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Rampart Worlds#2
Orion Arm
A gripping sf adventure from the acclaimed author of The Pliocene Exile series. Two hundred years into the future, the great corporations of Earth dominate all life in our Galaxy. But their endless pursuit of wealth and power is about to open the door to a malevolent alien race, intent on engulfing the commonwealth of Human Worlds. Helly and his companions attempt to capture a crucial witness to the Galapharma conspiracy, who has taken refuge on a hostile planet. Its insanely ambitious boss, Alistair Drummond, will stop at nothing in his quest for power, and Helly is marked for death as the two corporations continue to do battle. Meanwhile, the Haluk follow their own appalling agenda, using human science to mutate their bodies, allowing them to infiltrate human society. Helly must find a way to alert the Human Commonwealth to the Haluk peril, while also saving his family from Drummond's increasingly desperate efforts to annhilate the Rampart worlds.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
About the author
Julian May
197books564followersJulian May was an American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer who also used several pseudonyms includingIan Thorne,Lee N. Falconerand many others.
Some 1960's and 1970's biographies and children's science books may belong toJulian May(the science fiction & fantasy writer) profile but no reliable source has been found
Per Encyclopedia.com, May wrote juvenile science non-fiction along with the science fiction novels for adults. (https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/edu...)
Some 1960's and 1970's biographies and children's science books may belong toJulian May(the science fiction & fantasy writer) profile but no reliable source has been found
Per Encyclopedia.com, May wrote juvenile science non-fiction along with the science fiction novels for adults. (https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/edu...)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 19, 2009
After spending the best part of my life either reading or looking forward to one of Julian May's superb Pliocene Exile or Galactic Milieu books it feels strange to be reading anything else by the same author. She doesn't disappoint though; Orion Arm is the second part of a sprawling corporate chess match played on a galactic arena that mixes memorable characters with action and intrigue to serve up a supremely palatable science fiction feast.
March 8, 2012
I am currently re-reading this great Sci-Fi classic. High tech hard Sci-Fi at a great style, with great dialogue and great tech ideas and imagination. Love it!
I first read it in about 2000, when it first came out. Now it still holds up and the concepts developed and just as likely as every.
This is a Trilogy called The Perseus Spur Trilogy and is fantastic. Highly recommended for lovers of hard Sci-Fi.
I first read it in about 2000, when it first came out. Now it still holds up and the concepts developed and just as likely as every.
This is a Trilogy called The Perseus Spur Trilogy and is fantastic. Highly recommended for lovers of hard Sci-Fi.
August 20, 2012
Originally published on my blogherein September 2000.
At its beginning, Orion Arm reads as though it will just be a repeat of the first of the Rampart Worlds series,Perseus Spur.Having resigned once again from the family corporation after a row with his father and sister, Asahel Frost returns to the Caribbean-style world of Kile-Lockaby, back to his small business as a diving safari guide. There, once again, he just manages to escape a murder attempt prompted by the firm of Galapharm which is out to take over Rampart Starcorp. To this point, the plot is almost identical to that of the first half of Perseus Spur, and there continue to be similarities until near the end.
That the two novels share a lot of their plots is not really a critical problem; I think Orion Arm is intended to be a repetition of Perseus Spur at a heightened level of intensity. Like the earlier novel, it is a classy thriller with a science fiction background. It is much longer, and yet the excitement doesn't flag - a sign of a well written thriller. The way things are left, there should be at least one more Rampart Worlds novel, and I will expect another enjoyable read even if not innovative science fiction.
At its beginning, Orion Arm reads as though it will just be a repeat of the first of the Rampart Worlds series,Perseus Spur.Having resigned once again from the family corporation after a row with his father and sister, Asahel Frost returns to the Caribbean-style world of Kile-Lockaby, back to his small business as a diving safari guide. There, once again, he just manages to escape a murder attempt prompted by the firm of Galapharm which is out to take over Rampart Starcorp. To this point, the plot is almost identical to that of the first half of Perseus Spur, and there continue to be similarities until near the end.
That the two novels share a lot of their plots is not really a critical problem; I think Orion Arm is intended to be a repetition of Perseus Spur at a heightened level of intensity. Like the earlier novel, it is a classy thriller with a science fiction background. It is much longer, and yet the excitement doesn't flag - a sign of a well written thriller. The way things are left, there should be at least one more Rampart Worlds novel, and I will expect another enjoyable read even if not innovative science fiction.
August 14, 2018
Just as good as the first novel -- in fact, I think, slightly better -- and it's setting up for a fantastic finale. In fact, before I had a chance to update my status on this one, I'm already 120pp into the final volume, and the last is certainly the best of the three. Save the best till last, as the saying goes.
I wish May had written more in this universe. It's a voice a like a lot, and a scenario that really appeals. I could have gone for a lot more just like this! Instead, I'll see if I can met my hands on her Galactic Milieu trilogy.
I wish May had written more in this universe. It's a voice a like a lot, and a scenario that really appeals. I could have gone for a lot more just like this! Instead, I'll see if I can met my hands on her Galactic Milieu trilogy.
March 29, 2018
Almost as good as the first
This is an action filled page turner with a lovable hero. I can't pinpoint why I liked the first better.
This is an action filled page turner with a lovable hero. I can't pinpoint why I liked the first better.
June 2, 2024
This one saw me through the last few weeks of my jury duty, and was every bit as good as I remembered from the first time I read it. May’s trademark brand-heavy and masterly plotting takes the corporate struggle for Rampart Starcorp through some twists & turns on beautifully realised truly alien planets, culminating in a last minute old fashioned showdown for Asahel with Drummond (a masterly drawn villain of the piece) at the family ranch in Arizona.
A book that makes you wish it was more than a trilogy - only one more to go now.
A book that makes you wish it was more than a trilogy - only one more to go now.
September 10, 2023
5 star slightly generous, but really enjoyed this book.
August 17, 2015
Great fun, romping through the Milky Way. Perhaps not quite as riveting as the first book but good entertainment nevertheless.
Amazon.com
Asahel "Helly" Frost, disgraced scion of the mighty Rampart interstellar family company, again finds himself working for them as a wisecracking, spacefaring version of James Bond against the evil Galapharma corporation. Galapharma is selling priceless human know-how and DNA to the alien Haluk--cunning devils who've developed a "demiclone" process for changing reptilian Haluks into human form and vice versa. The slam-bang action moves through various cinematic set pieces: assignations in genetically enhanced brothels so lewd than even very bad men puke at the attractions offered; Frost betrayed and, instead of killed outright, left in a deathtrap with one slim chance of escape; a high-tech strike against a secret Haluk base closely resembling the one in Perseus Spur; much blood and mayhem thanks to Galapharma traitors planted deep within the Rampart company and Frost's own family; murderous last-minute reversals at the crucial board meeting; and the final shoot out and offing of the arch-villain. Orion Arm offers colorful, tongue-in-cheek violence and drama which pulls you along but refuses to be taken seriously.
Amazon.com
Asahel "Helly" Frost, disgraced scion of the mighty Rampart interstellar family company, again finds himself working for them as a wisecracking, spacefaring version of James Bond against the evil Galapharma corporation. Galapharma is selling priceless human know-how and DNA to the alien Haluk--cunning devils who've developed a "demiclone" process for changing reptilian Haluks into human form and vice versa. The slam-bang action moves through various cinematic set pieces: assignations in genetically enhanced brothels so lewd than even very bad men puke at the attractions offered; Frost betrayed and, instead of killed outright, left in a deathtrap with one slim chance of escape; a high-tech strike against a secret Haluk base closely resembling the one in Perseus Spur; much blood and mayhem thanks to Galapharma traitors planted deep within the Rampart company and Frost's own family; murderous last-minute reversals at the crucial board meeting; and the final shoot out and offing of the arch-villain. Orion Arm offers colorful, tongue-in-cheek violence and drama which pulls you along but refuses to be taken seriously.
July 29, 2011
While the Exiles Saga and the Galactic Milieu Trilogy are among my favorites, May has for a far less grandiose approach here. The characters are well rounded and her elegant prose flows smoothly. Unfortunately, the story is not very engaging. Still worth a read, especially as the third book is qualitatively above the first two. My main problem with the novels is that May is just a bit too in love with the main character, and he seems to be good at everything. There’s never any big question that things are going to be all right. Fun though.
Perseus Spur
Orion Arm
Sagittarius Whorl
On a side note, the covers are simply magnificent, especially on the UK edition.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=935
Perseus Spur
Orion Arm
Sagittarius Whorl
On a side note, the covers are simply magnificent, especially on the UK edition.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=935
April 26, 2016
I always enjoy reading Julian May. The hero is literally a corporate raider. A member of the family dynasty, which owns an interstellar corporation, they struggle against a hostile takeover by Galapharma and their alien allies. The character's bravado, ingenuity, and luck get him out of one impossible situation or another. Slightly annoying is the deus ex machina of his family's vast wealth. There is no problem that a ton of money can't solve. There is one more moment in the book that I have to comment on. This could be considered a spoiler. He rescues a strange sea creature caught in a net. Like the lion and the mouse, Helly is bound to a chair underwater about to be set upon by alien pirannas, when the creature he saved comes to the rescue.
August 19, 2013
This book features a nearly identical plot to the first book and ends with a very annoying cliffhanger to tease the third book. Like many middle books of a trilogy, the book plods at certain points, as it sets up some of the overall story arc at the expense of the action.
October 12, 2007
just as good as the first in the series. in fact, the major plot is *exactly* like the first book. well, it still works, still fun without being dumb
July 10, 2008
Good book. Has believable and likeable main characters and an interesting storyline.
March 1, 2011
Holiday reading, a little predictable at times.
February 3, 2023
Original star rating: 2 of 5
Updated 2023 rating: 3.5 of 5
Older and wiser now, and appreciating the story more. Not as fun as the first book though. Sagging in the middle.
Updated 2023 rating: 3.5 of 5
Older and wiser now, and appreciating the story more. Not as fun as the first book though. Sagging in the middle.
April 1, 2017
This was a good follow-up to Perseus Spur. Lots of action, some humor, and some imaginative characters and settings. I'm looking forward to reading the third book in the trilogy.
August 31, 2014
Excellent! It must have taken some mighty research to get the technical terms right:) So convincing!
October 1, 2018
Fantastic continuation of the story...the main character is like the Stainless Steel Rat.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews