and crippled right at the beginning of the battle and spend the rest of it trying to limp away with their lives. In its own way their desperate struggle to survive is as engaging as any action-packed battle scene.

The story follows a small ship on its maiden voyage - the LS-1187. Her mission is to join up with a massive convoy on escort duty. However the convoy is attacked and wiped out. The LS-1187 barely managed to survive and limp home thanks to the superhuman efforts of its surviving crew. But they return home only to be branded cowards, deserters and a jinx, bringing back luck on the rest of the fleet. The rest of the story is about how the crew struggles with this label and eventually how the redeem their honour and that of their ship.

Overall its above standard fare for military sf. The main character is well drawn, though I do feel the secondary characters rang a little hollow (particularly the women), but all in all they're fair enough for a light read like this. The book is the first in a 3 part series, but seems to have been originally written as a stand-alone, with sequels added later. Certainly the ending is satisfying enough and it can be read on its own. This is the first book I've read by David Gerrold, a veteran SF writer and screenwriter, and it was engaging enough to make me want to read more by him. ( )