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The Northern Star #1
The Northern Star: The Beginning
The oil is gone. That way of life, ended. An invention frees the mind. A cyber-world becomes salvation. A boy, a weapon. A soldier, a titan. While nations thrash into antiquity and a CEO becomes Queen, a man - brilliant and cunning - plots to rule it all.
- GenresScience FictionCyberpunk
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2012
21 people are currently reading
1078 people want to read
About the author
Mike Gullickson
8 books34 followersMike Gullickson writes science fiction and fantasy novels. He lives in Manhattan Beach, California with his wife and two children. His debut novel, the cyberpunk bestseller "The Northern Star: The Beginning," was hailed by Examiner in 2013 as one of "The Top 5 Indie Published Books You Haven't Read But Should." For its sequel, the Midwest Book Review stated " . . . it's military sci-fi and futuristic cyber-reality at its best." The final novel in the trilogy, "The Northern Star: The End," is out now. To learn more go to www.mikegullickson.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 14, 2015
I was given this book in a Goodreads giveaway and it was not one of the giveaways I was excited about when I entered. But I was plesantly surprised when I read it.
In 2058, the oil-based economy of the world has been destroyed and a global cyberspace society has taken it's place. But it is one that is privately controlled by MindCorp. Governments are reduced to socialistic entites providing life's neccesities for it's citizens. In the US, that and a military trying to deal with terrorist actions within it's borders. So when the US Government teams with MindCorp to try to stop the actions, the stage is set for one brilliant meglomaniac to set himself up as the ruler of the world. But then, there's the Chinese...
I enjoyed TNS:TB very much. It's a breathlessly-paced, violent sci-fi adventure that harkens back to the classic brave new world era while encompassing global politics and some pressing issues of today. It's extremely well-written and Gillickson proves himself adeptly sly in his prose. Many times he slipped important notes by me that caused me to go back and reread passages--not out of frustration, but out a sense of wonder. At one point, I daresay, he would have been able to brainwash me along with his characters!
I'm not a tech-minded individual, but Gullickson was able to exppress some complex and terrifying ideas about technology into a format that I could understand--this book could have easily been rendered in jargon that could've had me tearing my hair out.
However, the book suffers from almost cliched sci-fi notions and half-baked characterizations. The book is so dense with action and ideas that such development of character is tossed aside. Part of the problem might have been that Gullickson's ideas of the book seemed to have changed halfway though. There's a terrific scenario in the jungles of Venezuela that doesn't seem to have any point to it in the end. A couple of characters are treated heavily in the beginning only to get axed later on.
But, in the end, it's entertainment value that matters, I suppose, and The Northern Star: The Beginning has more than enough to overcome it's flaws. I'm looking forward to the next 3(?) installments.
In 2058, the oil-based economy of the world has been destroyed and a global cyberspace society has taken it's place. But it is one that is privately controlled by MindCorp. Governments are reduced to socialistic entites providing life's neccesities for it's citizens. In the US, that and a military trying to deal with terrorist actions within it's borders. So when the US Government teams with MindCorp to try to stop the actions, the stage is set for one brilliant meglomaniac to set himself up as the ruler of the world. But then, there's the Chinese...
I enjoyed TNS:TB very much. It's a breathlessly-paced, violent sci-fi adventure that harkens back to the classic brave new world era while encompassing global politics and some pressing issues of today. It's extremely well-written and Gillickson proves himself adeptly sly in his prose. Many times he slipped important notes by me that caused me to go back and reread passages--not out of frustration, but out a sense of wonder. At one point, I daresay, he would have been able to brainwash me along with his characters!
I'm not a tech-minded individual, but Gullickson was able to exppress some complex and terrifying ideas about technology into a format that I could understand--this book could have easily been rendered in jargon that could've had me tearing my hair out.
However, the book suffers from almost cliched sci-fi notions and half-baked characterizations. The book is so dense with action and ideas that such development of character is tossed aside. Part of the problem might have been that Gullickson's ideas of the book seemed to have changed halfway though. There's a terrific scenario in the jungles of Venezuela that doesn't seem to have any point to it in the end. A couple of characters are treated heavily in the beginning only to get axed later on.
But, in the end, it's entertainment value that matters, I suppose, and The Northern Star: The Beginning has more than enough to overcome it's flaws. I'm looking forward to the next 3(?) installments.
September 1, 2013
I had very mixed feelings about this book. At times, I was completely enthralled. At other times, I was bored and frustrated with the story. I went for several days at a time without even thinking about picking up the book. There were certainly highs and lows; the high points were stellar, but the low points were a challenge to get through.
There were a lot of characters, none of them too deep. As I was reading, I had a hard time figuring out which characters were important or relevant to the story. Truthfully, I’m not sure who the protagonist was. Sometimes I couldn’t even tell who the characters were. For instance, Dr. Evan Lindo was often referred to as Lindo. No problem; that makes sense. Later, he was referred to as Evan. By that point, I had forgotten his first name, and didn’t realize it was the same person. For a few of the characters, it went back and forth between first and last name. This was my biggest complaint. It doesn’t make the book unreadable, but it’s a personal pet peeve.
With so many characters, there were a lot of independent plotlines. Some of them didn’t even contribute to the main story.
When I started reading, I really enjoyed the book. At some point, though, the story lost me. I also really enjoyed the ending, but it seemed pretty rushed. I expected there to be a lot more conflict in the final battle, but the resolution came too easily.
I felt like this novel had a lot of potential. It was just too complicated and disjointed for me. Had it focused more on one main storyline and fewer characters that were more thoroughly developed, I would have loved it. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
There were a lot of characters, none of them too deep. As I was reading, I had a hard time figuring out which characters were important or relevant to the story. Truthfully, I’m not sure who the protagonist was. Sometimes I couldn’t even tell who the characters were. For instance, Dr. Evan Lindo was often referred to as Lindo. No problem; that makes sense. Later, he was referred to as Evan. By that point, I had forgotten his first name, and didn’t realize it was the same person. For a few of the characters, it went back and forth between first and last name. This was my biggest complaint. It doesn’t make the book unreadable, but it’s a personal pet peeve.
With so many characters, there were a lot of independent plotlines. Some of them didn’t even contribute to the main story.
When I started reading, I really enjoyed the book. At some point, though, the story lost me. I also really enjoyed the ending, but it seemed pretty rushed. I expected there to be a lot more conflict in the final battle, but the resolution came too easily.
I felt like this novel had a lot of potential. It was just too complicated and disjointed for me. Had it focused more on one main storyline and fewer characters that were more thoroughly developed, I would have loved it. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
January 21, 2013
The Northern Star
Mike Gullickson
Lightside/Darkside Entertainment LLC
The Northern Star takes place in the near future when the oil has all but run out. People have moved into the cities to make transportation easier. The thing that has saved the world is the Mindlink. The Mindlink allows the user to live in the virtual world and has made the real world little more than an apartment. John Raimey is a soldier in the new world. He and his team return to the U.S. to take up the fight against terrorists that live in the U.S. now that the Middle East oil is gone and the countries have been reduced to ashes. What John doesn’t know is that terrorism is soon going to be the least of his worries. Someone has found a way to use the Minklink to coerce world leaders. The real battle will not be fought over land, but over control of the Mindscape.
This book was a sleeper. I struggled a bit when the book opened. I didn’t find the “advanced” technology to be that advanced. When I let go of that issue, I was pulled in by the characters and their interaction. Mike creates a varied cast of people and, just as in real life, sometimes it is hard to tell the villains from the heroes. This is the first book of a series and I will be looking forward to the next book. One thing that I very much appreciated was that there was sufficient closure at the end of this book to leave me satisfied and enough hints about what is coming to have me eager to pick up the next one.
The book is nicely put together for an independent press. There are a few minor typos, but I’ve seen as many in books by the big publishers. It is nicely printed on quality paper and feels good in your hand. The binding held up to my bad habit of laying the book down open which is often death on poor quality books.
Mike Gullickson
Lightside/Darkside Entertainment LLC
The Northern Star takes place in the near future when the oil has all but run out. People have moved into the cities to make transportation easier. The thing that has saved the world is the Mindlink. The Mindlink allows the user to live in the virtual world and has made the real world little more than an apartment. John Raimey is a soldier in the new world. He and his team return to the U.S. to take up the fight against terrorists that live in the U.S. now that the Middle East oil is gone and the countries have been reduced to ashes. What John doesn’t know is that terrorism is soon going to be the least of his worries. Someone has found a way to use the Minklink to coerce world leaders. The real battle will not be fought over land, but over control of the Mindscape.
This book was a sleeper. I struggled a bit when the book opened. I didn’t find the “advanced” technology to be that advanced. When I let go of that issue, I was pulled in by the characters and their interaction. Mike creates a varied cast of people and, just as in real life, sometimes it is hard to tell the villains from the heroes. This is the first book of a series and I will be looking forward to the next book. One thing that I very much appreciated was that there was sufficient closure at the end of this book to leave me satisfied and enough hints about what is coming to have me eager to pick up the next one.
The book is nicely put together for an independent press. There are a few minor typos, but I’ve seen as many in books by the big publishers. It is nicely printed on quality paper and feels good in your hand. The binding held up to my bad habit of laying the book down open which is often death on poor quality books.
January 17, 2013
I was sent this book through the Goodreads first reads giveaway. But this is a book I would gladly pay for.
The story, set in a world 35 years in the future, is at least semi-plausible. No space travel, but technology a couple of jumps forward from what is available today, and the depletion of one of the most-used natural resources - oil. The Chinese, Islamic Fundamentalist and Power-hungry Military Officer antagonists are very real and imaginable as well.
Mike Gullicksonuses a contemporary language that helps with the flow, and I feel like he captures the use of slang and vernacular without coming off as vulgar. His writing seems more like listening to a conversation, rather than much of the posturing, big-worded entries many contemporary authors tend to use.
The story is paced well, until close to the end. After the "final crisis", where Xan and the chinese military abduct the King Sleeper, things seem to happen rather quickly without any dramatic build-up. I felt that at least a couple of paragraphs of Raimey's internal debate could have been used, or a brief discussion with his wife and daughter about what he should do could have been included and would have helped add a litlle drama to the decision.
I was also shocked to find myself only 20 pages from being done a 350-page book and the climax had yet to happen. When it did, it felt like I had been slapped in the face with a large amount of plot in such a short amount of words. Again, it could have been drawn out, even another 20 pages, and I feel it would have helped the story out immensely.
So all in all, if the only complaint a reader has is that the book was not long enough, I think you're doing ok!
I'm eagerly awaiting the second and third installments.
The story, set in a world 35 years in the future, is at least semi-plausible. No space travel, but technology a couple of jumps forward from what is available today, and the depletion of one of the most-used natural resources - oil. The Chinese, Islamic Fundamentalist and Power-hungry Military Officer antagonists are very real and imaginable as well.
Mike Gullicksonuses a contemporary language that helps with the flow, and I feel like he captures the use of slang and vernacular without coming off as vulgar. His writing seems more like listening to a conversation, rather than much of the posturing, big-worded entries many contemporary authors tend to use.
The story is paced well, until close to the end. After the "final crisis", where Xan and the chinese military abduct the King Sleeper, things seem to happen rather quickly without any dramatic build-up. I felt that at least a couple of paragraphs of Raimey's internal debate could have been used, or a brief discussion with his wife and daughter about what he should do could have been included and would have helped add a litlle drama to the decision.
I was also shocked to find myself only 20 pages from being done a 350-page book and the climax had yet to happen. When it did, it felt like I had been slapped in the face with a large amount of plot in such a short amount of words. Again, it could have been drawn out, even another 20 pages, and I feel it would have helped the story out immensely.
So all in all, if the only complaint a reader has is that the book was not long enough, I think you're doing ok!
I'm eagerly awaiting the second and third installments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2013
So, this book came in the mail one day and I have no freaking clue where it came from. But the premise looked really good, so I just praised the book gods who deposited this book on my doorstep and started reading.
I found the book to be pretty ho hum right from the get go and my frustration just mounted as I got deeper in. The premise - the oil is gone and a new technology is going to change the face of the world - as I said, sounded awesome. The delivery, however, didn't every really deliver. The prose felt really milquetoast and the characters were all caricatures, not to mention the author has a kind of weird fixation on autism. It was clear the author had grand visions for his world and he really almost got there, but in the end, he just wasn't able to make it come to life in a way that wasn't cliché
At one point I started dog-ear-ing pages that had things that didn't make sense or were irritating. I lasted about 100 pages, dog-ear-ing something about every 5-10 pages, before I finally gave up. There was just too much. There's voter apathy, but millions show up to a street protest. Revo's lived her life as a tough as nails scientist, but falls to pieces as the slightest provocation. The guy does something with his right leg on one page, but then it's the left on next. A gun magazine only holds enough bullets to fire for a third of a second. There's clunky, ridiculous dialog.
In the end, I was really disappointed with the world building and the characters. I won't be reading the next two books in the series.
I found the book to be pretty ho hum right from the get go and my frustration just mounted as I got deeper in. The premise - the oil is gone and a new technology is going to change the face of the world - as I said, sounded awesome. The delivery, however, didn't every really deliver. The prose felt really milquetoast and the characters were all caricatures, not to mention the author has a kind of weird fixation on autism. It was clear the author had grand visions for his world and he really almost got there, but in the end, he just wasn't able to make it come to life in a way that wasn't cliché
At one point I started dog-ear-ing pages that had things that didn't make sense or were irritating. I lasted about 100 pages, dog-ear-ing something about every 5-10 pages, before I finally gave up. There was just too much. There's voter apathy, but millions show up to a street protest. Revo's lived her life as a tough as nails scientist, but falls to pieces as the slightest provocation. The guy does something with his right leg on one page, but then it's the left on next. A gun magazine only holds enough bullets to fire for a third of a second. There's clunky, ridiculous dialog.
In the end, I was really disappointed with the world building and the characters. I won't be reading the next two books in the series.
November 6, 2013
A futuristic- completely realistic- sci fi roller coaster. This book has it all. Being the oil dependent people we are, it is terrifying a thought that it will be gone. We can all imagine that it will happen but in this book, in 2058 .. it's happened.
Your mind will be stretched further when you realize that in the year 2058 our fights will not be over land or rights, but over our mindscape as our lives play out in cyberspace. What life is like when our resources run dry and technology because both necessary and evil..
A plot driven book full of murder and intrigue and a sense of .. wow can this really happen? If our way of life was taken away, our ability to travel, to fly .. even to go to the store- what would we do?
Read this, find out!
Your mind will be stretched further when you realize that in the year 2058 our fights will not be over land or rights, but over our mindscape as our lives play out in cyberspace. What life is like when our resources run dry and technology because both necessary and evil..
A plot driven book full of murder and intrigue and a sense of .. wow can this really happen? If our way of life was taken away, our ability to travel, to fly .. even to go to the store- what would we do?
Read this, find out!
January 20, 2013
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Sci-fi is not my typical genre of choice, but this book kept me interested throughout. The premise - that the world is out of oil, and we live in a cyber-world - isn't implausible. It wasn't so "out there" that I felt lost - indeed, in 2058, there are still things like Asperger's and people still worry about going to the gym! Well written and well done.
November 18, 2013
Science Fiction wedded to reality: There's the rub!
Science fiction literature and movies appeal to a certain audience, whether that is because those who like it are dreaming of an escape from the world as it is today, or because such stories make the implausible plausible within the confines to that period of time the story usurps. Others find sci-fi stories off-putting because they usually are concentrated on wildly imaginative machines and powers that defy explanation on a rational basis. As we move into the highspeed technology world that grows daily creating realities thought impossible only a few decades ago, stories once labeled as sci-fi are becoming closer to reportage.
Mike Gullickson is a California based writer, fairly new to the literary scene, and a writer who has taken his long obsession with science fiction (from age twelve he states `if it was gothic, horror, science fiction, fantasy or gory, I was into it.') But what makes Gullickson unique among writer of science fiction and futurism (and one of the primary reasons this reader could better appreciate a genre not usually to my liking) is his ability to create a backdrop for his stories that is anchored in reality, people or places or situations to which we can easily relate to the point that his stories become all the more terrifying because they are more than feasible possibilities. He has addressed our current dependence on oil and the global struggles of control of that dwindling resource, underlining that very real situation coupled with the rising incidents of terrorism and technological advances that simultaneously glut the media with images of terrorist acts and critical conditions distance us form confrontations in real time by viewing it all through the protective and poorly understood shield of the internet information source.
The Northern Star (Volume 1 The Beginning) opens in 2058 (actually the prologue begins in 2048), a time with oil deletion has created the battleground for the super powers of China, the US, and the EU who have united in a military fashion to occupy all of the oil rich countries, a situation that has driven the masses into ghettoes, stimulated even further the Terror wars to the point where terrorist acts occur daily in the streets of the remaining cities. The only defense against this decimating progress is the creation by the corporation Mindcorp who has invented a computer based technology called Mindlink that allows people to have their mind outside their body: people can `live' in a virtual reality online. Out of this, Tank Majors (or bionic soldiers) are created to combat the powerful perpetrators. Gullickson personalizes these bionic warriors, and here again the author's ability to create identifiable characters in a bizarre situation helps drive his story to a surprising end.
Mike Gullickson has found that path that appeals to both sci-fi and futurists addicts as well as though of us who do not usually appreciate this genre, and much of that is due to his skill in keeping the language contemporary as he steps beyond the crises we know as reality - and just pushes reality further. It works.
Grady Harp
Science fiction literature and movies appeal to a certain audience, whether that is because those who like it are dreaming of an escape from the world as it is today, or because such stories make the implausible plausible within the confines to that period of time the story usurps. Others find sci-fi stories off-putting because they usually are concentrated on wildly imaginative machines and powers that defy explanation on a rational basis. As we move into the highspeed technology world that grows daily creating realities thought impossible only a few decades ago, stories once labeled as sci-fi are becoming closer to reportage.
Mike Gullickson is a California based writer, fairly new to the literary scene, and a writer who has taken his long obsession with science fiction (from age twelve he states `if it was gothic, horror, science fiction, fantasy or gory, I was into it.') But what makes Gullickson unique among writer of science fiction and futurism (and one of the primary reasons this reader could better appreciate a genre not usually to my liking) is his ability to create a backdrop for his stories that is anchored in reality, people or places or situations to which we can easily relate to the point that his stories become all the more terrifying because they are more than feasible possibilities. He has addressed our current dependence on oil and the global struggles of control of that dwindling resource, underlining that very real situation coupled with the rising incidents of terrorism and technological advances that simultaneously glut the media with images of terrorist acts and critical conditions distance us form confrontations in real time by viewing it all through the protective and poorly understood shield of the internet information source.
The Northern Star (Volume 1 The Beginning) opens in 2058 (actually the prologue begins in 2048), a time with oil deletion has created the battleground for the super powers of China, the US, and the EU who have united in a military fashion to occupy all of the oil rich countries, a situation that has driven the masses into ghettoes, stimulated even further the Terror wars to the point where terrorist acts occur daily in the streets of the remaining cities. The only defense against this decimating progress is the creation by the corporation Mindcorp who has invented a computer based technology called Mindlink that allows people to have their mind outside their body: people can `live' in a virtual reality online. Out of this, Tank Majors (or bionic soldiers) are created to combat the powerful perpetrators. Gullickson personalizes these bionic warriors, and here again the author's ability to create identifiable characters in a bizarre situation helps drive his story to a surprising end.
Mike Gullickson has found that path that appeals to both sci-fi and futurists addicts as well as though of us who do not usually appreciate this genre, and much of that is due to his skill in keeping the language contemporary as he steps beyond the crises we know as reality - and just pushes reality further. It works.
Grady Harp
March 29, 2014
This is a fun read, set in the relatively near future the mindlink technology has opened cyberspace (as in realist environments) to the world. The developer has a complete monopoly on the technology and it proves to be a boon with the world having to change with the dwindling oil reserves finally having an effect on the economy. However there is a flaw in the technology, a weakness that can exploited to wield power on a scale never before seen.
As well as the cyberspace angle we also have the development of a super soldier technology that promises to revolutionise warfare. This is all set against a world where serious measures have been taken to secure the last oil reserves.
I enjoyed reading this story, it's an interesting tale that has some nice twists and turns along the way. The use of the new technology is quite novel (more so the cyberspace flaws, but the supersoldier aspect is also solid), more than this there's a bit of a moral maze going on. I liked the fact that things aren't quite so clear cut as they seem when the story opens, quite often the human side of these type of stories is forgotten, but it is well explored here.
The author's writing is crisp and flows well, there's a good pace to the story and it kept me interested all the way through. Nothing in life is perfect however and there's a couple of minor issues. The first is the world the story is set in, it's an interesting world, but I would really have liked to see it developed further. It does provide an effective backdrop, but its richness could have been brought more into the story. The other issue is the characters, as with the background they're fine and do their job, but more could have been done for the reader to get to know them better.
They're minor quibbles though and it is an entertaining read that provides some interesting concepts to think about.
As well as the cyberspace angle we also have the development of a super soldier technology that promises to revolutionise warfare. This is all set against a world where serious measures have been taken to secure the last oil reserves.
I enjoyed reading this story, it's an interesting tale that has some nice twists and turns along the way. The use of the new technology is quite novel (more so the cyberspace flaws, but the supersoldier aspect is also solid), more than this there's a bit of a moral maze going on. I liked the fact that things aren't quite so clear cut as they seem when the story opens, quite often the human side of these type of stories is forgotten, but it is well explored here.
The author's writing is crisp and flows well, there's a good pace to the story and it kept me interested all the way through. Nothing in life is perfect however and there's a couple of minor issues. The first is the world the story is set in, it's an interesting world, but I would really have liked to see it developed further. It does provide an effective backdrop, but its richness could have been brought more into the story. The other issue is the characters, as with the background they're fine and do their job, but more could have been done for the reader to get to know them better.
They're minor quibbles though and it is an entertaining read that provides some interesting concepts to think about.
June 9, 2013
The Northern Star: The Beginning takes place in the not so distant future. The oil is gone and travel has almost ground to a halt. Not long ago a technological discovery came about that changed everything. A helmet that allows people to plug into a virtual universe where they can do all there interacting in whatever environment they would like. This discovery has allowed society to continue even with the virtual cessation of international travel. However like all technological improvements there are people who can twist it to their own ends.
One of the major themes of the The Northern Star revolves around a new battle suit that has been developed by the Americans. This suit is designed to replace an entire army and be controlled by a person melded to the frame. There is also an autistic child who has what basically amounts to super powers in the virtual landscape that will have an unbelievable affect on the world.
The story has a decent pace though there are spots that slow down a bit to fully explain all of the tech. The battle suit made me think of the Mech Warrior computer games that I used to play a long time ago. It really brought a vivid image of the suit to my mind. The majority of the characters were very obsessed with their own thing which led them to feel a little undeveloped. There were a few standout characters that really helped to flush out the world of the book.
This has been a pretty strong start to a series and I'm interested in seeing what the second book has to offer. From my understanding it is currently in editing stages so it should be out fairly soon.
Review copy provided by the author.
One of the major themes of the The Northern Star revolves around a new battle suit that has been developed by the Americans. This suit is designed to replace an entire army and be controlled by a person melded to the frame. There is also an autistic child who has what basically amounts to super powers in the virtual landscape that will have an unbelievable affect on the world.
The story has a decent pace though there are spots that slow down a bit to fully explain all of the tech. The battle suit made me think of the Mech Warrior computer games that I used to play a long time ago. It really brought a vivid image of the suit to my mind. The majority of the characters were very obsessed with their own thing which led them to feel a little undeveloped. There were a few standout characters that really helped to flush out the world of the book.
This has been a pretty strong start to a series and I'm interested in seeing what the second book has to offer. From my understanding it is currently in editing stages so it should be out fairly soon.
Review copy provided by the author.
April 17, 2013
A Book Through Goodreads First Reads
This was an intersting book. Set in the near future, the internet isn't confined to a screen. The MinkLink system gives a full-fledged feel to it, going anywhere and looking like anyone.
Only there's a dark side to this. The US government want to use it to find terrorists.
Then there's an attack upon a MinkLink Core, and things start to get really interesting.
Despite this book not something I ususally read, I quite enjoyed it. My favorite character, by far, was Justin. My next favorite character is surprisingly Xan. I thought her was fascinating.
There were a couple of elements that i didn't like, but they were more my personal beefs, which included some drug usage and one of other favorite characters is injured. Also there were a couple of chapters that had some random hops to a different character that effected continuity, but they were not too bad.
All in all, I was fascinated by the technology and the stories of the characters.
This was an intersting book. Set in the near future, the internet isn't confined to a screen. The MinkLink system gives a full-fledged feel to it, going anywhere and looking like anyone.
Only there's a dark side to this. The US government want to use it to find terrorists.
Then there's an attack upon a MinkLink Core, and things start to get really interesting.
Despite this book not something I ususally read, I quite enjoyed it. My favorite character, by far, was Justin. My next favorite character is surprisingly Xan. I thought her was fascinating.
There were a couple of elements that i didn't like, but they were more my personal beefs, which included some drug usage and one of other favorite characters is injured. Also there were a couple of chapters that had some random hops to a different character that effected continuity, but they were not too bad.
All in all, I was fascinated by the technology and the stories of the characters.
December 24, 2014
*received free ebook copy in exchange for honest review*
I found The Northern Star: The Beginning to be an enjoyable read, especially the further into the book I got. I did notice a couple grammatical errors, but they certainly didn't detract from the story. The future the author depicted certainly felt all to plausible.
The only part I found a little lacking was in terms of character development. Most of the characters felt, not completely one dimensional but close to it. Even when the author attempted to flesh them out, it only seemed to confuse me more. I could not really get a grasp on several of the characters and their motivations. In some ways they didn't seem to react in ways that would be natural to the type of character I understood them to be.
Overall I felt that The Northern Star: The Beginning by Mike Gullickson is certainly worth the read for fans of Sci-Fi and speculative fiction.
I found The Northern Star: The Beginning to be an enjoyable read, especially the further into the book I got. I did notice a couple grammatical errors, but they certainly didn't detract from the story. The future the author depicted certainly felt all to plausible.
The only part I found a little lacking was in terms of character development. Most of the characters felt, not completely one dimensional but close to it. Even when the author attempted to flesh them out, it only seemed to confuse me more. I could not really get a grasp on several of the characters and their motivations. In some ways they didn't seem to react in ways that would be natural to the type of character I understood them to be.
Overall I felt that The Northern Star: The Beginning by Mike Gullickson is certainly worth the read for fans of Sci-Fi and speculative fiction.
November 24, 2014
This was a GoodReads giveaway win.
March 17, 2013
High tech weapons systems and cyber wars. Oh, so cool. Just where will the world be some 35 years from now? No this is not about climate change. It is all about power. How individuals and nations obtain and exploit each other to obtain more power for themselves. I don't know how to describe this story without taking the joy out of discovering for yourself. It is a great ride and I can't wait to read more. This is a great kickoff to a new series. This story doesn't end without some conclusions, but it still leaves enough loose ends to give you room to speculate as to where the tale will pick up next.
I will be looking for more of this storyline and the writings of Mike Gullickson. He tells a great story and has an active imagination.
November 6, 2014
A quick re-read in anticipation of part two. Still love the storyline.
March 17, 2013
High tech weapons systems and cyber wars. Oh, so cool. Just where will the world be some 35 years from now? No this is not about climate change. It is all about power. How individuals and nations obtain and exploit each other to obtain more power for themselves. I don't know how to describe this story without taking the joy out of discovering for yourself. It is a great ride and I can't wait to read more. This is a great kickoff to a new series. This story doesn't end without some conclusions, but it still leaves enough loose ends to give you room to speculate as to where the tale will pick up next.
I will be looking for more of this storyline and the writings of Mike Gullickson. He tells a great story and has an active imagination.
November 6, 2014
A quick re-read in anticipation of part two. Still love the storyline.
April 23, 2013
A look into the online future of the human race. One interesting aspect I thought was that countries still had a form of government, but they were less necessary and sometimes impotent.
With the rise of a global MindLink product that allows people to tune into an online world, there was a lot of interplay between that world and how its setup affected the "real" world.
I thought the characters were a little stale at times, but that was more in terms of a few passages that I thought didn't add to their lives on the page.
Altogether a very good novel that ended up far from where I envisioned it would go -- and that's a good thing.
With the rise of a global MindLink product that allows people to tune into an online world, there was a lot of interplay between that world and how its setup affected the "real" world.
I thought the characters were a little stale at times, but that was more in terms of a few passages that I thought didn't add to their lives on the page.
Altogether a very good novel that ended up far from where I envisioned it would go -- and that's a good thing.
October 30, 2013
The Northern Star takes a look at a (almost) post oil world where there is little air or car travel and virtual reality is used for most every day interactions and terrorism is a daily part of life. The book follows a couple of groups of people and how they use and try to change this virtual world. The author does a good job of mixing in action and character development and at the end the change in many of the characters is considerable, but not unbelievable with all that they respectively go through. It’s a well written, thought provoking sci-fi/thriller blend.
January 29, 2013
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Sci-fi is not my typical genre of choice, but this book was believable and interesting. Well written and the pace grew so that I wanted to know how the book ended.
October 27, 2013
I loved this book. Mike Gullickson definately has a great understanding of not only current technology, but experimental and theoretical technology as well. It's quite the page turner, and I can't wait for the second installment. Two thumbs up from my corner.
November 18, 2013
There are only a handful of books that I have ever read more than twice, Enders Game, Jurassic Park, and The Northern Star. A must read for any SciFi enthusiast or for anyone who just wants a good read.
July 2, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads' First Reads.
A great dystopian novel. Can't wait for Gullickson's next work!
A great dystopian novel. Can't wait for Gullickson's next work!
May 23, 2018
Excellent character work. Painted a very poignant picture for me.
Detailed world building. But not too much to follow.
Very good storytelling.
Enjoyable story to read, am looking forward to the next installments in the series.
Detailed world building. But not too much to follow.
Very good storytelling.
Enjoyable story to read, am looking forward to the next installments in the series.
November 25, 2014
Imagine a future where oil is nearly depleted, how would the world react?
When governments weaken, who picks up the slack?
As America falls, who will be there to save her?
Gullickson’s The Northern Star is a fascinating joyride into the near future where virtual reality has replaced reality, and humans are forced to find contentment in a land of ones and zeros.
A fun mixture of dark dystopia, cyberpunk (a favorite genre of mine), and science fiction: Gullickson delivers a complex story filled with the devices readers crave in an action/adventure series.
The characters are complex and well developed, which I appreciated because it has secured my reading of book two, Civil War. To avoid merely summarizing the story, I will highlight my favorite character. I enjoyed the young genius, Justin. Although Justin’s story was a minor part of a larger story, his gift is what really captured my imagination. A blending of the Matrix’s Neo with Orson Scott Card’s Ender, his power to write code and manipulate the MindLink system is the kind of anomaly that I enjoy in scifi stories. A boy to be both pitied and feared. I hope to see Justin’s story farther developed and him become the main protagonist in a future book.
Plus, there are giant mech-like robots called Major Tanks. Smaller than Pacific Rim’s giant robots, they reminded me of a cross between those and MechWarriors. These super soldiers will no doubt change the future of warfare in Civil Wars as a weak alliance between China and the US only undoubtedly becomes weaker.
Highly recommended!
5/5 stars
*Note: Author provided a free copy to be reviewed by SFBook.com Review originally written for SFbook.com
When governments weaken, who picks up the slack?
As America falls, who will be there to save her?
Gullickson’s The Northern Star is a fascinating joyride into the near future where virtual reality has replaced reality, and humans are forced to find contentment in a land of ones and zeros.
A fun mixture of dark dystopia, cyberpunk (a favorite genre of mine), and science fiction: Gullickson delivers a complex story filled with the devices readers crave in an action/adventure series.
The characters are complex and well developed, which I appreciated because it has secured my reading of book two, Civil War. To avoid merely summarizing the story, I will highlight my favorite character. I enjoyed the young genius, Justin. Although Justin’s story was a minor part of a larger story, his gift is what really captured my imagination. A blending of the Matrix’s Neo with Orson Scott Card’s Ender, his power to write code and manipulate the MindLink system is the kind of anomaly that I enjoy in scifi stories. A boy to be both pitied and feared. I hope to see Justin’s story farther developed and him become the main protagonist in a future book.
Plus, there are giant mech-like robots called Major Tanks. Smaller than Pacific Rim’s giant robots, they reminded me of a cross between those and MechWarriors. These super soldiers will no doubt change the future of warfare in Civil Wars as a weak alliance between China and the US only undoubtedly becomes weaker.
Highly recommended!
5/5 stars
*Note: Author provided a free copy to be reviewed by SFBook.com Review originally written for SFbook.com
September 6, 2015
The Northern Star: The Beginning is a action packed, masculine story. What it lacks in character development, it makes up for in action and scene development. The world created by Mike Gullickson is detailed and interesting. I really liked that he generally explained the technology in the world in 2058, rather than dropping hints here and there like a lot of well known cyberpunk books.
The story moves along at a decent pace and has everything you'd want in a cyberpunk/dystopian/action story. Interesting tech, numerous characters from many points of view, battles, and espionage.
It's refreshing to read a (relatively) new dystopian book and find there are no vampires or zombies in it. It's also refreshing to read one not geared towards young adults and piggybacking on other, more well known, franchises.
Overall, I think of the book as a well done action movie. You aren't going to get deep character studies or magnificent personal triumph. Instead, you get an interesting story, great action and an imaginative world created with technological detail.
I received a copy of the book directly from the author in exchange for an honest and fair review.
The story moves along at a decent pace and has everything you'd want in a cyberpunk/dystopian/action story. Interesting tech, numerous characters from many points of view, battles, and espionage.
It's refreshing to read a (relatively) new dystopian book and find there are no vampires or zombies in it. It's also refreshing to read one not geared towards young adults and piggybacking on other, more well known, franchises.
Overall, I think of the book as a well done action movie. You aren't going to get deep character studies or magnificent personal triumph. Instead, you get an interesting story, great action and an imaginative world created with technological detail.
I received a copy of the book directly from the author in exchange for an honest and fair review.
July 6, 2015
The Northern Star: The Beginning is some of the most playful gritty realism I have read. Mike Gullickson pulls no punches as he extrapolates a future from today's political and economic policies. If you can stomach being pretty sure we're the bad guys then this book will not disappoint.
Where's the playfulness in all this dystopic imagining? You won't have any trouble spotting it. It'll be in all caps and it will break the tension like a stuntman on fire thrown through a plate glass window.
Where's the playfulness in all this dystopic imagining? You won't have any trouble spotting it. It'll be in all caps and it will break the tension like a stuntman on fire thrown through a plate glass window.
February 18, 2013
I found myself interested in the technology of MindCorp and how it affected the people in the book. I even found myself emotionally attached, when either I grimaced over some details I disliked (whether in human personalities or how events turned out) or I felt more heavyhearted after an event.
I liked it due to being interesting and creating characters you couldn't stand and weren't perfect, which made you e.g. want to keep reading to see him/her get killed off or at least punished.
I liked it due to being interesting and creating characters you couldn't stand and weren't perfect, which made you e.g. want to keep reading to see him/her get killed off or at least punished.
Read
November 18, 2014The Northern Star: The Beginning was an interesting look at what the future may be like. I do believe we will have something like the Mindlink since we are well on the way now. My favorite character was Ramsey.
The book was well written and it had a good story. I may have to track down the second book.
I received this book free through Goodreads First-Reads.
The book was well written and it had a good story. I may have to track down the second book.
I received this book free through Goodreads First-Reads.
November 5, 2013
Good book, really graphic
November 16, 2023
Had its good points, but also some low bits.
The technology is cool, but some of the background on the relationships between say the Tank Major and his wife and daughter seemed to be excessive and unnecessary.
A take on everybody going online, and military going high tech.
The technology is cool, but some of the background on the relationships between say the Tank Major and his wife and daughter seemed to be excessive and unnecessary.
A take on everybody going online, and military going high tech.
June 16, 2015
I received this book as a first-reads giveaway. Instructions for reviewing the book ask for an honest opinion on the book, so here goes.
I read a lot of "hard" sci-fi and I think that is what the author was going for here, but for me it read like a "B" movie in book form. The characters were not as well formed as I would have liked and the dialog was often canned, even corny.
In my mind there was a disconnect in getting from point A to point B in the book. For example, early on in the story one of the main characters begins doing something in cyberspace with new tech that he has just been introduced to. It turns out what he is doing is quite extraordinary and should not even be possible. It is a crux to the story and yet as I was reading that section of the story I had no idea that what the character was doing was in any way unusual or extraordinary because there was almost no foundation laid in terms of what WAS ordinary and usual in cyberspace with this new tech. That fell flat for me.
The author has a penchant for dropping the reading into situations in the story that are slightly in the future and then later explaining how it came about. Many authors will do this making the reader wonder "how did we get to this?". It can be a good tool if used well. However in this book it is used so often that, for me at least, it simply became annoying.
On the good side, some of the main ideas were compelling. The author seems to have a good handle on military tech as well as cyberspace so if you enjoy a fast paced thriller type of sci-fi heavy on the tech you might enjoy this read if you can get past some of it's shortcomings.
I couldn't.
Lastly, a note to the author and editor: If you are going to use a real life person with a real life anecdote in order to explain some point you would like to make do the man the courtesy of spelling his name correctly! It is Grandmaster Garry Kasparov, not Gary.
I read a lot of "hard" sci-fi and I think that is what the author was going for here, but for me it read like a "B" movie in book form. The characters were not as well formed as I would have liked and the dialog was often canned, even corny.
In my mind there was a disconnect in getting from point A to point B in the book. For example, early on in the story one of the main characters begins doing something in cyberspace with new tech that he has just been introduced to. It turns out what he is doing is quite extraordinary and should not even be possible. It is a crux to the story and yet as I was reading that section of the story I had no idea that what the character was doing was in any way unusual or extraordinary because there was almost no foundation laid in terms of what WAS ordinary and usual in cyberspace with this new tech. That fell flat for me.
The author has a penchant for dropping the reading into situations in the story that are slightly in the future and then later explaining how it came about. Many authors will do this making the reader wonder "how did we get to this?". It can be a good tool if used well. However in this book it is used so often that, for me at least, it simply became annoying.
On the good side, some of the main ideas were compelling. The author seems to have a good handle on military tech as well as cyberspace so if you enjoy a fast paced thriller type of sci-fi heavy on the tech you might enjoy this read if you can get past some of it's shortcomings.
I couldn't.
Lastly, a note to the author and editor: If you are going to use a real life person with a real life anecdote in order to explain some point you would like to make do the man the courtesy of spelling his name correctly! It is Grandmaster Garry Kasparov, not Gary.
November 21, 2013
This is a classic style science fiction story about mind control and cyborgs. Thanks to the oil shortage, almost everybody has migrated to huge cities. Central to the story is Mindcorp, which issues headgear that allows everybody to link to a central core and receive various pleasures, or have various adventures depending on their desires, in the comfort of their own apartment. At the same time there is the Western Curse, a bunch of muslim terrorists determined to wreak havoc in the US, there are American soldiers trying to stop terrorism, there is a detachment of Chinese trying to take advantage of the troubles the US finds itself in, and finally, the wild card, a twelve-year-old boy called Justin, whose brain has the remarkable ability when linked to the MindCorp core, to take it over and reprogram it. A rogue US administrator has decided to take advantage of the boy, to gain effective world domination, and the Chinese are determined to stop him. What follows is a fast-moving action story that quickly evolves from these givens.
The book is well-written, fluent, and is very easy to read. There is little character development, in part because the plot evolves so fast there is little room for it. The descriptions are clear, and it is reasonably easy to picture the action, which, because of the "Tank Major" concept, tends to be oriented somewhat towards the comic-style nature or the output of a computer game. In short it is exciting but not exceptionally intellectually demanding. The actual technology is fictional, and probably would not be like that, but who cares! The plot is reasonably predictable, and it offers few surprises. It is very good for light holiday reading, and my rating is on that basis.
The book is well-written, fluent, and is very easy to read. There is little character development, in part because the plot evolves so fast there is little room for it. The descriptions are clear, and it is reasonably easy to picture the action, which, because of the "Tank Major" concept, tends to be oriented somewhat towards the comic-style nature or the output of a computer game. In short it is exciting but not exceptionally intellectually demanding. The actual technology is fictional, and probably would not be like that, but who cares! The plot is reasonably predictable, and it offers few surprises. It is very good for light holiday reading, and my rating is on that basis.
November 23, 2013
Good action-packed sci-fi novel
It’s a future scenario we can well imagine – a world deficit of oil, and with worldly powers wanting to take control of it. Added to the twist of this story is the concept of people wanting to escape the real world just like many people do today with computer games, iPad apps and … well, you know the score. In this case it centers around Mindcorp, a company that provides the technology to link your mind to a plethora of virtual realities. And then we have the threat to the establishment, a group of extreme and zealot terrorists who want to bring known the supremacy of the US and its decadent ways – again, undertones of the world we already live in. And then we have the wonder-child Justin, with the ability to connect to MindCorp super-core, and control it. ( I think I saw this one in the first series of Heroes).
The pace is near relentless, keeping your attention right to the end of the book. More character development, and more originality would have been nice, but even without it this is a novel that entertains and keeps you reading on. So if you are looking for an easy sci-fi glimpse into the future novel, this is it.
It’s a future scenario we can well imagine – a world deficit of oil, and with worldly powers wanting to take control of it. Added to the twist of this story is the concept of people wanting to escape the real world just like many people do today with computer games, iPad apps and … well, you know the score. In this case it centers around Mindcorp, a company that provides the technology to link your mind to a plethora of virtual realities. And then we have the threat to the establishment, a group of extreme and zealot terrorists who want to bring known the supremacy of the US and its decadent ways – again, undertones of the world we already live in. And then we have the wonder-child Justin, with the ability to connect to MindCorp super-core, and control it. ( I think I saw this one in the first series of Heroes).
The pace is near relentless, keeping your attention right to the end of the book. More character development, and more originality would have been nice, but even without it this is a novel that entertains and keeps you reading on. So if you are looking for an easy sci-fi glimpse into the future novel, this is it.
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