Berserker: Blue Death

Berserker #8

by fred-saberhagen

The great blue berserker's destruction of the human colony Shubra was swift and merciless.Niles Domingo's daughter lies among the dead.Niles Domingo is a man with a Vengeance at any cost. With one small ship, he sets out against the great berserker called Leviathan, tracking it through the interstellar mists of the Milkpail Nebula. He is sure he is ready for anything. But nothing can prepare him for the astonishing discoveries that lie between him and Leviathan.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1985

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first berserker machine was an ad hoc, spur-of-the-moment invention by Fred Saberhagen when he needed an antagonist that was big and evil but could be duped. From there, the berserker machines evolved into one of science fiction's scariest and most durable bad guys, all the more so because they are not actually evil, but just machines following their programming.

This, alas, is not among the best berserker stories. It is clearly inspired by Moby Dick, even to the point that the Ahab character loses a leg and acquires scars on his neck and face. But Moby Dick succeeds partly because Ahab is not the narrator: his actions are observed by another. In Blue Death, the narration shifts among several people, including the protagonist. There are numerous supporting characters but none with the continuity of Ishmael and Queequeg. The ending, while it offers a surprising twist, is nevertheless not entirely satisfying. Blue Death is not as bizarre as, say, Berserker Planet, which is even less satisfying, but it is still something of a disappointment.

[Bryan Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our local science fiction reading group decided to read some Berserker stories, and we each grabbed whichever title we could. So I got this one mostly at random.

Fred Saberhagen created the Berserker world in the 1960s. They are military space operas about humanity struggling against the titular killing machines, ancient giant robots programmed to wipe out all life.

Blue Death takes the machines to a small human settlement in a nebula for a revenge narrative. Yes, it's Moby Dick, with an obsessed ship captain seeking to revenge himself on an enemy, completely with a white theme (a white nebula, called the Milkpail) and the captain stomping around on a peg leg.

It makes for a steady adventure, complete with crew gathering, battles, hunting scheming, and more battling. Basic writing carries it along. It's fairly predictable, except for a few nice twists.

I am interested in how the Berserker idea reflects fears about 20th century technology, including nuclear war. This novel doesn't make much time for it.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

The leader of a small colony in the Milkpail nebula is on a vendetta against a Berserker know as Old Blue or Leviathan after his daugher is killed when their colony is destroyed. A wealthy man, he owns a sophisticated ship capable of navigating the nebula. He recruits a crew, including one of the mysterious Carmpan. While hunting Leviathan, he learns that there is even more at stake in eliminating the Berserkers from the nebula, even though the revenge for his daugher takes a suprising turn. The plot is a bit of a let down, but the setting in the nebula is interesting. This is solid space opera, but an average entry in the Berserker series.

[Clay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure, I can see the similarities with this and "Moby Dick", but that's really not the focus is for this story. This is a good human interest, human emotion, and human interaction story of love, duty, discovery and revenge as a father hunts down the machine that killed his world and his family, the crew that goes along with him and what they find along the way.

[OceanBreeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Call me Ishmael" indeed. I was so set to rate this book a 2 or 3 because it seemed to drag on, but it saved its self at the end. Damn you Saberhagen... not really damn you, but there's a twist and a hanger.

[Cynik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still pretty interesting - I had read it years ago so this was a re-read. One of the actual Berserker series books that is not a collection of stories or novellas. As such it has it's ups and downs but all in all pretty good.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Echoes of Moby Dick as Niles Domingo relentlessly hunts the mechanical monster that killed his family. But who's the real monster?

[C.S. Areson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first berserker book I read, still processing it but I believe I will read more.

[Bob Cutler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Capitan Ahab...I mean Domingo goes in search of Moby....I mean Leviathan, a monster Berserker that has destroyed colonies around the Milk Pail Nebula. You get the picture.

[Kevin Stinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 but I'll round up.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science fiction book, morality play with a personal quest.

[Curby Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of Moby Dick in some aspects. A Captain becomes obsessed with a giant blue beserker (whale-like) who swims in white nebula sea. The Captain actually loses his leg as well. The ending has a nice twist.

[Jason Farley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A science fiction retelling of Moby Dick, (sort of) with one of the most unsatisfying endings of any book I have ever read, and I am a fan of saberhagen.

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

read some time in 1990

[Ike · Rating 2 out of 5]

One word = icky; Got from Washington Street Books and Music, Havre de Grace, MD

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twist on the death machines and the Earth borne.