Fisherman's Hope

Seafort Saga #4

by David Feintuch

Paperback original - first printing. Military SF novel, fourth in the Seafort Saga. Hornblower-style space navy adventures. Cover illustration by Steve Youll.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Space Opera, Military Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy

483 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

About the author

David Feintuch (1944–2006) was the author of the award-winning military science fiction Seafort Saga series, which spans Midshipman’s Hope, Challenger’s Hope, Prisoner’s Hope, Fisherman’s Hope, Voices of Hope, Patriarch’s Hope, and Children of Hope. Feintuch came to writing late, previously having worked as a lawyer and antiques dealer. In 1996, at the age of fifty, he won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer from the World Science Fiction Society. He later expanded into the fantasy genre with his Rodrigo of Caledon series, including The Still and The King.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pocetak ok, srednji deo je dosadan i totalno nepotreban (mirno moze da se izbaci jedno 150 ama bas nista se ne gubi od price). Ali je zato zavrsnica odlicna i preterano odradjena. Glavni lik me je dosta nervirao u ovim knjigama do sada ali nacin na koji je prikazan njegov unutrasnji lom sangom volje da odradi svoju duznost je vrhunska. I sada me malo podilazi jeza kako je sve odradjeno.

Jedino sto mi je smetalo jesu sami protivnici, slobo objasnjeni i sem sto postoje amam bas nista drugo ne znamo.

Da nije bilo romanse u ovim knjigama, koja nije lose odradjena ali totalno ne igra nikakvu ulogu ni nasta, i glavnog lika koji suvese sam sebe kaznjava ovo bi mi bila omiljena military fikcija... ovako je u top pet :)

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why I read this entire book. Some of it drags on, and paints a future of widening gap between haves and have nots. I have read the Midshipman's Hope but I doubt if I will read the rest of series.

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having come back to this series a couple of years after reading the first three, I can see why I threw in the towel in 2019. The guilt is strong in these books and having the entire book from the perspective of Seafort who is constantly wallowing in his guilt and shame makes for tedious reading at points.

Having tried to resign from the Navy, Seafort is now the commander of a training school for young cadets rather than in command of a ship. One thing this does allow Feintuch to do is intersperse the main novel with flashbacks to Seafort's training and I have to say these were probably the strongest aspects of the novel.

I was far less enamoured with the rest of the novel; it largely seems to be Seafort chafing against the rules of the Navy, only to then give in to the frankly brutal discipline and then feeling guilty for pages on end. There were some good moments, but they stood out because the rest of the book was so monotonous.

One thing I will say, is that the entire section where Seafort goes down to New York to look for his wife could - and should have been cut. The weird dialect of the transpops, the low class scavengers living in tribes on the underbelly of the city, made for really difficult reading and was completely unnecessary.

I'm determined to clear some series this year, so I'll keep going. I'm looking forward to the next book as it promises multiple perspectives that will hopefully get me out of the guilt complex that is Nicholas Seafort.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first three-quarters of this book were eons better than the last two. Is Nick Seafort still waaaaaaay too hard on himself? Yes he is. But the supporting cast of bright young cadets, the sarcasm of Tolliver, and the interlude-adventure when he and Eddie go into the depths of ruined New York kept his self-loathing from overwhelming the narrative. I also enjoyed the flashback scenes of Young Nick, a couple of which even gave his cold father some depth.

Then came the last bit. The fish, and the cadet mission. 90 pages of Nick hating himself and actively looking forward to death, begging Lord God for mercy while simultaneously believing God hates him and he deserves it. It is so difficult to read, and I loathe how he is completely unable to see anything he does as good.

I am assured that the next book in the series is much better, and has multiple viewpoints that will keep me out of the dark and tortured place that is Nick Seafort's head. I hope so. I'm dropping it if read one more two-page screed on how everything he's ever done has been a sin.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Save for the unnecessary interlude in lower New York it is the equal of its predecessors. Is Seafort likable, no. Would you want to have a drink with him, no. Does his unending quest for self-martyrdom get tiring, yes. But it is precisely that unbreachable moral wall that defines him, and makes him different than so many other pale Hornblower imitators. Painful as it is to read, it's more real than a hundred perfectly self-assured protagonists could ever be.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each book in the Seafort saga has basically followed the same premise. Nick Seafort feels bad, saves everybody, is vindicated and then feels more guilt. Not your best military sci fi space opera series. There are some intriguing elements that do keep me a little bit interested, but I am glad I am just over halfway through the series.

[Rhode PVD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have been far better without the long interlude wandering through the post-apocolyptic-style streets of New York. But you can skip that part completely and it's a good book.

And who can't resist it when Seafort shoves his gibbering superiors out of the way to save the day in a space battle?

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good parts and less good parts, but overall, pretty darn good. Another ending that in a sick, twisted way works for me. I'm glad Nick finally has a couple friends who are basically free to be honest with him. I like that he lets Annie be with Eddie

[Boulder Boulderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sliiiiightly better than the last one, but Seafort remains a complete shit. Incompetent, lazy, vicious and bullying, on his good days. He does recognise this eventually, but he's still absolutely not a viable hero character and I basically hate-read this.

[Gregory Faccone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 4 in the Seafort Saga is probably the least enjoyable so far. Still, I give it 3 stars for its high points and its continuing the series with better entries—hopefully—to come. That said, all the negative things people note about the series threaten to overwhelm this entry. Seafort remains indefatigable in his self-loathing. His personal life continues to be a train-wreck and a drain on the plot. Politicians remain weak snivelers. And this is not a space gallivanting entry.

I use multiple POVs in my series, as I think it broadens perspective and appreciation for the cast—but in Fisherman's you remain stuck inside Seafort's negative worldview. It is only exacerbated when we leave the space plot to wander amongst the tribal denizens of old New York trying to salvage a piteous relationship. While it reveals the broken caste society of the Hope series, it is not so enjoyable. Like Feintuch, I create side-plots, but with perhaps more emphasis on making them fun in some way that leaves the reader smiling or saying “wow.”

The latter portions of the book move things forward on a number of fronts and cleanse (somewhat) the bitter taste of what came before. Of course, if you have generally been enjoying the series, as I did, this entry cannot be skipped for these reasons even if the book had many cons for its pros. The fish plot does move in a big way, as does Seafort's personal and professional life. As we are all on a journey, I hope Feintuch learned from this writing experience and those who continue to book 5 will reap new benefits.

This series is not designed to be a high literature, but rather an introspective fun time, and on that it succeeds (even if this particular entry falls a bit short).

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth voyage of Nicholas Seafort, set in the future 2201 when Earth is under attack by fish-like aliens and suffering crippling losses never knowing when the next attack is coming. Seafort is the newly appointed Naval Academy Commandant, the hero of Hope Nation entrusted with the responsibility of educating and creating the next generation of Navy officers and crew vital for the survival of Earth's future. Basically this is Navy in space.

David Feintuch really knows how to write a gripping yarn which is also an emotional rollercoaster. Seafort is a man of complex character, a hero to so many but wracked by self-doubt, haunted by past decisions that cost lives and contravened his beloved Navy rules. He is hard on those around him and even tougher on himself "Lord God's face was still turned from me."

Feintuch also paints a completely believable division of a society of the future including the "trannies", gangs which roam the no go areas of cities, a more extreme version of that which already exists today in many cities around the world. A very frightening otherworld.

I love the depiction of Tolliver, Seafort's right hand man and constant thorn in Seafort's side, his sarcasm makes me laugh. His value is he speaks his mind regardless and Seafort needs him much more than he realises.

An entertaining and fascinating world well worth investing your time.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad sci-fi series. It has been a while since I read them but I remember thinking they were a bit repetitive. 100% completely hopeless situations. No chance of survival repeatedly stressed. Then, the good guy wins and or escapes nigh-on completely unharmed. This is followed by the main character wallowing in guilt. And then repeat. Not an unusual pattern, of course, but this pattern repeats so many times in each book that the situations lose any real feeling of hopelessness or suspense. In any event, I must not have found this to be to big of a flaw as I read through to Fisherman's Hope at least twice. I have yet to read the final few books in the series, as they have a different protagonist. I have a bad tendency to lose interest in a series when the the main characters in it change.

[Gini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book in the first arc of the Seafort Saga. These books are a bit hard to find because they are out of print, but I was sucked into the series. It's military scifi, which is not a genre I generally read. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the series. The protagonist makes hard and horrible choices, choices that are much more realistic to me than the "we get everyone out alive" rah rah of much scifi. I don't want to spoil the books. I recommend them.

[Foxtower · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would HOPE that after the three "something" Hope books I did enjoy that I never read one again. C'mon Mr. Fentuch, one expects mystery writers to use the same characters and basic plots over and over and over again, but one would HOPE sci fi explores original ideas.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the toughest of 4 to get through. The lack of realistic military discipline is distracting, and the story line focused on Annie tiring. Being stationed at an Academy is less exciting than zipping around the Galaxy.

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The series still has some good moments, but they are at the tale end of the novel. Its clear that the whole series is starting to go downhill.

[Fatbaldguy60 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe not quite up the previous books, but good.

[D.J. Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this series. It's Horatio Hornblower in space, with the Hornblower character driven by his self-loathing and an inflexible belief in his own damnation. British naval fiction in space.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better books in the Seafort series, although at times it seems a little too packed with stuff. The final section is really the best, though.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank god he recovered from the writing slump of prisoner's and challengers hope

[Rob Markley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The rationale has broken down - everything has got too harsh, too extreme and too unlikable. We're looking for Hornblower but we end up with Captain Bligh

[Lewis Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

nicholas ewing seafort is such an interesting character study, and i suppose that's why i keep coming back to it every few years. literature has enough stories about gallant captains, swashbuckling their way through space, in either military science fiction or in more regular science fiction, or morally grey protagonists who upend the entire world in which they live in. seafort does this, especially the latter point in some way, but at the end of the day, he is unflinching, unchanging. the evolution over the four books is marked, and while some others may be sick of his self-flagellation, it's a part and parcel of seafort. he ruminates that he wishes he could and would retire on so many occasions, and if he truly wanted to, given how set he can be, im sure he would. but he doesn't, he persists. he continues to go onwards, despite his actions, absolution or not. forswearence of an oath or not. when i read this initially for the first time, i was simply astonished at the ending - while nick definitely had his moments of cunning and strategy, i never thought that he would have it in him for the Trafalgar and Fuser mission. i don't know if there's any other character i've read in literature who would have the fortitude. parts of the story, mostly world building, are dated, but we can say that about many a great novel. the set dressing isn't the novel - the novel is whether or not nick seafort can do it. i'll be taking a break from going back to the final three books of the seafort saga, but if you haven't, the first four books are worth the read. there's the saying that good times create soft people, weak people create hard times, and hard times create strong people. there's no one stronger than nicholas ewing seafort.

[Bradley Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to give this a lower rating before the last quarter of the book.

Newly appointed naval academy commander Seafort's awkward attempts to manage and inspire a cadre of young cadets, and his endless bickering with meddling and corrupt politicians, become tiresome to the reader, as they clearly do to him. And as other reviewers have noted, his midbook venture into the urban hellhole of lower New York is almost unreadable. But the occasional flashback glimpses of Seafort's own childhood and his time at the academy make him more understandable, and his engagement with some of the cadets begins to lend him some humanity. Then the last episode in the drama becomes suddenly, viscerally compelling, as Seafort is once more forced into a moral dilemma for which there is no solution that does not push him further toward what he sees as his own irrevocable damnation. Quite powerful, if not especially fun reading.

A few quibbles: Seafort rarely questions the righteousness of the government he fights for, or the God he prays to, but it's almost impossible for the reader not to do so. A government that permits much of its population to exist in the conditions depicted in the lower New York section of the book, and whose every administrative unit seems to be oozing with embezzlement and influence-peddling, is either incompetent or evil -- which perhaps makes an interesting parallel to the eternal question of whether God, as viewed by rigid believers like Seafort, is likewise incompetent or evil. And oh lord (no blasphemy intended!), can't the UN Navy find any senior commanders other than Seafort who aren't blithering incompetent cowards or corrupt political snakes?

[Ivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Ribareva nada" može lepo da posluži kao završetak prvog dela sage o Sifortu. Za nešto preko 3 decenije čitanja fantastike i bezmalo četiri decenije ukupnog čitalačkog staža, neprijatnijeg protagonistu nisam čitao. Fejntuh je dao sve od sebe da napiše konzervativnu utopiju i mokri san svih ljubitelja blaženopočivše Britanije koja je vladala talasima, ali sa svom odbojnošću američke interpretacije tog perioda ljudske istorije. Karakterizacija je, da stvari bugu najgore, odlična i pisac me je u potpunosti ubedio u principijalnost glavnog junaka i moralnu ispravnost njegovih postupaka i ponašanja prema drugim likovima u knjigama, ali tim me je više učvrstio u verovanju da je "princip" reč kojom kreteni pravdaju svoje kretensko ponašanje. Zaista grozne knjige, koje sam čitao sa fascinacijom i gađenjem gledanja teškog snafa. Would not recommend. Iako se ocena većine knjiga vrti negde oko 3*, ipak će poseldnji roman koji sam smogao snage da pročitam biti zaslužan i za konačnu ocenu serijala u celini. 2* i za izbegavanje.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

A miserable protagonist in a miserable dystopian setting. This was marketed as "Hornblower in space," but it's not. Authors like Forester and O'Brian deal with the harsh discipline of the late 18th/early 19th Century British Navy because it's part of the historical setting, but they don't revel in it. They deliberately make their protagonists less severe outliers so that they only have to deal with the unpleasantness when it becomes useful to drive the plot.

Feintuch revels in the harsh discipline, making it one of the main focuses of his series, when he could have just as easily left it out since he's writing science fiction, not historical fiction.

I kept reading because I kept hoping it would turn into "Hornblower in space," but it did not. I stopped reading the series after this book. I'd like to say that I finally wised up and chose to stop reading it, but it's more likely that I didn't notice when the fifth volume came out. Either way, I'm glad I didn't read further.

[Digital Prophet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of the first four Seafort books, this one is by far the worst. Our manic, obnoxious protagonist flings himself from one emergency to the next, about every three pages, while mostly screaming in all caps. The pacing of this novel reads like the author's stream of consciousness while high on a bewildering amount of amphetamines. Seafort's behavior (and the traditions of the space navy) in earlier novels emulated the strict discipline of the british navy in the 1800s which I'm sure was the author's intent. In this novel, Seafort becomes an utter tyrant, frequently making stupid mistakes and generally being an ass. The Nicholas Seafort of "Fisherman's Hope" would be an antagonist in any series without his name on it.

This book is where most people give up on this series, and I can see why. I have very little hope for the rest of these novels.

[Maury Breecher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Pageturner with an uncompromising hero who


A page turner with a unlikely self-flagellating hero who worships a God who surely can't forgive him for his self-proclaimed guilts. As he plows through an uncompromising life making decisions that causes early deaths of cadets in his charge he manages to save the Earth at the cost of his soul.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of this book meanders. There's no great conflict and a lot of flashbacks to small moments. It's important to the overall series but it's the least engaging until the very end, when the plot gets really, really serious and the main character FINALLY has a breakthrough at the end and begins to heal.

[One · Rating 3 out of 5]

A complicated book, a complicated relationship with god. The self loathing doesn’t, in my mind, go well with the end; but then I don’t really understand penitence. I disliked the wife finding part, the speech pattern especially. The difficult decision with no consequences fo the tenth’s time has me upset not just the main character. Is the greatest good justifing any decision?

[James]

Newly appointed Naval Commandant Nicholas Seafort's past unexpectedly catches up with him when an evil politician blackmails him into giving up his commission. But then an alien attack revives Nick's career, and soon he will lead Earth's defenses against annihilation. Alone at the center of a cosmic apocalypses, Nick will face his most challenging battle.