‘Starfarers’ Has Surprising Relevance

Starfarers (1989) by Vonda N. McIntyre is a slow burning mix of visionary hope and repressive politics. Low on action but high in ideals, McIntyre offers up a complex future that is eerily familar. Starfarers will appeal to readers who enjoy intelligent characters dealing with difficult problems both personal and technical.

The Starfarer is the first interstellar ship built by humanity. Their mission is to explore the nearby galaxy in search of alien life. With only weeks left until the mission is to start events on Earth begin to overtake the Starfarer and her crew.

The newly elected ultra-conservative U. S. President wants to alter the Starfarer‘s mission. Instead of an exploration ship the president wants to change the Starfarer into a military vessel. By placing the ship in orbit around Earth the president intends to use it as a threat to the U. S.’s enemies.

The scientists aboard Starfarer have other ideas though. If the Starfarer is comprimised then their mission will be over. Forever. The scientists must come up with a plan to prevent the Starfarer from becoming militarized. However, not everyone agrees with the scientists. Especially one visitor who has plans of their own.

In many ways Starfarers is somewhat old fashioned SF. Intelligent people working on technical projects designed to advance humanity and its knowledge. Unlike older SF, though, McIntyre understands that even the greatest of plans face terrible and often mundane difficulties. In many cases it is the mundane obstacles that present the greatest challenge.

McIntyre creates a world where humans are burgeoning into space. With lunar and space colonies well established the next step is to the stars. Fortunately the discovery of ‘cosmic strings’ makes a type of FTL travel possible. Despite the use of FTL Starfarers is firmly hard SF where the rules of physics apply.

The characters McIntyre creates are largely scientists and engineers. This also lends itself to the old fashioned feel of Starfarers. Like early and Golden Age SF, McIntyre’s characters are intelligent, well educated people. Unlike the earlier SF, McIntyre’s characters are not stereotypes.

The primary characters, J. D. Sauvage, Victoria Fraser MacKenzie, Stephen Thomas Gregory, and Satoshi Lono all have emotional and historical complexity. Their existence on the Starfarer is not in vacuum. Their pasts and attachments have consequences on the plot and how the story develops.

The plot of Starfarers revolves around the Starfarer mission and the new difficulties it faces. The idea that an ultra-conservative U. S. President and government trying to enforce its will is remarkably familiar. By using both economic and physical intimidation the U. S. attempts to assert its power. It is a very realistic view that the U. S. assumes that its goals are the only possible ones.

Vonda N. McIntyre (1948-2019)

The Starfarer, however, is an international project and its scientists are not all American. As events unfold lines are drawn. Both among the scientists and administations but not necessarily along national boundaries. McIntyre puts into motion a series of events and consequences that culminate in an obvious climax. While Starfarers‘ ending is not surprising it is nonetheless thrilling and satisfying.

What lets Starfarers down slightly is perhaps its naïvity. The main characters are part of the alien contact department. It seems a little presumptuous to assume that the Starfarer will encounter aliens on their very first mission. On the other hand, it shows McIntyre’s hope for the future.

Vonda N. McIntyre’s writing is hallmarked by futures where humanity does its best to overcoming its worst instincts. Starfarers maintains that vision. And it does so with style and empathy.

Starfarers is SF that hopes for the best in the future and in ourselves. It’s an idea that seems to have gone out of fashion at the moment. Regardless of current tastes, though, Starfarers is a neglected story that has more truth than expected.

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