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A prophecy is fulfilled when Peter Attis is rescued from the Cylons in order to save humanity with “the plague of the tongue.” Or so it seems…
While harvesting algae for conversion into food, the beleaguered human/refugee fleet is discovered by a small group of Cylon raiders. A brief battle ends with the destruction of a Cylon heavy raider. A colonial issue escape pod found floating among the debris reveals two survivors Singer Peter Attis . . . and his captor, a Cylon Number Eight.
Soon after Peter’s liberation, people begin babbling incoherently and dropping into comas. Unwittingly, Peter has been spreading a highly contagious, nerve-deteriorating Cylon biological weapon -- and he just performed for half the fleet. As Dr. Gaius Baltar begins work on a cure, word starts to spread that a fanatical sect believes that Peter is the religious leader who will save humanity and that this virus is their path to salvation. They are willing to do anything to keep Baltar’s vaccine from being distributed.
While the fleet is in chaos, a larger Cylon force appears. A weakened humankind, now threatened on two fronts, may be unable to defend itself…
While harvesting algae for conversion into food, the beleaguered human/refugee fleet is discovered by a small group of Cylon raiders. A brief battle ends with the destruction of a Cylon heavy raider. A colonial issue escape pod found floating among the debris reveals two survivors Singer Peter Attis . . . and his captor, a Cylon Number Eight.
Soon after Peter’s liberation, people begin babbling incoherently and dropping into comas. Unwittingly, Peter has been spreading a highly contagious, nerve-deteriorating Cylon biological weapon -- and he just performed for half the fleet. As Dr. Gaius Baltar begins work on a cure, word starts to spread that a fanatical sect believes that Peter is the religious leader who will save humanity and that this virus is their path to salvation. They are willing to do anything to keep Baltar’s vaccine from being distributed.
While the fleet is in chaos, a larger Cylon force appears. A weakened humankind, now threatened on two fronts, may be unable to defend itself…
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Steven Harper
53 books120 followersA pseudonym of Steven Piziks
Steven Harper Piziks was born with a name that no one can reliably spell or pronounce, so he often writes under the pen name Steven Harper. He lives in Michigan with his family. When not at the keyboard, he plays the folk harp, fiddles with video games, and pretends he doesn’t talk to the household cats. In the past, he’s held jobs as a reporter, theater producer, secretary, and substitute teacher. He maintains that the most interesting thing about him is that he writes books.
Steven is the creator of The Silent Empire series, the Clockwork Empire steampunk series, and the Books of Blood and Iron series for Roc Books. All four Silent Empire novels were finalists for the Spectrum Award, a first!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 6, 2015
I picked this book up on a whim at the library, not really realizing that it was the fourth book. Since I'm in the middle of a rewatch of the show, and it just so happens I'm right in between episodes that this book occurs, I thought it was fine to read them out of order. I didn't start the book with really any expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised. It did a really good job at involving the large main cast of characters and the characters all felt like themselves. I think the only thing that bugged me was they never followed up on Kat and Hot Dog. They were #2 & #3 to be infected, but they somehow managed not to be two of the ones who died?
June 29, 2014
The weakest of the trilogy. It didn't add anything to the series. At least the other two went into back stories that explained why things were the way they were. I wouldn't bother reading this, unless you were like me, dying for more BSG reading material.
March 22, 2015
Not a bad story. The author could have cut back on the giant paragraphs of detailed exposition without losing any part of the plot, and some of the dialogue was stilted and awkward, but I've read worse.
August 17, 2016
This novel read like the script to a rejected episode, and one I'm glad we never got to see. While the show was great, if this novel is representative of the other extended universe stuff, don't bother wasting your time. It only gets two stars because I'm feeling generous.
June 4, 2009
This book explains the folks who showed up in Season 3 with red scarves. If I hadn't read this book, I would have had no clue as to the role the cult is playing.
May 22, 2015
Not bad. This fits smoothly into the Galactica mythos.
November 20, 2018
Again I enjoyed this authors work
September 11, 2019
Not the worst sci-fi tie-in out there, but one that manages to get characterizations dead wrong.
January 15, 2016
Easy to read, fun book.
August 23, 2021
Battlestar Galactica: Unity by Steven Harper, is a media tie-in novel based of the Sci-fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica reboot TV series, and the final book of the Battlestar Galactica book trilogy.
“Unity" Tells an original story set between the events of episodes “The Flight Of the Phoenix” and “Pegasus” during season 2. Following the story of the Galactica crew as they rescue a Peter Attis from a Cylon escape pod. Peter is an iconic pop singing star, and I guess he is meant to resemble the Justin Timberlake of his time. During the novel, he ends up performing a concert of his songs for the whole fleet which allows for the "rag-tag fleet" to have some fun for a change. Peter also gets it on with Kara (aka Starbuck) who professes to having a huge crush on him when she was a teenager. This of course brings out an endless jealousy in Lee "Apollo" Adama, and it keeps you wondering if these two will ever get together.
However, Peter Attis has unknowingly started to spread a highly contagious, nerve-deteriorating Cylon biological weapon that will soon incapacitate the entire fleet. People start to babble incoherently and then drop into a coma, and then they later die. So it is up to Dr. Gaius Baltar and Dr. Cottle (always smoking a cigarette) to find a cure for this disease before the entire crew is left defenseless before the Cylons who just might be around the corner…
Steven Harper does a very good job keeping "Unity" within the same tone of the Sci-Fi television series. The characters and their situations are for the most part very realistic, and some of the conflicts the characters go through are fascinating. There are many different things going on in the book, but it is never confusing, and we can follow each plot thread to its conclusion without scratching our heads. In addition to Peter Attis being rescued from the Cylons, we also have the Galactica crew harvesting algae for conversion into food for the starved fleet, and we have Sharon (several copies of her actually) escaping her cage and creating havoc for the entire fleet as she threatens to blow up ships in one way or another.
The thing that I thought was the most interesting about this book was how it handled the realm of religion. When the virus ends up taking a major effect on the fleet, some end up seeing it as the touch of the gods that indicates that Peter Attis is the religious leader that will end up saving humanity. They see the virus not as a threat, but as a path to salvation. Here, Steven Harper brilliantly exploits how so many religious figures misinterpret religious passages or end up reinterpreting them to fit their own needs. So many people want to see that God sending them a message, and when something like this happens, we threaten to lose all objectivity as we see certain things as something more than they actually are. Even if the crew gets the cure, they will have to deal with a fanatical sect which will do whatever they can to prevent its distribution.
Like the show, "Unity" deals with the messiness of life and the constant battle between politics and religion. While the book more or less ends how you might expect it to, it does a good job of not making any resolution to the story seem neat. There is no happily ever after here, and no crazy beliefs can ever be easily squashed. There will also be some lingering followers who will believe only what they want to hear, even after the truth of the matter has been proven. The line between church and state continues to be eroded as time goes on, and it goes without saying that while the church and politics have to deal with each other, they need their boundaries (especially politics).
I also liked how the book delved more into Starbuck's character and how we see that she was abused constantly by her father as a child. This gives us more insight why she has problems dealing with people close to her (especially Apollo). She is always doing crazy things that spell out how self-destructive she can be, and how she doesn't always have the level of self-esteem that her ego implies. This may give the viewer of the TV show some more insight into her character when they watch (or re-watch) the episodes.
The only problem I had with the book was in regards to Sharon Valeri's character. There are some copies of her in the book, and explaining this without spoiling the book might be difficult, but I'll give it a try. Basically, the way her character's (or characters') journey is resolved at the end of the book almost feels like a cheat and comes off like a cheap ending. It all comes across as too convenient, as we know that the character cannot be simply done away with.
Overall, Steven Harper's "Unity" is an exciting novel that kept my interest from beginning to end. I think it will certain please fans of the show as it does not take away from it in the slightest.
“Unity" Tells an original story set between the events of episodes “The Flight Of the Phoenix” and “Pegasus” during season 2. Following the story of the Galactica crew as they rescue a Peter Attis from a Cylon escape pod. Peter is an iconic pop singing star, and I guess he is meant to resemble the Justin Timberlake of his time. During the novel, he ends up performing a concert of his songs for the whole fleet which allows for the "rag-tag fleet" to have some fun for a change. Peter also gets it on with Kara (aka Starbuck) who professes to having a huge crush on him when she was a teenager. This of course brings out an endless jealousy in Lee "Apollo" Adama, and it keeps you wondering if these two will ever get together.
However, Peter Attis has unknowingly started to spread a highly contagious, nerve-deteriorating Cylon biological weapon that will soon incapacitate the entire fleet. People start to babble incoherently and then drop into a coma, and then they later die. So it is up to Dr. Gaius Baltar and Dr. Cottle (always smoking a cigarette) to find a cure for this disease before the entire crew is left defenseless before the Cylons who just might be around the corner…
Steven Harper does a very good job keeping "Unity" within the same tone of the Sci-Fi television series. The characters and their situations are for the most part very realistic, and some of the conflicts the characters go through are fascinating. There are many different things going on in the book, but it is never confusing, and we can follow each plot thread to its conclusion without scratching our heads. In addition to Peter Attis being rescued from the Cylons, we also have the Galactica crew harvesting algae for conversion into food for the starved fleet, and we have Sharon (several copies of her actually) escaping her cage and creating havoc for the entire fleet as she threatens to blow up ships in one way or another.
The thing that I thought was the most interesting about this book was how it handled the realm of religion. When the virus ends up taking a major effect on the fleet, some end up seeing it as the touch of the gods that indicates that Peter Attis is the religious leader that will end up saving humanity. They see the virus not as a threat, but as a path to salvation. Here, Steven Harper brilliantly exploits how so many religious figures misinterpret religious passages or end up reinterpreting them to fit their own needs. So many people want to see that God sending them a message, and when something like this happens, we threaten to lose all objectivity as we see certain things as something more than they actually are. Even if the crew gets the cure, they will have to deal with a fanatical sect which will do whatever they can to prevent its distribution.
Like the show, "Unity" deals with the messiness of life and the constant battle between politics and religion. While the book more or less ends how you might expect it to, it does a good job of not making any resolution to the story seem neat. There is no happily ever after here, and no crazy beliefs can ever be easily squashed. There will also be some lingering followers who will believe only what they want to hear, even after the truth of the matter has been proven. The line between church and state continues to be eroded as time goes on, and it goes without saying that while the church and politics have to deal with each other, they need their boundaries (especially politics).
I also liked how the book delved more into Starbuck's character and how we see that she was abused constantly by her father as a child. This gives us more insight why she has problems dealing with people close to her (especially Apollo). She is always doing crazy things that spell out how self-destructive she can be, and how she doesn't always have the level of self-esteem that her ego implies. This may give the viewer of the TV show some more insight into her character when they watch (or re-watch) the episodes.
The only problem I had with the book was in regards to Sharon Valeri's character. There are some copies of her in the book, and explaining this without spoiling the book might be difficult, but I'll give it a try. Basically, the way her character's (or characters') journey is resolved at the end of the book almost feels like a cheat and comes off like a cheap ending. It all comes across as too convenient, as we know that the character cannot be simply done away with.
Overall, Steven Harper's "Unity" is an exciting novel that kept my interest from beginning to end. I think it will certain please fans of the show as it does not take away from it in the slightest.
December 30, 2010
This book reminded me how much I miss the show. I enjoyed reading this. Though I wasn't too sold on Starbucks personality in the book. I just couldn't see her with a "pop star" and I don't remember anything about her dad in the show so that was strange to read about him in the book. But overall it was a good read. I'll probably look for more books about the show so I don't miss so much. Hopefully they're just as good or even better.
June 14, 2010
This wasn't a bad book and I could see this book being in line with the show and how it could have been an episode for the most part. It was an easy read and I think I did it in a week or something. The plot is pretty good and it does fit in when it says it takes place from the show. So that is good.
November 7, 2008
Fun read for BG fans. I could totally see this book as an episode. The author writes very visually and the writing was really light and quick. Fun read.
November 29, 2010
A solid book. It would have made for some decent episodes on the show. There were a few typos which annoyed me. Publishers, kindly proofread a little better? Hire me.
June 5, 2022
Pretty well written. Had a hard time putting it down. However, after finishing this book, I kind of wish this would have been a real episode of Battlestar Galactica.
November 4, 2014
1 1/2 stars.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews