Beyond the Stars: Quest for Tomorrow #4

By William Shatner

Book Overview

Jim Endicott is not Jim Endicott anymore. In Step into Chaos, he became one with the Omega Point, and used its awesome intelligence to alter his own past. In that alternate Universe, he didn't kill the man he had always thought of as his father. He saved him. But does the alternate Jim remember the old Jim? Only dimly aware of his vast Omega powers, Jim "Evanston" must deal with a heartbreaking new revelation: Carl and Tabitha, the "parents" he saved, are not really his parents at all Who are they? And why are they sending him away--as far away as it is possible to send anyone? Jim finds himself aboard the Out Beyond, a world-sized intergalactic starship, crammed with tens of millions of misfits, outlaws, and eccentrics. No longer the golden boy on the fast track to the Space Academy, Jim is friendless and alone--until he meets up with the Stone Cowboys, a deep space street gang that teaches him hard-earned lessons about courage, loyalty--and love, in the fetching form of a "cowgirl" with a faint raspberry smell and the biggest eyes in the known universe. Jim's new life with the Cowboys and his former Omega destiny seem to have little to do with each other, until a strange new mental illness appears, spreading like wildfire through the Out Beyond. It's called the Rage and it doesn't exactly kill people. It makes them kill others, beginning with the ones they love the most. . . . In this fourth Quest for Tomorrow novel, famed Star Trek veteran William Shatner continues a bestselling series that is filled with memorable characters, crackles with high-tech action, and is crammed with thought-provoking science fiction ideas and settings. Each carefully researched Quest for Tomorrow adventure is complete with a scientific bibliography designed to assure accuracy, provide technical guidance, and suggest fascinating new directions for young readers to explore.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061051187
• ISBN13: 9780061051180
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Starting Anew

Beyond the Stars (2000) is the fourth SF novel in the Quest for Tomorrow series. In the previous volume, Jim Endicott has used the power of the Omega Point to change the past. In this branch of the multiverse, his mother does not alter his DNA and, while still pursued by Delta and attacked by Commander Steele, his misaimed shot does not kill Carl as in the other timeline. Jim, Carl and Tabitha all survive the attack, but Carl is badly wounded and Tabitha is in shock. They flee from the cabin to Hannaport on the other side of the mountain. There Jim is put aboard a freighter headed for the Outward Bound, a colony ship. Carl and Tabitha go elsewhere to lure away Delta's forces. On the Outward Bound, Jim becomes friends with the leader of the Stone Cowboys gang and more than friends with Samantha, a Stone Cowgirl. Jim is alone, in a strange place and surrounded by strangers, with different ways and customs. For the first time, he must fend for himself, make his own path in the world. He has help from the Stone Cowboys, yet he must learn to meet their expectations or they will turn on him. At the same time, he wants to be true to the behavior and beliefs instilled by Carl and Tabitha. This novel presents a new story of another Jim Endicott. It explores other facets of the ConFed society and other avenues for a young adult. Recommended for Shatner fans and anyone who enjoys young adult SF stories. -Arthur W. Jordin

A surprisingly good book for its length!

I just finished Beyond The Stars I was pleasantly surprised by the story. I have always like William Shatner books and this was an excellent addition to his collection. The ending did leave something to be desired but I can't wait for the next so I can see what happens to Jim Endicott.

Looking for excitement? Snap into a book about slim Jim

Though there may be a few moans and groans about yet another Shatner novel I must say this one was somewhat riveting though his last book made my head hurt. Perhaps someday Shatner will seal Endicott's fate and give him a good end (within the next two, hopefully.)