David Gerrold’s The Voyage of the Star Wolf has not received a lot of recognition since it was published, but it delivers a good military sci fi story with some hints of Star Trek and is worth seeking out.
What Is It?
Taking place in a distant future when humanity has spread throughout the stars, this book focuses on Jonathan Thomas Korie who is the Executive Office on board the Alliance Liberty Ship LS-1187. When the biologically engineered superhuman race known as the Morthans launches a devastating attack on the Alliance fleet, The LS-1187 survives but its captain is killed and the ship is crippled. Korie pulls together the surviving crew and the ship limps back to base, but they find themselves made into a scapegoat for the attack. A new captain is assigned along with a replenishment of the crew (which includes a Morthan who has sided with the humans) and ship is sent on a seemingly hopeless mission to once again face the enemy that nearly destroyed them.
Author: David Gerrold
Originally Published: 1990
Legacy:
This book kicked off a series by former Star Trek writer David Gerrold that borrows some elements from that show but that also establishes a well-developed universe and cast of characters and that deserves more recognition that it has received since this book was originally published in the early ’90s.
A Closer Look:
David Gerrold is known to Star Trek fans as the man who wrote the beloved episode “The Trouble with Tribbles” as well as “The Cloud Minders” (and he did the rewrite to “I, Mudd”). He would later go on to write for Star Trek: The Animated Series and he would develop Land of the Lost (more on that one at this link) and contribute episodes to Tales from the Darkside, the 1980s Twilight Zone revival, Babylon 5, Sliders, and more. In the late 1980s, he was approached to develop a science fiction television series and he borrowed some elements from a book he had previously written, Starhunt, to come up with a concept that would eventually be known as Star Wolf. The television series did not happen (more on that below), but he would eventually adapt his pilot script into The Voyage of the Star Wolf and that would be published in 1990.
The book borrowed from Star Trek to an extent, focusing on the crew of a starship, but it took a more military sci fi approach with humanity finding itself at war with the superhuman race known as the Morthans. It also focused on the ship’s Executive Officer instead of its captain, with John Korie finding himself faced with one impossible task after another and never receiving the recognition for what he manages to accomplish. The book also established an interesting crew with well-developed characters who helped to bring a human touch to the story. And while they drew on the archetypes we know so well from Trek (the miracle-working engineer, the gruff doctor, the non-human security chief, etc.), each had their own personality and steered clear of counting as Roddenberry re-treads. In addition, Gerrold created an interesting universe with humans and offshoots from the species and a fleshed out backstory covering humanity’s colonization of the stars.
The Voyage of the Star Wolf kicks things off by establishing the LS-1187 as a cursed ship that becomes a pariah among the fleet. It is not even allowed to have a name beyond its call numbers because it has no established kills (though the title of the book does suggest the moniker the ship will eventually receive). And in many ways, this could be considered Gerrold’s personal take on Star Trek, but it does not live and die by that. The similarities are there, but he does not dwell on that as the book follows its own path and creates a unique universe that has a familiar feel, but that survives on its own merits. Trek fans will certainly enjoy the book as will those who like military sci fi. And even though The Voyage of the Star Wolf and the other books in the series have not risen much beyond cult status in sci fi literature, they are certainly worth seeking out.
The Story Continues:
The Voyage of The Star Wolf was followed by The Middle of Nowhere in 1995 and that one picks up the story right from where the first book left off. But of the three entries in the central trilogy, this is the weakest. Much of the tale finds the ship in drydock and it spends a lot of time delving into the stories of the various crewmembers along with Korie’s attempts to earn his ship and crew the recognition they deserve. And while that does offer an opportunity to develop the characters, it makes for slow and plodding reading. The action does finally pick up about two thirds of the way through the book, and ultimately it is a decent installment in the series, but not a high point.
2004’s Blood and Fire was based on a rejected script that Gerrold wrote for Star Trek: The Next Generation (it was eventually produced as an episode of the fan-made Star Trek: Phase 2 series). This one finds the LS-1187 encountering a ship that has been infected by a deadly parasite, and it delivers a tale that has the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish. It also wraps up the story arc that started with Voyage and gives the trilogy a satisfying conclusion, though plenty more stories could still follow.
Gerrold’s 1972 novel Yesterday’s Children introduces the character of John Korie, and that was later revised as Starhunt in 1985. It is considered a prequel to the Star Wolf series, though it has some inconsistencies with the continuity of the later books. 1972’s When HARLIE Was One introduces the AI character and is also considered a tie-in to the Star Wolf books.
Will There Be a Star Wolf Television Series?
As mentioned above, this all began when Gerrold was developing a television series in the late ’80s, and he continued to try and shop the property around after he started putting out the books. Plenty of studios and networks had an interest in the series, but it seemed to face the same bad luck as the crew of the LS-1187. Then in 2013, Gerrold put together a Kickstarter campaign to create a crowd-funded television series based on the property. He believed that the first episode could be produced for $650K and subsequent installments would cost around $500K. Sadly, his efforts did not receive much support, but perhaps the property could be revisited at some point in the future. (You can read more about the attempts to create a Star Wolf series at CancelledSciFi.com.)
Comments on the Audiobook:
The audiobook version of The Voyage of the Star Wolf is narrated by Chris Sorenson. He provides a rather nasally rendition of the book with just slight variances in the voices he provides for each character. At first, I did not care for his narration, but eventually I found that it grew on me. By the time that I got to the second book, I wanted him as the narrator as well (and he is) because once I get accustomed to one voice for a book series I usually want that person to continue with it. Sorenson takes some time to get used to, but ultimately he delivers a good performance. You can get the audio version from Audible.com.
Interesting Facts:
Tribbles apparently exist in the Star Wolf universe and are mentioned in The Voyage of the Star Wolf. The Regulan bloodworms that represent the parasitic threat in Blood and Fire were first mentioned in “The Trouble with Tribbles”. However, in the Star Trek universe, they would later be established as a beneficial species that could be used for cleansing a being’s lymphatic system.
When Gerrold was first asked to develop a sci fi series in the late ’80s, the plan was to reuse the special effects from Battlestar: Galactica. He knew that would not work and decided to create a concept that would force a move away from the recycled sfx.
Where Can You Find the Books?
The three books in the main trilogy are widely available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook format. Starhunt and When HARLIE Was One are available in paperback and eBook format
Main Series:
The Voyage of the Star Wolf: Paperback | ebook | audiobook
The Middle of Nowhere: Paperback | ebook | audiobook
Blood and Fire: Paperback | ebook | audiobook
Prequels:
Starhunt: Paperback | ebook
When HARLIE Was One: Paperback | ebook | audiobook
