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The Reefs of Space (Starchild #1)
Far beyond the orbit of Pluto, half-mythical bodies circle the Solar System--the Reefs of Space, unknown, shrouded in mystery, the goal of human conquest, the obsession of the Plan of Man, tyrannical ruler of Earth. The Reefs of Space brings humanity to the brink of the tars. Steve Ryeland, enslaved by Earth's tyrannical Plan of Man computer, is given the world's most impo...more
Mass Market Paperback, #U2172, 188 pages
Published
September 1964
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1963)
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The Reefs of Space was a future novel about a government that is run by a computer with a human "Planner" who was second in command. The computer dominated everyone's life even to the point of requiring the human to log in every room they entered. This book was a fun read,it moved fast. I enjoyed the struggle of the hero as he was unfairly treated but only slowly understood this. I like the future dis-utopia or even outright nightmare when the hero realizes what is wrong and works against it. Th...more
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So few books affect me with such a wide range of feeling, especially in so few pages, as this one. Fear. Wonder. Suspicion. Hope. Disgust. Surprise. Anger. And on and on, it certainly runs a gamut. The concept of "The Plan" with it's guiding master computer that controls everyone and everything, the elitist hierarchy, the punishment for "unplanned thought", all can be pointed to as troubling parallels for the extreme forms our political and social thought are taking. In a world with so many peop...more
There is nothing bad about the grammar or writing style per se; actually see where my father branched ideas into his sci-fi novel he's working on with me but yet the story wasn't clear enough for me to really connect to the series of events; plot wise was mainly repeating "the plan of man" and the "planner" were some of the key elements. Steve Ryeland, "the risk" and later speaks about him being in Heaven--dreaming? I was slightly lost on their space travels and transitions. Further reading, hea...more
The solar system is ruled by the tyrannical Plan of Man under the Machine, where every human has their place, and if they don't perform as required, they're sent to the Body Bank so that they can serve the Plan in another way. Dr Steve Ryeland is a Risk to the Plan, but the Machine needs him to work out the mathematics of a reactionless propulsion drive that will take the Plan out to the mythical Reefs of Space, where the tiny Fusorian lifeforms have created vast habitable areas beyond the orbit...more
An interesting collaboration between 2 greats of Classic Science Fiction, The Reefs of Space combines hard science fiction, according to Hoyle, with fantasy-like world building in the depths of space.
The theories of Fred Hoyle, father of nucleosynthesis in stars and advocate of a steady state universe, were cutting edge physics when this book was written. His science is used in this fascinating novel to create the reefs of space, and many strange creatures. The protagonist explores these reefs...more
The theories of Fred Hoyle, father of nucleosynthesis in stars and advocate of a steady state universe, were cutting edge physics when this book was written. His science is used in this fascinating novel to create the reefs of space, and many strange creatures. The protagonist explores these reefs...more
A pretty decent short novel from back in the 60s, with a good premise. Some of the characters are a little bit old-school-stereotyped, but the main character is well written. The ending was a bit abrupt and not really satisfying, but no eye-rolling twists at least!
Interesting ideas - bit dated now though
Jun 18, 2013
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review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
dystopia
Mar 24, 2013
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Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor & fan, with a career spanning over seventy years. From about 1959 until 1969, Pohl edited "Galaxy" magazine and its sister magazine "IF", winning the Hugo for "IF" three years in a row. His writing also won him three Hugos and multiple Nebula Awards. He became a Nebula Grand Master in 1993.
More about Frederik Pohl...
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