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| Cover art by Julie Bell |
| FALLING STARS Michael Flynn New York: TOR, February 2001 |
Rating: 5.0 High |
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| ISBN 0-312-87443-X | 414pp. | HC | $25.95 | |
This concluding volume of the Firestar saga wraps up the tale in satisfying fashion. But this is no Hollywood ending: major characters die. That is a big part of what makes it satisfying. Space is a hostile enough environment all by itself; throw in alien artifacts, and fatal mistakes are all the more likely.
The arc of character development continues to bend in this volume toward reconciliation, both on the personal and political levels (although there are some characters whose positions are irreconcilable, and they are subject to harsher treatment.)
Solomon spread his hands. "What can I tell you, Mariesa? He's as low as they come, and shit flows downhill. But he's also a hell of a speechmaker, and he comes across as absolutely confident. People follow him because they don't like 'if, but, and maybe.' They want their leaders to sound like they know what they're doing." "Even when they don't." "Oh, especially when they don't. Keep an eye on the fall elections, Mariesa. The American Party may take the House." And what a time, thought Mariesa, for the inmates to get jobs in asylum management. "Does he know he's gambling with the planet?" Solomon paused and considered. "I honestly don't know. I used to know him, years ago, when he was with the Crusades; but now . . . ? He sees a government-industry conspiracy behind every potted plant, but he may only be playing on our sense of urgency in his quest for power." "Meaning, he'll sell his vote if we dance to his tune." "He doesn't see it that way." "Can he be stopped?" Solomon's tongue darted out and touched his lips. He did not look directly into the optical pickup. "Legally? No." – Pages 73-74 |
The other thing that makes the novel satisfying is that Flynn doesn't attempt to wrap up all the loose ends. Of course this gives him latitude to write more sequels. Arguably, though, he might have decided that any sequels would face diminishing returns. It's a fair assumption given the developments shown that humanity would have little trouble (technical or political) diverting the other asteroids targeting Earth. Only one real question remains: Are the builders around, or are these abandoned but still-functional automated systems? Personally, I can live with that one unanswered.
Falling Stars has the usual spate of grammatical errors. Also, Flynn continues here the minor annoyance of demonstrating his command of foreign languages, notably by means of Gaelic and Russian phrases. As before, these minor flaws don't much diminish the quality of the work, and I recommend it highly.
Errata for Falling Stars
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