Stargods

Star Carrier #9

by Ian Douglas

The last installment in the Star Carrier series, where first contact, space opera, and military adventure combine, from New York Times bestselling author Ian Douglas!

Will this be the end?

Or a new beginning…

Having battled aliens to prove humanity’s worth as a star-faring species, Admiral Trevor Gray has a new mission: follow the directives of the super-AI Konstantin and lead the star carrier America on a mission through time and space to determine if humanity can truly transcend into Singularity… and avoid the pitfalls that have plagued so many of the aliens Earth has encountered since it gained faster-than-light travel.

But there are those out there who don’t want an answer, who wish to maintain their own power with the status quo. Beyond the dangers of star travel, Gray must contend with politicians looking to end the influence of artificial intelligence on human decisions, a secret fleet out to destroy him, hostile aliens, and the vast, uncharted space full of clues but short on answers.

A species must evolve to survive into the future. But that species must have a vision of the future. Gray hopes to find that vision for humanity…800,000 years in the past.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Ebooks, Audiobook, Military Fiction, Aliens

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 26, 2020

About the author

Ian Douglas is a pseudonym used by William H. Keith Jr..

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable conclusion to the series. I’ll miss these characters and this future world. It’s been an enjoyable ride.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always for the last book in a series I give a rating for the series and the book. This is an excellent Military SiFi series that builds the storyline nicely from book 1 to the very end. Great use of both real and theoretical science throughout the series. Nice action and fast paced read. Overall the series gets a very recommended with the last book a solid Recommended

[Dries · Rating 1 out of 5]

vertical read, too much explaining, too predictable etc. tech stolen from David Weber's furies series btw, first book was awesome, some later instalments were ok but it declined quickly imho

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the ninth and last book in the Star Carrier series by Ian Douglas a.k.a. William H. Keith. Trever "Sandy" Gray sets out with the Star Carrier America on a mission to go 800 million years in the past to find Earth's former enemies, the Sh’dar, to get as much information on how they dealt with their transformation into the"Singularity" as possible. Mankind is fast coming to its own transformation and along with the super AI Konstantin and ex-president Koenig, they think mankind might not survive the change. Also, the human power structure doesn't want the "Singularity" to happen because it will mean the end of their control of Earth. Add to this hostile aliens bent on mankind's destruction and this book is a great action-packed read and a fitting end to this series. A must-read for fans of Military Science Fiction and fans of Ian Douglas a.k.a. William H. Keith.

[Joseph W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting ending to the series.

"Sandy" Gray was up to his old tricks once again saving not only the star carrier America but Earth as well. Having read the other 8 books of the series I REALLY REALLY appreciate that Mr Douglas did not bring up Admiral Gray's early life to any extent. (I was at the point of, "enough already" ) Warning, the President of USNA in this book reminded me very much of... Now, the story is not perfect, unless I missed it there is an unasked question an thus a situation that could open an offshoot series.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is for books 1-9. The story was okay. Not good but not bad either. I had frequent peaks and valleys of enjoyment and agitation and that left the books with a very consistent "Meh" feeling.

The good: Starships, railguns, black holes and putting human boot to xeno ass. Nerd stuff!

The bad: Paradoxes, exaggeration, repetition and too much focus on sex. Eye-roll stuff.

Every book followed the story arc but was written in a way that assumed the reader was reading this book alone and had no comprehension of what "book 6” meant on the cover. So every book we got an explanation of what the tech was, how it worked, what it's nicknames were and why it was snazzy. A few times, we did not even wait until the next book to explain it yet again ..just in case we missed the first explanation or in case we skipped over it because we had in fact read the previous 5 books and remembered the previous 5 explanations.

Right from the start, humans were underdogs in the tech game and we were always like "ants trying to bring down a giant". Well, David managed to bring down the Goliath. Human ingenuity, boo-yah! Oh, next challenge is a Goliath to the previous Goliath and now we are even smaller than ants. This escalation repeats many times but somehow we keep winning with nearly zero advancement in tech. In fact, we keep beating them with "sand caster" munitions...which is basically bird-shot for shotgun. Same size but many more pellets...because space ship scale. Could it work? I do not know...personally I have never tried to throw pebbles at something that could obliterate me by casually thinking that a singularity would look really nice where I am currently standing.

If I had purchased the books, I might be a bit sour about buying more than book one, but since they were free at the library, I was always just barely amused enough to go on to the next one.

[Todd Gutschow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to quit this book. It’s the last in the series and...unfortunately...the author went full politics. In all the past books the author usually avoided any PC politics references. Not necessarily blaming current, real world ideologies. This final book was quite different. Right from the start the author does an about face on past books and blames nationalists for putting money/economy over climate change problems...which is the current liberal claim based on misinformation. The book’s President is obviously supposed to be a Tump-like character...using mannerisms and language that is perpetuated by constant media, socialist and liberal exaggerations. Since I see no end to this lunacy I’m shoving this last book aside. It’s too bad...author must be suffering from liberal PC derangement syndrome. This is not my thing.

[Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Story Winds Down

Plenty of military action. Enough to satisfy anyone. However, the repetition of confrontations and ultimate victory have become a bit tedious. The conclusion appears a bit rushed, the story of how a singularity comes about and what it means is unsatisfyingly brief. However, the book is highly readable and very entertaining.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read just about every book the author has written under the pen name Ian Douglas. Some are really good, some feel like filler or a way to get to the next major plot point. The Star Carrier series has been filled with good entries, with the author sprinkling in science of today (Tabby’s Star for instance) within the story. The better sequences have been when the Star Carrier is actually used for space combat and not on a road trip to another time.

I was surprised to see the announcement for the 9th Star Carrier book. Was there more to the story of Admiral Grey and the Star Carrier America?

Maybe. As always, this was a fast read. The author loves to tell instead of show, with lots of exposition. I don’t fault him for it, as that has been his style since the beginning. But there wasn’t much to the story or the characters. Everything centers on “The Singularity” and what it means for humans. There is a parallel here to fear of change, fear of the unknown, that we see today.

So, we have Admiral Grey go on one more roadtrip to talk to aliens. Will they have the answers the humans need as they face their own Singularity moment? I didn’t really care. Humans are like that aunt, at a big family dinner at a restaurant, who is asking everyone around the table what they are going to have instead of figuring it out on her own. Yeah, that’s us. Oh, plus humans love lots of drama.

Overall, the book felt rushed. Russians are here to simply cause the North Americans to stumble. It is only the North Americans that are thinking bigger for some reason. The rest just squabble over the dirt ball of Earth, yet starships exist that can travel 15 light years a day. The end result is a super light exploration of what humans would do faced with the merging with their machine creations. I believe it was a book to far, one that is a little like _Fall, or Dodge In Hell_ at the end.

The author’s first three trilogies are still the best, focused on Marines and finding their place in the galaxy. The Star Carrier series idea can be tied to the third trilogy. I will keep an eye out for other books from the author to see what he comes up with next.

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I have to say that I won this book thanks to goodreads and now onto the review.
Author Ian Douglas brings us Star Carrier: Stargods and a voyage of discovery for human kind. Several things take place within the pages of this novel the first is that the Star Carrier America is ordered by the former USNA president to go to a cluster 80 million years in the past to find out why a species whom evolved to the point where they didn't need their bodies had gone. Yes in the present their cluster was a part of the Milky Way Galaxy but back then it was a starlight galaxy on a collision course. And it is up to Admiral Gray and his battlegroup to find out what happened along with being ambushed by Russian ships that were sent to destroy them. But the main plot of the book deals with a technological signatory that would bring humans closer to who their meant to be. And the old boy club is afraid of what that is because they don't have control over it. As this is going on a species that humanity has been in an on again off again war has come to our door step and wants to enslave us but the USNA CVS America and the Yorktown along with those that have begun to transcend into the godstream fight back and protect our planet. This is a great book and I highly recommend it for all science fiction fans and for those who like to see a species evolve into what they're meant to be.

[Gilles · Rating 4 out of 5]

La singularité, le passage de l'humanité à un niveau supérieur, approche sur terre, selon les spécialistes et les super intelligences artificielles. Pour en savoir plus, et essayer d'éviter le chaos, l'amiral Trevor Grey, sur son vaisseau amiral "America" et son escorte, vont se renseigner auprès des Sh'daar (une communauté de plusieurs espèces d'extraterrestres), qui ont survécu à leur propre singularité, et ce à des milliers d'années lumière, et dans un passé de plus de 800 millions d'années. Mais des personnes au pouvoir vont tout faire pour conserver leur pouvoir et empêcher le changement. En parallèle, une flotte extraterrestre pense tenir enfin une occasion de se venger de leur défaite sur une de leurs planètes colonies.

Comme toujours, avec Ian Douglas (pseudonyme de William H. Keith jr.), des idées intéressantes et une histoire rythmée, ainsi que des extraterrestres de toutes sortes, des intelligences artificielles avancées, des vaisseaux spatiaux gigantesques, des batailles spatiales immersives et des humains qui essaient de faire pour le mieux.

J'ai beaucoup aimé, et Ian Douglas est devenu un de mes auteurs préférés.

[Gregg Kellogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book rises above the previous, in my opinion. It is also a post-trumpocalypse book, and takes on some of the themes that have gripped the US, and much of the rest of the world, in the post-truth, America-First (Earth/Humanity-First), domestic terror, and much else. It attempts to tackle what the Singularity might be like, although in a plot-serving way.

A departure from previous, where the previous villains (with a major exception) really don't appear as the major threats, but attempts to come to grips with problems other cultures have faced – rather unsuccessfully – with their own transcendence.

I would have liked to see more steady technological change throughout the series, rather than shoe-horning in one deus-ex-machina to sum it up, but props for attempting to do this. Also, generating the kind of societal chaos that could accompany such a hypothetical event. Would that real-world problems could be nicely tied up in a knot!

[Scott Mattson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book while ends the Star Carrier series didn't really seem to fit with the rest of the series. Most of the main points, the fight against the group of aliens trying to stop human growth and against the aliens from another universe, ended it book eight Maybe My problem was I didn't really remember volume 8 as much as I thought I did. But it was two years since the last book came out.
The characters were pretty good, with SuperAI Konstanin, Admiral gray and former president Keoing providing a lot of the focus. There was great action, but a lot of it seemed contrived. The russians attacking the force sent to contact the older aliens, seemed odd. The Aliens who attacked Earth, weren't prepared to a attack by high speed objects? Why was a carrier group, sent to meet with the old aliens in the past? I expected more.

[John (JP) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final book of this series. I hope not. Yet all good things must come to an end. The series was filled with amazing ideas. The concept of a technological singularity was fully fleshed out in the lat book. I think the reactions to this change were realistic. Some would look at the singularity as the end of the world as they knew it and therefore resist it by any means necessary . There are those that would embrace it as the second coming of Christ. Others from the same religious persuasion would argue it's blasphemy man creating a heaven in his own image. The need to place earthly guardians to protect its interests on Earth was a cool twist. The need for for Earthbound guardians opens the next novel , if there is one, to explore what is real death? What happens if Earthbound guardians fail and the access to secular heaven gets its plug pulled?

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

After all these years of reading many of this author's books (Ian Douglas - aka, William H. Keith), I finally finished the Star Carrier series. Ok, to be fair, I bought the 9th volume when it came out, but somehow, I lost that copy. So then, I bought the 9th volume again last year while I was in the middle of re-reading the complete nine volume series.

And to be 100% honest, by volume 9, I was burned out on the story. And I was burned out by the constant attacks by Shaddar client races, including in this volume by the Nungiirtok. However, the CONCEPTS, the actual IDEAS in this book are beyond great, they're immaculate. I completely enjoyed those ideas and the actual conclusion of the series, and while some of you will get burned out by Volume 9, I do recommend the series as a whole.

[Leetcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great addition to the series

The series seems to be wrapping up. I appreciated the way the plot was written. This is another great story to see Grey Konieg and Konstantine evolve.

Best part there were little to no grammar errors.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recent Reads: Stargods. The final book in Ian Douglas' Star Carrier singularitarian milSF space opera. A desperate journey to the past helps define the future, for humans and AIs. A fittingly eschatological end to a long series, with homo sapiens uploading into whatever's next.

[Phil Lentzke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fitting end to this series

Great read wrapping up this series. The summation of mankind’s destiny was superb. I wish the author had skipped the not so thinly veiled weak political shots l but oh well, a great read nonetheless.

[Michael Rutkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost have to give it 5* being the 9th and final book in the series ! It was a satisfying conclusion to this excellent series ! I wonder what's the next series for this dependable author ?

[Brent Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really Enjoy This Series

From the first book this has been a wild , fun ride! Hope the author finds a way to continue as it is absolutely a blast!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't quite as exciting a read as the prior books in the series, but still and overall excellent series that I would recommend. Lots of real science to the Sci-fi that makes it very believable.

[Steven J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting novel and a good end to a great series. Will definitely look for another series by Ian Douglas. In the meantime I will be watching for our civilization’s singularity!

[Matthew Stienberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid meh. You can only throw so many rocks at Earth before it becomes boring.

[Jonathan Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually written by William Keith
(that Bolo guy, check it out)

[Eric Hersh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent book. The series has however, taken a turn I am not sure how I feel about it. We shall see in book 10.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last time I read about the main character, Trever Gray, he had just elevated his status in life from that of a squatter in the Manhatt Ruins of old New York to a starship fighter pilot. This uplift occurred in Earth Strike, Book 1 of the Star Carrier series. Stargods is the last book in that series. I regret not having read the intervening books as I truly like the storyline.

Trever Gray is now a space navy admiral in charge of the Star Carrier Group America. His closest friends are Alexander Koenig, the former president of USNA, the United States of North America, and Konstantin, a powerful AI located on the backside of the moon.

In Stargods, Earth’s civilization is bordering on the evolutionary edge of human ascension. Millions in Earth’s population are already talking about the singularity, a state of ascension where humans and AI intelligence become one in a virtual existence, as being inevitable. Like today, some are looking forward to the rapture while others are against it due to divergent personal beliefs.

The Sh’dar, an alien species fought against in a previous book, has already gone through transcendence. Not all Sh’dar ascended, however. In this book, Gray, on a secret mission authorized by Alexander Koenig, is sent to meet with the remaining Sh’dar to find out what physically happened when transcendence occurred, how it was achieved, and what were the resulting ramifications.

As with most space operas, space battles, won more by cleverness rather than the strength of armament, take place. Cleverness in battle results in the defeat of a war leaning alien race bent on the total annihilation of Earth. In addition to this alien threat, duplicity from Earth's political power elite wanting world domination threatens the current way of life.

The author, Ian Douglas, embodies USNA leadership with many of the same autocratic leanings as US current leadership and propaganda programs being generated by it to alter political facts. These references are not subtle and may anger those with extreme right leanings. Ian Douglas is either politically motivated or assumes that the Alt-Right does not read Space Opera Sci-Fi. If wrong, then he risks alienating some of his readerships.

The Star Carrier series is a great read that is not only action-packed Sci-Fi, but that also addresses human relationships and frailties.

[Marco Neves · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me this book was an unexpected surprise, but only because i was expecting Ian Douglas to end the series on the previous book.

I'm happy he didn't. I would love if he had spent some time making the transition smoother, more human - which he leaves open, but other than that, an amazing ninth volume to this series.

In it, Admiral Sandy gets back to his Sandy tricks, humanity does what he does best - fight itself - and the singularity finally happens.

I hope i can find another series i enjoy as much as this one sometime soon.

[Ronald Edward · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read fiction for a reason

I like sci-Fi and other various forms of fiction because it’s an escape from grouping of the real world. I don’t enjoy when an author injects their political opinion into a book set so far in the future that anything 4-5 centuries prior would have any relevance of. Loved this series, except the political opinion brought up in this book.

[Daniel Hamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has just gotten too weird for me. We're into transcendence now... it's the only point of this book... and I don't understand it.