Rate this book

Swarm (2000)

by B.V. Larson(Favorite Author)

3.75 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Science Fiction

series

Star Force

review 1: B.V. Larson is a bit of a throwback, the kind of writer who introduces a strong character and then subjects the poor guy to tragedy so heart-rending a lesser individual would simply lie down and die like a dog. Not Kyle Riggs. His two wonderful kids get killed in the opening scenes of Larson's "Swarm." And Riggs avoids death at the hands of some evil, unknown force only through shear anger. He's not defeated. He's angry. And he wants payback. What Riggs discovers is a computer-driven ship that wants a leader. He's been subjected to a test. Only the strong survive. The ship is one of hundreds sent to earth by an unknown race to prepare it for wholesale slaughter from another batch of mechanical beings. Riggs, a professor from the University of California, Merced, understand... mores binary code and computing. It's his gig. He reprograms the machines. Good thing too because the challenges are fierce. Earth is doomed. Riggs joins with Sandra, a student from his university who just about kills him, and another ship captain of questionable ethics to save the planet. It's a fast ride with a lot of thrills. And very little down time.
review 2: I wanted to like this book enough to finish it. I really really did. For so many reasons. But I was suffering. I was suffering too badly to continue to suffer, after getting at least 65% through the book. I love sci-fi, and I love speculative stuff and I can suspend disbelief for weird or new or even scientifically inaccurate stuff, so long as it's believable within its world. But so much of the human interactions here were completely unrealistic. The most prominent female character was inconsistent AND embarrassing. Forget the Bechdel test - the two female characters never spoke to one another and the main one never seemed to worry about anything other than a man no matter who she was talking to. Here's a great quote I remember from shortly before I quit the book "I could tell she wasn't going to give me any more sugar just then, so I decided not to beg for it. Women don't respect that." I won't even try to go into the plot holes that were so numerous my brain was feeling like the proverbial swiss cheese, just trying to keep track. I wasn't expecting high literature from this book, but this book was just too bad for me to continue. less

Download links for: Swarm

Advertising