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Buck Rogers
Arrival
An anthology of stories designed to function as a background to the particular Buck Rogers setting that TSR were using. Buck Rogers appears at the beginning, in the past, whereas others are characters in the two factions in conflict in the future time. The rest center around the recovery of the newly discovered body of said Mr. Rogers.
Contents:
Arrival: 1 Armageddon 1995 [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novelette by Flint Dille
Arrival: 2 The Homecoming [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novella by Robert Sheckley
Arrival: 3 Triple Cross [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novelette by Abigail Irvine
Arrival: 4 Tryst of Fate [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novelette by M. S. Murdock
Arrival: 5 Two Barneys [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novella by Ulrike O'Reilly
Arrival: 6 The Relic [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novelette by Flint Dille
Arrival: 7 The Adversary [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novella by Jerry Oltion
Glossary (Arrival) (1989) • essay by uncredited
.
Contents:
Arrival: 1 Armageddon 1995 [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novelette by Flint Dille
Arrival: 2 The Homecoming [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novella by Robert Sheckley
Arrival: 3 Triple Cross [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novelette by Abigail Irvine
Arrival: 4 Tryst of Fate [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novelette by M. S. Murdock
Arrival: 5 Two Barneys [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novella by Ulrike O'Reilly
Arrival: 6 The Relic [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novelette by Flint Dille
Arrival: 7 The Adversary [TSR's Buck Rogers] (1989) / novella by Jerry Oltion
Glossary (Arrival) (1989) • essay by uncredited
.
316 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 7, 2009
An otherwise forgettable if not unpleasant read that I was reminded of recently when I was again presented with the fact that one person can have an enormous number of descendants after only a few centuries (brought up both from my listening to the audio CD of Chapterhouse: Dune and reading King Jesus one morning).
That observation reminded me of this book because it ends with Buck worrying that Wilma may be one of his descendants, making it possibly incestuous if he pursued a love affair with her.
PS - This book is based on the short-lived TV show with Gil Gerard and Erin Grey.
That observation reminded me of this book because it ends with Buck worrying that Wilma may be one of his descendants, making it possibly incestuous if he pursued a love affair with her.
PS - This book is based on the short-lived TV show with Gil Gerard and Erin Grey.
January 9, 2014
A pretty good Sci-fi yarn, that has a base in old school core sci-fi. This is not based on the 80's tv series, but a fresh look on the old Buck Rogers franchise. There are no aliens in this series for example, but the stories are littered with artificial intelligences and genetically modified humans.
In this story, Anthony 'Buck' Rogers is a US pilot sent up in an experimental sub-orbital plane to attack and destroy a Soviet satellite called "Masterlink". Masterlink is a primitive artificial intellegence, and has complete control of the Soviet nuclear arsenal. It also has a Soviet pilot called Kharkov, a renegade who killed Buck's parents. Buck must destroy Masterlink and Kharkov to avoid World War Three starting. During the course of the battle, Buck's plane is damaged making landing impossible. However, the plane also has an experimental cryogenic freezing system to preserve Buck until help can arrive. Also, just before destruction, Masterlink give Kharkov a chance at survival, in the form of digitizing his brain patterns, and mixing them with Masterlink's. Masterlink then downloads itself to a nearby satellite before it's own is destroyed.
Fast forward five hundred years, and humanity has colonised the solar system. Earth is a shattered wasteland, home to the last remnants of a hard core humanity, genetic horrors, and the New Earth Organization, a resistance group who wants a free Earth. Mars is the centre of the solar system, and home to RAM, the Russo-American Mercantile, the last remnants of the USA and Soviet Union. RAM rules the solar system. Mercury provides power and minerals to the solar system, and is home to the Sun King. However, in the asteroid belt, in the Juno-Vesta arc, a five hundred year old frozen astronaut has been discovered, and all factions want the frozen body as a figure head.
In this story, Anthony 'Buck' Rogers is a US pilot sent up in an experimental sub-orbital plane to attack and destroy a Soviet satellite called "Masterlink". Masterlink is a primitive artificial intellegence, and has complete control of the Soviet nuclear arsenal. It also has a Soviet pilot called Kharkov, a renegade who killed Buck's parents. Buck must destroy Masterlink and Kharkov to avoid World War Three starting. During the course of the battle, Buck's plane is damaged making landing impossible. However, the plane also has an experimental cryogenic freezing system to preserve Buck until help can arrive. Also, just before destruction, Masterlink give Kharkov a chance at survival, in the form of digitizing his brain patterns, and mixing them with Masterlink's. Masterlink then downloads itself to a nearby satellite before it's own is destroyed.
Fast forward five hundred years, and humanity has colonised the solar system. Earth is a shattered wasteland, home to the last remnants of a hard core humanity, genetic horrors, and the New Earth Organization, a resistance group who wants a free Earth. Mars is the centre of the solar system, and home to RAM, the Russo-American Mercantile, the last remnants of the USA and Soviet Union. RAM rules the solar system. Mercury provides power and minerals to the solar system, and is home to the Sun King. However, in the asteroid belt, in the Juno-Vesta arc, a five hundred year old frozen astronaut has been discovered, and all factions want the frozen body as a figure head.
February 18, 2023
A collection of short stories designed to set up the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century RPG from TSR. The short stories set the stage for what's currently happening in the solar system and introduce what would have been considered the main NPC's for the game. Each story deals with a persona and some of the politics and economics of that area of space, be it Venus, Mars, or the asteroid belt.
The settings have more in common with the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV show (season 1) than with the actual story put forth by Phillip Nolan. Still it's divergent enough to be something new and intriguing.
The settings have more in common with the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV show (season 1) than with the actual story put forth by Phillip Nolan. Still it's divergent enough to be something new and intriguing.
May 7, 2017
“ARMAGEDDON 1995” by Flint Dille (1989)
“Rogers, I don't have to tell you how important this mission is.” - General Barker.
So opens this first story of “Buck Rogers: Arrival” anthology.
Launching an adapted fighter into space is a suicide mission, especially when up against a Russian madman, a supercomputer, enemy fighters and space weapons.... But must be done to stop WWIII.
“Like St. George making a last, lancing charge at the dragon, Buck turned the fighter toward the terrible, spitting lasers and mangled antennae of Masterlink, and opened his thrusters to full force. The wraith's flaming hull streaked toward Masterlink as the dragon's spastic beads of fire converged and tore thin gashes in it.” .
- - -
Merged review:
“THE RELIC” by Flint Dille (1989)
“Vic Fritzell peered into his tracking monitor, only one of many in his trading post, and marvelled at what he saw there: an asterover, a small spaceship of RAM design, studded with thrusters and stubby maneuvering fins ...”
So opens this sixth story of “Buck Rogers: Arrival” anthology.
Andresen, an unjustly disgraced professor, goes in search of, and finds, Buck Rogers. He only just gets his hibernating body out of stasis before Deering, Kane and then Barney turn up.
“'Andresen must be punished!'
'Send him to Australia with the rest of RAM's defects!'”
“But there was so much junk floating around in the belt, from space battles and corporate waste dumping, tat the sensor lights had been flashing continuously as well. Andresen had to check each lead, too, or risk missing the find of his – of any astroarchaeologist's – life.”
“Sleep chambers were actually climate-controlled, life-support cryogenic chambers used for ship personnel on long space journeys.”
“Only then did he let himself sleep, slumped at the base of the artifact, like an ancient peasant before the icon of his god.”
“'Welcome to the twenty-fifth century!'”
Wilma to Kane, “Don't tell me, I already know. This job for those RAM bastards was your ticket out of Australia.”
- - -
Merged review:
“THE HOMECOMING” by Robert Sheckley (1989)
“The John Carter Military Academy of New South Mars had its own river, The Red, modeled after a stretch of the Red River in Virginia on the planet Earth.”
So opens this second story of “Buck Rogers: Arrival” anthology.
I really enjoyed this story about Prince Kemal Gavilan who is an awesome royal rogue in the mold of a 'Han Solo' having to negotiate political-corporate-family dynamics on planets that have been terraformed.
“A small bird flitted by, and Kemal imagined it was him, finally leaving the 'nest' imposed upon him, flying to a more beautiful, if more dangerous, side of the fence.”
“... RAM gained hegemony over all the Martian independent states ...”
* Hegemony = leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others.
“'Take care of yourself, Kemal. Don't let the bastards get you down.'
It was delicate of Mtabele to not mention who the bastards were.
But Kemal knew.”
Last lines: “Kemal looked at her. She wasn't exactly smiling, but she definitely wasn't frowning.”
- - -
Merged review:
“TRIPLE CROSS” by Abigail Irvine (1989)
Ardala Valmar gets what she wants! 'Triple Cross' is the third story of “Buck Rogers: Arrival” anthology.
“The ivory was in fact relatively inexpensive and could be purchased from domestic mastodon breeders on Earth.”
“Ardala's suspicions were more than piqued; instinct told her that she had stumbled upon something valuable indeed. But she needed more information on this Anthony Rogers before she could proceed.”
* Pique = arouse interest.
“He was a naif, they assured her, without any political passions or affiliations.”
* Naif = naïve or ingenuous.
- - -
“Rogers, I don't have to tell you how important this mission is.” - General Barker.
So opens this first story of “Buck Rogers: Arrival” anthology.
Launching an adapted fighter into space is a suicide mission, especially when up against a Russian madman, a supercomputer, enemy fighters and space weapons.... But must be done to stop WWIII.
“Like St. George making a last, lancing charge at the dragon, Buck turned the fighter toward the terrible, spitting lasers and mangled antennae of Masterlink, and opened his thrusters to full force. The wraith's flaming hull streaked toward Masterlink as the dragon's spastic beads of fire converged and tore thin gashes in it.” .
- - -
Merged review:
“THE RELIC” by Flint Dille (1989)
“Vic Fritzell peered into his tracking monitor, only one of many in his trading post, and marvelled at what he saw there: an asterover, a small spaceship of RAM design, studded with thrusters and stubby maneuvering fins ...”
So opens this sixth story of “Buck Rogers: Arrival” anthology.
Andresen, an unjustly disgraced professor, goes in search of, and finds, Buck Rogers. He only just gets his hibernating body out of stasis before Deering, Kane and then Barney turn up.
“'Andresen must be punished!'
'Send him to Australia with the rest of RAM's defects!'”
“But there was so much junk floating around in the belt, from space battles and corporate waste dumping, tat the sensor lights had been flashing continuously as well. Andresen had to check each lead, too, or risk missing the find of his – of any astroarchaeologist's – life.”
“Sleep chambers were actually climate-controlled, life-support cryogenic chambers used for ship personnel on long space journeys.”
“Only then did he let himself sleep, slumped at the base of the artifact, like an ancient peasant before the icon of his god.”
“'Welcome to the twenty-fifth century!'”
Wilma to Kane, “Don't tell me, I already know. This job for those RAM bastards was your ticket out of Australia.”
- - -
Merged review:
“THE HOMECOMING” by Robert Sheckley (1989)
“The John Carter Military Academy of New South Mars had its own river, The Red, modeled after a stretch of the Red River in Virginia on the planet Earth.”
So opens this second story of “Buck Rogers: Arrival” anthology.
I really enjoyed this story about Prince Kemal Gavilan who is an awesome royal rogue in the mold of a 'Han Solo' having to negotiate political-corporate-family dynamics on planets that have been terraformed.
“A small bird flitted by, and Kemal imagined it was him, finally leaving the 'nest' imposed upon him, flying to a more beautiful, if more dangerous, side of the fence.”
“... RAM gained hegemony over all the Martian independent states ...”
* Hegemony = leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others.
“'Take care of yourself, Kemal. Don't let the bastards get you down.'
It was delicate of Mtabele to not mention who the bastards were.
But Kemal knew.”
Last lines: “Kemal looked at her. She wasn't exactly smiling, but she definitely wasn't frowning.”
- - -
Merged review:
“TRIPLE CROSS” by Abigail Irvine (1989)
Ardala Valmar gets what she wants! 'Triple Cross' is the third story of “Buck Rogers: Arrival” anthology.
“The ivory was in fact relatively inexpensive and could be purchased from domestic mastodon breeders on Earth.”
“Ardala's suspicions were more than piqued; instinct told her that she had stumbled upon something valuable indeed. But she needed more information on this Anthony Rogers before she could proceed.”
* Pique = arouse interest.
“He was a naif, they assured her, without any political passions or affiliations.”
* Naif = naïve or ingenuous.
- - -
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews