Looking for a scifi book published around 1990

[S.J.]

When I was a teen, around 15 or so (1990), I was a member of the Science Fiction Book Club. Was anyone else? They had a paper catalog you could purchase books from and I did this all the time.

I remember that I bought a book that I loved and can no longer remember the name of. It was about a generational or hibernation ship traveling to faraway stars. There was the mention of the Drake Equation in it, how there were only maybe a handful of habitable planets. One part of the plot really stands out in my memory. The administrators on the ship were tricking the passengers into believing that they had already explored planets that they deemed unsuitable. The administrators were putting the passengers into simulations instead of on real planets. I believe it was told all from one man's POV.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I swear I have looked and googled everywhere. It's possible this one may be gone forever but hopefully there are older folks in this forum (I'm 38) that have been reading scifi for a long time, too.

Thanks in advance!

[Micah]

Not ringing a bell...was it a full novel?

This might (or might not) help:

http://sciencefictionruminations.word...

[S.J.]

Micah wrote: "Not ringing a bell...was it a full novel?

This might (or might not) help:

http://sciencefictionruminations.word...-..."

OMG I LOVE YOU! I found it! The Dark Beyond the Stars by Frank M. Robinson. I'm giddy! I have looked for this book for 10 years with no success. THANK YOU!

[MK]

No, I don't know the book (good luck!), but I was also a member of that club around that time :-). That one, and there was mystery book club, I think by the same company, that I was also a member if. Maybe from 89 or so, until maybe 92 or 93? Not sure, I can't remember exactly now. but I enjoyed it! I was a little bit older than you tho, in my early 20s :-)

[MK]

wow .... cool on finding your book!

[S.J.]

MK wrote: "No, I don't know the book (good luck!), but I was also a member of that club around that time :-). That one, and there was mystery book club, I think by the same company, that I was also a member ..."

I was so glad to have those book clubs as a teen. I looked forward to getting the catalogs and picking out new reads. I obviously read books that stuck with me too! I'm glad I posted here.

[Micah]

S.J. wrote: "OMG I LOVE YOU! I found it! The Dark Beyond the Stars by Frank M. Robinson. I'm giddy! I have looked for this book for 10 years with no success. THANK YOU!"

I have certain powers. I use them for good.

[S.J.]

Micah wrote: "S.J. wrote: "OMG I LOVE YOU! I found it! The Dark Beyond the Stars by Frank M. Robinson. I'm giddy! I have looked for this book for 10 years with no success. THANK YOU!"

I have certain powers. I u..."

Get yourself a mask and a cape and you'll be all set ;) Thanks again!

[ScoLgo]

Get yourself a mask and a cape and you'll be all set ;)"

Capes are bad! Did you not see The Incredibles? ;)

Glad you found the book you were looking for. I had not heard of it before.It gets good reviews so will keep an eye out for a copy.

[Micah]

ScoLgo wrote: "Capes are bad!"

Huh. You obviously didn't grow up in the '70s. Capes are DUH BOMB! Rick Wakeman FTW.

**crawls away into a corner**

[ScoLgo]

Micah wrote: "Huh. You obviously didn't grow up in the '70s. Capes are DUH BOMB! Rick Wakeman FTW."

Nice... I actually did grow up in the '70s. You know the real reason Wakeman was replaced by Patrick Moraz, right? It's because his cape got tangled in his rotating speaker cabinet. 'Death by Leslie'... rough way to go... ;)