Colony Fleet

by Susan R. Matthews

Four hundred years have passed since the leaders of an ecologically threatened Earth launched a great fleet of asteroid ships toward the stars. Five pristine planets were designated to be colonized by... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 038080316X
• ISBN13: 9780380803163
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Voyager
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Best ?Generation Ship? story in a long time

Generation Ships launch colonists from Earth to the stars, hopefully with habitable planets. The ships are usually totally self-contained environments constructed to support life until arrival. The initial crew knows full well that when the ship eventually arrives, it will be long gone, as well as numerous successive generations.This gives rise to several questions. First, will the people on board at the time of arrival even remember the mission or even know they are on a ship? Will the on-board society remain constant or evolve. Heinlein's "Orphans in the Sky" (probably the standard for the genre) and Stephen Baxter's Ring address both questions, but with strikingly different endings. Frank Herbert's "Destination: Void" asks philosophical and religious questions in a generation ship taken over by an artificial intelligence.Colony Fleet varies the theme by sending numerous ships (hollowed out asteroids), as well as supporting vessels, to ensure the survival of humankind in the wake of a collapsing Earth. There is not one, but instead several destinations, called Waystations. The story involves a society stratified into the "Jneers" at the top and "Mechs" at the bottom. The journey didn't start out that way. The Jneers live in the big ships, called Noun Ships, which have names such as "Polar" and "Temperate" that define the types of environments the fleet is trying to preserve. The Jneers have evolved into a ruling class and have vested interest in maintaining the status quo. The Mechs fix things and live in the supporting vessels, which are run down and often lacking in resources. There is an in between "Admin" class that plays supporting role.The story begins about 400 years in the future and revolves around a young woman, Hillbrane Harkover, as she prepares for her Jneer exam. The results of the exam are a foregone conclusion; she will pass (everyone passes) and take her rightful place among the Jneers. However, her best friend betrays her during the exam and she ends up failing, the first failure in the fleet in a long time. She is banished to the Mechs' ships as unfit to be a Jneer. After her initial shock and disappointment, she discovers she likes her Mech life and falls in love. Eventually, she and her love are assigned to the advance party to Waystation OneThis party is a mix of Jneers and Mechs; her "friend" is also a member of the advance crew. A things go worng, the friend constantly rationalizes that everything he has done is for her. He is absolutely convinced that once she realizes it, she will go back to him. He really hasn't a clue and (hope this does not become a spoiler) plays a significant role in the many problems experienced by the advance party both to and on Waystation One. She and several others manage to escape the planet and make their way back to the fleet.The story ends years later; Waystation One is settled by residents of one the Noun Ships, which remains in Orbit. The rest of the fleet sails towa

Margaret's Review

to me this book only got interesting in the middle, lots of details. It also almost made me shed a tear. I like the way she depicted her characters. It was very visual the whole way through. I would look forward to reading more of her books.

Humanist hard sf

I enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. The premise is convincing, the science unshakeable, the characters distinguished and likeable. No one does the painting of human interactions on a solid sf background like Susan. Just a joy to read!

Hits the mark

I recommend this book to anyone planning a career in the technical fields -- it will help you keep a clear head when seduced by the temptation of technical arrogance!It's a good read, also.After 20 years in the defense industry, specifically aerospace, I can say that COLONY FLEET examines a true difference in approach between the engineering and technical sectors of our field.Matthews provides an excellent and entertaining look at the engineering/technical worldviews and how each group's prejudices can affect such a project as colonization. This is a perfect subject for science fiction.I found the plot and the characters totally engrossing. The heroes are neither all-knowing nor annoyingly anguished. Those who stand in opposition to the heroes are not stupid, but believably, and so deeply, invested in their worldview that they cannot see outside it.Ultimately, this is an optimistic book, which I also found refreshing.

The Best Yet From One of SF's Greatest

Matthews' is one of the most gifted, imaginative voices in science fiction. She goes from strength to strength with each powerful novel. From the harrowing Kosciusko trilogy, to the edgy powder keg that is AVALANCHE SOLDIER, she presents to us now her strongest, most complex work, yet -- COLONY FLEET.Enter the strange, closed world of the Fleet, Earth's desperate attempt to save humanity. On a centuries long journey to find new worlds capable of sustaining life, the Fleet has lost contact with the home planet, but they are determined to fulfill the Plan.Within the world of the Fleet, a strict caste system has developed to divide the colonists. Hillbrane Harkover, the protagonist, has her world turned upside-down and comes to view the status quo in a new way. Her awakening is a riveting, complex process that may open your eyes, too.The true genius of Mattews' storytelling comes to a peak with the story of the advance party's experience. Life on WayStation One begins with cautious optimism and deteriorates into chilling horror. The episode is as finely written as any suspense novel in memory, and as unsettling as any true story in the headlines.Matthews' writing has always been brilliant; with COLONY FLEET she moves into the ranks of the masters of science fiction. It is a classification she has long deserved.