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Star Carrier #5
Dark Matter
An enemy might just have to become an ally . . . in order to save humankind The United States of North America is now engaged in a civil war with the Earth Confederation, which wants to yield to the demands of the alien Sh'daar, limit human technology, and become a part of the Sh'daar Galactic Collective. USNA President Koenig believes that surrendering to the Sh'daar will ultimately doom humankind. But when highly advanced, seemingly godlike aliens appear through an artificial wormhole in the Omega Centauri Cluster 16,000 light years from Earth, President Koenig is faced with a tremendous continue fighting the Sh'daar . . . or ally with them against the newcomers in a final war that will settle the fate of more than one universe.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 27, 2014
83 people are currently reading
634 people want to read
About the author
Ian Douglas
99 books573 followersIan Douglas is a pseudonym used by William H. Keith Jr..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 5, 2014
Dear Star Carrier Series,
I am writing this in an effort to salvage our relationship, a relationship I have enjoyed since we first met. You weren't like a lot of the other space operas out there. You didn't give a damn about things like character development, or subverting traditional sci-fi tropes, or trying to tell a new type of story. You knew what you were, a hard sci-fi military pulp story. You gave me pages and pages of amazing space battles, daring military maneuvers, and spiffy futuristic technology that didn't devolve into magical hand waving. But you also had a sensitive side, showing me a world through the eyes of aliens radically different from our own. These qualities excited and thrilled me. I consumed you at such a rapid rate I didn't know what I had lost until I had finished your most recent book.
Sure, I knew you had your flaws. You couldn't be troubled with actually developing compelling human antagonists, instead falling back on tired old cliches that demeaned Europeans as cowardly, sniveling, appeasers, Mexicans as wanting the Desert SW back, Big Government being evil, and portrayed Americans as virtuous, freedom loving, manly-men (and women). Most of your characters were cardboard cut outs, barely large enough to contain the tropes you assigned them. And your constant refrain about GRIN Technologies and the Alcubierre Drive in every book became tedious. But you always knew how to treat me right, keeping this flaws hidden in the background, minimizing the negative and accentuating the positive.
But now I don't know what to think. It is like you looked at everything good we had and decided to throw it away. As though you entered some sort of mid-life crisis but instead of buying a sports car you decided to complete change your identity, shedding everything I loved about you and embracing all that made you weak.
Where were the epic space battles? They certainly weren't in this book. I remember, when we first met, being treated to an opening battle comprising the first quarter of the book. That was special, that was something no other series had the cajones to do. It wasn't a one time fling either, you kept giving me those glorious space battles in book after book. But I felt you didn't even try this time. The battles seemed half-hearted and formulaic, as though you were just going through the motions, borrowing from your previous battles but not bringing anything new to the table. They left me wanting more, but you had nothing to give. Even the aliens you introduced were given a short shrift, barely having time to come into their own as a civilization, instead falling victim to monster-of-the-weekism.
And why was that? Because you were trying so hard to build some sort of political tension on Earth. You spent so much time playing up the conflict between the Europeans and their allies and the rest of the world. Political maneuverings, talking, more maneuvering. This isn't what you are good at. It is like seeing a duck try to start a fire underwater. You can bless its little aquatic heart for trying, but it won't keep you warm at night. Compound this with the terribly developed tropes you pass off as characters and I could practically see the villains of this morality play twirling their mustaches like Snidely Whiplash after he tied a damsel to train tracks. This was but a faint echo of the shadow of the conflicts of the past four books. And honestly I think you maybe watching too much Fox News with all the unsolicited Anti-Big Government rants you subjected me to.
And the way that conflict resolved made me question if you were really committed to this plot line at all. Not only blatantly stealing Psychohistory from Isaac Asmimov, but doing a terrible job of it. Just because you say meme a lot does not mean that an entire confederation spanning peace movement will spring up overnight to follow a fictional person to overthrow the government within a week. Asimov understood that such things take time to slowly buildup momentum, they don't just materialize out of thin air because it is convenient for your timeline. It beggared my suspension of disbelief and that made me sad. And don't even get me started on your passing reference (but not actual attribution) to the comic Watchmen of all things. Have you no shame!?!?!
I was particularly confused by your incessant need to mention 20th century scientists and intellectuals. Dawkins, Lovelock, Hawking,and Penrose to name a few. Why are you telling me this? I want to see giant spaceships fighting and you are pontificating on the Gaia theory of environmental consciousness. Do you even remember what I like?
Finally, and most damningly, you couldn't get out of your own way when it came to relaying information. Some people complain about infodumps in books, but when done properly they can enhance the story and draw the reader in. What you did, instead, was lay out an intricate field of info-land mines. I would be reading along one of your few space battles and out of nowhere I would end up with several paragraphs about Saturn's ring formation. Humans are about to be attacked by space aliens and one characters explains to the other how the aliens about to eat them are biologically capable of eating them EVEN THOUGH AS A READER WE ALREADY KNEW THAT!!! There is literally no reason for the characters to be discussing this with death imminent. (Speaking of literally, you actually used a sentence that literally had literally in it twice. Come on, you should be better than that). Or when a ship loses power and the bridge has to be lighted by a service member's sub dermal luminescent tattoos and you spend a paragraph explaining the history of tattoos and their place in the navy, both historically and contemporaneously. I wonder if this book was originally called Star Carrier: Exposition: Revenge of the Info-landmines before the publisher made you change.
I hope this letter wasn't too harsh on you, but I want to save this relationship. We had some great times together and this turn you have taken stylistically deeply concerns me. I want to go back to the good ole days where you showed me epic space battles with fascinating aliens and didn't let anything get in the way of that. So reflect on what you have becomes and, for our sake, change back to what you were before.
If you don't and continue this descent into cheap jingoism, half-hearted battle sequences, and near constant exposition I am afraid it will be over between the two of us.
Warmest of Regards,
Mike
I am writing this in an effort to salvage our relationship, a relationship I have enjoyed since we first met. You weren't like a lot of the other space operas out there. You didn't give a damn about things like character development, or subverting traditional sci-fi tropes, or trying to tell a new type of story. You knew what you were, a hard sci-fi military pulp story. You gave me pages and pages of amazing space battles, daring military maneuvers, and spiffy futuristic technology that didn't devolve into magical hand waving. But you also had a sensitive side, showing me a world through the eyes of aliens radically different from our own. These qualities excited and thrilled me. I consumed you at such a rapid rate I didn't know what I had lost until I had finished your most recent book.
Sure, I knew you had your flaws. You couldn't be troubled with actually developing compelling human antagonists, instead falling back on tired old cliches that demeaned Europeans as cowardly, sniveling, appeasers, Mexicans as wanting the Desert SW back, Big Government being evil, and portrayed Americans as virtuous, freedom loving, manly-men (and women). Most of your characters were cardboard cut outs, barely large enough to contain the tropes you assigned them. And your constant refrain about GRIN Technologies and the Alcubierre Drive in every book became tedious. But you always knew how to treat me right, keeping this flaws hidden in the background, minimizing the negative and accentuating the positive.
But now I don't know what to think. It is like you looked at everything good we had and decided to throw it away. As though you entered some sort of mid-life crisis but instead of buying a sports car you decided to complete change your identity, shedding everything I loved about you and embracing all that made you weak.
Where were the epic space battles? They certainly weren't in this book. I remember, when we first met, being treated to an opening battle comprising the first quarter of the book. That was special, that was something no other series had the cajones to do. It wasn't a one time fling either, you kept giving me those glorious space battles in book after book. But I felt you didn't even try this time. The battles seemed half-hearted and formulaic, as though you were just going through the motions, borrowing from your previous battles but not bringing anything new to the table. They left me wanting more, but you had nothing to give. Even the aliens you introduced were given a short shrift, barely having time to come into their own as a civilization, instead falling victim to monster-of-the-weekism.
And why was that? Because you were trying so hard to build some sort of political tension on Earth. You spent so much time playing up the conflict between the Europeans and their allies and the rest of the world. Political maneuverings, talking, more maneuvering. This isn't what you are good at. It is like seeing a duck try to start a fire underwater. You can bless its little aquatic heart for trying, but it won't keep you warm at night. Compound this with the terribly developed tropes you pass off as characters and I could practically see the villains of this morality play twirling their mustaches like Snidely Whiplash after he tied a damsel to train tracks. This was but a faint echo of the shadow of the conflicts of the past four books. And honestly I think you maybe watching too much Fox News with all the unsolicited Anti-Big Government rants you subjected me to.
And the way that conflict resolved made me question if you were really committed to this plot line at all. Not only blatantly stealing Psychohistory from Isaac Asmimov, but doing a terrible job of it. Just because you say meme a lot does not mean that an entire confederation spanning peace movement will spring up overnight to follow a fictional person to overthrow the government within a week. Asimov understood that such things take time to slowly buildup momentum, they don't just materialize out of thin air because it is convenient for your timeline. It beggared my suspension of disbelief and that made me sad. And don't even get me started on your passing reference (but not actual attribution) to the comic Watchmen of all things. Have you no shame!?!?!
I was particularly confused by your incessant need to mention 20th century scientists and intellectuals. Dawkins, Lovelock, Hawking,and Penrose to name a few. Why are you telling me this? I want to see giant spaceships fighting and you are pontificating on the Gaia theory of environmental consciousness. Do you even remember what I like?
Finally, and most damningly, you couldn't get out of your own way when it came to relaying information. Some people complain about infodumps in books, but when done properly they can enhance the story and draw the reader in. What you did, instead, was lay out an intricate field of info-land mines. I would be reading along one of your few space battles and out of nowhere I would end up with several paragraphs about Saturn's ring formation. Humans are about to be attacked by space aliens and one characters explains to the other how the aliens about to eat them are biologically capable of eating them EVEN THOUGH AS A READER WE ALREADY KNEW THAT!!! There is literally no reason for the characters to be discussing this with death imminent. (Speaking of literally, you actually used a sentence that literally had literally in it twice. Come on, you should be better than that). Or when a ship loses power and the bridge has to be lighted by a service member's sub dermal luminescent tattoos and you spend a paragraph explaining the history of tattoos and their place in the navy, both historically and contemporaneously. I wonder if this book was originally called Star Carrier: Exposition: Revenge of the Info-landmines before the publisher made you change.
I hope this letter wasn't too harsh on you, but I want to save this relationship. We had some great times together and this turn you have taken stylistically deeply concerns me. I want to go back to the good ole days where you showed me epic space battles with fascinating aliens and didn't let anything get in the way of that. So reflect on what you have becomes and, for our sake, change back to what you were before.
If you don't and continue this descent into cheap jingoism, half-hearted battle sequences, and near constant exposition I am afraid it will be over between the two of us.
Warmest of Regards,
Mike
August 13, 2024
They called themselves the Consciousness.
Following the faint but telltale leakage of gravity from one universe to another, they’d detected the circle of whirling masses as they opened a passageway between the ’branes, emerging in a four-dimensional space subtly different from other, known realities. They were working now to create a permanent gateway between universes, creating girders and connectors spanning light years, coaxing solid light from the vacuum energy itself, anchoring suns, mining starcores, imbedding the structural components within the fabric of spacetime itself.
Just when we thought the ante couldn’t be upped any further.
Halfway through a 9-book series, you can’t help but wonder what the author will do to keep things fresh. Here, humanity has (inevitably) split into two factions, those who continue to oppose the Sh’daar Collective, and those who believe that since they appear to be unstoppable it is best to join them and accede to their demands.
Nothing like a civil war when already embroiled in a galaxy-wide conflict. Douglas keeps things interesting by introducing new technologies and additional (non-affiliated) outside aliens into an already heady cocktail.
I was especially intrigued by the application of recombinant memetics as a medium- to long-term offensive tool as depicted here. Propaganda and social, or cultural, engineering is not a new concept (simply look around you, or open up your social media platform of choice), but in a futuristic fictional setting, well…
With enough data, however, plus the computational power and a delicate touch, it was possible to subvert entire populations. Global Net sampling and data mining, the manipulation of databases, and the precise, electronic subversion of entertainment and news media to introduce new memes to a social equation . . . some argued that these now were the most fundamental weapons in the human arsenal.
One species of new aliens introduced here makes for some of the grimmest scenes in the series so far, as far as human suffering is concerned.
The White Covenant was meaningless here. Faced with such horror, such helplessness, people were going to invoke their gods no matter what the impropriety, no matter what the law might have to say about it.
Dark Matter is not just about big explosions in space, it’s an entry that wants to make you think, and in fact re-think some of the events that went before.
“But . . . but intelligent species know better. . . .”
“That is a cultural preference, Commander. Not an absolute.”
This novel starts muddying the water, to the extent that it becomes unclear just who is in the right, and who is in the wrong, and whether that matters. Something really exciting: is it just me or are there some Lovecraftian elements creeping in?
“Hold formation! All fighters, hold formation!”
And finally, when it comes down to it (as you know it will), the author perfectly captures the terror of combat in deep space, against completely unknown odds.
Following the faint but telltale leakage of gravity from one universe to another, they’d detected the circle of whirling masses as they opened a passageway between the ’branes, emerging in a four-dimensional space subtly different from other, known realities. They were working now to create a permanent gateway between universes, creating girders and connectors spanning light years, coaxing solid light from the vacuum energy itself, anchoring suns, mining starcores, imbedding the structural components within the fabric of spacetime itself.
Just when we thought the ante couldn’t be upped any further.
Halfway through a 9-book series, you can’t help but wonder what the author will do to keep things fresh. Here, humanity has (inevitably) split into two factions, those who continue to oppose the Sh’daar Collective, and those who believe that since they appear to be unstoppable it is best to join them and accede to their demands.
Nothing like a civil war when already embroiled in a galaxy-wide conflict. Douglas keeps things interesting by introducing new technologies and additional (non-affiliated) outside aliens into an already heady cocktail.
I was especially intrigued by the application of recombinant memetics as a medium- to long-term offensive tool as depicted here. Propaganda and social, or cultural, engineering is not a new concept (simply look around you, or open up your social media platform of choice), but in a futuristic fictional setting, well…
With enough data, however, plus the computational power and a delicate touch, it was possible to subvert entire populations. Global Net sampling and data mining, the manipulation of databases, and the precise, electronic subversion of entertainment and news media to introduce new memes to a social equation . . . some argued that these now were the most fundamental weapons in the human arsenal.
One species of new aliens introduced here makes for some of the grimmest scenes in the series so far, as far as human suffering is concerned.
The White Covenant was meaningless here. Faced with such horror, such helplessness, people were going to invoke their gods no matter what the impropriety, no matter what the law might have to say about it.
Dark Matter is not just about big explosions in space, it’s an entry that wants to make you think, and in fact re-think some of the events that went before.
“But . . . but intelligent species know better. . . .”
“That is a cultural preference, Commander. Not an absolute.”
This novel starts muddying the water, to the extent that it becomes unclear just who is in the right, and who is in the wrong, and whether that matters. Something really exciting: is it just me or are there some Lovecraftian elements creeping in?
“Hold formation! All fighters, hold formation!”
And finally, when it comes down to it (as you know it will), the author perfectly captures the terror of combat in deep space, against completely unknown odds.
August 9, 2014
I have to say that I was rather disappointed with this book. The star rating I have given it is just barely and I was tempted to give it an even lower one but the writing itself is good enough so I stuck to the one I have given it.
Previous books have impressed me with their detailed space combat and good solid science. Fictional science of course but solid within that context. This book is still rather hard core when it comes to science but most of the book is simply spent either discussing science, social engineering or politics. Actually the first two-thirds of the book is very disappointing and borders on being boring with all the discussions, info-dumps and political rubbish. I really like when the science or situation is properly explained but this book is taking it too far.
Also, I really dislike the part of the story were, instead of actually fighting the aliens, the humans fight among themselves. I am both a EC-citizen as well as working in Geneva and I really have nothing kind to say about the EC political dimwits nor a lot of the wasters of oxygen sitting in Geneva but this book is taking said dimwits so far into the realm of frustrating stupidity that it is simply not enjoyable reading.
The enjoyment of this book lies almost entirely in the last third of the book where we actually get some proper action in space. The actual plot finally get moving somewhat and in the last couple of pages we, at least, get a resolution of one of the political issues that bugged me tremendously throughout most of the book.
There are indeed hopes that future books will be more enjoyable due to the ending of this one but it was quite frustrating to slug through the first two-thirds of the book to arrive at this ending. I hope that the next book truly picks up the good parts and preferably focuses on the extraterrestrial issues rather than more political nonsense on Earth itself.
Previous books have impressed me with their detailed space combat and good solid science. Fictional science of course but solid within that context. This book is still rather hard core when it comes to science but most of the book is simply spent either discussing science, social engineering or politics. Actually the first two-thirds of the book is very disappointing and borders on being boring with all the discussions, info-dumps and political rubbish. I really like when the science or situation is properly explained but this book is taking it too far.
Also, I really dislike the part of the story were, instead of actually fighting the aliens, the humans fight among themselves. I am both a EC-citizen as well as working in Geneva and I really have nothing kind to say about the EC political dimwits nor a lot of the wasters of oxygen sitting in Geneva but this book is taking said dimwits so far into the realm of frustrating stupidity that it is simply not enjoyable reading.
The enjoyment of this book lies almost entirely in the last third of the book where we actually get some proper action in space. The actual plot finally get moving somewhat and in the last couple of pages we, at least, get a resolution of one of the political issues that bugged me tremendously throughout most of the book.
There are indeed hopes that future books will be more enjoyable due to the ending of this one but it was quite frustrating to slug through the first two-thirds of the book to arrive at this ending. I hope that the next book truly picks up the good parts and preferably focuses on the extraterrestrial issues rather than more political nonsense on Earth itself.
July 8, 2014
Boring, repetitive and politics. A lot of wasted words.
The first 75% of this book can be skipped. Nothing of interest happens here. It's all just ranting about politics and blah blah blah. None of it adds any value to the story or the characters.
Since "Sandy" has become an admiral (in the previous book, I think), he is no longer the main character that you care for. Instead, the author has made a few feeble attempt to get us to bond with some other pilots, but it is poorly done. I don't get the same bond with any of the characters in the book anymore, which for me is a great loss. I liked Sandy Gray.
Also, the nickname "Sandy"... How many times can you be told where he got that name from? How many times can you be told what happens if a micro-singularity gets free? How many times can you be told how their engines work? Apparently unlimited times. Come on! One reminder is enough. I don't need to be told the same things over and over again (in the same book). It gets annoying. Stop copy-pasting!
On the up-side is that the last quarter of the book is great! THIS is what I started reading for! THIS is the sci-fi military action I enjoyed in the previous books!
I would be stretching it a bit too far when I say that the last 25% makes the book worth reading, but you shouldn't miss it. Seriously, it would be enough if you just opened the book at approximately the last third and started reading from there on.
The first 75% of this book can be skipped. Nothing of interest happens here. It's all just ranting about politics and blah blah blah. None of it adds any value to the story or the characters.
Since "Sandy" has become an admiral (in the previous book, I think), he is no longer the main character that you care for. Instead, the author has made a few feeble attempt to get us to bond with some other pilots, but it is poorly done. I don't get the same bond with any of the characters in the book anymore, which for me is a great loss. I liked Sandy Gray.
Also, the nickname "Sandy"... How many times can you be told where he got that name from? How many times can you be told what happens if a micro-singularity gets free? How many times can you be told how their engines work? Apparently unlimited times. Come on! One reminder is enough. I don't need to be told the same things over and over again (in the same book). It gets annoying. Stop copy-pasting!
On the up-side is that the last quarter of the book is great! THIS is what I started reading for! THIS is the sci-fi military action I enjoyed in the previous books!
I would be stretching it a bit too far when I say that the last 25% makes the book worth reading, but you shouldn't miss it. Seriously, it would be enough if you just opened the book at approximately the last third and started reading from there on.
June 22, 2014
The fifth book is the weakest in the series so far. Maybe the second trilogy was not such a good idea after all.
While there are some new developments, it somehow feels as if the author has lost focus.
The Europeans are still stupid and evil and the whole conflict with the Europeans (that the author spends so much time setting up) is resolved very unsatisfactory.
The new villains are interesting, although the space battles feel weaker than in previous books.
What felt totally unnecessary was the tirade against "big" government in the last pages: Education or healthcare provided by the government? The horror!!!
Regardless if you agree or disagree with this point of view, it had no meaning for the story whatsoever.
While there are some new developments, it somehow feels as if the author has lost focus.
The Europeans are still stupid and evil and the whole conflict with the Europeans (that the author spends so much time setting up) is resolved very unsatisfactory.
The new villains are interesting, although the space battles feel weaker than in previous books.
What felt totally unnecessary was the tirade against "big" government in the last pages: Education or healthcare provided by the government? The horror!!!
Regardless if you agree or disagree with this point of view, it had no meaning for the story whatsoever.
November 8, 2025
1.5 Stars
It's something that I didn't notice the first time I read the series (up to book 3) but this guy repeats the same explanation of the concepts used, in every goddamn book he's written MULTIPLE TIMES per book. It's more than a little annoying when you have to go through dozens of pages of explanations when he's already done so in the previous book or heck, even the first one itself. Five straight books of this really got on my nerves. Plus, it didn't help that this book felt more like a filler than anything else since it didn't really advance the plot of the series. If you only read the intro and the ending you wouldn't have missed anything or wasted as much of your time.
It's something that I didn't notice the first time I read the series (up to book 3) but this guy repeats the same explanation of the concepts used, in every goddamn book he's written MULTIPLE TIMES per book. It's more than a little annoying when you have to go through dozens of pages of explanations when he's already done so in the previous book or heck, even the first one itself. Five straight books of this really got on my nerves. Plus, it didn't help that this book felt more like a filler than anything else since it didn't really advance the plot of the series. If you only read the intro and the ending you wouldn't have missed anything or wasted as much of your time.
July 28, 2014
Probably shouldn't rate it this high, but these books really excite the imagination with a plausible sounding evolution of the human species in about 200 years. Sure, character development is a bit weak, but for me that's forgiven by the imaginative look at how humanity might react at being faced with powers beyond its ken. Coupled with varied, truly ALIEN aliens (no Klingons or romulans here!!), I can't say no to this series and eagerly awaiting the next installment.
November 23, 2021
Star Carrier, Book 5
Dark Matter
Author: Ian Douglas
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publishing Date: 2014
Pgs: 370
Dewey: PBK F DOU
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
The United States of North America is now engaged in a civil war with the Earth Confederation, which wants to yield to the demands of the alien Sh'daar, limit human technology, and become a part of the Sh'daar Galactic Collective. USNA President Koenig believes that surrendering to the Sh'daar will ultimately doom humankind.
But when highly advanced, seemingly godlike aliens appear through an artificial wormhole in the Omega Centauri Cluster 16,000 light-years from Earth, President Koenig is faced with a tremendous choice: continue fighting the Sh'daar . . . or ally with them against the newcomers in a final war that will settle the fate of more than one universe
_________________________________________
Genre:
Science Fiction
Hard Science Fiction
Space Opera
Militaria
Why this book:
Fleet action, starships, space battles.
_________________________________________
Hmm Moments:
So the Shdaar and their universal and time-traveling empire weren't big enough so the author needed the Consciousness an even bigger multiversal threat. I get it. You want bigger and bigger villains. But at heart, this series is about aircraft carriers, fighter planes, and fleet actions. I'm trying to decide if this is a bridge too far and I've read my limit in the series. YMMV.
Isn't a little too on the nose for the virtual worm that is planting the memeplex and religion idea behind Starlight to be called Constantine when the Father AI on the Moon is named Konstantin?
WTF Moments:
And the whole idea of an AI creating a religion is chagrin-inducing anyhow. Especially when you consider what is going to happen when some fundamentalist evangelical fakir creates his own Virtual Jesus and sets it loose on the web.
Meh / PFFT Moments:
I love Hard Science Fiction. I like an explanation of the science. I'm not much of a fan of multi-page interrupters in the flow of a story to explain the science. It's okay to dumb it down a bit. AI Stephen Hawking, really? And 4 or 5 times over the course of a novel is a bit much. Stops down the story flow and is repetitive which is a trap that comes around in this series. All the characters seem to play the repetitive talk about aspects of the science when something new is about to happen, rather than having it flow more naturally in the course of the plot or conversations of the characters. Fails the show don't tell aspect of literature.
The end of the Confederation War came way too easily and offscreen. Meh.
The Omnipotent Aliens appear on the first couple of pages. And don't appear again until the very last few pages. Not interacting at all with any characters or story themes at all. Meh.
A Path I Can’t Follow:
If they make peace with the Grdoch considering what the Grdoch are doing and continue to do, that is a bridge too far and strain the credulity past the point of no return.
Afraid the author's politics showed in what he put in Koenig's mind and words right at the end. I hope that is an aberration as I've liked the stories despite the shortcomings of the series so far. But I will keep a jaundiced eye out for future hairballs.
________________________________________
Pacing:
Well paced.
Last Page Sound:
Kind of left the chess pieces scattered all over the board. I know that there are other books in the series, but I like a real end so that next time around, you get a real start.
Author Assessment:
Despite the shortcomings mentioned above, I do like this series and this author’s work. I will be back.
Editorial Assessment:
If the Confederation is in control of the space elevator, SupraQuito, as mentioned by President Koenig in the early chapters, how can the USNA CBG40 be docking there when a state of war exists between the two powers? Doesn’t track. This should’ve been caught by the editor.
=======================================
Dark Matter
Author: Ian Douglas
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publishing Date: 2014
Pgs: 370
Dewey: PBK F DOU
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
The United States of North America is now engaged in a civil war with the Earth Confederation, which wants to yield to the demands of the alien Sh'daar, limit human technology, and become a part of the Sh'daar Galactic Collective. USNA President Koenig believes that surrendering to the Sh'daar will ultimately doom humankind.
But when highly advanced, seemingly godlike aliens appear through an artificial wormhole in the Omega Centauri Cluster 16,000 light-years from Earth, President Koenig is faced with a tremendous choice: continue fighting the Sh'daar . . . or ally with them against the newcomers in a final war that will settle the fate of more than one universe
_________________________________________
Genre:
Science Fiction
Hard Science Fiction
Space Opera
Militaria
Why this book:
Fleet action, starships, space battles.
_________________________________________
Hmm Moments:
So the Shdaar and their universal and time-traveling empire weren't big enough so the author needed the Consciousness an even bigger multiversal threat. I get it. You want bigger and bigger villains. But at heart, this series is about aircraft carriers, fighter planes, and fleet actions. I'm trying to decide if this is a bridge too far and I've read my limit in the series. YMMV.
Isn't a little too on the nose for the virtual worm that is planting the memeplex and religion idea behind Starlight to be called Constantine when the Father AI on the Moon is named Konstantin?
WTF Moments:
And the whole idea of an AI creating a religion is chagrin-inducing anyhow. Especially when you consider what is going to happen when some fundamentalist evangelical fakir creates his own Virtual Jesus and sets it loose on the web.
Meh / PFFT Moments:
I love Hard Science Fiction. I like an explanation of the science. I'm not much of a fan of multi-page interrupters in the flow of a story to explain the science. It's okay to dumb it down a bit. AI Stephen Hawking, really? And 4 or 5 times over the course of a novel is a bit much. Stops down the story flow and is repetitive which is a trap that comes around in this series. All the characters seem to play the repetitive talk about aspects of the science when something new is about to happen, rather than having it flow more naturally in the course of the plot or conversations of the characters. Fails the show don't tell aspect of literature.
The end of the Confederation War came way too easily and offscreen. Meh.
The Omnipotent Aliens appear on the first couple of pages. And don't appear again until the very last few pages. Not interacting at all with any characters or story themes at all. Meh.
A Path I Can’t Follow:
If they make peace with the Grdoch considering what the Grdoch are doing and continue to do, that is a bridge too far and strain the credulity past the point of no return.
Afraid the author's politics showed in what he put in Koenig's mind and words right at the end. I hope that is an aberration as I've liked the stories despite the shortcomings of the series so far. But I will keep a jaundiced eye out for future hairballs.
________________________________________
Pacing:
Well paced.
Last Page Sound:
Kind of left the chess pieces scattered all over the board. I know that there are other books in the series, but I like a real end so that next time around, you get a real start.
Author Assessment:
Despite the shortcomings mentioned above, I do like this series and this author’s work. I will be back.
Editorial Assessment:
If the Confederation is in control of the space elevator, SupraQuito, as mentioned by President Koenig in the early chapters, how can the USNA CBG40 be docking there when a state of war exists between the two powers? Doesn’t track. This should’ve been caught by the editor.
=======================================
September 25, 2025
,— A więc... wygraliśmy?
Nastąpiła chwila wahania.
— Wygraliśmy — powiedział w końcu Dillon. — Ale cena była wysoka, kurewsko wysoka…"
Gdy już myślę, że pan Douglas nie wymyśli ciekawszej obcej rasy, to i tak wchodzi cały na biało i mówi ,,potrzymaj mi kawę”!
Grdoch w ogólnym rozrachunku nie są oryginalni. Chyba ze wszystkich innych ras, które pojawiły się do tej pory są najmniej złożeni, ale może dlatego tym bardziej przerażający. Bo tu nie chodzi już o podbicie i nagięcie ludzi do swojej woli (lub alternatywnie eksterminowanie naszej rasy) – dla Grdoch ludzie są… rzeźnym bydłem. Tak po prostu. I tylko tyle.
Nie spodziewałam się, że ta seria będzie lekko (nawet jeśli na moment) flirtować z horrorem, ale może właśnie dobrze, że pojawiła się ta mała przypominajka, że tak naprawdę cholera wie, co możemy spotkać w kosmosie. I kolejny raz rozważania Douglasa ,,co by było gdyby” drapieżna, nastawiona stricte na przetrwanie i żarłoczna rasa osiągnęła poziom technologiczny pozwalający jej na podróże międzygwiezdne robią świetną robotę. Choć tym razem nie chodzi tylko o to, że Grdoch są ,,trochę znajomi, ale nie do końca” – a o to, jaki niepokój wzbudzają. I szczerze? Jestem w stanie uwierzyć, że kogoś przeczytanie akurat tego tomu skłoniłoby do refleksji odnośnie przejścia na wegetarianizm.
Z drugiej jednak strony możemy patrzeć tylko przez pryzmat naszej własnej moralności… przez soczewkę tego, co dla nas jest normalne. Ale cytując Morticię Addams: Normalność jest iluzją. To, co jest normalne dla pająka, dla muchy jest chaosem.
Inną sprawą jest też to, że cały ten tom ma trochę cięższy klimat, bo tym razem Gray – mający za sobą pasmo praktycznie samych spektakularnych zwycięstw – dostaje porządnego prawego sierpowego prosto w pysk. Bo może i wygrali bitwę, ale tym razem to było pyrrusowe zwycięstwo. Grupa bojowa? Zdziesiątkowana – w tym okręt flagowy w totalnej ruinie. Do tego pozostaje świadomość, że Grdoch gdzieś tam są… ale gdzie? I jak wielu ich jest? Kolejny wróg i twardy orzech do zgryzienia w naprawdę już długiej liście problemów ludzkości.
Nastąpiła chwila wahania.
— Wygraliśmy — powiedział w końcu Dillon. — Ale cena była wysoka, kurewsko wysoka…"
Gdy już myślę, że pan Douglas nie wymyśli ciekawszej obcej rasy, to i tak wchodzi cały na biało i mówi ,,potrzymaj mi kawę”!
Grdoch w ogólnym rozrachunku nie są oryginalni. Chyba ze wszystkich innych ras, które pojawiły się do tej pory są najmniej złożeni, ale może dlatego tym bardziej przerażający. Bo tu nie chodzi już o podbicie i nagięcie ludzi do swojej woli (lub alternatywnie eksterminowanie naszej rasy) – dla Grdoch ludzie są… rzeźnym bydłem. Tak po prostu. I tylko tyle.
Nie spodziewałam się, że ta seria będzie lekko (nawet jeśli na moment) flirtować z horrorem, ale może właśnie dobrze, że pojawiła się ta mała przypominajka, że tak naprawdę cholera wie, co możemy spotkać w kosmosie. I kolejny raz rozważania Douglasa ,,co by było gdyby” drapieżna, nastawiona stricte na przetrwanie i żarłoczna rasa osiągnęła poziom technologiczny pozwalający jej na podróże międzygwiezdne robią świetną robotę. Choć tym razem nie chodzi tylko o to, że Grdoch są ,,trochę znajomi, ale nie do końca” – a o to, jaki niepokój wzbudzają. I szczerze? Jestem w stanie uwierzyć, że kogoś przeczytanie akurat tego tomu skłoniłoby do refleksji odnośnie przejścia na wegetarianizm.
Z drugiej jednak strony możemy patrzeć tylko przez pryzmat naszej własnej moralności… przez soczewkę tego, co dla nas jest normalne. Ale cytując Morticię Addams: Normalność jest iluzją. To, co jest normalne dla pająka, dla muchy jest chaosem.
Inną sprawą jest też to, że cały ten tom ma trochę cięższy klimat, bo tym razem Gray – mający za sobą pasmo praktycznie samych spektakularnych zwycięstw – dostaje porządnego prawego sierpowego prosto w pysk. Bo może i wygrali bitwę, ale tym razem to było pyrrusowe zwycięstwo. Grupa bojowa? Zdziesiątkowana – w tym okręt flagowy w totalnej ruinie. Do tego pozostaje świadomość, że Grdoch gdzieś tam są… ale gdzie? I jak wielu ich jest? Kolejny wróg i twardy orzech do zgryzienia w naprawdę już długiej liście problemów ludzkości.
June 25, 2025
I have read the books in this series with some enjoyment, though there are some elements that have become increasingly annoying. One of them is the author's reuse of lore from earlier books. It seems that in every book, there is more available background story to copy and paste and in this book there are long sections of retelling things the reader has already read in the previous books. Many times.
Worse is that the book has become a political platform for the author where he rants about US politics in the 2010s, which makes absolutely no sense for a science fiction book set hundreds of year in the future. Those political opinions are also of the narrow minded sort. USA good. Europe communists. Freedom good. Government support bad. That kind.
The author has also expanded his universe with more extreme aliens (to show that some aliens have no value alive?) and with multiple universes. The "multiple universes" theory is based on some interpretations of quantum mechanics and has been used in literature and movies many times, but it is the kind of "magic" science fiction I would have liked to avoid.
All in all, this is an extremely disappointing book, and that is from someone that had very limited expectations.
1 star.
Worse is that the book has become a political platform for the author where he rants about US politics in the 2010s, which makes absolutely no sense for a science fiction book set hundreds of year in the future. Those political opinions are also of the narrow minded sort. USA good. Europe communists. Freedom good. Government support bad. That kind.
The author has also expanded his universe with more extreme aliens (to show that some aliens have no value alive?) and with multiple universes. The "multiple universes" theory is based on some interpretations of quantum mechanics and has been used in literature and movies many times, but it is the kind of "magic" science fiction I would have liked to avoid.
All in all, this is an extremely disappointing book, and that is from someone that had very limited expectations.
1 star.
September 26, 2017
Dark Matter continues the Star Carrier story some time after Deep Space. A new and massive alien artifact has been discovered, hinting at a population even more powerful than the Sch'daar. The conflict between the USNA and the Confederation continues. Now Admiral Grey gets a new mission.
Unfortunately, just as in Deep Space, the infodumps have taken over the asylum. The characters can't seem to have three lines of consecutive dialogue, barring over-the-top and overlong combat communications chatter, without being interrupted by the author with a long and typically pointless exposition on physics, politics or futurism... Even more irritating is how Mr. Douglas repeats the same explanation of background, or even earlier plot points, with astounding regularity. I got about two thirds of the way through by skimming through the infodumps. Then there was a passage explaining who Stephen Hawking was and I had enough. What happened to the Ian Douglas who wrote really quite engaging military scifi? Even the first three books in this very series were pretty good.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=2083
Unfortunately, just as in Deep Space, the infodumps have taken over the asylum. The characters can't seem to have three lines of consecutive dialogue, barring over-the-top and overlong combat communications chatter, without being interrupted by the author with a long and typically pointless exposition on physics, politics or futurism... Even more irritating is how Mr. Douglas repeats the same explanation of background, or even earlier plot points, with astounding regularity. I got about two thirds of the way through by skimming through the infodumps. Then there was a passage explaining who Stephen Hawking was and I had enough. What happened to the Ian Douglas who wrote really quite engaging military scifi? Even the first three books in this very series were pretty good.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=2083
May 23, 2020
The great story continues with new aliens and new characters and new politics, but gets bogged down in places with very long and tedious explanations of esoteric background issues. That costs Bill K a star on this one.
He continues to use the term "capital ship" incorrectly, it should mean only battleships and heavy carriers. He referred to "the fifth regiment of the first battalion" of Marines which should have been the "first battalion of the fifth regiment." His great story allows me to forgive such things but I am shocked that his editors allowed such mistakes to escape.
As always, I am military engineer, intelligence analyst, and game designer Stephen V. Cole posting on wife Leanna Cole's account.
The series was ok but by the time I got to the fifth book I realized that the author kept repeating how the universe and different things worked. It was ok in the first few books but gets really annoying by the fifth book.
There are more books to the series but I didn’t like it enough to keep paying $7 per.
He continues to use the term "capital ship" incorrectly, it should mean only battleships and heavy carriers. He referred to "the fifth regiment of the first battalion" of Marines which should have been the "first battalion of the fifth regiment." His great story allows me to forgive such things but I am shocked that his editors allowed such mistakes to escape.
As always, I am military engineer, intelligence analyst, and game designer Stephen V. Cole posting on wife Leanna Cole's account.
The series was ok but by the time I got to the fifth book I realized that the author kept repeating how the universe and different things worked. It was ok in the first few books but gets really annoying by the fifth book.
There are more books to the series but I didn’t like it enough to keep paying $7 per.
October 15, 2017
This was not as good as the other 4 books in the series. I was disappointed in his introduction of the aliens from another parallel universe moving into this one, and their building a gate. I feel he went to far to fast into an impossible area of Science Fiction. His work and insight on aliens and their point of view and how they could be different from humans was done very well, and I liked that aspect of the book. It was left open enough to add several more books to the series if he wanted to, and it is almost an open ended series as long as he doesn't tough the invaders from the parallel universe.
January 2, 2021
This was very disappointing, with a fairly interesting concept but repeating the 'concept' over and over with very little story or anything particularly compelling about this book. I'm the type of person who almost always finishes books, and I did this one, but almost put it down several times. I recommend stopping at book 4, as this one adds almost nothing to the series.
January 11, 2018
Slow going but it finished well...
Book 5 in the series was very much like its predecessors. So much so that it might have become too boring of a read. However, the story finished well with enough interesting surprises that it merits 4 stars, again.
Book 5 in the series was very much like its predecessors. So much so that it might have become too boring of a read. However, the story finished well with enough interesting surprises that it merits 4 stars, again.
Read
September 19, 2019Je zappe quelquefois les répétitions d'explications, mais je suis en train de "dévorer" cette série à la suite. Les aliens sont vraiment très ... aliens. Et les humains divisés. J'aime bien cette série qui ouvre des pistes de réflexion sur le futur et qui englobe toute la galaxie (et au delà ?).
May 7, 2017
This was another good book in this series. I like how some of the characters have developed. I also like how Gray has kept his morals and his beliefs despite the prejudice around him.
November 21, 2020
Note to self: Never listen to any books in this series again.
May 7, 2021
Doesn’t advance the story quite as much as you would expect; more of a side-note in some respects, but it is the middle book in the middle trilogy of this series.
June 29, 2021
Very nice SiFi series. The writer does a excellent job mixing real and theoretical science into the story. Fast paced and action packed makes this a great read. Very recommended
August 1, 2021
I thought it was a well written book. Ian Douglas is a good writer who keeps the readers engaged. There was plenty of action.
June 19, 2022
Painfully repetitive. And I mean *painfully*
July 2, 2022
When I got to the section that was pages and pages explaining memes I knew this was it. I've reached the pinnacle of sci-fi and it's all going to be downhill from here.
May 3, 2023
Another great piece of (relatively) hard science fiction which introduces fascinating new concepts and threats.
December 6, 2024
This is the one that takes the story in a new direction. And the Grdoch are a very scary alien species.
October 30, 2016
As always a Page turner. may me think about where we are in our tech evolution.
January 1, 2017
Books 1, 2, and 3 were very good, with excellent tech mixed in with heart-pounding action and decent characters. Book 4, though, was filled with pages of exposition that took the series farther down the technological rabbit hole ... so far that it started to overshadow and drag down the action. Book 5 is, frustratingly, more of the same. When Dark Matter is good, it's very good -- but then there are times it reads more like a technical paper. You can get away with some of that in sci-fi (some of the grand masters did) but when it starts to overshadow the main plot without really adding to it, it becomes a problem. That's what is happening here, I fear.
October 20, 2014
Piąty tom cyklu "Star Carrier" rozpoczyna się od badania tajemniczej otchłani, którą autor przedstawił w poprzednim tomie. Ale to wcale nie tajemniczy obcy stojący za anomalią są głównymi aktorami tej powieści. Ian Douglas wprowadza do cyklu nową rasę, niebędącą dotychczas stroną w konflikcie, za to okazują się niezwykle groźną dla Ziemian. Problem stanowi nie tylko odmienna fizjonomia obcych, brak możliwości porozumienia się z nowym gatunkiem, ale również zrozumienie inteligentnego gatunku o naturze czysto drapieżnej. Grdoch wcale nie zamierzają kontaktować się z ludźmi, a tym bardziej nie chcą porzucać terenów łownych.
Niemniej wydaje się, że wprowadzenie Grdoch, którzy niemal zdominowali cały tom, miało być otwarciem okna i przewietrzeniem pokoju. Nowa obca rasa stanowi wielkie wyzwanie dla ludzi, nie tylko dlatego, że wydaje się być bardziej zaawansowana, ale także ze względu na kompatybilność genetyczną, pozwalającą Grdoch korzystać ze światów podobnych Ziemi, a także konsumować jego zasoby. Są zatem naturalnym zagrożeniem dla rodzinnego świata ludzi i bliźniaczo podobnej planety Vulcan (tu całkiem zabawne nawiązanie do Star Treka).
Dużą zaletą tego tomu jest ukazanie wewnętrznych problemów Ziemi. Wcześniej autor jedynie go zarysował opisując pobieżnie strukturę Konfederacji oraz sytuację pomniejszych państw. Skupił się oczywiście głównie na funkcjonowaniu poszerzonej wersji USA - czyli USNA. Tym razem Douglas pogłębia pęknięcia w ziemskim sojuszu i doprowadza do jego rozpadu na dwie konkurujące ze sobą frakcje. Historia tego krótkiego konfliktu przypomina nieco wszystkie filmy akcji ostatnich dekad - niestety prezentując taki sam poziom merytoryczny. Z tymże miejsce złych Rosjan lub Chińczyków zajmuje pazerna Genewa, chcąca przejąć kontrolę nad wszystkimi zasobami wojskowymi i potajemnie skapitulować przed potężnymi Sh'daar, co w rezultacie oznacza oddanie prawa do samostanowienia, zrezygnowania z kształtowania własnego losu, przekształcenia Ziemi w dominium zależne od obcych. Oczywiście USA nie mogą na to pozwolić z pobudek czysto patriotycznych. Wywiązuje się krótka wojenka, która przenosi się na orbitę Ziemi, a niedługo także w głąb systemu. Najbardziej bawią zmagania autora polegające na odwróceniu sojuszy - tym razem Stany zawierają abstrakcyjny sojusz z Rosją, Chinami i Teokracją Islamska przeciwko podłej Federacji Europejskiej. W tym miejscu poniosło autora i to nieźle, ale z drugiej strony trudno przewidzieć, co przyniesie tak odległa przyszłość. Rzecz jasna Amerykanie zawsze wygrywają - tym razem również za pomocą naiwnego fortelu (na Ziemi) i standardowo pokazowi zmasowanej siły (na orbicie Vulcana). Duch wolności zawsze przetrwa!
Niemniej wydaje się, że wprowadzenie Grdoch, którzy niemal zdominowali cały tom, miało być otwarciem okna i przewietrzeniem pokoju. Nowa obca rasa stanowi wielkie wyzwanie dla ludzi, nie tylko dlatego, że wydaje się być bardziej zaawansowana, ale także ze względu na kompatybilność genetyczną, pozwalającą Grdoch korzystać ze światów podobnych Ziemi, a także konsumować jego zasoby. Są zatem naturalnym zagrożeniem dla rodzinnego świata ludzi i bliźniaczo podobnej planety Vulcan (tu całkiem zabawne nawiązanie do Star Treka).
Dużą zaletą tego tomu jest ukazanie wewnętrznych problemów Ziemi. Wcześniej autor jedynie go zarysował opisując pobieżnie strukturę Konfederacji oraz sytuację pomniejszych państw. Skupił się oczywiście głównie na funkcjonowaniu poszerzonej wersji USA - czyli USNA. Tym razem Douglas pogłębia pęknięcia w ziemskim sojuszu i doprowadza do jego rozpadu na dwie konkurujące ze sobą frakcje. Historia tego krótkiego konfliktu przypomina nieco wszystkie filmy akcji ostatnich dekad - niestety prezentując taki sam poziom merytoryczny. Z tymże miejsce złych Rosjan lub Chińczyków zajmuje pazerna Genewa, chcąca przejąć kontrolę nad wszystkimi zasobami wojskowymi i potajemnie skapitulować przed potężnymi Sh'daar, co w rezultacie oznacza oddanie prawa do samostanowienia, zrezygnowania z kształtowania własnego losu, przekształcenia Ziemi w dominium zależne od obcych. Oczywiście USA nie mogą na to pozwolić z pobudek czysto patriotycznych. Wywiązuje się krótka wojenka, która przenosi się na orbitę Ziemi, a niedługo także w głąb systemu. Najbardziej bawią zmagania autora polegające na odwróceniu sojuszy - tym razem Stany zawierają abstrakcyjny sojusz z Rosją, Chinami i Teokracją Islamska przeciwko podłej Federacji Europejskiej. W tym miejscu poniosło autora i to nieźle, ale z drugiej strony trudno przewidzieć, co przyniesie tak odległa przyszłość. Rzecz jasna Amerykanie zawsze wygrywają - tym razem również za pomocą naiwnego fortelu (na Ziemi) i standardowo pokazowi zmasowanej siły (na orbicie Vulcana). Duch wolności zawsze przetrwa!
February 16, 2020
Interesting reviews. I like the change of pace in this book, and the previous one. You can only live through so many star battles in which the author has to remind, or instruct, you about the background of a technology or nomenclature; so that gets old. I like the political bent. It's not too overdone, trust me, I don't like politics. The way the story is old is though provoking and prompts me to do research on the concepts involved, specifically which I found an interesting topic. We'll see how I feel when I complete the book.
July 17, 2014
Dark Matter, Star Carrier, Book 5
The Star Carrier series is one of the best examples of space opera, military fiction on the market. Each book in the series can be treated as a standalone story or part of the larger whole with equal satisfaction. Book 5 covers events from January 2425-March 2425. Where the prior stories in this series were mostly military science fiction with the politics and scientific explanations taking a secondary role,this story turns that formula on its head. The politics, philosophies are front and center with the descriptions of the battles and their tactics take a suffering for it. There are long passages dicussing political theory, quantum physics,and cosmology. For readers looking for traditional military science fiction this is book’s major weakness.
One of central conflicts of the story is the political and military struggle between the United States of North America and the European Confederation. The key question is, do you concede to the demands of aliens asking you to give up certain types of technology or do you continue to battle on when victory is a possibility but not a certainty? The readers of and actors in this book are faced with this intellectual dilemma. Another question that is raised is: What are you willing to do in order for your side win? The answer to this question is played out in space where one side chooses a dubious ally with negative consequences, and on earth where one side secretly uses an AI to create a religion to undermine a nation’s will to fight. Last but least what is the role of religion in a modern scientific society? Science fiction is often used to get the reader to contemplate larger issues in society. On that level I found the the story compelling.
The Star Carrier series is one of the best examples of space opera, military fiction on the market. Each book in the series can be treated as a standalone story or part of the larger whole with equal satisfaction. Book 5 covers events from January 2425-March 2425. Where the prior stories in this series were mostly military science fiction with the politics and scientific explanations taking a secondary role,this story turns that formula on its head. The politics, philosophies are front and center with the descriptions of the battles and their tactics take a suffering for it. There are long passages dicussing political theory, quantum physics,and cosmology. For readers looking for traditional military science fiction this is book’s major weakness.
One of central conflicts of the story is the political and military struggle between the United States of North America and the European Confederation. The key question is, do you concede to the demands of aliens asking you to give up certain types of technology or do you continue to battle on when victory is a possibility but not a certainty? The readers of and actors in this book are faced with this intellectual dilemma. Another question that is raised is: What are you willing to do in order for your side win? The answer to this question is played out in space where one side chooses a dubious ally with negative consequences, and on earth where one side secretly uses an AI to create a religion to undermine a nation’s will to fight. Last but least what is the role of religion in a modern scientific society? Science fiction is often used to get the reader to contemplate larger issues in society. On that level I found the the story compelling.
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