To the Stars - Softcover

To the Stars is set in an uncertain, strife-torn future when the first starships of man are traveling across the galaxy—but not without extracting a terrible price from their crews. The novel's thought-provoking opening line, "Space is deep, Man is small and Time is his relentless enemy," powerfully captures the challenges facing the brave men and women of these vessels—people who must give up their former lives to explore space as entire generations and whole societies come and go on Earth, while those aboard remain essentially untouched by the passage of time in a vessel traveling at nearly the speed of light. This immersing, remarkably ruthless drama begins when Alan Corday, a naively unseasoned but brilliant young engineer, is shanghaied from the spaceport at New Chicago and taken aboard the Hound of Heaven bound for the stars. Commanded by a distantly mysterious but charismatic leader by the name of Captain Jocelyn, the Hound traverses the galaxy in an effort to keep open a lifeline between Earth and the first colonies in other star systems. But in the time span of a few crossings, conditions on Earth grow gradually worse and more dangerous, while those aboard are treated increasingly as outcasts and a threat to the powers that control the planet. Against his will, Corday is mercilessly driven by Jocelyn to use his untested intellect and abilities to serve the ship and the beleaguered space colonies. But as events unfold among the turbulent reaches of the galaxy, and during the perilous returns to Earth, Corday discovers a startling truth about his destiny that will give a whole new meaning to man's place in the stars.

AUDIOFILE To the Stars by L. Ron Hubbard Read by Cathy Schenkelberg, Jim Meskimen, R.F. Daley, Bob Caso In this high-end space opera, L. Ron Hubbard reveals himself to have been . . . a skilled sci-fi scribe and futurist. A tough, edgy tale explores the emotional and cultural fallout of near-light-speed travel: Your fresh-faced sweetheart may be senile by the time you return to Earth, and you may not speak the native tongue so well anymore. As To the Stars tackles the existential problems of relativity and coming-of-age, a cast of talented pros, strong character development, and sterling production values make this a rich listen. Special kudos to Jim Meskimen as the terse, enigmatic Captain Jocelyn and to the sound effects team for a smashing, lush job. Alluring packaging plus a bonus CD of tone poems by jazz favorite Chick Corea makes this a standout audio offering.