©1984 Lawrence I. Charters
Fantasy Review, Volume 7, Number 5, June 1984
Author Threatened With Extinction
Tubb, E. C. Stardeath. Del Rey /Ballantine, New York, November 1983. 182 p. $2.25, paper. ISBN 0-345-30837-9.
Kurt Varl, somber, capable, and unjustly wronged, has been given a chance to redeem himself. All he must do is secretly outfit a heavily armed ship and defeat whatever it is that destroys passenger ships in hyperspace. Along the way he secretly meets the leader of the galaxy, recruits a band of fellow misfits, and shows his open mindedness by allowing women to be part of the crew. Once engaged in battle, he spends his time ordering the engineer (fortunately, not a Scot) to provide “More power!” The women, befitting their elevated role, distinguish themselves by serving coffee to the men.
Tubb has been writing books like this for decades. He should be stopped.