science fiction

Beyond Those Distant Stars - John B. Rosenman Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!
Other books by
author John B. Rosenman

"Beyond Those Distant Stars"
Message Board

Click here for free online dating advice!

Review Summary


NovelBooks, 2003, 268 pp.
ISBN: Paperback -1591051363/Electronic - 1591051118

Radiation Protection Supervisor Stella McMasters answers the meltdown siren thinking that the work crew knows a lot more than she does about reactors. Still the retired naval officer performs her job, but disaster strikes. Stella almost dies but is saved by an experimental merging of seventy percent synthetic material so that she is the first human-cyber Commander.

Physically she is back, greater than ever, with superhuman strength and reflexes, but mentally she doubts any man would cherish an individual more machine than woman. Stella has returned to her military roots with a mission to join up with General Loran in the fight against the Scaleys who turn humans into slaves to the All-Mother, a powerful essence that uses mind control and wants Stella. As Stella struggles to withstand the lure of the enemy she also feels feminine for the first time since the operations. She wants her pilot, but he may be mad from separating his essence from his body. Still even if it is just his voice she feels so much like a desired woman.

Though this may sound like a female Cyborg Cop in outer space, Stella insures that the tale is quite different. The tale plays out on two interlocking story lines. Fans of military science fiction will appreciate the survival war the humans are in against a powerful alien foe. That subplot serves more as a background for the audience to follow a wonderful protagonist trying to regain what she lost and to apply her new abilities. Her doubts on several levels as to being human female add a psychological underpinning to a strong cross species war BEYOND THOSE DISTANT STARS.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar


Detailed literary breakdown of Beyond Those Distant Stars
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.

New movie search (click here) New book search (click here)
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
If an invasion, from Earth/human POV: - fighting overt invasion (attacking aliens)
War or Invasion Yes
Lifeform altered? Yes
Kind of alteration: - turned into/from a robot/computer
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Beyond Those Distant Stars
Sunrise Alley by Catherine Asaro
Omnifix by Scott Mackey
The Maiden #1: Out of Ashes by Karen Koehler
Harvest of Stars by Poul Anderson
The Final Phase by William Neven




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Movie search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed movie search
(click here)
or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion


Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!


Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!


Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game


Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 6/30/2008 7:37:52 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 6/30/2008 12:55:48 AM

Lost in Space (TV): What kind of a name is Guy for a guy? 6/26/2008 10:21:30 AM

Lost in Space (TV): Wasn't it obvious that Major West was never going to get any? 6/26/2008 10:17:45 AM

Charmed: Is Piper really a Halliwell? 6/26/2008 7:20:13 AM

Alien Series: Was Vasquez a lesbian? 6/26/2008 6:57:27 AM

Charmed: What's wrong with Rose McGowan's chin? 6/26/2008 1:39:23 AM

Battlestar Galactica: Do Vipers fly past the speed of light? 6/26/2008 1:27:52 AM

Blade Runner: Was Harrison Ford on Tranquilizers or an Actor's Strike When Filming Blade Runner? 6/26/2008 1:21:38 AM

1984: 1984 6/25/2008 11:01:47 PM


Newest slaves:
Wonder Woman 9:49:12 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 8:22:21 PM
Gwyneth Paltrow 7:44:29 PM
Ginger (Gilligans Island) 7:43:57 PM
Cindy Margolis 7:43:06 PM
Tom Paris 7:42:44 PM
Stockard Channing (Abby Bartlett West Wing) 7:42:12 PM
Lucille Ball 7:41:28 PM
Borg Queen 7:40:58 PM
Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) 7:40:58 PM
All slaves
(click here)


Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)