We All Died at Breakaway Station (Venture SF Books) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

I first read this one almost 25 years ago at the young age of 12. I picked it up from a garage sale bin and was introduced to a genre that, now, nearing 40, I still can't get enough of. The story is about a desperate last stand to hold open a communications point for the Earth fleet. The characters are wounded, battle weary warriors who are resigned to their fate. In this world, modern medicine can prevent the most egregiously wounded sailors from dying, but not from suffering, either the pain or the mental anguish of what they have endured.

I loved the narrative, and I must have read it over a dozen times. Meredith draws you in. You want them to survive, even though you know that they won't. In the end, you come to the realization that death is a victory for these characters, as well as the fulfillment of their mission.

In my opinion, it is a must read for those who enjoy good, hard Military Science Fiction.

I was told about this book by my uncle when he came to visit us over the summer. He said it had pretty good writing, quite a bit of sex, blood and guts, and an alien species that would make the Predators look like pansies. What more could a 17 year old ask for? So I tried finding a copy at the local bookstores but it was out of publication. So I tried Amazon, and I found it! So I ordered it, but I came to realize the book was being shipped from the UK by boat. So I wasn't expecting that it would take a few weeks for it to get here. Throughout that entire time I kept thinking, "what if the wait isn't worth the book?" or "what if I wasted my money?". Well when it arrived and I pulled back the cover to the small paperback, I instantly realized that I hadn't wasted my money. The plot was great, simply put. Absolom Bracer has died before, and he will die again. But not before he, and his half dead crew of the battlecruisers Iwo Jima, the Pharsalus and the hospital ship the Rudolph Cragstone protect Breakaway Station from the Jillie onslaught. Most of the characters in the book have either been injured to the point where they need mechanical body parts and other prostheses or they needed to be brought back to life. I won't give anymore of the plot away because honestly I would do injustice to such a great book. The characters are remarkable in the way that they brought out pity from within me but at the same time respect. The characters were believable, the plot will easily attract any science fiction lover. Someone had told me that the melodramatic writing holds it back from being a true masterpiece. I felt that its melodrama didn't subtract any of the satisfaction that I had gained from reading this. The only con that I have about this outstanding book is that the ending was abrupt, it had a battle scene at the end but it was to short and if the author had spent a little more time with it the ending could have been perfect, but that is only my opinion. Also a suggestion that I have would be to include a ground battle with the Jillies, that would have been something. I also feel that this book should be made into a movie and it should gain the publicity that it so rightfully deserves, unlike some novels today that include sappy vampires and really unconvincing werewolves. But that is on an entire different topic that I won't disclose within this review, it would just tarnish it.

This is book is a challenging read, but very worthwhile. No glossy superman space opera, just the rock hard reality that surviving has its' price. Lots of ideas for the readers and most are left for the reader to finish for himself. Possibly an anti-Vietnam War protestor novel. Greatest question, why should aliens have any fundamental desire for human contact? Personally this book is one of the best military Sci-Fis, as it balances many aspects in others. War is ugly. Thanks, Harry.