Rating: 
Summary: Very Good
Review: Avoiding William Gibson terms like "wet-wired", Starswarm explores one of the possibilities of marrying humans to silicon. As a young boy on a colonized planet, Kip discovers he can hear a voice in his head. He soon learns that he is communicating with a computer that seems to have keen interest in his well-being. The reader learns along with Kip why he has a computer chip implant and as the story progresses, there is action, betrayal, aliens, an underlying murder mystery and of course one of the good Dr. Pournelle's favorite themes: political intrigue. I enjoyed this book, my only complaint being that it ended abruptly. (Ah, darn! It's over?) It is a SF book of the "juvenile" genre, so it lacks the rich textures and detail of books like The Mote in God's Eye or Footfall, but the trade-off is that Starswarm can be read in a few hours. I recommend it if you are looking for a fun, easy read but still want some interesting ideas. I definitely recommend it for young readers, as my teen-age daughter found Starswarm on my desk, she pestered me to finish it claiming the first few pages had "hooked" her.
Rating:
Summary: Starswarm
Review: I thought this book was one of the best I have ever read. It was writen wonderfully, and it hooked the reader. The idea of the book itself was so original that you can't help but like it. I only had one problem with it though, they swore a bit to much, but thet couldn't stop me from finishing it.
Rating:
Summary: Jupiter series continues
Review: If you like this book (and you probably do!), the next book in the Jupiter series is entitled *Outward Bound*, by James P. Hogan. *Outward Bound* is the sixth book in the series and is another coming-of-age novel like the previous volumes. In *Outward Bound,* the protagonist, a tough, teenage thug-in-training, who is leader of his own little criminal gang, finally gets caught by the authorities in a declining future Earth society and sent, as his last chance (instead of juvenile prison), to a boot-camp and training center of sorts where the purpose behind it is at first cloaked in mystery by its sponsors until, by the end of the novel, he finds himself learning about honor, selflessness and love even as he ends up in space about to be a colonist joining a secretive group of utopians who live in the outer reaches of the solar system. A thoroughly enjoyable read, I found (I've already read it several times).
Rating: 
Summary: Heinlein Lives!
Review: In his foreword, Jerry Pournelle pays homage to the late great Robert Heinlein and the "juvenile" science fiction books that hooked so many into the genre. I certainly remember them with fond affection before Heinlein turned his talent along other paths, and re-read them to this day.Starswarm is indeed a book very much in the style of those books, complete with the adolescent protagonist, his loyal friends, adults of superior intelligence, ethics and ability, and of course a swag of strange creatures and a talking computer. There are echoes of "Citizen of the Galaxy" here, as well as from any number of other Heinlein juveniles, but the plot is Pournelle's own, underscored with more computer knowledge than Heinlein ever had, and it is as compulsive a read as any of Pournelle's other books. I enjoyed it immensely, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes these "coming of age in the space age" novels.
Rating:
Summary: Heinlein Lives!
Review: In his foreword, Jerry Pournelle pays homage to the late great Robert Heinlein and the "juvenile" science fiction books that hooked so many into the genre. I certainly remember them with fond affection before Heinlein turned his talent along other paths, and re-read them to this day. Starswarm is indeed a book very much in the style of those books, complete with the adolescent protagonist, his loyal friends, adults of superior intelligence, ethics and ability, and of course a swag of strange creatures and a talking computer. There are echoes of "Citizen of the Galaxy" here, as well as from any number of other Heinlein juveniles, but the plot is Pournelle's own, underscored with more computer knowledge than Heinlein ever had, and it is as compulsive a read as any of Pournelle's other books. I enjoyed it immensely, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes these "coming of age in the space age" novels.
Rating:
Summary: Starswarm is a Star
Review: In his introduction to Starswarm Jerry Pournelle pays tribute to Robert Heinlein, as an inspiration when Pournelle was an adolescent reader and science student; and later as a mentor and friend. I will pay tribute to Pournelle: Starwarm could have been a Heinlein book. All of the elements of vintage Heinlein are there: the young protagonist who is different from his peers, the science that is out-of-reach for now, but conceivable for tomorrow. I have always enjoyed Pournelle as a writer in his own right. After reading this introduction, as I read Starwarm I remembered Citizen of the Galaxy and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I have missed science-based science fiction a la Robert Heinlein and enjoyed finding it again in Starswarm.
Rating:
Summary: Like Teacher Like Student
Review: In his introduction to Starswarm Jerry Pournelle pays tribute to Robert Heinlein, as an inspiration when Pournelle was an adolescent reader and science student; and later as a mentor and friend. I will pay tribute to Pournelle: Starwarm could have been a Heinlein book. All of the elements of vintage Heinlein are there: the young protagonist who is different from his peers, the science that is out-of-reach for now, but conceivable for tomorrow. I have always enjoyed Pournelle as a writer in his own right. After reading this introduction, as I read Starwarm I remembered Citizen of the Galaxy and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I have missed science-based science fiction a la Robert Heinlein and enjoyed finding it again in Starswarm.
Rating:
Summary: If it looks like a Heinlein, walks like a Heinlein, ...
Review: It has been a while since I read this book for the 3rd time but I still remember it well. I know that www.jerrypournelle.com has commented on it a few times that he was intending to write a Heinlein juvenile book. Well, he suceeded ! Great read, great concept and excellent flow. The first time that I read the book I could not put it down until I finished it at 4 am (much to my wife's displeasure !).
Rating:
Summary: If it looks like a Heinlein, walks like a Heinlein, ...
Review: It has been a while since I read this book for the 3rd time but I still remember it well. I know that www.jerrypournelle.com has commented on it a few times that he was intending to write a Heinlein juvenile book. Well, he suceeded ! Great read, great concept and excellent flow. The first time that I read the book I could not put it down until I finished it at 4 am (much to my wife's displeasure !).
Rating:
Summary: A page turning, suspense building mastermind of good writing
Review: Starswarm is a great read from Jerry Pournelle. The book is about a kid named Kip who is living many years ahead of our present time. One of the living stations outside of earth is Starswarm Station, a research facility on planet Paradise. For as long as Kip has known, there has been a voice in his head - and he is not imagining things.
The voice can access virtually anything digital such as information and money. Kip has always used the voice to think - as it could answer any question. In time, Kip begins to search for his own answers to his mind-boggling guide. When he finds out the essence of Starswarm Station and everyone on it including himself is in danger, he has to do something.
I gave this book a rating of four stars because it was a page turning, suspense building mastermind of good writing. I also chose the rating because I was able to connect to this book on a personal level given that Kip is a young adult like myself. My final cause for this rating was the book's ending. The suspense and thrill of the incisive adventure was mind-blowing.
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