Slow Train To Arcturus

by Eric Flint, Dave Freer

The planet Miran had sent a spaceship to rendezvous with the enormous vessel that was approaching their star system. The vessel's design was odd - a multitude of separate globular habitats in a framework - and most of the alien team that entered one of the habitats were slaughtered by savage creatures called "humans." One alien had barely managed to escape to another habitat where the humans were more friendly, if rather technologically backward. But he needed to get back to his spaceship, and he would need one human's help to do that. They would have to travel through several more habitats, each one isolated from the other, each with its own bizarre dangers and customs. And friendliness toward strangers was not one of those customs...

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Ebooks, Space, Adventure

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Eric Flint was a New York Times bestselling American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works were alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures.

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable aspect of reading--and assumedly writing--science fiction is the opportunity to play "what if". Usually the author changes one variable and spins out what might happen. In Slow Train to Arcturus, Flint and Freer managed to combine a first contact story from the aleins' perspective with five what-if human cultures (based on only slightly exaggerated models from our own time), finally they all collide in a single adventure.

The biggest detractor was their unfortunate tendency to preach about the shortfalls and advantages of each. Of course, they wrote the book, so they stacked the deck. They also made each human culture so over-the-top as to be more caricature than model.

Despite that it was a good read with a good heart.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Publishers Weekly

Flint and Freer's latest collaboration (after 2007's Pyramid Power) doesn't bring anything original to space opera, but its fast pace and pulpy premise make for an engaging if shallow adventure. When a vast relic made up of massive bubbles approaches a star system inhabited by sentient space-faring aliens, a team of researchers is sent to investigate. Soon after the inquisitive aliens enter one of the bubbles, they're attacked by its murderously insane human inhabitants. Alien xenobiologist Kretz barely escapes into another bubble, and in order to get safely back to his ship, he must somehow traverse numerous virtually inaccessible environments, all populated by divergently evolving human societies. Flint and Freer's action-packed, often humorous story ultimately lacks substance but makes it up in fun. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

The planet Miran had sent a spaceship to rendezvous with the enormous vessel that was approaching their star system. The vessel’s design was odd—a multitude of separate globular habitats in a framework—and most of the alien team that entered one of the habitats were slaughtered by savage creatures called “humans.” One alien had barely managed to escape to another habitat where the humans were more friendly, if rather technologically backward. But he needed to get back to his spaceship, and he would need one human’s help to do that.

            They would have to travel through several more habitats, each one isolated from the other, each with its own bizarre dangers and customs. And friendliness toward strangers was not one of those customs. . . .

[Coyora Dokusho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read at least (2) times

Quite. Funny.

I went looking for another Freer book and actually hadn't realized that I'd read this one before. Philosophically it's really interesting.


"The Brethren believe that all people have a better nature to appeal to. But I have decided it is not always possible to reach it." - said by Howard

I think it's really similar to my own philosophy of "Everyone can be saved, but *you* can't save everybody." Maybe they're not ready yet, or maybe I'm just not the right person, but someone or something, somewhere can save them - as a caveat though - I reserve the right to shoot people in the head if they threaten me or mine.

[Larry Wegman · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting concept - sending habitats to colonize the Goldilocks Zone around stars reachable in a few hundred years - and then filling those habitats with people groups who don't care much for the way things are on earth, or whom Earth wants to get rid of. Then they're discovered by humanoid aliens, who find that some of the "train cars' " residents have lost awareness of the other habitats. An interesting look at how isolated societies evolve, and what happens when they, and the aliens, interact. And then they go and spoil the whole thing by having it end up being largely about sex.

[Howard Brazee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aliens investigate a space ship in their system. It's from earth and consists of a series of "beads" with different isolated cultures that Earth was glad to get rid of. After entering a very primitive bead and having to escape, one alien goes through other beads, making friends and resolving problems.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

One interesting idea bogged down by insipid characters (defined by one or two characteristics which they won't shut up about) a meandering plot and a deus ex machina that strains belief

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Story: Earth has found a way to get rid of its misfits and explore the stars at the same time – a ship called a slow train with habitats that will drop off in the habitable zone around a sun and become a new home. When the Mirans, humanoids who have an interesting sexual development cycle, discover the ship as it passes by their solar system, they investigate. What they find is a host of human cultures that range from hostile to primitive and one alien in particular named Kretz, learns much from his association with these humans. In the end all are better for the experience.

My Thoughts: This story addresses many issues. It looks at the varied cultures of earth and how they interact (poorly a lot of the time) and how they develop when isolated in their own habitats. It also looks at how an alien race reacts to humanity in all its glory (and sometimes we are pretty inglorious). It also explores the concept of a ship that never decelerates, uses asteroids and comets to provide raw materials for habitats and the idea of not having to find suitable planets in the sweet spot around a sun. This mix of character study and scientific speculation makes for an interesting story. Flint and Freer have put the right mix of humor, drama and tech in one very readable story. I recommend this book to any sci-fi fan.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Howard is a farmer in a deeply religious, backward society. One day an alien lands in his tomato plants. This starts his journey to discover that his world is actually one of several enormous spherical colony habitats strung like beads on a string. Each habitat contains a different society, all seemingly extreme in some way. Howard is more or less forced to help the alien, who is an explorer from a nearby star that this slowtrain of habitats is passing.

This combination adventure and pilgrimage tale reminded me a lot of early Niven. There’s the Big Dumb Object, the little explorer in a world he cannot control, the unexpectedly cosmic scale of the whole thing. The novel has some issues, for example many events are a bit too good to be true. Also the middle part seems a bit rudderless, but the ending explains things. Much can be forgiven, however, when there is good adventure to be had and lots of humor to go with it. Not to mention a rather unexpected ending and a valuable message about modern “nanny society” delivered with at least a little subtlety.

http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=964

[Michael Barnette · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointment on so many levels.

I'd looked forward to reading this book when I bought it, but mid-way through it falls flat.

Premise: Humans have left Earth to colonize distant stars/planets. The start of the book was promising, but then the authors fell back on creating a lot of stereotypes by making the people living in all the colony pods on the ship 'outcasts' from Earth. So you have your 'Amish' people, some primitives from--apparently--South America and of course a group of women who have made men virtual slaves.

From the point where the alien--yes aliens have boarded the ship and most of them were murdered by some ultra violent humans--meets the 'Amish' people onward things just go from interesting to downright absurd by the time they meet the people who fly around their pod on the ship. To me the worst section dealt with the 'feminists' who kept their men as virtual slaves while jailing lesbians as 'perverts'. This whole portion came across as nothing short of a caricature instead of a viable society and the book really suffers because of that perception.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Nortonesque light scifi novel. The Mirans, on noticing a spaceship approaching their solar system sends a spaceship out to make contact. The ship turns out to be a train of habitat bubbles that Earth has sent out to seed space. Each habitat has its own populace with very different cultures. Unfortunately, the Mirans make contact with the end habitat first. This bubble was settled by Aryans who are militant xenophobes. Their hostile reaction precipitates the rest of the adventure through vastly divergent habitats from those occupied by Quackers to Columbian natives to Amazons.

[Mike Kabongo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!
Good science fiction is so hard to find these days. While I love urban fantasy, have mixed feelings about steampunk and read as much as I can, Slow Train is the type of can do fiction I adore most. The main characters come together to beat not some loopy villain, but a lot of the very human handicaps we all wish we didn't have, and of course their battle against time itself. Their is a living breathing baddy or two in the book, but the story is about so much more than that.

[John Cooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book, very interesting idea. The biology and sociology seemed researched and well thought out. Some of the cultures were a little extreme, however that is most likely what would happen in isolation like that. Most of the book flowed very nicely too, however i felt the end was a little abrupt. I'm unsure if the thought here was that maybe there would be a sequel and then changed their mind at the last minute and threw in a ending.

[Loki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant exploration of several niche societies in a multiple habitat STL generation ship. The addition of the alien refugee Kretz makes for an excellent linking plot to bring all the separate parts together.

It's fluff, and a bit too fond of the "Frontier Theory" of history, but fun all the same.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice old-fashioned sf adventure novel set on a generation-ship, much the kind of thing one would have found in Campbell's ASTOUNDING and written by Eric Frank Russell or Christopher Anvil. The pacing is a little off in spots, but it's humorous and attention-grabbing and altogther a good way to spend a weekend.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was slow to warm up to this book but after the first two chapters I had trouble putting it down. This is Science Fiction with good writing, great description, likable aliens, good and bad humans and a great plot. The further I read the more I like to book.

[Nathan Balyeat · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Freer does an amazing job of exploring what happens to both human societies and ecosystems when they become isolated, and how those societies can look from both another human society's perspective and from those of an alien culture.

Very well done, and a very good read.

[Liviu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast and easy read; funny and over the top at times, but a page turner. Popcorn sf at its best.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up 100 pages in. Boring.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really interesting idea that could have benefitted by having an editor. Not great, but not bad either.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started reasonably strong and then did not finish that way.

[Tania Shipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's not my favourite Dave Freer book but I enjoyed it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read about a new approach to how mankind may someday explore the stars. Also mankind as seen from an alien's viewpoint.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book from these two authors. It's not as chuckle-worthy as the Rats, Bats and Vats books, but well done with some good research into the scientific and sociological constructs.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than I expected, fun read.