レビュー

• Aristocratic Scifi

  I enjoyed this book, but had some difficulties with the character-building. Making that bad-ass captain- Mallory- a woman felt like a wave to the woke in a book that is rather conventionally sentimental in the other characterizations. I couldn't help but sympathise with the baddies because the goodies were saccharine. Worse than that, however, was the way the Konstantin family were drawn as aristocratic heroes. Each to their own. It's scifi, so you can imagine what you like. It's rather nauseating to think that the future might be so medieval, though, with the aristocrats the only ones capable of rational thought and the plebs in Q a rather disgusting, peasant-like mob

• Five Stars

  great read!

• Der Anfang...

  ...einer emphatisch liebevollen intelligenten Auseinandersetzung mit dem Zusammenleben auf dieser ,unseren !?,kleinen Erde ,übertragen in die unendlichen Weiten der unbekannten Sterne. So zieht es mich, in jedes weiteres Szenario ,in jedes Buch,dieser Autorin in jedes weitere Universum. ...und immer wieder... vielen vielen Dank...für diese wunderschönen Träume

• Drammatica anche se a tratti un po' lenta

  Una guerra tra obiettivi diversi vista dalla parte dei protagonisti e non. Cruda e interessante. Anche gli alieni non sono male. Avrei voluto saperne di più. Aspetto il seguito

• This is a best ten list topper

  I think this is a brilliant book written by someone with a genius intellect. It required mastery of realpolitik political science and a deep awareness of human nature and perhaps someone who has met Machiavellin-style politicians and military leaders. Or, even more likely, an author who has such a mind herself! We are in an era where simple vocabulary and simple lessons are the rules for being published and being popular among many readers, for example, a book describing the moralistic quanderies of sparkling vampires is promoted as amazing new teen 'literature' preparing 21st century youth for the travails of being adults. How frightening is that? No matter how simple and plain-speaking, or dumb-downed, we seem to want the education of the general population to be (religious and politically-correct 8th grade knowledge being the recognized successful attainment level for graduation from secondary school), this in no way prevents political manipulation or moral depravity from occurring in government or business. I prefer books that explain how the real world works - not in order to become a pawn of evil but in order to understand how society functions. Whether you approve of books which show what is behind the curtain of respectability and conformity or not, the fact is that unpleasant realities exist and having a clever educated mind is better preparation for adult life. Case in point is this novel. The world of Downbelow Station is a realpolitik science fiction novel which resembles the how of high-level decision-making which has been historically made on Earth. I'm afraid sound-bite cultural intellectualism is not enough to read the book with understanding or 'down below' depth. If you naturally mine news stories for the true story behind the decision, this book is exciting. Set in 2352, various businesses (which desire for money) and political (which desire for power) interests are smelling blood in the water. The balance between: the Earth Company, otherwise called The Company; free merchanter transport starships; the star-stations such as Pell, some of which are huge space stations circling planets and others which are minor depots; militarized Company Probe/explorer Fleet ships, originally working for the Company but growing increasingly independent; and The Union, a new political government which developed in the areas of space called the Beyond -beyond Earth's and The Company's territory and reach - has been slowly upset by technological advances and the long distances between human habitats. Earth itself has set a course of isolation, deeply disturbed by the finding of life on Pell's world, a furry sentient race called the Hisa -ironically as genuinely culturally moral as the human race pretends to be. Earth has decided space doesn't matter except for mining, which it does on objects as close to Earth as possible. The Company is in flux, barely grasping the understanding of its days as a powerful player in space are ending. The Fleet, starved of funds and attention from Earth and The Company is more pirate than police. The Union, forced to the use of cloning birth-labs, developing from a few rebels resistant to The Company's taxes and control into a Communistic political power, has become reliant on its own resources and technology. Far more people are being born on space stations, starships and planets other than Earth. Everyone is only beginning to realize that Earth and The Company are no longer relevant, but despite growing new centers of political power, people are reluctant to throw off centuries of belief, custom and authority from Earth. As the story opens, war skirmishes between the various human space inhabitants are growing in violence and frequency, particularly between The Union and organizations still claiming a loyalty to Earth/The Company. Predatory behavior by the Fleet and The Company are weakening bonds and historical links from the star-stations and the merchant starships for Earth. Tensions are rising while the interdependent organizations are deciding who with to ally themselves. Star-stations and merchants are finding themselves caught between the interests of The Company, The Fleet and The Union, despite declaring neutrality. The Union has declared itself as the sole authority of the Beyond and is attacking star stations and planetary business installations. The Beyonder Rebellion has been gaining momentum for decades and now refugees are flooding Pell. Pell Station can be described as literally in the middle. Developed and managed by the Konstantin family, circling the planet known as Pell's World inhabited by the darling Hisa, they provide supplies and resident housing to transients and minors, politicians, businessmen and military travelers. But nothing has prepared them for this. As the last free star-station between Earth and The Beyond, the war has reached them. The refugees, brought by the Mazian Fleet vessel Norway , commanded by 49 year old Signy Mallory, cannot be refused. The Fleet is armed, the station is not. The refugees are filthy, traumatized and desperate. It's possible Union spies are among them, but the chaos of transporting thousands has made checking identities almost impossible. However, one refugee is clearly Union, possessing the unearthly beauty of lab-grown humans, Joshua Talley, a prisoner-of-war, but he is claiming asylum on the neutral Pell Station, asking for the Adjustment. Damon Konstantin finds Adjustment morally reprehensible, but as the son of Angelo Konstantin who is in charge of Pell, he must assess and decide. His wife, Elene, a former Merchanter, is processing the refugees down in the dock areas, and has received news all of her family has died aboard her famlly-based merchant freighter starship. Damon's brother, Emilio, is at Downbelow on Pell's Planet, taking over from Jon Lucas, about whom disturbing reports of abuse of the Hisa has necessitated recalling him to Pell Station. Lucas hates the Konstantins more than he hates the Hisas. Adding to the stress, Company men, led by Segust Ayres of the Security Council, is looking for transport to jump him to the new border between The Union and Earth, but Mallory is refusing his authority, a sign of the growing independence of The Fleet from its former employers. Ayres wants to negotiate a truce with The Union. The refugees have selected a man, Vassily Kressich, to represent them in the Pell council trying to decide how to handle the influx of people who they have temporarily placed in Q, or quarantine. Unfortunately, the refugees are organizing criminal gangs in Q, and are short on law, resources and space station territory. Kressich is unfortunately a coward and not a leader, and the gangs keep him hiding in his room. Opportunities for betrayal and grabs for political power grow, conspiracies for murder are planned, alliances are reassessed and reform, secrets are being revealed and exciting battles for survival ensue when the Union warships arrive. Nobody is watching the Hisa, the simple, sweet, non-violent Hisa, who are seen as hairy primitives capable of housework and little else, who are all over the star-station and Pell's Planet. The innocent, 'love you!' Hisa. Boy, do they have a surprise for everyone.

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