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Star Carrier #6
Deep Time
The clock is ticking in the struggle for galactic independence
Once rebels themselves facing off against the Earth Confederation, the United States of North America is now the dominant force in negotiations with the interstellar Sh'daar Collective. But just as the Marines root out the last violent dissenters, an alien ship of unknown origin suddenly flees Earth's orbit. Is it mere coincidence . . . or a terrifying omen?
President Alexander Koenig watches with great interest as USNA forces chase the runaways down. But upon first contact, it's not apparent where—or when—the crew is headed. For this bizarre species has somehow mastered the power to manipulate time itself. Now Koenig must decide whether he's dealing with angels of astonishing technological prowess . . . or the agents of humanity's destruction.
Once rebels themselves facing off against the Earth Confederation, the United States of North America is now the dominant force in negotiations with the interstellar Sh'daar Collective. But just as the Marines root out the last violent dissenters, an alien ship of unknown origin suddenly flees Earth's orbit. Is it mere coincidence . . . or a terrifying omen?
President Alexander Koenig watches with great interest as USNA forces chase the runaways down. But upon first contact, it's not apparent where—or when—the crew is headed. For this bizarre species has somehow mastered the power to manipulate time itself. Now Koenig must decide whether he's dealing with angels of astonishing technological prowess . . . or the agents of humanity's destruction.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2015
99 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
Ian Douglas
99 books568 followersIan Douglas is a pseudonym used by William H. Keith Jr..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 20, 2017
When I last left the Star Carrier series, I had just written whatever the name is for the letter that comes before a Dear John letter. Book Five was just so bad in so many ways I nearly dropped the series all together. But I decided to give the series one more shot, since the first four were pretty entertaining.
While this installment wasn't great, it was good enough to keep me interested in the series. I will begrudgingly continue this series, even if it is a bit of a guilty pleasure.
The Good:
-The Aliens: One of the few things this series does well is imbue aliens with an actual sense of otherness. Douglas based their behavior and outlook on their biology and the environment they developed in. Instead of aliens just being written as humans with a slight twist, Douglas structures their entire philosophy and social organization around their unique circumstances; this typically comes off as very alien.
-The Action: Like the more successful predecessors, this installment had tons of fights and started off with a pretty long one right off the bat. This is something Douglas does well and it was sorely lacking in the fifth book. It is both entertaining and helps cover up the weaker parts of the book.
-The Story: While Douglas isn't the most nuanced story teller, the big picture is rather compelling and Douglas does a nice job flipping some major assumptions that were assumed up to this point. Plus, dare I say, Douglas even showed some subtly regarding the relationship between humanity and advanced AIs.
The Bad:
-Repetition: After five books readers of this series knows what GRIN technologies are and we know what the Alcubierre Drive is. Unless Douglas thinks his readers have the memory of a gold fish there is no need for these repetitions in the second book let alone the sixth book.
-The Asides: Douglas has this terrible tendency to go off on tangents and asides at the drop of a hat. It is unnecessary and really harms the flow of the action. It would be one thing if there were only a few in the book but but there are a ton of them. Sometimes it is going on in the characters' minds, but usually it just text explaining something to the reader.
-The Characters: The characters, for the most part, are still extremely shallow. They have one or two qualities and that is the extent that they are defined. The "villain" who has it out for one of the good guys (thanks to good old fashioned classicism) is comically evil but at the same time has a laughably terrible plan for getting back at the good guy.
All in all this was a middling book that was a strong improvement over book five but was not quite as good as the first four in the series. The paradigm shift at the end was neat enough for me to keep reading but this series does nothing to elevate itself above a pulp level of book quality.
While this installment wasn't great, it was good enough to keep me interested in the series. I will begrudgingly continue this series, even if it is a bit of a guilty pleasure.
The Good:
-The Aliens: One of the few things this series does well is imbue aliens with an actual sense of otherness. Douglas based their behavior and outlook on their biology and the environment they developed in. Instead of aliens just being written as humans with a slight twist, Douglas structures their entire philosophy and social organization around their unique circumstances; this typically comes off as very alien.
-The Action: Like the more successful predecessors, this installment had tons of fights and started off with a pretty long one right off the bat. This is something Douglas does well and it was sorely lacking in the fifth book. It is both entertaining and helps cover up the weaker parts of the book.
-The Story: While Douglas isn't the most nuanced story teller, the big picture is rather compelling and Douglas does a nice job flipping some major assumptions that were assumed up to this point. Plus, dare I say, Douglas even showed some subtly regarding the relationship between humanity and advanced AIs.
The Bad:
-Repetition: After five books readers of this series knows what GRIN technologies are and we know what the Alcubierre Drive is. Unless Douglas thinks his readers have the memory of a gold fish there is no need for these repetitions in the second book let alone the sixth book.
-The Asides: Douglas has this terrible tendency to go off on tangents and asides at the drop of a hat. It is unnecessary and really harms the flow of the action. It would be one thing if there were only a few in the book but but there are a ton of them. Sometimes it is going on in the characters' minds, but usually it just text explaining something to the reader.
-The Characters: The characters, for the most part, are still extremely shallow. They have one or two qualities and that is the extent that they are defined. The "villain" who has it out for one of the good guys (thanks to good old fashioned classicism) is comically evil but at the same time has a laughably terrible plan for getting back at the good guy.
All in all this was a middling book that was a strong improvement over book five but was not quite as good as the first four in the series. The paradigm shift at the end was neat enough for me to keep reading but this series does nothing to elevate itself above a pulp level of book quality.
September 7, 2021
I really enjoy when the science in a SiFi story enhances the story instead of just being background wallpaper. Douglas does an exceptional job of blending science and storytelling. This is an excellent read. Very recommended
December 26, 2017
I think this one actually would be a three and three-fourths star.
Very well written, with hard science mixed in with ship to ship fighting, emotional swings. The descriptions are good, the aliens imaginative, the deep thinking of the characters, second guessing and determination make the story better.
It does change POV every now and then. The ending lays the ground work for the next story. This is number six and they have had some very tough situations and now one even tougher.
I recommend it but only after you read the first five. There are things, events, characters that were introduced in previous books that you need to know about for this one.
Very well written, with hard science mixed in with ship to ship fighting, emotional swings. The descriptions are good, the aliens imaginative, the deep thinking of the characters, second guessing and determination make the story better.
It does change POV every now and then. The ending lays the ground work for the next story. This is number six and they have had some very tough situations and now one even tougher.
I recommend it but only after you read the first five. There are things, events, characters that were introduced in previous books that you need to know about for this one.
July 11, 2017
Another rousing Military Science Fiction tale of fighting what appears to be an unbeatable enemy.
Worm holes, time dilation, incredible engineering feats and time travel all rolled into space battles galore.
Old enemies reappear
Highly recommended author and series
Worm holes, time dilation, incredible engineering feats and time travel all rolled into space battles galore.
Old enemies reappear
Highly recommended author and series
June 8, 2015
I am having quite some difficulties making up my mind about this one. Parts of it are really great, parts of it are not so great.
The writing in general is excellent. The authors knowledge of scientific matters is well established. When he digresses into scientific, biological or social discussions they are always quite well founded in actual science. Unfortunately here is where we encountered an issue that I have with this book. Personally I think it is way to often that the author simply stops the flow of the story to digress in something that, more or less, amount to a philosophical discussion about science, biology or sociology. It was entertaining the first few couple of times but after a while it just became too much, at least to this reader. What annoyed me in particular was that these digressions often happened in the middle of the action.
Speaking of action. This is indeed one of the strong points of this book and of this author in general. The action is excellent and well founded in science despite it being science fiction. The way the action is described and how the laws of physics impact the decisions as well as the outcome is just great.
The characters in this book is very well done, even the nasty ones. I have to say that I really, really did not like one of the nasties (and that was not the aliens) and I quite felt that this part of the book was more dragging it down than anything else. It kind of settled for the better in the end but I am still a bit put off by that part of the story.
The general story is sometimes a wee bit difficult to keep track of in the sense that it flows over both space and time. Maybe it is just me though and maybe it is because of these, previously mentioned, constant interruptions by lengthy digressions. I would not really like to put someone off by saying that the story is difficult, it just requires a bit of effort to read this book (if you want to get as much out of it as possible), that is all.
The end, well I have to say that it was a wee bit of a surprise. I fail to see how the end explains the why Sh’daar Collective tries to prevent the “singularity” but I still quite liked where the book went. Obviously I am not going to give away any spoilers but, despite a few gripes with this book, I have to say that I am really looking forward to the next book in this series now.
The writing in general is excellent. The authors knowledge of scientific matters is well established. When he digresses into scientific, biological or social discussions they are always quite well founded in actual science. Unfortunately here is where we encountered an issue that I have with this book. Personally I think it is way to often that the author simply stops the flow of the story to digress in something that, more or less, amount to a philosophical discussion about science, biology or sociology. It was entertaining the first few couple of times but after a while it just became too much, at least to this reader. What annoyed me in particular was that these digressions often happened in the middle of the action.
Speaking of action. This is indeed one of the strong points of this book and of this author in general. The action is excellent and well founded in science despite it being science fiction. The way the action is described and how the laws of physics impact the decisions as well as the outcome is just great.
The characters in this book is very well done, even the nasty ones. I have to say that I really, really did not like one of the nasties (and that was not the aliens) and I quite felt that this part of the book was more dragging it down than anything else. It kind of settled for the better in the end but I am still a bit put off by that part of the story.
The general story is sometimes a wee bit difficult to keep track of in the sense that it flows over both space and time. Maybe it is just me though and maybe it is because of these, previously mentioned, constant interruptions by lengthy digressions. I would not really like to put someone off by saying that the story is difficult, it just requires a bit of effort to read this book (if you want to get as much out of it as possible), that is all.
The end, well I have to say that it was a wee bit of a surprise. I fail to see how the end explains the why Sh’daar Collective tries to prevent the “singularity” but I still quite liked where the book went. Obviously I am not going to give away any spoilers but, despite a few gripes with this book, I have to say that I am really looking forward to the next book in this series now.
January 6, 2019
Military Space Opera with geeky science fiction elements.
The best word I can think for this book is "fun." That's in the specific aspects of action, aliens, exotic science and technologies. It was also easy to get into the flow of the narrative despite not having read the first five books of the series.
(I wrote a paragraph of what I thought was the story arc only to realize it was of a different military SF book! Either my memory is diminishing or the story wasn't that memorable.)
Anyway, I will look for another book in the series. For this one, I would say 4 stars, for keeping me engaged.
The best word I can think for this book is "fun." That's in the specific aspects of action, aliens, exotic science and technologies. It was also easy to get into the flow of the narrative despite not having read the first five books of the series.
(I wrote a paragraph of what I thought was the story arc only to realize it was of a different military SF book! Either my memory is diminishing or the story wasn't that memorable.)
Anyway, I will look for another book in the series. For this one, I would say 4 stars, for keeping me engaged.
June 30, 2017
Learn from the future to protect the past
An empire that spans time and space is a hard concept to write about but in this book it is done just fine. You don't get lost in the possible paradoxes
An empire that spans time and space is a hard concept to write about but in this book it is done just fine. You don't get lost in the possible paradoxes
October 24, 2017
I want to love this series, but Six books in and I'm starting to feel that Mr. Douglas may not know how he wants the story to unfold. This is supposed to be epic space opera, but some of his sub plots can be a bit out of the left and not really add anything to the overall story.
In addition, I know you love the science, its why we who love space opera love space opera. However, six books in and I don't need you to explain to me for the 100th time what boosting is, how the AI's work, or how the TRGA work. Assume that I have retained knowledge from the previous books and use the otherwise freed speech to actually make meaningful progress in the main story.
Overall I will continue to read as I need closure on the Rosette Aliens, the Star Gods; and what ultimately happens to the Human race as a whole.
In addition, I know you love the science, its why we who love space opera love space opera. However, six books in and I don't need you to explain to me for the 100th time what boosting is, how the AI's work, or how the TRGA work. Assume that I have retained knowledge from the previous books and use the otherwise freed speech to actually make meaningful progress in the main story.
Overall I will continue to read as I need closure on the Rosette Aliens, the Star Gods; and what ultimately happens to the Human race as a whole.
September 7, 2017
I like the series of book written by in Douglas because it is Hardcore science. I don't think there is an iota of fantasy in the world. As I have read from his other books. Aliens are true aliens, and what I mean is that contact with other intelligent life does that mean that they do not have to be anthropomorphic.
Artificial intelligence is not a threat to humanity. And yet the basic reasons for humans to behave as humans are still there. There is social prejudice based on a class system. The reasons for going to war is about the same; usually, it's a fight for resources or a misunderstanding.
This book and other books written by him allow us to use our imagination know what humans will eventually become with the proper use of Technology.
Artificial intelligence is not a threat to humanity. And yet the basic reasons for humans to behave as humans are still there. There is social prejudice based on a class system. The reasons for going to war is about the same; usually, it's a fight for resources or a misunderstanding.
This book and other books written by him allow us to use our imagination know what humans will eventually become with the proper use of Technology.
January 12, 2022
Star Carrier: Deep Time: Book Six
Author: Ian Douglas
Publisher: Harper Voyage
Publishing Date: 2015
Pgs: 368 pages
Dewey: PBK F DOU
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
The clock is ticking in the struggle for galactic independence
Once rebels themselves facing off against the Earth Confederation, the United States of North America is now the dominant force in negotiations with the interstellar Sh'daar Collective. But just as the Marines root out the last violent dissenters, an alien ship of unknown origin suddenly flees Earth's orbit. Is it mere coincidence . . . or a terrifying omen?
President Alexander Koenig watches with great interest as USNA forces chase the runaways down. But upon first contact, it's not apparent where—or when—the crew is headed. For this bizarre species has somehow mastered the power to manipulate time itself. Now Koenig must decide whether he's dealing with angels of astonishing technological prowess . . . or the agents of humanity's destruction.
_________________________________________
Genre:
Science Fiction
Hard Science Fiction
Space Fleet
Marines
Militaria
Why this book:
Space battles. Fleet action. It’s the main draw in this series. And I want to know what happens next. The subplots are threatening my enjoyment though.
_________________________________________
The Feel:
The info dumps are overdone, the repetition wasn’t as pronounced this time around.
Favorite Character:
Admiral Gray.
Least Favorite Character:
Dahlquist and his co-conspirators.
Favorite Quote:
Koenig's speech in the ruins of Washington DC hits a great note. "And the old city had been buried in a lot of muck before more than the rising Potomac ever could have dumped in its streets. The men who'd run this city and this country had succumbed more than once to power hunger, to corruption, to idiot fads and fallacies, to the socialistic abrogation of basic rights, to greed, to deception, to outright theft by means both legal and otherwise. Presidents had been disgraced, impeached, and even murdered; congressmen had ignored or betrayed the rule of law, justices had reinterpreted the Constitution. It was a dark and muddy history as had ever swallowed this town."
It's a good political speech that again shows the politics of the author and which side of the divide he's on. As long as he soft-pedals this, I'm still reading cause this is a great series. But, I watch it with a jaundiced eye. I feel that with the flip of one word this describes modern America. All you have to do is flip socialistic abrogation of basic rights to fascistic abrogation of basic rights and it speaks to our post-January 6. 2021 America. But let's get back to the aliens at war with Earth trying to destroy or limit the technological advancement of the species.
Cover and Interior Art:
The alien designs are awesome in this series. Would love it if someone were doing art of some of them. The alien designs stand up to David Brin and his Uplift War dual trilogies.
Hmm Moments:
The classicism in the Navy is horrible, reminds of the Royal Navy, pre-WW1. You know they chaffed at anyone who wasn't an aristocrat who bootstrapped their way into a command position.
Calling the Ball:
Humans will unite the Shdaar factions into a fleet that will attempt to stand off or defeat the Type IIIs, if they are the Rosette Aliens or not, and drive them off.
Meh / PFFT Moments:
Considering Gray's past, he's stupid not to suspect that Dahlquist is going to pull something shady.
The Sigh:
Sigh. How much of a stop down on alien space fleet action is the lewd sex video of the Admiral gonna be. Really? This might be a bridge too far. This colored my enjoyment of the entire second half of the novel.
A Path I Can’t Follow:
The interrupter subplot threatened to be a bridge too far for me. I’m glad it was resolved without blowing up bigger in the overall plot of the story.
The Unexpected:
Thank God, the interrupter subplot resolved itself before the end. I was afraid that that was going to carry forward into the next book of the series.
_________________________________________
Conclusions I’ve Drawn:
The book advances the overall story. The unknown Rosette Aliens are still inscrutable. But they may be, probably are the Type IIIs that are coming to destroy the Milky Way in the future. Plants the seeds of Earthlings being the glue that draws the Shdaar into a cohesive force to oppose the Galactic Dyson Sphere future of the Milky Way.
Things I’d Like to See:
Really hoping that we don’t get to a point where the StarGods come riding to the rescue, deus ex machina-style.
Author Assessment:
I’m still in.
=======================================
Author: Ian Douglas
Publisher: Harper Voyage
Publishing Date: 2015
Pgs: 368 pages
Dewey: PBK F DOU
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
The clock is ticking in the struggle for galactic independence
Once rebels themselves facing off against the Earth Confederation, the United States of North America is now the dominant force in negotiations with the interstellar Sh'daar Collective. But just as the Marines root out the last violent dissenters, an alien ship of unknown origin suddenly flees Earth's orbit. Is it mere coincidence . . . or a terrifying omen?
President Alexander Koenig watches with great interest as USNA forces chase the runaways down. But upon first contact, it's not apparent where—or when—the crew is headed. For this bizarre species has somehow mastered the power to manipulate time itself. Now Koenig must decide whether he's dealing with angels of astonishing technological prowess . . . or the agents of humanity's destruction.
_________________________________________
Genre:
Science Fiction
Hard Science Fiction
Space Fleet
Marines
Militaria
Why this book:
Space battles. Fleet action. It’s the main draw in this series. And I want to know what happens next. The subplots are threatening my enjoyment though.
_________________________________________
The Feel:
The info dumps are overdone, the repetition wasn’t as pronounced this time around.
Favorite Character:
Admiral Gray.
Least Favorite Character:
Dahlquist and his co-conspirators.
Favorite Quote:
Koenig's speech in the ruins of Washington DC hits a great note. "And the old city had been buried in a lot of muck before more than the rising Potomac ever could have dumped in its streets. The men who'd run this city and this country had succumbed more than once to power hunger, to corruption, to idiot fads and fallacies, to the socialistic abrogation of basic rights, to greed, to deception, to outright theft by means both legal and otherwise. Presidents had been disgraced, impeached, and even murdered; congressmen had ignored or betrayed the rule of law, justices had reinterpreted the Constitution. It was a dark and muddy history as had ever swallowed this town."
It's a good political speech that again shows the politics of the author and which side of the divide he's on. As long as he soft-pedals this, I'm still reading cause this is a great series. But, I watch it with a jaundiced eye. I feel that with the flip of one word this describes modern America. All you have to do is flip socialistic abrogation of basic rights to fascistic abrogation of basic rights and it speaks to our post-January 6. 2021 America. But let's get back to the aliens at war with Earth trying to destroy or limit the technological advancement of the species.
Cover and Interior Art:
The alien designs are awesome in this series. Would love it if someone were doing art of some of them. The alien designs stand up to David Brin and his Uplift War dual trilogies.
Hmm Moments:
The classicism in the Navy is horrible, reminds of the Royal Navy, pre-WW1. You know they chaffed at anyone who wasn't an aristocrat who bootstrapped their way into a command position.
Calling the Ball:
Humans will unite the Shdaar factions into a fleet that will attempt to stand off or defeat the Type IIIs, if they are the Rosette Aliens or not, and drive them off.
Meh / PFFT Moments:
Considering Gray's past, he's stupid not to suspect that Dahlquist is going to pull something shady.
The Sigh:
Sigh. How much of a stop down on alien space fleet action is the lewd sex video of the Admiral gonna be. Really? This might be a bridge too far. This colored my enjoyment of the entire second half of the novel.
A Path I Can’t Follow:
The interrupter subplot threatened to be a bridge too far for me. I’m glad it was resolved without blowing up bigger in the overall plot of the story.
The Unexpected:
Thank God, the interrupter subplot resolved itself before the end. I was afraid that that was going to carry forward into the next book of the series.
_________________________________________
Conclusions I’ve Drawn:
The book advances the overall story. The unknown Rosette Aliens are still inscrutable. But they may be, probably are the Type IIIs that are coming to destroy the Milky Way in the future. Plants the seeds of Earthlings being the glue that draws the Shdaar into a cohesive force to oppose the Galactic Dyson Sphere future of the Milky Way.
Things I’d Like to See:
Really hoping that we don’t get to a point where the StarGods come riding to the rescue, deus ex machina-style.
Author Assessment:
I’m still in.
=======================================
April 14, 2021
Surprisingly intriguing hard scifi, military fiction. The setting logistic and detail of what interacting with extraterrestrials and relativistic travel was believable.
Combat starts out seeming mystical and full of jargon, but you are slowly educated on how things function, so that when the real drama starts, you understand enough of the science and consequences that you become invested in things unfolding how you thought they would after a character acted.
The series also does a good job with gender-power dynamics and non nuclear family social structures, though I think these were more prominent themes in earlier book of the series. a whole subplot is dedicated to the male admiral debating breaking up with his "girlfriend" (not a mutual feeling due to monogamous vs. polyamorous subcultures of the two characters involved). The author is an old white dude however, so there is a small amout of cringe I picked up on, but no boundries get crossed.
There are only a few female characters, but they are treated with respect, one of which is the captain of the title Star Carrier. She is a secondary character here. The other is one of the top fleet fighter pilots, and saves a lot of people with tricky manuvers.
Combat starts out seeming mystical and full of jargon, but you are slowly educated on how things function, so that when the real drama starts, you understand enough of the science and consequences that you become invested in things unfolding how you thought they would after a character acted.
The series also does a good job with gender-power dynamics and non nuclear family social structures, though I think these were more prominent themes in earlier book of the series. a whole subplot is dedicated to the male admiral debating breaking up with his "girlfriend" (not a mutual feeling due to monogamous vs. polyamorous subcultures of the two characters involved). The author is an old white dude however, so there is a small amout of cringe I picked up on, but no boundries get crossed.
There are only a few female characters, but they are treated with respect, one of which is the captain of the title Star Carrier. She is a secondary character here. The other is one of the top fleet fighter pilots, and saves a lot of people with tricky manuvers.
September 21, 2017
I have enjoyed this author’s various space opera series including the Heritage, Inheritance and Legacy Trilogies featuring Marines in space. A veteran of aircraft carrier service myself, I am somewhat familiar what kind of command structure and manning requirements are needed.
One thing that I do not like about these books (and this is merely a personal belief) is the prevalent emphasis on casual and recreational sex. Sandy rarely takes lovers and although he is still a Prim and a monogie, his lovers were not.
I disliked Taggart admitting that she had other lovers as well as Sandy encouraging him to sleep with other women as well as her. I admire Sandy for being able to love Taggart despite her proclivities which must have hurt him. Taggart’s suggestions for Sandy to sleep with other women, and her confession that she would continue to see other men, makes me dislike the Taggart character somewhat.
This is my personal belief not a reflection on the author. While I may not be a Prim, I am definitely a monogie. I cannot do casual or recreational sex because I do not find it fulfilling for me or my partner.
One thing that I do not like about these books (and this is merely a personal belief) is the prevalent emphasis on casual and recreational sex. Sandy rarely takes lovers and although he is still a Prim and a monogie, his lovers were not.
I disliked Taggart admitting that she had other lovers as well as Sandy encouraging him to sleep with other women as well as her. I admire Sandy for being able to love Taggart despite her proclivities which must have hurt him. Taggart’s suggestions for Sandy to sleep with other women, and her confession that she would continue to see other men, makes me dislike the Taggart character somewhat.
This is my personal belief not a reflection on the author. While I may not be a Prim, I am definitely a monogie. I cannot do casual or recreational sex because I do not find it fulfilling for me or my partner.
June 4, 2021
I keep reading (listening) to this dearies because it’s really a pretty good story and addresses themes I haven’t seen before, but the writing is pretty bad – full of needless repetition and over-explained actions, and the characters are paper thin. Moreover, the strong American bias is tedious.
Although the science in this series has been pretty good, this one has some fatal flaws when it comes to near light-speed travel. I’m no expert, but the “relativity” part is given short shrift. It’s not that 99.7% C is a hard limit, but increasing energy only gets you decreasingly greater gains from an outside reference frame. But, from the relative perspective of those travelers, acceleration and relative distance will seem to be consistent, with respect to each other. Recall that dimensions shrink in the relative direction of travel, from a local reference frame, distances between ships will seem to grow relative to acceleration and mutual velocity.
Although the science in this series has been pretty good, this one has some fatal flaws when it comes to near light-speed travel. I’m no expert, but the “relativity” part is given short shrift. It’s not that 99.7% C is a hard limit, but increasing energy only gets you decreasingly greater gains from an outside reference frame. But, from the relative perspective of those travelers, acceleration and relative distance will seem to be consistent, with respect to each other. Recall that dimensions shrink in the relative direction of travel, from a local reference frame, distances between ships will seem to grow relative to acceleration and mutual velocity.
October 15, 2018
Star Carrier # 6 is a superb novel filled with amazing sci fi action but with so much insight into our future as homo sapiens in the Universe / Multiverse. This book is a futurist's delight with deep discussions of cosmology and evolution with lots of hard science. The author is a deep thinker and has amassed an incredible knowledge of physics, from the quantum to the cosmic. The books get better and better and continue to amaze and impress.
The character development and writing is fantastic and I can't wait to start # 7.
The character development and writing is fantastic and I can't wait to start # 7.
February 11, 2021
This is a great series. Kind of technical on the Navy/Marine aspect of troops in space, but has some really great sound scientific explanations for the space travel they use. Miguel Alcubierre (real astrophysicist) I think will end up being the real life Star Trek Cochran warp drive scientist. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
August 31, 2023
Deep Strike
Ian Douglas continues the series with yet another time travel, only this time to the future. This series has more hard science with some liberties compared to the space operas. If you like military sci-fi with more hard science, this is for you. Note that it is also heavily serialized so be sure to read the previous books first.
Ian Douglas continues the series with yet another time travel, only this time to the future. This series has more hard science with some liberties compared to the space operas. If you like military sci-fi with more hard science, this is for you. Note that it is also heavily serialized so be sure to read the previous books first.
January 19, 2018
Getting deeper into the multi-verse
Book 6 continues the plunge into a deeper multi-verse. The author has done a fine job setting up the plot. At times, the book is a bit slow but the action sequences are great and there’s always a surprise.
Book 6 continues the plunge into a deeper multi-verse. The author has done a fine job setting up the plot. At times, the book is a bit slow but the action sequences are great and there’s always a surprise.
February 27, 2018
I enjoyed this. A little bit gung ho in places, but the science in the main is plausible, although not sure about the time manipulation! I haven’t read the others in the series, but probably will now. Still a little baffled about the prologue, can’t see how that fits in with the plot.
October 16, 2018
A clear example of a book that should not be read out of sequence from its series. like coming into the middle of a conversation and knowing none of the participants. any nuances are lost, and what remains is not very good. did not finish.
September 19, 2019
et maintenant il faut gérer le voyage espace - temps .... L'intelligence artificielle est plus présente, les humains super connectés, on espère enfin des alliances humains-aliens, mais le futur reste incertain. ...
November 18, 2017
The secondary plot (re: risties) never led anywhere. Turned into a waste of space.
Good otherwise.
Good otherwise.
June 6, 2018
3.5. The weight of history is starting to drag the series down.
November 28, 2018
A great continuous of this series. Kept wanting to just read one more page.
February 2, 2019
Excellent continuation of the Star Carroer series.
The familiar characters amd settingss with new twists to time and space keep the story rolling and the excotment coming.
The familiar characters amd settingss with new twists to time and space keep the story rolling and the excotment coming.
August 16, 2019
Douglas introduces new complexities to his future tale.
September 6, 2019
I'm really enjoying this series, but I'm kind of a nerd so take it for what it is worth
July 8, 2020
Love this series, sci fi with mentions of current science that make you think
November 28, 2021
it was a good book like the rest of the star carrier series is. There is plenty of action and some surprises. I feel ther author does a very good job of describing his alien species.
June 30, 2023
Another great story in this series!
October 5, 2023
An intriguing romp through space and time. An exploration of the most high minded science fiction concepts told through pulse pounding military action.
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