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Boundary #4
Castaway Planet
NEW ENTRY IN THE BEST-SELLING BOUNDARY SERIES. Stranded humans must adapt alien technology to survive on a dangerous planet.
Lost in the dark, half a year into their journey to the colony world of Tantalus, Sakura Kimei, her family, and her best friend, the alien "Bemmie" nicknamed Whips, are torn from the safety of their colony ship. In a crippled lifeboat, they had one chance to find a habitable world. But even then, they would find that their apparent salvation was a world of a thousand secrets.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for previous books in this series:
“. . . fast-paced sci-fi espionage thriller . . . light in tone and hard on science . . .” —Publishers Weekly on Boundary
“The whole crew from Flint and Spoor's Boundary are back. . . . Tensions run high throughout the Ceres mission . . . a fine choice for any collection.” —Publishers Weekly on Threshold
“[P]aleontology, engineering, and space flight, puzzles in linguistics, biology, physics, and evolution further the story, as well as wacky humor, academic rivalries, and even some sweet romances.” —School Library Journal on Boundary
Eric Flint is a modern master of alternate history fiction, with over three million books in print in his Ring of Fire series. With David Drake he has written six popular novels in the Belisarius alternate Roman history series, and with David Weber collaborated on 1633 and 1634: The Baltic War and the Crown of Slaves Honorverse series, with latest entry New York Times bestseller, Cauldron of Ghosts. Flint was for many years a labor union activist. He lives near Chicago, Illinois.
Ryk E. Spoor, while earning his masters degree in Pittsburgh, became a playtesting consultant and writer for the Wizards of the Coast, the leading publisher of role-playing games and related novels. He now lives in East Greenbush, NY, working as a technical proposal writer for a high-tech R&D firm, and spending his non-writer time with his wife and sons. His solo novels for Baen include Grand Central Arena, Spheres of Influence, Paradigms Lost, and epic fantasies Phoenix Rising and Phoenix in Shadow.
Lost in the dark, half a year into their journey to the colony world of Tantalus, Sakura Kimei, her family, and her best friend, the alien "Bemmie" nicknamed Whips, are torn from the safety of their colony ship. In a crippled lifeboat, they had one chance to find a habitable world. But even then, they would find that their apparent salvation was a world of a thousand secrets.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for previous books in this series:
“. . . fast-paced sci-fi espionage thriller . . . light in tone and hard on science . . .” —Publishers Weekly on Boundary
“The whole crew from Flint and Spoor's Boundary are back. . . . Tensions run high throughout the Ceres mission . . . a fine choice for any collection.” —Publishers Weekly on Threshold
“[P]aleontology, engineering, and space flight, puzzles in linguistics, biology, physics, and evolution further the story, as well as wacky humor, academic rivalries, and even some sweet romances.” —School Library Journal on Boundary
Eric Flint is a modern master of alternate history fiction, with over three million books in print in his Ring of Fire series. With David Drake he has written six popular novels in the Belisarius alternate Roman history series, and with David Weber collaborated on 1633 and 1634: The Baltic War and the Crown of Slaves Honorverse series, with latest entry New York Times bestseller, Cauldron of Ghosts. Flint was for many years a labor union activist. He lives near Chicago, Illinois.
Ryk E. Spoor, while earning his masters degree in Pittsburgh, became a playtesting consultant and writer for the Wizards of the Coast, the leading publisher of role-playing games and related novels. He now lives in East Greenbush, NY, working as a technical proposal writer for a high-tech R&D firm, and spending his non-writer time with his wife and sons. His solo novels for Baen include Grand Central Arena, Spheres of Influence, Paradigms Lost, and epic fantasies Phoenix Rising and Phoenix in Shadow.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2015
27 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Eric Flint
250 books874 followersEric Flint was a New York Times bestselling American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works were alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
December 27, 2019
Fun rethinking of Swiss Family Robinson out of the Boundary universe. Very thorough & surprisingly informative. :D
Added uniqueness, aside from Whips and the Father -- the other 5 characters are female. The Mother and daughters ranging from 27 to 7 -- the heroine is the 15 year old.
There is some truly scary bits just FYI if reading to a group of kids.
Added uniqueness, aside from Whips and the Father -- the other 5 characters are female. The Mother and daughters ranging from 27 to 7 -- the heroine is the 15 year old.
There is some truly scary bits just FYI if reading to a group of kids.
January 20, 2015
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/01/2...
Publisher: Baen
Publishing Date: February 2015
ISBN: 9781476780276
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 2.1/5
Publisher Description:Lost in the dark, half a year into their journey to the colony world of Tantalus, Sakura Kimei, her family, and her best friend, the alien “Bemmie” nicknamed Whips, are torn from the safety of their colony ship. In a crippled lifeboat, they had one chance to find a habitable world. But even then, they would find that their apparent salvation was a world of a thousand secrets.
Review: This was a heck of a lot of fun for the first half of the novel. Great movement, some good characterization and despite the too human traits of their alien friend, Whips, awesome alien world building. There are floating continents and a plethora of lethal and amiable alien life.
At about the second half of the novel, the characters begin to fall flat. It started to read like a made for TV movie called “The Brady Bunch-Family Robinson”. There is Sakura, brilliant pilot who has no real experience but she takes them wormhole hopping to a system with a habitable planet. She has all the best ideas and continually sacrifices herself in order to realize her families continued existence. Super Dr.Mom, Laura, that rallies and steadies everyone with measured calm and reason in every dire situation while mending life threatening illnesses with her nanobots. Fug. The oldest sister, Caroline, always reads like a martyr script…”Caroline paler than a ghost, shivering …hand tightened on spear and stepped resolutely into the water wading in with a determined stride….”. Double fug. Melody, the next to the youngest sister is a certified genius, whatever that means. She is sullen, lazy, sometimes caring and always has the answer to everything because she is brilliant. The youngest sister, Hitomi, is a curious little scamp whom is brilliant in her own right. Always getting into trouble, you just can’t stay mad at her when she sniffs and says “I’m sowwy”. The only man is this drone like dweeb, Akira, that takes a backstage to his wife and daughters super egos.
They eventually overcome the planets fierce native fauna and build a pretty posh life there. Because they are all brilliant. The end. But its not the end as the only surviving piece of technology “The Omni” (that is pretty much a portable computer), has updated itself. So someone has arrived in-system. Yay!
This novel went from really good to really bad, really fast. Almost like two different authors wrote separate halves.
Publisher: Baen
Publishing Date: February 2015
ISBN: 9781476780276
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 2.1/5
Publisher Description:Lost in the dark, half a year into their journey to the colony world of Tantalus, Sakura Kimei, her family, and her best friend, the alien “Bemmie” nicknamed Whips, are torn from the safety of their colony ship. In a crippled lifeboat, they had one chance to find a habitable world. But even then, they would find that their apparent salvation was a world of a thousand secrets.
Review: This was a heck of a lot of fun for the first half of the novel. Great movement, some good characterization and despite the too human traits of their alien friend, Whips, awesome alien world building. There are floating continents and a plethora of lethal and amiable alien life.
At about the second half of the novel, the characters begin to fall flat. It started to read like a made for TV movie called “The Brady Bunch-Family Robinson”. There is Sakura, brilliant pilot who has no real experience but she takes them wormhole hopping to a system with a habitable planet. She has all the best ideas and continually sacrifices herself in order to realize her families continued existence. Super Dr.Mom, Laura, that rallies and steadies everyone with measured calm and reason in every dire situation while mending life threatening illnesses with her nanobots. Fug. The oldest sister, Caroline, always reads like a martyr script…”Caroline paler than a ghost, shivering …hand tightened on spear and stepped resolutely into the water wading in with a determined stride….”. Double fug. Melody, the next to the youngest sister is a certified genius, whatever that means. She is sullen, lazy, sometimes caring and always has the answer to everything because she is brilliant. The youngest sister, Hitomi, is a curious little scamp whom is brilliant in her own right. Always getting into trouble, you just can’t stay mad at her when she sniffs and says “I’m sowwy”. The only man is this drone like dweeb, Akira, that takes a backstage to his wife and daughters super egos.
They eventually overcome the planets fierce native fauna and build a pretty posh life there. Because they are all brilliant. The end. But its not the end as the only surviving piece of technology “The Omni” (that is pretty much a portable computer), has updated itself. So someone has arrived in-system. Yay!
This novel went from really good to really bad, really fast. Almost like two different authors wrote separate halves.
February 13, 2015
The Kimei family is on a colony transport when an accident during a lifeboat drill leaves them stranded on an uninhabited planet. Through happenstance, the Bemmie "Whips" Harrater, best friend of second daughter Sakura, is with them. Deprived by an accident of most of their supplies, they have to survive on a hostile world.
While it is billed as the fourth volume in the Boundary Series, this novel has almost nothing to do with the preceding three, though they feature marginally as historical fact. While I did mildly enjoy the struggles of the Kimei family, I found the writing verging wildly into corny far too often. The story is predictable and bland. Certainly not on par with the fun in previous volumes.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1862
While it is billed as the fourth volume in the Boundary Series, this novel has almost nothing to do with the preceding three, though they feature marginally as historical fact. While I did mildly enjoy the struggles of the Kimei family, I found the writing verging wildly into corny far too often. The story is predictable and bland. Certainly not on par with the fun in previous volumes.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1862
November 20, 2019
Yes, yes – I know. Book 4… and I haven’t read any others in this series. But my foolish ways once more paid off – this is clearly a new entry point into this series, because due to the nature of this adventure, previous characters and actions simply didn’t matter. Think Swiss Family Robinson in space – this book has the same upbeat energy and painstaking attention to detail regarding their survival adventures I recall from that classic I read a lifetime ago. The planet they have landed on has some intriguing differences regarding the way the land and sea interact, which impacts on all the creatures they discover. While the climate and landmass is a lot more temperate and suited to humans and bemmies than it might have been, the eco-system throws up all sorts of hazards.
I loved this one. It took me back to the likes of Robinson Crusoe and one I enjoyed even more – Coral Island. The family dynamic worked well – though it was an improbably cosy and peaceable family where there were hardly any quarrels and the parents were invariably united and supportive of each other. But that’s okay – given it was the situation that powered the narrative, I was quite happy to accept the characters’ slightly unrealistic positivity for the sake of the storyline, which was brought to an entirely satisfactory conclusion. Highly recommended for fans of space colony adventures.
8/10
I loved this one. It took me back to the likes of Robinson Crusoe and one I enjoyed even more – Coral Island. The family dynamic worked well – though it was an improbably cosy and peaceable family where there were hardly any quarrels and the parents were invariably united and supportive of each other. But that’s okay – given it was the situation that powered the narrative, I was quite happy to accept the characters’ slightly unrealistic positivity for the sake of the storyline, which was brought to an entirely satisfactory conclusion. Highly recommended for fans of space colony adventures.
8/10
April 10, 2015
These books aren't terribly believable, but they are a lot of fun. Something about Flint's writing entertains the heck out of me. This book wrapped up fairly well so I can't tell if this was the first of a story arc or just an additional story in the Boundary universe.
The narrator switch was a little jarring, but once I was used to her I was very happy with the performance.
The narrator switch was a little jarring, but once I was used to her I was very happy with the performance.
November 17, 2014
A very enjoyable read. Eric Flint, and Ryk Spor deliver as usual!
May 2, 2021
Eric Flint and Rik Spoor do a great job bringing the old 'castaway' plots of Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson up-to-date in this interstellar adventure.
The family was chosen specially for an interstellar journey along with hundreds of other human and alien families. One alien, a Bemmie named 'Whips', from the moon Europa, has become a close friend with the daughter Sakura and her family: mother Laura, father Akura, sisters Caroline, Melody, and Hitomi.
Their adventure starts sooner than planned. During a normal emergency drill, their whole family is ejected into interstellar space in their life ship, LS-5.
Through many twists and turns, they find themselves alone, on an alien planet.
Authors Eric Flint and Rik Spoor deliver an exciting adventure while exploring a completely new, alien environment.
The family was chosen specially for an interstellar journey along with hundreds of other human and alien families. One alien, a Bemmie named 'Whips', from the moon Europa, has become a close friend with the daughter Sakura and her family: mother Laura, father Akura, sisters Caroline, Melody, and Hitomi.
Their adventure starts sooner than planned. During a normal emergency drill, their whole family is ejected into interstellar space in their life ship, LS-5.
Through many twists and turns, they find themselves alone, on an alien planet.
Authors Eric Flint and Rik Spoor deliver an exciting adventure while exploring a completely new, alien environment.
April 2, 2021
This was quite a departure from the first 3 books. It's solidly in the future, maybe 150 years, I don't recall the exact passage of time.
It ends up being a marooned Nature as Antagonist (but not Earth nature). I found it pretty enjoyable overall. Reminded me of books I liked as middle school age about a kid being stranded alone in the wilderness and having to survive. Though of course it's an alien planet and a family.
It ends up being a marooned Nature as Antagonist (but not Earth nature). I found it pretty enjoyable overall. Reminded me of books I liked as middle school age about a kid being stranded alone in the wilderness and having to survive. Though of course it's an alien planet and a family.
February 10, 2015
“Castaway Planet” was published in 2015 and was co-authored by Eric Flint (http://www.ericflint.net) and Ryk E. Spoor (http://grandcentralarena.com). These authors have written dozens of books, and I have enjoyed many of their other publications.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘PG’ as there are instances of Violence. This Young Adult Science Fiction novel is set in a far future where Earth is colonizing other worlds. The primary character is 14 year old Sakura Kimei.
Sakura, her parents and three sisters are on a colony ship headed to a new world. Along with them are aliens (Bemmies) discovered inhabiting Europa. Genetically altered to live both on land and in water, some of the Bemmies were selected to accompany humans in their colonization efforts.
During an emergency drill an accident occurs, throwing the shuttle containing Sakura’s family and her best Bemmmies friend ‘Whips’ out into space. Sakura and her family recover to find that they are alone far from any known settlement. They are able to find a suitable planet and land. They then have to struggle against the flora and fauna of the new planet to survive.
The story is filled with struggles, problem solving and just sheer luck. The story covers the first year or so of the Kimei family’s life on the planet. I enjoyed the 8.5 hours I spent with the story, though I felt the dialog was off somehow, though I can’t put my finger on what it is. I do think that the story was a good one on how to survive and adapt to an unexpected environment. Very much a modern Swiss Family Robinson kind of story. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘PG’ as there are instances of Violence. This Young Adult Science Fiction novel is set in a far future where Earth is colonizing other worlds. The primary character is 14 year old Sakura Kimei.
Sakura, her parents and three sisters are on a colony ship headed to a new world. Along with them are aliens (Bemmies) discovered inhabiting Europa. Genetically altered to live both on land and in water, some of the Bemmies were selected to accompany humans in their colonization efforts.
During an emergency drill an accident occurs, throwing the shuttle containing Sakura’s family and her best Bemmmies friend ‘Whips’ out into space. Sakura and her family recover to find that they are alone far from any known settlement. They are able to find a suitable planet and land. They then have to struggle against the flora and fauna of the new planet to survive.
The story is filled with struggles, problem solving and just sheer luck. The story covers the first year or so of the Kimei family’s life on the planet. I enjoyed the 8.5 hours I spent with the story, though I felt the dialog was off somehow, though I can’t put my finger on what it is. I do think that the story was a good one on how to survive and adapt to an unexpected environment. Very much a modern Swiss Family Robinson kind of story. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
May 11, 2015
Although it's billed as a new novel in the Boundary series, this one owes a whole lot more to Johann Wyss and Daniel Defoe than to the three previous books. This one has much more of a y.a. feel to it, too. The shipwrecked-survivors-on-an-alien-planet tale is a long established trope of the sf field, and this is a very good example. The setting is quite interesting, and reminded me of some of the best of Alan Dean Foster's worlds, or perhaps Hal Clement. Puzzles are presented and solved, ingenuity and cleverness abound, and it's an altogether engrossing volume. The cliff-hanger ending promises more adventures ahead.
October 19, 2015
– While this is book 4 (and the start of a new trilogy) in the Boundary series it will work well as an entry to the series. It is a set up for the rest of the trilogy. Most of the story is about how to survive on an unexplored planet. It follows the family for the first year. As the book ends they realize that someone else has arrived. To find out how that changes things you will have to wait for the next book. Castaway Planet has an interesting story line, fun characters, as well as lots of tension and adventure. Pick it up for a fun quick read.
February 14, 2015
Eric Flint and Ryk Spoor never fail to deliver an enjoyable read.
September 21, 2016
The weakest book yet in the series. Mildly intersting at first but falls flat soon after and doesn't engage the minds eye.
May 30, 2020
First of all, I'm a HUGE fan of Eric Flint, especially his Ring of Fire series that is nothing short of spectacular. But...
Castaway Planet is said to be the fourth installment in the Boundry Series By Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor, but after reading it, I'd rather say it's the first volume of a Spin-Off series from Boundry. The first three books were written for adult readers (no adult themes though), while this 'fourth' book is clearly written for middle school kids. Yes, Middle School kids! I might have viewed this book quite differently if I had that knowledge beforehand... or I might have ended my journey on the third book.
Anyway, as a VERY YA novel, it's actually not bad. It might even be a good book for budding SF readers to enter the genre since there's a lot of characters that they should be able to identify themselves with. But for an old fart like me, expecting the storyline to be... different, It was a huge letdown. It has the dubious honor of being the worst book written by Eric Flint that I have read.
I am going to continue the series with the fifth (SECOND) installment and now I know what to expect. If that one surpasses this one, I might even go onto the sixth (THIRD).
Castaway Planet is said to be the fourth installment in the Boundry Series By Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor, but after reading it, I'd rather say it's the first volume of a Spin-Off series from Boundry. The first three books were written for adult readers (no adult themes though), while this 'fourth' book is clearly written for middle school kids. Yes, Middle School kids! I might have viewed this book quite differently if I had that knowledge beforehand... or I might have ended my journey on the third book.
Anyway, as a VERY YA novel, it's actually not bad. It might even be a good book for budding SF readers to enter the genre since there's a lot of characters that they should be able to identify themselves with. But for an old fart like me, expecting the storyline to be... different, It was a huge letdown. It has the dubious honor of being the worst book written by Eric Flint that I have read.
I am going to continue the series with the fifth (SECOND) installment and now I know what to expect. If that one surpasses this one, I might even go onto the sixth (THIRD).
August 31, 2017
It's been a while since I've chosen so poorly a book to read, and usually I'll still muscle through a book to find out how it ends, but I couldn't do it this time. I'm sure the story itself is great, but the presentation I found lacking. It felt somewhat amateurish, with far too many adverbs and unnecessary info-dumps. There's also the excessive use of 'space physics', in dialogue and narrative, that left me confused and disenchanted. I'll admit that I'm not experienced in the sci-fi/outer space genre, so maybe that's per usual, but I did not enjoy it. The dialogue was also . . . unpleasant, in that the characters switched between spoken word and wireless communication, which I believe was private between individuals, and I had a hard time keeping track of who was talking to who through which avenue and who all knew what everyone else was talking about. Plus all the word emphasis. With stress put on so many words in a conversation, it was distracting and didn't sound natural.
I didn't get far enough to have any real opinion on the story, and these are (mostly) issues with the writing. It didn't grab me.
I didn't get far enough to have any real opinion on the story, and these are (mostly) issues with the writing. It didn't grab me.
March 10, 2021
Surprised but not dissapointed
Unlike the first three novels in this collection book four is told as a juvenile with only two adult characters. I enjoy this format but was quite surprised at the shift as the first three novels are told from a much more mature viewpoint and the characters are all secure in those viewpoints. Book four on the other hand is a coming of age story set around a century and a half after the conclusion of book three. Technology that was brand new or just discovered in the first three book arc is now mature and reliable, until something goes terribly wrong. Using the bioforming techniques and technological information discovered from records and remnants left behind by the ancient alien who visited Earth 65 million years ago Humanity has started colonies on several nearby worlds with human friendly environments. We have even used alien Bioforming techniques on the Europa native intelligences to restore the ability to breath air allowing them to live and work with us on Earth and her far flung colonies. This novel is an excellent start to a new story arc.
Unlike the first three novels in this collection book four is told as a juvenile with only two adult characters. I enjoy this format but was quite surprised at the shift as the first three novels are told from a much more mature viewpoint and the characters are all secure in those viewpoints. Book four on the other hand is a coming of age story set around a century and a half after the conclusion of book three. Technology that was brand new or just discovered in the first three book arc is now mature and reliable, until something goes terribly wrong. Using the bioforming techniques and technological information discovered from records and remnants left behind by the ancient alien who visited Earth 65 million years ago Humanity has started colonies on several nearby worlds with human friendly environments. We have even used alien Bioforming techniques on the Europa native intelligences to restore the ability to breath air allowing them to live and work with us on Earth and her far flung colonies. This novel is an excellent start to a new story arc.
August 15, 2021
Review of books 4-6:
These three books in the Boundary Series are quite different from the first three books. They are still good reading but I’m afraid that, to me, they are quite far from the five star rating I gave the first three.
The story can be pretty much summed up as The Swiss Family Robinson in Space. Okay, that’s perhaps an oversimplification and stretching it but you get the idea. A bunch of people are marooned, not on a island but on a planet, and have to survive. This of course entails them exploring their new environment, creating shelters, really a new home actually, and finding ways to get food and all those things we take for granted.
This is science fiction bordering on fantasy so of course there is a lot more action, fantastic beasts and so on and so forth in these books than what you find in The Swiss Family Robinson.
Overall it is fairly good reading, the books are well written and the characters are likable, but these books feels more like they are targeted for the young adult segment. The story is really discover, build, surprise attack, fight, rinse and repeat. After three books it started to feel a bit repetitive since, even though each book introduces a new element to the overall story arc, they are fairly similar.
I also have to say that I got thoroughly annoyed by that spoiled brat throwing tantrums all the time.
These are pretty old books so I think it is safe to say that there is no more books coming out in this series but in the event one of the authors should pick up the series again I would really like him to start where the first three books left off and make it more in the styles of these three first books.
These three books in the Boundary Series are quite different from the first three books. They are still good reading but I’m afraid that, to me, they are quite far from the five star rating I gave the first three.
The story can be pretty much summed up as The Swiss Family Robinson in Space. Okay, that’s perhaps an oversimplification and stretching it but you get the idea. A bunch of people are marooned, not on a island but on a planet, and have to survive. This of course entails them exploring their new environment, creating shelters, really a new home actually, and finding ways to get food and all those things we take for granted.
This is science fiction bordering on fantasy so of course there is a lot more action, fantastic beasts and so on and so forth in these books than what you find in The Swiss Family Robinson.
Overall it is fairly good reading, the books are well written and the characters are likable, but these books feels more like they are targeted for the young adult segment. The story is really discover, build, surprise attack, fight, rinse and repeat. After three books it started to feel a bit repetitive since, even though each book introduces a new element to the overall story arc, they are fairly similar.
I also have to say that I got thoroughly annoyed by that spoiled brat throwing tantrums all the time.
These are pretty old books so I think it is safe to say that there is no more books coming out in this series but in the event one of the authors should pick up the series again I would really like him to start where the first three books left off and make it more in the styles of these three first books.
August 12, 2022
Space Opera in the Swiss Family Robinson style. I have always liked that type of story line and this book does it well on an new planet. The children are in a loved family being brought up by interested and concerned parents. The children and teens are teens and children and thankfully NOT like so many modern dysfunctional book characters that reflect our current society. I expect the dysfunctional types would never dream of colonizing a new world and could not handle it if forced to. This is a fun fictional read about a family who can adapt and function despite the adversity. It is a good way to get your mind off the whiners all around us - read and enjoy!
October 7, 2019
This is a good story set in the Boundary universe. You do not have to have read the previous novels to enjoy this one. I would classify this as a good YA story along the lines of Swiss Family Robinson. No real violence other than defending themselves from animals. A good story for a kid to enjoy if they like Science Fiction of a non-dystopian bent.
June 13, 2022
I enjoyed the first three books in this series but was very disappointed in this fourth book. It time jumped an undetermined amount of time and introduced a whole new group of characters. It also changed the style of the series from adult novels to YA. I did not bother to finish this book and I probably won't bother with any further books in the series.
March 10, 2020
Aargh! They're hugging each other in every chapter. Intellectually I know social cohesion would be very important in survival situations, but by the time they've done it a couple of dozen times, I wanted a couple of them to have the angst of no-one left to hug. Annoying as hell!
May 6, 2021
Could easily be considered a Young Adult book ! An enjoyable read of a Swiss Family Robison style book set on strange planet ! The ending sets up the next book in the series which I anticipate might be better than this book ! Ive already start reading the next book !
February 20, 2022
Recent Reads: Castaway Planet. Ryk Spoor and Eric Flint continue their Boundary space opera series with a jump into its future as a colony ship disaster drops a family onto an unknown world. It's Swiss Family Robinson meets Avatar on a floating island as they build a home.
July 5, 2017
Good read . The importance of family in a delightful tale with a last minute sequel ending .
December 22, 2017
A good retelling of the Swiss Family Robinson in space. The science seems solid. The story comes across a little juvenile at times but still worth the read.
January 9, 2018
New characters in a new environment with references of previous characters as historical characters. Fun.
April 30, 2015
Takes place in the "Boundary" universe but long after the previous stories. Swiss Family Robinson, w/Friday, and a touch of Mysterious Island thrown in.
I liked the islands and the general story, but you just "knew" that the parents wouldn't die, Friday wouldn't die and neither would any of the girls--at least, in the first book of the series.
Unfortunately, from my point of view, it got a little pedantic in things like telling how they made vinegar, quicklime, etc.
But, still, a good story--save it for a beach read.
As an aside or postscript to this review another part of the story is available elsewhere. Baen Books has a "Free Library" of novels, short stories and sci-fact articles. One of its Free Stories 2015 is "Disaster" by Ryk E. Spoor. It tells the story of the Outward Initiative, the interstellar from which the castaways came. It's a good read.
I liked the islands and the general story, but you just "knew" that the parents wouldn't die, Friday wouldn't die and neither would any of the girls--at least, in the first book of the series.
Unfortunately, from my point of view, it got a little pedantic in things like telling how they made vinegar, quicklime, etc.
But, still, a good story--save it for a beach read.
As an aside or postscript to this review another part of the story is available elsewhere. Baen Books has a "Free Library" of novels, short stories and sci-fact articles. One of its Free Stories 2015 is "Disaster" by Ryk E. Spoor. It tells the story of the Outward Initiative, the interstellar from which the castaways came. It's a good read.
July 30, 2015
I'm of two minds about this book. On the one hand, on it's own, it's pretty standard "stranded on an island" fair, with some interesting science fiction elements. On the other hand, it shares a universe, but is, in no real way part of the same series, as the rest of the Boundary universe books.
Taken on it's own, it's a interesting romp. Taken as a part of the same universe as the rest of the series, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and, really, it never did. The major "wait, that's FREAKY" science fiction element comes along fairly early on in the book, and the rest is fairly normal "adapting to life on a planet full of things that consider you part of the food chain" fair.
However, the cliffhanger...It definitely has me waiting hopefully for the next book in this new series.
Taken on it's own, it's a interesting romp. Taken as a part of the same universe as the rest of the series, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and, really, it never did. The major "wait, that's FREAKY" science fiction element comes along fairly early on in the book, and the rest is fairly normal "adapting to life on a planet full of things that consider you part of the food chain" fair.
However, the cliffhanger...It definitely has me waiting hopefully for the next book in this new series.
February 19, 2015
Eric Flint and Ryk E Spoor borrow heavily from Swiss Family Robinson with a tale of the Kimei and an European, squid-like Bemmie, Whips are together in a life boat drill on their colony ship when their life boat is suddenly cut loose. They manage to make it to a nearby sun and crash land on a Castaway Planet (hard from Baen) with a floating continent. They have connected earphones and some high-tech tools. They are also protected by nanopods in their blood help heal. With two parents, two teenagers and a nine-year old they have to find food and make shelter and survive the wild predators. This take place decades after their previous trilogy about finding alien technology on Mars and Europa and shares none of the same characters. Lots of fun.Review printed by Philadelphia Weekly Press
March 16, 2015
The shipwreck story is one of the oldest genres of English literature, one that always has the potential to entertain. With science fiction, there is a needle that must be threaded carefully - one's castaways cannot have such advanced technology that survival is a foregone conclusion, nor the situation so dire that survival is impossible. Flint and Spoor successfully keep to the middle ground, creating an interesting and plausible setting that challenges their family of survivors without dooming them. A fun read, with room for a sequel.
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