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Survival Game
The Star King had bet on Colonel Bogaert's ability to survive...and the fate of Terra was at stake!
- GenresScience Fiction
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
About the author
Colin Kapp
71 books8 followersColin Derek Ivor Kapp was a popular UK science fiction author, but one who never became a success in the USA. He was active, though not prolific, as an author in the 1960s through to the 1980s.
He is best known for his "Unorthodox Engineers" stories, which recount an eccentric group of engineers, who accomplish impossible feats of engineering against all odds.
Pen names: Colin Papp, Colin Capp.
He is best known for his "Unorthodox Engineers" stories, which recount an eccentric group of engineers, who accomplish impossible feats of engineering against all odds.
Pen names: Colin Papp, Colin Capp.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 10, 2016
i must have read this book a half a dozen times each time i enjoyed both the journey and the destination. it is a well written book that places mankind's universal struggle for dominance on a galactic scale, placing a premium on ingenuity and cooperation with all the good SiFi aspects worked seamlessly into the story which maintains a positive morality throughout. anyone looking to enjoy a good SiFi read will enjoy this book.
April 25, 2026
Survival Game by Colin Kapp.
Humanity has travelled into space and found a feudal civilisation waiting. The Star King's rule the galaxy through power and influence.
Two Star Lords make a wager on the survivability of Terrans and Colonel Bogaert finds himself on a deadly world with a decidedly deadly opponent.
The survival game aspect of this book didn't go on for long enough or into as much depth as I would have liked but I enjoyed it. It was definitely a pulpy type novel of the 70's but it had great charm.
Humanity has travelled into space and found a feudal civilisation waiting. The Star King's rule the galaxy through power and influence.
Two Star Lords make a wager on the survivability of Terrans and Colonel Bogaert finds himself on a deadly world with a decidedly deadly opponent.
The survival game aspect of this book didn't go on for long enough or into as much depth as I would have liked but I enjoyed it. It was definitely a pulpy type novel of the 70's but it had great charm.
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October 23, 2025THE SURVIVAL GAME [Aug 12, 1976] Kapp, Colin ...
October 16, 2025
This is an amiable old-fashioned sf novel, vaguely reminiscent of Asimov’s Foundation trilogy in its overall scenario, in which the upstart Terrans take on the role of the Foundation and outsmart the old-fashioned star kings who dominate the galaxy. In the survival game of the title, a resourceful Terran is tricked and dumped on a hostile planet, where his struggle for survival is described in some detail.
The book makes quite a pleasant read if you like old-fashioned sf and don’t expect too much.
The galaxy as described is populated entirely with humans, despite Terrans being upstart newcomers. There was a long-gone galactic civilization with a higher technology than anyone has now, so presumably everyone (including the Terrans) is descended from its people, but the author doesn’t say so explicitly.
The hero of this story does some incidental tricks with chemistry that are beyond my understanding—which doesn’t take much doing. I studied chemistry at school for only two years, long ago, and never gained much understanding of it. Don’t worry, tricks with chemistry are only a small part of the story.
The book makes quite a pleasant read if you like old-fashioned sf and don’t expect too much.
The galaxy as described is populated entirely with humans, despite Terrans being upstart newcomers. There was a long-gone galactic civilization with a higher technology than anyone has now, so presumably everyone (including the Terrans) is descended from its people, but the author doesn’t say so explicitly.
The hero of this story does some incidental tricks with chemistry that are beyond my understanding—which doesn’t take much doing. I studied chemistry at school for only two years, long ago, and never gained much understanding of it. Don’t worry, tricks with chemistry are only a small part of the story.
December 4, 2021
1977 grade A+
1995 grade A+
2021 grade A+
Writing reviews for books this good is harder than for ordinary stories. Are there any cons? The first few sentences are very complex and a bit difficult to read. After it got started, I stopped noticing any reading problems. Maybe it could be a bit longer, but it is complete and has a solid end.
As for the pros, there are not enough superlatives. It is an incredibly complex story that is so much more than a survival game on a hostile wild planet. A modern writer would probably have 500 pages instead of 200. But it is Never confusing. The characters are lively, likable, easy to visualize and keep track of, and develop throughout the story. The world building is massive with multiple planets, ships, and cultures, but is simply told. There are no wasted words and it is a fast easy read. The story thoroughly examines the clash of two cultures via an intermixing incident between the ancient "old logic" Star Kings and the younger "new logic" adaptable Terrans.
Very, very recommended. It is available used or on Kindle.
1995 grade A+
2021 grade A+
Writing reviews for books this good is harder than for ordinary stories. Are there any cons? The first few sentences are very complex and a bit difficult to read. After it got started, I stopped noticing any reading problems. Maybe it could be a bit longer, but it is complete and has a solid end.
As for the pros, there are not enough superlatives. It is an incredibly complex story that is so much more than a survival game on a hostile wild planet. A modern writer would probably have 500 pages instead of 200. But it is Never confusing. The characters are lively, likable, easy to visualize and keep track of, and develop throughout the story. The world building is massive with multiple planets, ships, and cultures, but is simply told. There are no wasted words and it is a fast easy read. The story thoroughly examines the clash of two cultures via an intermixing incident between the ancient "old logic" Star Kings and the younger "new logic" adaptable Terrans.
Very, very recommended. It is available used or on Kindle.
March 29, 2011
surprisingly good, it also holds up well to the passage of time.
August 3, 2012
Gave up on this one after a few chapters. Nothing going on.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews