Clypsis

Roger Zelazny's Alien Speedway #1

by Jeffrey A. Carver

Imagine Clypsis, an entire solar system designed as the most awesome racetrack in the history of the sport.
Imagine personality-implanted robots, whose knowledge and influence can make or break a racer's career, and fusion-fueled ships that move at extraordinary speeds.
Imagine a young hero from Earth, braving the unknown to reach Clypsis, where his dream of being a faster-than-light racer can come true.
Enter the imagination of Nebula and Hugo Award-winner Roger Zelazny. Share the dream of Mike Murray as he makes his way from the racing pit to the cockpit of the universe's most dangerous and exhilarating challenge.
Roger Zelazny and Jeffrey A. Carver launch a sensational series with technical blueprints of the racing ships by visionary automotive designer Hayashi.

A Byron Preiss Book

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Dirk Grobbelaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cool premise here. A star / solar system sized race track for hot-rodded space ships. Bring it!

This is a shared world, which was created by Roger Zelazny and with some input from the authors who would be writing novels in this setting (according to his introduction in the novel).

I actually got this because of the author: Jeffrey A. Carver. I'd been reading some of his books and really enjoying them, so I've been looking for more of his stuff to dig into.

The book itself reads like a young adult book, and I suppose if I really wanted to I could even go so far as to compare it to one of Robert A. Heinlein's juvies.

It was okay, but I wasn't blown away. It's quite easy to quantify the reason though: I was expecting space racing, and to be honest, there really isn't a lot of it here. This story details the adventures of the protagonist as he makes his way to Clypsis (the racing system) and his subsequent apprenticeship as a pit mechanic. What little racing there is, right at the end of the novel, isn't particularly exciting and the protagonist is barely involved.

This is obviously a set up novel, being the first in the series, and I can only assume that the high stakes racing and whatnot will be dealt with in later novels. The problem is that these are written by a different author, and I am not particularly inclined to seek them out.

Anyway, as a straightforward space yarn for young adults, it is not a bad book, so I will give it three stars, but I can hardly give it any more than that.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this book because the packaging seems very misleading. I was expecting a fast-paced racing novel, perhaps something reminiscent of Damnation Alley, but this is very much of a YA book, a slow-paced story of an orphaned boy who makes his way across the stars by pluck and luck and gets a job as a member of the pit crew at the interstellar racetrack. There's not much real action until the end... it's an okay coming-of-age tale, but both publisher Bantam and packager Byron Priess should have marketed it as such. There were two other follow-up books in the series, but I never picked them up. Two and a half stars, then rounding up. (It has a Bob Eggleton cover that looks like it might be Thanos' gauntlet but probably isn't.)

[Vasco De Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didnt want to give 5 stars but it is far from 4 stars for me. Tboroughly enjoyed this book for many reasons and not just because Im a fan of Roger Zelazney.

Although this was a story set in space where people race in ships that travel faster than light (and its still possible to watch on a tv!? Mind blown), in the core its really a sports story about a kid learning the ropes and living his dream.

What I love most is how un-hollywood the plot feels, if that even makes sense.
Let me explain, and this... Is a spoiler? Maybe? Let's say it is to be safe.

SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!

This is not a hollywood story where he wows people with his untrained skill, wins his first race and against all odds because the most famous racer in history. Not at all, he struggles to find a job, doesnt win his first race and struggles to even match the apprentice... But despite this, we see he has natural talent and he has the drive to learn and keep pushing no matter how many times he is knocked down. Friends are made and obstacles are overcome and thrilling achievements are accomplished.

My only gripe is it ended too soon, just as I was getting into.
Look forward to reading the next one, highly recommend.

PS, I love the designs of the ships that are drawn on the last pages.

[Morgan Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely written for a young adult audience, given the simplistic characterization and plot. And it's rather deficient in any form of conflict, with most things automatically rolling its protagonist's way. But it's still reasonably enjoyable for a light read.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

TLDR: Jack (of the beanstalk) goes to race and everything goes smoothly.
Roger Zelazny will always draw me. I digress.
Jeffrey is a competent writer. There are some likeable characters and there are some wisdoms in the story. The actions in the races were initially confusing but you'll get used to it.
The not so good parts -
1. The lead has an amazing run of luck. He meets only good people and most people like him on sight.
2. Imagery of the races is lacking. They race in ducts around the sun? But the whole system is a race course? It sounds like they are just racing around the sun.
3. Unbelievable clutch win - serious safety issues there.
Conclusion: a light enjoyable young adult book

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was really fun, which is exactly what I was looking for when I picked this up! You are dropped in to Mike Murray's life, as it's turned upside down. He decides to travel to Clypsis, a galaxy 'built' for racing FTL fusion ships, and attempt his dream of being a pilot. While some parts were predictable, others were full of tension, giving our lead a chance to either get help (there were an awful lot of nice people in this book) or to solve on his own. There's character growth from page 1 to page 163, and the prose is surprisingly good in parts. I hope the rest of the series explores the alien life in further detail and I look forward to seeing how Mike grows. I am determined to hunt the other two books down and get back in the race.

[Wayne Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this back in the 80s in my local library, and now see that, were it released today, this would easily be YA science fiction. A boy runs away from home to become an intergalactic racer, and the thrills of a high-speed race on an FTL/solar system sized scale ensue. This is great, pure, escapism about futuristic, break neck racing, and as long as you go into it looking for a simple, entertaining yarn with thrills and spills, you'll get it. A lot of fun, with some pretty exciting race sequences that keep the pages turning.

[Mick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. Lightweight, but very enjoyable.

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

a young boy (16 yrs old) finds himself an orphan when his aunt dies, so he hitchhikes his way across the galaxy to a system made for the sole purpose of racing. his dream is to be a starship racer, and he is willing to do just about anything to get the chance to try it. i liked this book alot and plan on buying the next book (pitfall)

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this entire series. The first book is the best of the bunch I think, but the end of the series is equally amazing.

I feel like it might be more targeted towards the young-adult audience as I recently re-read the series, but it is still amazing.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light fast paced read from early in Carver's career.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am weary of any book that I can finish in one day, call me a snob. Finished this book without knowing I started. Fun, fast paced, simple. I'll probably read more from this series.