27:
202:. Ostensibly, the purpose of the project will be the construction of a spaceship seven miles long called the "Victory" to carry the population of the despairing world to a paradise planet called "Home". In fact, the ship will never be completed, but the effort will revitalize the nation's economy and perhaps restore mankind's missing quality.
221:
slowly takes shape. Much of the population of the
Caroline moves to the Yards and its society is formally divided into two classes. The Technos supervise construction and are aware of the motivational "myth of the ship" plan while the People believe that the voyage to the planet Home is the actual
213:
Work begins on constructing the ship. Despite their antiquity, the Yards' machinery and buildings seem to have been perfectly preserved and materials for the construction of the ship are discovered. Legends say that the fortifications still standing nearby defended human civilization against Dark
245:
is completed and the women and children of the People are placed aboard in suspended animation. Led by the Dresau Navy the gathered enemies of Coral's triumphant People attack with their restored ships and scavenged weapons. The defenses of the
Caroline Empire are ineffective, and an
205:
General
Toriman dies and the cynical politicians of the Republic rouse the population to begin the project. The River Road from the Caroline homeland to the Yards is forced with a bloody battle between a Caroline military force and mutants, during which the
186:
In the far future, on an Earth devastated by millennia of war, the
Caroline Republic is hostile towards its neighbors despite sharing their dire economic straits. Outside the declining remains of civilization lie ruins and wastelands populated by
229:
project, the
Caroline homeland is still as miserable as its neighbors. Before they can act on this knowledge the People revolt, led by a man named Coral who claims truthfully that the Technos have lied and do not intend to complete the
234:. Most of the Technos are killed although one is allowed to bring the news to the Dresau Islands in the eastern sea. The Dresau Navy has a proud tradition as the last surviving remnant of vital humanity and its leader believes the
250:
battle rages about the Yards, with millions fighting. At the height of the battle the sea turns red with blood and the dead of past wars rise in support of the assault. The legendary fortresses fire missiles toward the west.
269:
project and its opposition have been devised by the heirs of
Salasar. He signals the completion of the project; the military powers of the east have been destroyed and invasion by those in the west can begin.
258:
it moves down the ways to the sea. It turns its huge engines toward the shore and they ignite, incinerating the fighting armies, ships, Yards, and
Gateway. The
194:
To a leading politician of the
Caroline the aged veteran General Toriman proposes a centuries-long scheme to build the nation by taking control of an ancient
262:
then redirects the destruction onto itself and its millions of passengers. Balls of fire arrive over the mountains to complete the destruction.
265:
When the wreckage of the Yards has cooled, the man who has been called
General Toriman, the ghost of Miolnor IV, and Coral arrives. The
364:
374:
238:
project has a sinister purpose, possibly directed by heirs of the dark power
Salasar, which once ruled most of the earth.
281:, although praising Geston as a promising new writer and finding "quite a bit of enjoyment" in the novel, concluded that
369:
379:
148:
384:
330:
26:
8:
225:
Some Technos realize that, although Gateway has become rich and prosperous through the
159:
published an archival edition in 1978 (a facsimile of the Michael Joseph edition); and
111:
286:
188:
53:
32:
289:
characterized it as an "earnestly stylish stud of terminal cultural decadence".
140:
136:
132:
43:
318:
358:
217:
The magnificent city of Gateway grows in the hills above the Yards while the
191:
and monsters. It is generally felt that humanity lost its vitality long ago.
278:
175:
171:
152:
156:
247:
199:
160:
118:
195:
144:
80:
198:
hundreds of miles away which was apparently designed to build
207:
112:
163:
included it in its 2009 omnibus of Geston's early novels,
210:
of the ancient hero Miolnor IV appears to save the day.
147:, then reprinted for the British market in hardcover by
285:
was "a bad and disappointing book on its own terms."
346:
Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Literature
131:is a 1967 science fiction novel by American author
356:
241:After almost two centuries of construction, the
135:. His debut work, it was written while he was a
254:Before any of the men of the People board the
143:. It was originally published in paperback by
170:The novel takes a darkly cynical view of
348:, Rowman & Littlefield, 2004, p.137
214:Powers over the mountains to the west.
357:
174:; some critics have called it a very
307:Contemporary Science Fiction Authors
13:
14:
396:
25:
365:American science fiction novels
181:
338:
323:
312:
299:
1:
292:
273:
151:in 1971 and in paperback by
16:1967 novel by Mark S. Geston
7:
375:1967 science fiction novels
10:
401:
309:, Arno Press, 1974, p.107
110:
102:
94:
86:
75:
67:
59:
49:
39:
24:
31:First edition cover by
20:Lords of the Starship
344:Brian M. Stableford,
283:Lords of the Starship
165:The Books of the Wars
128:Lords of the Starship
370:1967 American novels
329:"Galaxy Bookshelf",
380:Dying Earth (genre)
21:
335:, June 1968, p.127
319:ISFDB bibliography
19:
305:Robert Reginald,
124:
123:
98:Print (paperback)
87:Publication place
50:Cover artist
392:
349:
342:
336:
327:
321:
316:
310:
303:
287:Brian Stableford
114:
29:
22:
18:
400:
399:
395:
394:
393:
391:
390:
389:
385:Ace Books books
355:
354:
353:
352:
343:
339:
328:
324:
317:
313:
304:
300:
295:
276:
184:
95:Media type
71:Science fiction
54:John Schoenherr
35:
33:John Schoenherr
17:
12:
11:
5:
398:
388:
387:
382:
377:
372:
367:
351:
350:
337:
322:
311:
297:
296:
294:
291:
275:
272:
183:
180:
155:a year later.
149:Michael Joseph
141:Kenyon College
133:Mark S. Geston
122:
121:
116:
108:
107:
104:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
88:
84:
83:
77:
73:
72:
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
51:
47:
46:
44:Mark S. Geston
41:
37:
36:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
397:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
371:
368:
366:
363:
362:
360:
347:
341:
334:
333:
326:
320:
315:
308:
302:
298:
290:
288:
284:
280:
271:
268:
263:
261:
257:
252:
249:
244:
239:
237:
233:
228:
223:
220:
215:
211:
209:
203:
201:
197:
192:
190:
179:
177:
173:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
129:
120:
117:
115:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
90:United States
89:
85:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
55:
52:
48:
45:
42:
38:
34:
28:
23:
345:
340:
331:
325:
314:
306:
301:
282:
279:Algis Budrys
277:
266:
264:
259:
255:
253:
242:
240:
235:
231:
226:
224:
218:
216:
212:
204:
193:
185:
182:Plot summary
176:black comedy
172:human nature
169:
164:
153:Sphere Books
127:
126:
125:
248:apocalyptic
157:Gregg Press
359:Categories
293:References
200:spacecraft
161:Baen Books
274:Reception
145:Ace Books
137:sophomore
81:Ace Books
76:Published
196:shipyard
60:Language
267:Victory
260:Victory
256:Victory
243:Victory
236:Victory
232:Victory
227:Victory
219:Victory
189:mutants
63:English
332:Galaxy
222:goal.
119:426089
40:Author
208:ghost
103:Pages
79:1967
68:Genre
113:OCLC
139:at
106:156
361::
178:.
167:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.