Books › Starplex
Starplex
First published 1996 · 317 pages
A tense, high-stakes journey into the unknown where the marvels of rapid interstellar expansion collide with the dread of a looming cosmic war.
What it feels like
Reading this acclaimed science fiction novel feels like standing on the edge of a vast, terrifying frontier. The narrative moves at a propulsive clip, driven by the sheer, overwhelming momentum of discoveries that outpace human understanding. There is a profound sense of awe woven into the exploration of mysterious cosmic pathways, but this wonder is quickly overshadowed by a tense, claustrophobic dread as the unknown arrives at the doorstep. The prose is urgent and idea-driven, capturing the heavy burden of leadership and the precarious balance between peaceful exploration and the spark of interstellar war. It is a perfect fit for readers who crave classic sci-fi that balances the grand scale of the universe with the immediate, pulse-pounding suspense of first contact.
- Mood
- tense
- awe-struck
- mysterious
- perilous
- Tone
- urgent
- inquisitive
- suspenseful
- earnest
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- the burden of rapid discovery · fear of the unknown · the precipice of conflict · mysteries of the cosmos
- The writing
- Accessible and idea-driven, focusing on the mechanics of discovery and the tension of first contact.
- The arc
- Moves from the awe of boundless exploration to the tense, high-stakes dread of impending conflict.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic, award-winning science fiction who love high-stakes interstellar mysteries and the tension of the unknown.
Content notes
- threat of war
- past conflict
About the book
The only novel of its year to be nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. Starplex won Canada's Aurora Award for best novel of the year. For nearly twenty years Earth's space exploration had exploded outward, thanks to a series of mysterious, artificial wormholes. No one knows who created these interstellar passages, yet they have brought the far reaches of space immediately close. For Starplex Director Keith Lansing, too close. Discovery is superseding understanding. And when an unknown vessel — with no windows, no seams, and no visible means of propulsion — arrives through a new wormhole, an already battle-scarred Starplex could be the starting point of a new interstellar war... ROBERT J. SAWYER has won the Hugo, Nebula, John W. Campbell Memorial, Seiun, and Aurora Awards, all for best science fiction novel of the year. His novels include Hominids, Rollback, Wake, and FlashForward (basis for the TV series).
Description from Open Library.
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