The Florians

Daedalus Mission, Book 1

By: Brian M. Stableford

Narrated by: Jack Tracksler

The Florians is the first in an outstanding six-book series known as The Daedelus Mission, which ranks among the best of Stableford's works.

Like the original Star Trek series, the Daedalus is on a multi-year mission to visit remote planets and check on previous colonization attempts. But the intricate plots and scientific detail go far beyond anything in Star Trek. Each planet visited has a unique ecosystem and evolutionary history which Stableford (a biologist himself) brings vividly to life. Alternate evolutionary paths provide fascinating turning-points for plots, and the problems encountered by the Daedalus's crew make exciting stories.

©1976 Brian Stableford (P)2012 Wildside Press LLC

no story

poor book no real story too much technical plant information no real plot want my money back

Not a bad book; narration could be better

Overall, the story was quite good, and the conclusion of the novel proved to be rather unexpected. . The basic conflict is predictable, but I really liked how it wasn't entirely clear which side was 'good.' The novel is paced well, too. Too many authors try to fatten up a book by unnecessarily delaying the critical 'revelations' which lead to the conclusion of the conflict; here, it all flows nicely. My only real problem with the book was the narrator. At the beginning of the book, the narrator's cadence was a little off. He seemed to pause in odd spots, and skip pauses in more natural places. I can't really say whether it got better as the book progressed, or if my ear just became accustomed to it, but I eventually found myself enjoying the book, and the narrator simply slipped into the background.

Very Pleasant Surprise

If you could sum up The Florians in three words, what would they be?

adventurous, insightful and enjoyable

What did you like best about this story?

The blend of a very good story with insight into human behavior.

Have you listened to any of Jack Tracksler’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

All I know is that in this story, his performance helped make the story great.

Any additional comments?

I never caught this story in its original form, if I had I would have had the whole series. I can't wait for the rest of the series to come to audio.