Starfire

The most striking thing about this book is its exploration of emotional intelligence. Scheffield constantly plays with the stock images of the engineer, the polititian, and the business person, turning them upside down. Nothing is really what it seems...it seems. He takes the reader deeply into the motives, weaknesses and strengths of individuals who happen to have those roles. And that's just one of the threads deftly woven into the story. Scheffield makes a supernova cool (sorry 'bout that!).

Sheffield's work reminds me of the hard-science multi-plot future history works of the writers of the 50s and early 60s. The work has very much the feel of a serialized sci fi mag piece from Astounding or some such. The usual ingredients are there--a collection of disparate characters enmeshed in a handful of subplots, the mildly dystopian but recognizable earth of fifty years hence, a global threat, eccentric yet capable minds that work to solve it, and, finally, not one but two little puzzle mysteries, with punch line endings to both inquiries. Sheffield's plotting is a real strength; the characterization is a bit pat. I recommend this one, though, as the central dilemma is compelling, and the book lacks the gratuitious glandular or violent juvenalia which infects so many more modern sci fis. This is a fun afternoon, rather than an epic voyage, but not every unmanned satellite can discover a new universe....

This is a virtuoso narrative work: the plots and subplots that weave through the massive event of a cataclysmic (and acknowledgedly unlikely) cosmic event make for a real page turner. There are some serious flaws, so let me attend to those:1) Some characters are marvellous (the noble monster, the detective, the brilliant-but-unrefined australian girl (and is there such thing as a refined australian girl?)); but all characters are over-the-top comic-book caricatures. These are not compellingly believable characters, they are amusing extremes: except where they are actually a detriment to the book (the megalomaniac dwarf, the rediculous secretary) -- then they are not even very amusing.2) The sexism. Ok, we have a strong woman president, and the scientific genius is a young australian orphan -- how can this be sexist? Well, the sexism is awkwardly evident in that these same strong women reveal themselves to be facades of strength who end up relying on rather shabby looking (morally, socially) males who have an inner iron. It is rather disappointing that one of the main characters, Maddy, turns out to be made of ... nothing. Our woman president ends up doing... nothing. Only the genius comes through.3) Incredible naivete! We have brilliant scientists and engineers: the other characters marvel at how noble and egoless these communities are. And how they pull together in a crisis, and how they get the job done. Well, engineers need all the glorification they can get, but let me tell you as an insider: it just aint so. Engineers are as petty, as political, as backstabbing as any other human: they just tend not to be very good at it.4) More naivete! Presidents who travel into the lairs of comic book madmen without secret service; corporations without either beaurocracy or even structure; and did I mention the engineering utopia?Ok. Those disappointments aside: there are some great characters here, and the counterpoint of the broad historical panorama with the murder mystery plot is marvellous. The murder is compelling throughout (if a little disappointing at the end), while the big picture gains steam throughout, leading to a surprising, satisfying conclusion.Best of all, the distinct voices that emerge from the various characters, including different, believable senses of humor really make the book. At least among the male characters (and our young australian friend). Too bad the publisher insisted on a different (and annoying) font for the writings of the noble monster -- that was unnecessary. Overall? Great book for any scifi fan.

Aftermath was certainly as believable as Starfire AND is well worth reading even if you read the latter first. There is some building of the Starfire tale from bits and pieces of Aftermath BUT you have so little of Aftermath presented that reading the first member of this series will not be spoiled. Yes, the change in some characters must be taken in a very laid back fashion (that variation doesn't seem like hard scifi). But it is the ultimate source of the beamed particles that has been left to a sequel that seems like fantasy. I guess we will have to wait for the sequel to discover what the Scientific origins are on this one. The story does move and holds ones attention even if the different major characters are a bit too improbable at times. But in true Sheffield fashion if you will just relax and allow that human nature and Science are not always what we anticipate, then this is a tale you will enjoy. I too had a feeling as to who the murderer must be beyond the books mid point but had not worked it out (other than by elimination within the characters presented in detail - a major assumption!). This reads fast enough that there is no reason to skip to the end unless you just don't want to get the scientific detail that will wait for an explanation in the sequel.

I read this book without realizing it is a second part of a series. It gives enough background information to stand on its own - and stand very tall indeed. "Star Fire" is both a good science and a good fiction fiction, with a scientifically plausible yet totally unexpected ending. At least one unexpected ending - I figured out the killer's identity about halfway through the book, but it does require careful attention to details. While it is hard to imagine detectives who would keep their mind on solving a murder while the world is about to end, Sheffield manages to make it believable. The most complex and interesting character in the book is one of two detectives - a Hannibal Lecter type genius serial killer enlisted to catch another serial killer, - but other characters are good also. The weakest point - indeed the reason I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 5, - is one major female character who starts out as an incredibly tough and ruthless "corporate Mata Hari", then suddenly falls in love and comes totally unglued. Considering the nature of organization she works for and the fact that she managed to reach Number 2 in it, this is pathetic. I am looking forward to the sequel, but I don't think I will bother reading the first book in the series ("Aftermath"). It did not get very good reviews, and "Star Fire" seems to adequately summarize what happened before.