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Dominator
The master crime: the hijacking of a space shuttle and the appalling ransom demanded by the hijackers makes for a thriller that led to a breakthrough by James Follett into the United States market.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1984
9 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
James Follett
49 books36 followersJames Follett (not "Follet") was an author and screenwriter, born in 1939 in Tolworth, England.
Follett became a full-time fiction writer in 1976, after resigning from contract work as a technical writer for the British Ministry of Defence. He has wrote over 20 novels, several television scripts (including episodes of the BBC's Blake's 7), and many radio dramas. Follett was one of the 400 most popular British authors, measured by the numbers of books borrowed from public libraries in the UK, having spent 11 years in the public lending right's top two bands of authors.
Follett became a full-time fiction writer in 1976, after resigning from contract work as a technical writer for the British Ministry of Defence. He has wrote over 20 novels, several television scripts (including episodes of the BBC's Blake's 7), and many radio dramas. Follett was one of the 400 most popular British authors, measured by the numbers of books borrowed from public libraries in the UK, having spent 11 years in the public lending right's top two bands of authors.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 29, 2019
The term an "oldie but a goodie" gets used a lot in regards to music. For my money, it can be applied to books as well. James Follett's 1984 thriller Dominator is fascinating to review with 35 years of hindsight. Indeed, it sums up the idea of an "oldie but a goodie" rather well.
Set in a version of the then near-future 1990s, Follett presents a compelling world that might have been. Following an ill-advised attack by Israel, the PLO has gained credibility to the point of having a base loaned by the Soviets (the Cold War is still going strong in this version of events). As a result, the Israelis are fighting a losing war of attrition that eventually pushes both sides into desperate plans. Meanwhile, NASA's Space Shuttle program more than lived up to its pre-Challenger expectations, and soon a seemingly disgraced former astronaut will find himself caught up in a power struggle, one with the fate of nations at stake. To an extent, Dominator might feel to some degree like a relic from a different age. Most near-future thrillers will feel that way, especially after the time we're talking about here. My suggestion? Take Dominator as a thriller set in some alternate history.
Because, if you're willing to do so, you're in for a ride. Follett's tale is an excellent example of the slow burn, taking his readers step by step through the novel's plot. He introduces a large cast of characters and locations across at least three continents, a lot of setting-up, and some intriguing look at the future as it was seen then. The result is quite a bit of suspense and political power plays, especially when the novel's last act kicks into gear. For those willing to set aside the trappings of a history that didn't happen, Dominator is a fantastic little read.
On a slightly sour note, I am going to agree with other reviewers regarding formatting and occasional spelling errors throughout the Kindle edition. It's not unusual to see something_Written_like_this when it should be italicized, for example. Paragraph breaks don't always happen like they should, leading to dialogue from multiple characters running together. I didn't find it as much of an issue as some have but, it's there, and something which makes me wish someone would heed the call to fix those issues.
Otherwise, with a little updating, I suspect Dominator could work just as well today as it did then. That's a compliment for a novel first published more than three decades ago. As it stands, Follett's novel is a fine read for a blast from the past.
Set in a version of the then near-future 1990s, Follett presents a compelling world that might have been. Following an ill-advised attack by Israel, the PLO has gained credibility to the point of having a base loaned by the Soviets (the Cold War is still going strong in this version of events). As a result, the Israelis are fighting a losing war of attrition that eventually pushes both sides into desperate plans. Meanwhile, NASA's Space Shuttle program more than lived up to its pre-Challenger expectations, and soon a seemingly disgraced former astronaut will find himself caught up in a power struggle, one with the fate of nations at stake. To an extent, Dominator might feel to some degree like a relic from a different age. Most near-future thrillers will feel that way, especially after the time we're talking about here. My suggestion? Take Dominator as a thriller set in some alternate history.
Because, if you're willing to do so, you're in for a ride. Follett's tale is an excellent example of the slow burn, taking his readers step by step through the novel's plot. He introduces a large cast of characters and locations across at least three continents, a lot of setting-up, and some intriguing look at the future as it was seen then. The result is quite a bit of suspense and political power plays, especially when the novel's last act kicks into gear. For those willing to set aside the trappings of a history that didn't happen, Dominator is a fantastic little read.
On a slightly sour note, I am going to agree with other reviewers regarding formatting and occasional spelling errors throughout the Kindle edition. It's not unusual to see something_Written_like_this when it should be italicized, for example. Paragraph breaks don't always happen like they should, leading to dialogue from multiple characters running together. I didn't find it as much of an issue as some have but, it's there, and something which makes me wish someone would heed the call to fix those issues.
Otherwise, with a little updating, I suspect Dominator could work just as well today as it did then. That's a compliment for a novel first published more than three decades ago. As it stands, Follett's novel is a fine read for a blast from the past.
February 17, 2017
Brilliant original concept. 1st of its kind
Needed remarkable imagination and enormous research to create this masterpiece. Superb easy read and vibrant theme. Follet at his very best
Needed remarkable imagination and enormous research to create this masterpiece. Superb easy read and vibrant theme. Follet at his very best
August 31, 2019
Good Book
Darned good book(I'm not a writer nor a critic and having trouble figuring why I need to write a paragraph on this damned book. !!!!!!!
Darned good book(I'm not a writer nor a critic and having trouble figuring why I need to write a paragraph on this damned book. !!!!!!!
August 11, 2025
Enjoying this author a lot I was completely hooked from page 1
August 28, 2016
It starts out extremely slow, then picks up a bit, then becomes extremely predictable, then has a disappointing ending. Has some interesting moments, but overall is moderately crap.
I picked it up because I wasn't paying attention and thought it was a Ken Follett book, anyway. Back to the stacks it goes.
I picked it up because I wasn't paying attention and thought it was a Ken Follett book, anyway. Back to the stacks it goes.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews