Frank M. Robinson (1926–2014)

Spectacular. The main plot of this novel centers on a skyscraper that catches fire, but the book is remarkably character-driven. There is no one single narrative voice, there is no heavy-handed denouncement of technology or greed, and there is no saccharine commentary overlaying the story. Instead, the chapters focus, in great detail, on interesting, flawed, delightfully human characters. The cast is also quite diverse, featuring people of different ages, skin color, gender, sexual show more orientation, ability, religion, and mental health. The story doesn’t center on a single “hero”; rather, the ensemble of protagonists share the stage in a story big enough for many main characters. What follows is an intensely personal story of ordinary people who find themselves in an extraordinary situation.

The writing style is wonderful, with the tension building slowly throughout the story, and with an ending that feels, if not happy, at least resolved. Characters grow and become strong, or they cower and become weak, and they die (or not), and by the end, I felt as though I had been on the journey with them. The authors have an incredibly powerful style, and as they bring together the different story threads of the many different characters, they weave an elaborate work of art.

What has stayed most strongly in my mind in the days since I’ve finished this has been the myriad ways this book is ahead of its time in terms of prejudice and social conscience. I’d go as far as to say that it’s even ahead of our time. One of the main characters is a drug addict suffering from heroin withdrawal—a side of life not often shown in novels like this. There is a gay man, but his story has no trace of tokenism; rather, he is a fully developed and nuanced character. His sexual orientation is part of who he is, and even while he faces judgment and criticism from strangers, he rises above it all with a grace and dignity that is a marvel to behold. There is a black man, surrounded by racism, whose courage leads him to action; there is a woman whose strength and tenacity outshine many men. Even ageism is examined here. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything, but two women—one in her 30s and one in her 60s—are treated much differently by their acquaintances. In this case, however, the woman who is 10 years “over the hill” is the 31-year-old, while the woman whose vitality still enriches her and delights others is in her 60s. The contrast between them is stark and unexpected, and it speaks to prejudices and pressures that still exist today.

This is one of the most compelling novels I’ve read, and it’s still relevant today. A phenomenal read. show less

Casual misogyny, unnecessary and continuous infodumps, preachy tone, lousy wordcraft, and a truly hackneyed, telegraphed plot with stale, one-dimensional characters and foreshadowing you can see from Alpha Centauri.It all adds up to a truly AWFUL book. I only kept reading because it's what I had at the gym, and I was honestly hoping someone would kill the main character in a particularly squishy way.No, really, this book was awful. The women were all either heartless bitches, sex toys, or show more nags - or a combination of the above - and seemed only to be there to be toys for the men in one way or another. The central mystery was...not a mystery. You could tell exactly what was going to happen starting on page, oh, 35 or so. The writing was slipshod and clumsy. The continual infodumps about ecological problems were poorly integrated, and quite grating. Did I mention the random appearance of a Saviour Figure at the end, with no lead-up and no explanation? Just...random saviour tossed in there, as though to make up for the cliched and/or offensive characterizations elsewhere in the book.Yeah.Simply awful. Save yourself the pain and do not bother reading this. show less

A fantastic read. The whole idea of mult-generational spaceflight has always grabbed me, and this is a doozy of a story. A massive ship launched many generation ago, now steadily breaking down, a crew who have no real idea what their purpose is, performing routine and to them seemingly meaningless actions repeatedly and seeking escape in sex, and a captain reminiscent of Ahab, driven, determined and who will stop at nothing to conceal his darkest secret. Opposed to him is the likeable show more Sparrow, who is unique among the ships' crew in apparently being as immortal as the captain. How Sparrow breaks the captain's iron grip, reveals the real secret of the Astron, and his own true identity is skilfully handled. The resolution between Kusaka and Sparrow is beautifully done, and the final few pages where Sparrow presides over succeeding generations, who remind him of former crewmen he knew, and then reaches Earth to find that while they were searching for aline life, but alien life has finally discovered them is wisttful, thought-provoking and absorbing. Love this book. show less

Robinson, Frank M. The Dark Beyond the Stars. Tor, 1991.
Sparrow, a crewmember on a generation starship, wakes in the medical bay with partial amnesia and vague memories of a serious fall during a planetary exploration. All his crewmates, except the captain, have names drawn from birds, the Bible, or Shakespeare. He has no clear memories of any of them, but they all seem to expect something from him. As his memory slowly returns, he finds himself more and more embroiled in the complex show more politics onboard. The ship is 100 generations out from Sol on a mission to discover another communicating intelligence. So far, they have found no hint of life of any kind. It seems that the solution to Frank Drake’s 1961 equation identifying the unknowns in estimating the chances of meeting other intelligent life is as uncertain as ever. Every compartment in the ship is a kind of holodeck that allows the crew to ignore the ship’s dilapidated condition. Is the mission a fool’s errand, or is there an alien civilization at the next star along the way? Some readers found the book a bit slow, but the character drama kept me engaged. show less