Author:Jeffrey A. Carver
Publisher: Tor
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: January 2006
Battlestar Galactica gripped me from the moment I saw the SCI FI channel miniseries. It is a dark, intense political and ethical SF drama. I was captivated. Even so I did not know what to expect from Jeffrey A. Carver’s novel based on the miniseries. From the first page, I was entranced even though I had seen and own the miniseries.
The Twelve Colonies of Man created sentient robots, Cylons, to do their menial tasks. After years of slavery, the Cylons rebelled and began killing their creators. Humanity barely defeated their former servants. The Cylons left to find their own home. That was forty years ago. The Cylons have returned to destroy the Twelve Colonies of Man and will accept nothing less than humanities extinction.
Battlestar Galactica is the last battlestar from the Cylon Wars and it is the only ship not connected to the central defense grid. It is the only battlestar to survive the attack. Battlestar Galactica is the solitary hope of a ragtag fleet of civilian ships. Fleeing the Cylons they jump into unknown space in search of a home.
Jeffrey A. Carver’s book allowed me to become familiar with various minor characters and experience their sorrow and joy too. Battlestar Galactica made it possible to spend more time with the survivors and to enhance my understanding of them. Even the Cylons capabilities and purpose became clearer. Battlestar Galactica impressed me with its succinct and informative rendering of the SCI FI Channel’s miniseries without losing the suspense and fast pace of events.
Jeffrey A. Carver captures the vigor and anguish throughout. I actually felt like I gleamed more from the book. Maybe it was because I was reading at my own pace instead of intently watching the television. Either way, if the Battlestar Galactica books continue to encapsulate the spirit of the series, I will have found another series of books to read. At the same time, I look forward to reading Jeffrey A. Carver’s own novels.
