Rebellion

Stargate #1

by Bill McCay

When the crack team of scientists and soldiers entered the "Stargate," armed rebellion on a planet a million light-years away was the last thing on their minds. Now that it's started, no one can ignore it - not commando Jack O'Neil, not renegade Egyptologist Daniel Jackson, and most of all not the newly freed people of Abydos.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Media Tie In, Adventure, Action, War, Science Fiction Fantasy

298 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Under a variety of pseudonyms as well as his own name, Bill McCay is the author of more than seventy books, including such series as the Race Against Time, The Three Investigators, Young Indiana Jones, and Tom Clancy's Net Force. He has also worked with Stan Lee on Riftworld, a science fiction comedy-adventure set in the comics business. McCay has also written five novels based on the film Stargate. His fantasy short fiction has appeared in several anthologies and his Star Trek novel Chains of Command (cowritten with E. L. Flood) spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

See also William McCay

Reviews

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though it was as predictable as it could get for a novel that follows the same cliches the film had, it was ok, had it's moments, mostly mediocre and the main thing that makes it ok if you're a fan of the franchise is that the characters are too much like themselves if that makes sense. Like, we get it. We know who's who and what their job and likes and dislikes are, we don't need a reminder of how much of a genius but a nerd Daniel is, and how much of a badass and ready-to-sacrifice-everything Jack O'Neil is.

Plot was ok I guess.. for what it was.

Wouldn't recommend it, unless you're reading everything chronologically and you're like me. There's pretty much no character development either.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I've read this book and it was just as good as the first time. I am most familiar with Stargate from Stargate SG-1, that's the world I know and love. This is a continuation of the Stargate movie, it's a completely different universe. In this we see a bit of Ra's empire and the culture he has created. For me that was the biggest draw.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, action romp. Only the movie characters are here as it picks up from there and goes forward. No TV tie-in at all. Even at that I always found myself picturing McGyver in the Col. O'Neal role instead of Kurt Russell.

[David Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forget everything you watched on TV after the movie adaptation. Stargate Rebellion takes place after the events of the original movie/novel but follows a very different track than the TV series.

After Jack O’Neil returns to Earth and submits his report it’s clear Abydos holds the key to technical advancement which could see the US have a hold over their rivals.

Jack is sent back to Abydos, and with the help of Daniel Jackson aims to setup some agreement with the locals to mine Ra’s magic quartz-crystal.

This is something I really enjoyed about the book, it explores how we would make agreements with another world and it’s difficulties, no employment laws, no unions, no living wage.. knowing that some unscrupulous people would always plan to take advantage.. and how prejudice is something that will always rear it’s ugly head.

The mining company chosen have one aim, essentially exploit the workforce available to them.. they want the most out of them for the least pay.. and this includes ignoring their advice on safe working under the desert sun. This ultimately leads to a divide and revolt isn’t far off.

O’Neil isnt stupid.. He knows Ra might be dead but others may come to take his place. Unluckily for him he’s proved right.

Hathor has been awoken from her sleep and sets out securing the power and resources she needs to find out what has happened to Ra and if what she suspects is correct, she wants to power for herself.

Just as tension on Abydos reaches its peak Hathor arrives, and everyone must band together to meet this threat or face death together.

One of the main reasons I really enjoyed this book is it went back to basics for the Goa’uld. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know Ra didn’t really have a massive force with him, just a few guards. While he might have enslaved thousands, his power was more about his ability to control those people with fear rather than the size of his army. This book shows the Goa’uld’s vulnerability and how the people of Earth were able to overthrow Ra’s rule back in ancient Egypt.

As much as I love the TV series and its take on the story Rebellion seems more realistic and in keeping with the original movie.

Characterisation wise things are spot on, the characters reminded me of those we met in the movie..everything just tied in nicely and i found it effortless to churn through the pages.

Overall a very enjoyable read that’s helped rekindle something in me. I’m excited.. excited to read more and finish this series!

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zorii erau încă departe, dar un subtil joc de lumini şi umbre din apartamentul de la periferie anunţă că soarele avea să răsară negreşit. Încetul cu încetul, Sarah O’Neil începu să distingă din ce în ce mai clar masa de toaletă şi birourile. Întinsă pe pat şi sprijinită în cot, îl studie în tăcere pe bărbatul de lângă ea. În curând, colonelul Jack O’Neil avea să se trezească, să se bărbierească şi, pus la
punct, să se îndrepte către baza militară din apropiere. Sarah se bucura că misiunile sale secrete implicau acum lucrul la birou şi nu uciderea de oameni pe teren – cel puţin deocamdată.
Îi fusese teamă că misiunea lui cea mai recentă avea să fie ultima. Jack fusese distrus când fiul lui, Jack junior, murise din cauza unui foc de armă tras accidental. Băiatul lor, un american tipic, se înscrisese astfel pe listele de nenorociri, ucis de un glonţ binevoitor din pistolul propriului său tată. În lunile care urmaseră accidentului, Jack fie că evitase patul acesta, fie că se întinsese alături de
ea cu întreg corpul încordat, ca un pumn încleştat.
Obişnuia să stea ore întregi în cabinetul său de lucru, jucându-se cu un Colt de armată automat, datând din 1911, un vechi model pentru ofiţeri, care se purta la centură, calibrul 45, care i-ar fi putut împrăştia creierii pe toţi pereţii dacă s-ar fi hotărât să-l bage în gură.
Când în urma unor ordine, Jack fusese trimis într-o altă misiune, Sarah crezuse că superiorii lui doreau pur şi simplu să-l aibă ca element de artilerie, o combinaţie sinucigaşă de bombă şi detonator.
Dar Jack se întorsese şi fusese o mare surpriză să-l vadă, şi mai inexplicabil, vindecat. Nu uitase complet moartea fiului lor, dar undeva, în această misiune despre care nu vorbea niciodată, ajunsese să se împace cu moartea lui Jack junior. Jack se întorsese, dar nu mai era epava umblătoare de după înmormântare şi nici caricatura de ofiţer spilcuit în care se transformase după ce primise
ordinele.

[John Michael Strubhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the 1994 film, Stargate, this is the first of five novels by Bill McCay that imagines what happened after the events of the film. In this installment, US government contracts a mining company to obtain a quartz mineral from Abydos. The US military, led by Jack O'Neil, follows to provide cover for the operation. Daniel Jackson acts as mediator between the natives and the mining company. The situation quickly turns into the kind of badly run occupation force similar to those that existed in Iraq, what with the mining company executives making unreasonable demands of the natives. O'Neil, with the help of Jackson, has the difficult job of smoothing relations between the mining company and the natives. Meanwhile, Hathor arrives at Abydos in her enormous pyramidal starship in response to Ra's lack of response (as Ra was killed in the movie). Good times all around!

Bill McCay is a prolific author of film and television adaption novels. His writing is engaging and his characters are believable. The pace of the novel is constant. Dialogue is not overly dramatic. McCay makes this a fun read, so if you're looking for a fun read and you're a Stargate fan, pick this one up.

I'm more a fan of the Stargate TV franchise than the original film. The first two books were written before the television series began, so O'Neil (no sense of humor) is not the same as O'Neill (a master of snark). There is no Teal'c and the Egyptian gods are not Goa'uld. The television series has its own set of novels.

[Ezra Estephan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a tie-in novel, and a tie-in novel to a movie as flawed as Stargate, no less, Rebellion certainly isn’t a masterpiece. Character development for the returning characters from the film is nonexistent; the terrestrial villains are all one-dimensional and interchangeable; and continuity with the movie is sloppy (Having read the film novelization, I can tell McCay had, too, but hadn’t watched the film itself prior to writing this book.). On the plus side, Hathor is a decent villainess (a little shortsighted, perhaps, but still far more effective and intimidating than her SG-1 counterpart); the insight into the inner workings of Ra’s empire was refreshing; and I much prefer McCay’s cynical depiction of the US military to the naive depiction of SG-1 & its spinoffs. I highly recommend it to fans of the movie who don’t care for SG-1/are interested in a more film-faithful continuation.

[Shainna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm just here for Shau'ri. I hate what SG-1 did with her. In this book, she doesn't do much but it still fits more with her movie characterization than SG-1 did. She accepts her role as Daniel's wife and doesn't do much or speak until the end of the novel when she pulls out a gun, much like in the movie.

But I hated 99% of the new Earth characters introduced. It wasn't until Ollie Eakin that I actually liked someone not from the movie. Once the racist comments started, I was waiting for them to get their comeuppance and that took a good percent of the book.

I don't understand why the Abydans opted for US currency. Metal? Sure, that would make sense, but they never did anything with the coins that we knew about. Why didn't they ask for resources like food, water, medicines?

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun adventure set immediately following the original Stargate film. And a welcome change after reading heavier books. I needed a fun romp.
Jack O'Neil and Daniel Jackson return along with the other supporting cast from the film. I enjoyed getting to step back into this world again. The dual antagonists of the earthside mining corporation trying to take over on Abydos and the resurrected goddess Hathor planning her total revenge was exciting. Both were dastardly without feeling cartoonish. Hathor in particular is a fun villain to watch but also root against. The final battle was appropriately exciting and the ending sets up the next book without being a complete cliff hanger.
All in all just a simple little adventure story that I'm happy to have read!

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it was an interesting book. I came from the Stargate movie and Stargate SG1 series and the book was completely different so it was hard for me to get into. I pretty much skimmed through the book, partially because it wasn't very deep and partly because there were quite a few editing errors.
If you come from the movie and/or TV series then put aside your preconceived ideas and go in with an open mind. You might enjoy it more than I did.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really wouldn't work without the movie background. It takes place shortly following the first Stargate movie and progresses the story slightly with the enemy forces and the earth forces reacting to the aftermath of what occurred in the first movie. Just OK, but sets the stage for the next act.

[Donavon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only seen movie and read Entity comics. Of all StarGate media thus far, this is the best. Surpassing the movie. A great parallel of several "Rebellions" at once: who will be Ra's successor, people vs religious fantics, people vs forced industrialization, people vs alien oppressors.

[Kevin Guertin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Although this is the continuation of the novelization of the first movie, and this book is written a few years before the SG1 TV series even started, I felt like I was reading an episode of the TV series.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

a bit boring at first

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to like it, but just meh.

[Bunny Salas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sinseramente encontre un libro fome, y sin mucho avance.

[Brenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read if you are a Stargate fan

[Andres Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

It picks up where the movie left off. I found it to be a satisfying read.

[Angellina]

kinda got bored towards the end its not bad though

[Josh Guilar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the TV show, but still fun.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Ra is now a cloud of radioactive debris floating above one of the planets he used to control. Apparently word hasn't gotten out boaut his fate, though. Hathor decides she wants to find out what happened to him. There are some problems in her way, though, like a spaceship that is in really bad shape and has to be fixed up a lot, an engineer she can't really trust and various other Gould that want her dead so they can claim her place

She also doesn't know that Abydos has been freed by the Stargate SG-1 team and the local inhabitants. They have their own problems, though, when an ultra-greedy corporation wants to mine something on their planet and use them as basically slave labor up to and include the used of armed guards and troops to keep the locals under control.

O'Neill and Jackson aren't happy about this, of course, and neither are the locals.

So, add Hathor to the mix, trying to retake the planet, and you have a really major problem for both sides. This is a really good follow-up to the series.

[Uli Kusterer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting continuation of the Stargate movie (NOT of the TV series) that has the distinction of being focused mostly on the sociological and political aspects the Stargate program would have in the real world. Also, different from the TV show, it still pits today's humans as the underdogs against powerful alien aggressors, making the conflict that much more interesting.

Finally, it follows the original postulate that Ra is the last of his kind, and that he took and displaced humans from Earth to build his empire. As such, the vacuum left by Ra's death pits humans against humans.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent follow up story to the original movie that takes place around the same time as the pilot episode of SG-1. This story line follows the movie characters and not those found in the television series, and while there are a few similarities, there are drastic differences. The book itself was okay, though not extremely captivating. While there are some minor editing issues, overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the Stargate franchise.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I'll say that I'm a huge fan of the Stargate SG1 TV show. And that knowing this book series continues from the movie in a completely different direction intriguing. No Teal'c? No Carter?
Yet I didn't miss them. Bill McKay has written a very entertaining book that easily follows where the movie left off. And in a completely different direction than SG1. I'm looking forward to continueing the series!

[Kaitlyn Wooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well....it's different all right. This whole series. It would be better if the Daniel Jackson (not to mention the Jack O'Neil) in this book didn't swear his head off every other page, but anyway....

They're not bad. It's an interesting story.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read, however the author made the mistake in thinking that Hathor was a cat goddess instead of a cow goddess, someone needed a refresher in Egyptian mythology. Besides the point. it was still a interesting read.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a wonderful book, however the UMC weren't believable. Sure, they could be manipulative creeps, but would they really be so irrational? Well, it didn't ruin the book for me, that would be stupid. It was still a fabulous book.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well it kept me furious for about 300 pages so I suppose that's a sort of victory. Overall a weird (significantly worse) parallel universe to where the tv show took it. Wouldn't especially recommend it, even if you are a stargate fan.

[Oceana2602 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Stargate tie-in for the original movie, which - surprise! - I don't remember anything about. The book, that is. The movie I remember.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light and fast, has nothing to do with the television series, I'm told. Doesn't matter. It was fun.