Falling Stars

. . . to an incredible series. When I first began to read the "Firestar" series -- especially after finishing the first book, I honestly wondered if the author could carry the story through the entire series in a credible manner. I wonder no longer. "Falling Stars" is a worthy conclusion to what must be one of the most ambitious Hard Science Fiction sagas ever written. Without wishing to include plot spoilers, suffice it to say that the author has successfully wrapped up loose ends, left room for more books (though none are necessary) and provides satisfying conclusions (though not all are happy ones) for virtually all of the major characters readers of the series have grown to know and love. (I'll be honest -- there were points toward the end where I had tears in my eyes!) Let's be honest. If you're going to read this series, you're going to need to make a significant investment in time and energy. Michael Flynn is a master storyteller. That does not mean he's an "easy read". But if you, like me, are a true lover of Story -- the investment is well worth the effort. Very, very highly recommended!

All 4 of these books were great, tho number 3 was weaker on the whole. Folks like to compare Flynn to Heinlein. His style is very, very different, and his stories are far more complex - but he's tackling the same basic SF themes, only bigger. Buy all 4.

Michael Flynn concludes the near-future "Firestar" series in style. In the year 2017 the varied cast comes together to try to save Earth from impending disaster - an asteroid has somehow changed course and is now on a collision course with earth. The machinations of the previous novels all finally make sense, as there is now a team of dedicated, well-trained professionals perfectly equipped to attempt an intercept and diversion of the asteroid. This novel ties up all the political and industrial loose ends, and gives closure to the character development (although it must be noted that not all endings are happy ones). Flynn embraces the near-future genre with all the deftness and imagination of Heinlein while adding a very definite hard technical slant. This series may not be great fare for those readers who despise techno-babble, but for the rest of us it's a satisfying feast.

Firestar (1996) is the first novel in the Firestar Saga series. Mariesa Gorley van Huyten is the teenage heiress of an old and very rich family. She is eager to take over the management of the family business from her grandfather and has decided to obtain a degree at Chicago to learn the basics of administration and management. During the summer before leaving for college, however, she has a vivid vision of a large meteor strike and resulting destruction which haunts her for the rest of her life. In the following years, Mariesa concludes that the only protection against human extinction from meteor strikes is an active and prosperous space industry throughout the solar system, providing both defense capabilities and dispersal of the population in self-sufficient habitats. Since very few others are concerned with the meteor risk, she determines to promote such industry by means of Van Huyten Industries. Christian van Huyten III had begun naming his companies after mythological characters in 1873, so the space initiative adopted by Mariesa shortly after she takes over is named the Prometheus Project. She recruits several of the VHI executives into the Prometheus Steering Committee. Development of a single-stage to orbit prototype for the project is performed by Daedalus Corporation, a Brazilian subsidiary, with materiel and expertise provided by other VHI companies. Daedalus hires Ned DuBois and Forrest Calhoun as test pilots for the new "Plank" SSTOs. Mariesa also sees better education as a necessity to support Prometheus, so she acquires Mentor Academies, a private education concern, and expands it to manage public schools, under contract with the states and local school districts. One of the first managed public school districts is North Orange, New Jersey, near her home. Barry Fast, a teacher within the North Orange district, becomes a Mentor Institute Fellow and confidante of Mariesa. As Mariesa begins to build an autonomous space industry within VHI, she finds both supporters and opponents within VHI, in the other aerospace companies and in government. She also finds herself developing a special relationship with a group of students within the North Orange district. This novel spends a great deal of time attacking the current education establishment. It doesn't take any position on the dogmatic issues, but rather supports an eclectic approach that enables teachers to control their own presentations and relegates much of the administration to the managerial staff. Success is measured by the degree to which the student body achieves stated objectives. As someone who has been exposed to the education curriculum, I tend to agree the author in that the style of teaching must vary according to the student, but current public education thinking seems to consider such an approach to be too expensive. However, my reading in psychology suggests that the evidence tends to support the author's position: lockstep teaching is too expensive as well a

Through insider trading a scandal destroyed a highly regarded company and led to a depressed economy. The dip forced the Treasury to move massive finances to keep social security afloat. Layoffs and bankruptcies became the norm and leaders turned narrow-minded and short sighted. In 12017 scientists predict that an asteroid will ravage the earth in 2023 unless money is appropriated to create the technology to stop the destructive projectile. Visionaries from around the globe form an alliance to test various means to deflect the asteroid before it hits in six years. Soon the astronomers detect other asteroids heading towards the planet. The world needs heroes rather quickly or else face doomsday and both men and women quickly rise to meet the challenge. FALLING STARS, the fourth book in this exciting series, brings all the characters back from the previous tales for a glorious finale. The story line is packed with non-stop action expected from a hard core science fiction novel, but surprisingly is character-driven as Michael Flynn emphasizes the staff as much as the quest. Though the conclusion of a strong quartet, this novel easily stand alone as a great genre entry. Harriet Klausner