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The Icarus Saga #0
The Icarus Hunt
Smuggler Jordan McKell has partner Ixil, an alien whose two "ferrets" ride his shoulders and telepathically exchange simple messages. They take a job on the odd-shaped ship Icarus. But the ragtag crew was found at taverns, the secret cargo sealed tight, the employer missing, and a saboteur is aboard. After a beautiful crew member helps uncover the nature of their cargo for Earth, Jordan suspects they are in a vast conspiracy set to change human history. Unfortunately, he's right.
459 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 3, 1999
About the author
Timothy Zahn
423 books7,942 followersTimothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
October 2, 2018
My friends know how fast I hopped on the Quadrail series and how enthusiastic I was about it. Zahn is one of the genre’s best world-builders. The Icarus Hunt is another showcase for his talent. I see a lot of similarities between this and Quadrail. We have our anti-hero with whom we mostly bond as we learn the reasons for his picaresque career. We have a challenge or mission that seems simple and becomes very complicated. We have a multiplicity of alien worlds, alien cultures and nefarious dealers. Our guy, Jordan, has to figure all of this out before time and his lucky streak come to a crashing end.
"I didn’t care about being popular. Well, I did, actually, as much as anyone else, but I’d long since resigned myself to the knowledge that people who liked me were going to be few and far between. The vital question right now, though, was not popularity but trust and obedience. If there was any chance at all of making it through the ever-tightening Patth noose, it was going to require all of us working together. All of us. Including our mysterious saboteur."
Yes, this is science fiction but with a healthy component of detection and thriller packed-in. A guy finds him in a bar and offers him a chance to make some “easy money” by piloting his ship to Earth. He needs to get there fast and his cargo is sealed so no one can see it or play around with it. Jordan signs on for an early next day departure but the guy never shows up and Jordan is left with a note and some cash saying I will meet you later; you and the crew will get a lot more when you deliver the load; keep to our bargain. The ship, the Icarus, takes off and Jordan has to cope with the logistics of getting to Earth; the fact that there is a saboteur on board; and, an entire race of space traders seems to be after the Icarus.
All this plays out in a fast-paced, twisting plot full of surprises and inventive technology, diseases, and venues. "Uncle Arthur had said the Patth Director General was personally calling the various governments along our route; but what if he was not, in fact, speaking for the entire Patth government? I’d always assumed the Patth were fairly monolithic, at least insofar as their relations with other species were concerned. But what if that wasn’t the case?"
What Jordan can’t figure out could kill him. The Patth have put a price on his head. Even Uncle Arthur or Brother John could have him killed. “Crazy. This is a job for professionals, not a bunch of loose spacers picked off the Meima streets.”
What’s not to like in this taut sci-fi thriller? Another feather awarded to Timothy Zahn.
(My only lingering question is whether this elaborately built universe is just for a single novel. He wrote it almost 20 years ago and I don’t see where he has used it again. Sad )
"I didn’t care about being popular. Well, I did, actually, as much as anyone else, but I’d long since resigned myself to the knowledge that people who liked me were going to be few and far between. The vital question right now, though, was not popularity but trust and obedience. If there was any chance at all of making it through the ever-tightening Patth noose, it was going to require all of us working together. All of us. Including our mysterious saboteur."
Yes, this is science fiction but with a healthy component of detection and thriller packed-in. A guy finds him in a bar and offers him a chance to make some “easy money” by piloting his ship to Earth. He needs to get there fast and his cargo is sealed so no one can see it or play around with it. Jordan signs on for an early next day departure but the guy never shows up and Jordan is left with a note and some cash saying I will meet you later; you and the crew will get a lot more when you deliver the load; keep to our bargain. The ship, the Icarus, takes off and Jordan has to cope with the logistics of getting to Earth; the fact that there is a saboteur on board; and, an entire race of space traders seems to be after the Icarus.
All this plays out in a fast-paced, twisting plot full of surprises and inventive technology, diseases, and venues. "Uncle Arthur had said the Patth Director General was personally calling the various governments along our route; but what if he was not, in fact, speaking for the entire Patth government? I’d always assumed the Patth were fairly monolithic, at least insofar as their relations with other species were concerned. But what if that wasn’t the case?"
What Jordan can’t figure out could kill him. The Patth have put a price on his head. Even Uncle Arthur or Brother John could have him killed. “Crazy. This is a job for professionals, not a bunch of loose spacers picked off the Meima streets.”
What’s not to like in this taut sci-fi thriller? Another feather awarded to Timothy Zahn.
(My only lingering question is whether this elaborately built universe is just for a single novel. He wrote it almost 20 years ago and I don’t see where he has used it again. Sad )
February 14, 2009
A mystery, it just happens to be in space. I don't really have anything bad to say about this book. The characters are interesting, the premise and conflicts are fun, and you'll be trying to figure out what the heck is going on right up until the very end.
Also, Zahn's world-building is in top form in this book. I can't stress this enough. He created a whole universe, just for this book, and made it seem incredibly vast. With a couple sentences he can introduce a brand new race, social order, or law of astrophysics, and fit them perfectly into the story without bogging you down in details. This very paragraph is less concise, yet less explanatory than many of Zahn's descriptions of entire worlds in this novel.
This is the book I would hand someone who says anything to the effect of, "I don't read much science fiction, but it looks interesting. There is so much, though, where should I start?" Start right here, my friend. This is the sci-fi gateway drug.
Also, Zahn's world-building is in top form in this book. I can't stress this enough. He created a whole universe, just for this book, and made it seem incredibly vast. With a couple sentences he can introduce a brand new race, social order, or law of astrophysics, and fit them perfectly into the story without bogging you down in details. This very paragraph is less concise, yet less explanatory than many of Zahn's descriptions of entire worlds in this novel.
This is the book I would hand someone who says anything to the effect of, "I don't read much science fiction, but it looks interesting. There is so much, though, where should I start?" Start right here, my friend. This is the sci-fi gateway drug.
August 17, 2007
The twist at the end was totally unexpected and awesome, and I had to reread the book almost immediately with the new information. This book also has one of my all-time favorite quotes:
For a change, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on me. Then again, maybe the fickle wench was just lulling me into a false sense of security while she reached for a rock.
For a change, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on me. Then again, maybe the fickle wench was just lulling me into a false sense of security while she reached for a rock.
January 4, 2023
2020 reread: not as good as I recalled, but still a good book. Strong start, sags in the middle, then comes back with a bravura finish. 3.6 stars, rounded up.
2016 review: A really excellent SF mystery. Read Foomy's fine review here, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... --then put this one on your To-read list. Highly recommended.
2016 review: A really excellent SF mystery. Read Foomy's fine review here, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... --then put this one on your To-read list. Highly recommended.
May 28, 2022
This book was highly recommended by a friend and it was also brought up twice as a possibility for book club. Needless to say, I added it to my to-read list, and I'm really happy that I finally got around to reading it. It was a good mystery set in space and I really like Zahn's writing style. I think he's best known for the Star Wars books he's written, and I could see some of that influence in this book. The opening scene in the bar reminded me a lot of the cantina, and the main character had some Han Solo type personality traits. I really liked his personality and sense of humor.
“For a change, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on me. Then again, maybe the fickle wench was just lulling me into a false sense of security while she reached for a rock.”
I wouldn't compare this overall to Star Wars though. I actually liked this book better than anything Star Wars, but that's just me. This is an interesting mash up of mystery, sci-fi, noir, and space opera, and there are plenty of twists and turns in this story to keep you intrigued. I didn't see them all coming, so that was a real plus.
I loved that this was a standalone, but also hated that it was. It was nice to read something and just get to the end of it without having to read a lot of sequels, but at the same time I wouldn't have minded a sequel to this one. I'm definitely open to reading more books by this author.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.
“For a change, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on me. Then again, maybe the fickle wench was just lulling me into a false sense of security while she reached for a rock.”
I wouldn't compare this overall to Star Wars though. I actually liked this book better than anything Star Wars, but that's just me. This is an interesting mash up of mystery, sci-fi, noir, and space opera, and there are plenty of twists and turns in this story to keep you intrigued. I didn't see them all coming, so that was a real plus.
I loved that this was a standalone, but also hated that it was. It was nice to read something and just get to the end of it without having to read a lot of sequels, but at the same time I wouldn't have minded a sequel to this one. I'm definitely open to reading more books by this author.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.
June 4, 2015
This is billed as a "space opera mystery" which sounds exciting. Action! Intrigue! Some sort of "hunt"!
Unfortunately, it doesn't really come together, despite actually having those elements. Delivering on a promise sometimes doesn't work.
Part of the problem here is that the book is too long and meandering. Mysteries tend to be taut. The Icarus Hunt could have used substantial trimming by the folks at Reader's Digest Condensed Books.
Someone once said that an author's first novel should be a mystery, because it teaches you how to build a plot and placing clues within the text for the reader to ponder. It feels like Zahn's only exposure to mystery is really bad B-movies where the detective sums up everything at a dinner party, where he reveals the dastardly plot and exclaims, "And one of those present is the murrrrdererrr!" And that is exactly what happens here. Protagonist Jordan McKell gathers everyone together for dinner and says exactly that line.
Go watch the funny 1982 movie Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (full movie free here on YouTube) where the detective and criminal mastermind have a "Reveal-Off" where they each try to out-compete the other in order to beat the other to revealing the plot. It's a funny send-up of this trope. I wish Zahn had seen that movie instead of only the bad movies they're mocking.
He also uses the tired trick of simply not telling the reader what's happening. The old "He asked me what I needed, so I told him" gambit... then we later find out what those things are. Nine times out of ten this feels like an Ass Pull because there wasn't enough foreshadowing, and this happens in a big way at the end, and is then followed by a smaller version. The small one would have been a fine reveal if it hadn't just been preceded by an asspull that verges dangerously on a ridiculous deus ex machina.
I give this book one star because it simply didn't work for me. The IDEA behind the story is fine, but the execution was too cliched and overlong.
Unfortunately, it doesn't really come together, despite actually having those elements. Delivering on a promise sometimes doesn't work.
Part of the problem here is that the book is too long and meandering. Mysteries tend to be taut. The Icarus Hunt could have used substantial trimming by the folks at Reader's Digest Condensed Books.
Someone once said that an author's first novel should be a mystery, because it teaches you how to build a plot and placing clues within the text for the reader to ponder. It feels like Zahn's only exposure to mystery is really bad B-movies where the detective sums up everything at a dinner party, where he reveals the dastardly plot and exclaims, "And one of those present is the murrrrdererrr!" And that is exactly what happens here. Protagonist Jordan McKell gathers everyone together for dinner and says exactly that line.
Go watch the funny 1982 movie Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (full movie free here on YouTube) where the detective and criminal mastermind have a "Reveal-Off" where they each try to out-compete the other in order to beat the other to revealing the plot. It's a funny send-up of this trope. I wish Zahn had seen that movie instead of only the bad movies they're mocking.
He also uses the tired trick of simply not telling the reader what's happening. The old "He asked me what I needed, so I told him" gambit... then we later find out what those things are. Nine times out of ten this feels like an Ass Pull because there wasn't enough foreshadowing, and this happens in a big way at the end, and is then followed by a smaller version. The small one would have been a fine reveal if it hadn't just been preceded by an asspull that verges dangerously on a ridiculous deus ex machina.
I give this book one star because it simply didn't work for me. The IDEA behind the story is fine, but the execution was too cliched and overlong.
April 25, 2008
My younger brother, David, gave me this book. As I began to read it, I quickly realized why he did so. The protagonist, Jordan McKell, is amazingly similar to certain Traveller characters that my brother has played over the years. And also, let me say without spoiling it, that I was completely fooled as to the overall motivation of said protagonist. But when all was revealed in the final chapters, I knew why my brother had enjoyed this book so much.
But before that final revelation/climax, I felt like I was reading a thinly disguised Star Wars novel. From the first description of the hyperspace design to the protagonist's partner (a large alien creature who seems smarter than his starship captain), I felt like I was reading an outline that had been rejected by Lucasfilm Licensing and sold as "generic" space opera.
In many ways, it was "generic" space opera. Zahn does a solid job of conveying starship and personal combat. He even does an Agatha Christie-like job of shotgunning pellets of suspicion and innuendo at every member of the crew in order to keep one in suspense. However, I found the pacing to fall into a plodding walk at times and some of the intermediate obstacles to be painfully obvious and something I would have clicked past in a PC game.
However, as much as I was taken unawares at the time of the climactic revelation, I felt cheated by the fact that there was not adequate foreshadowing to support the aforementioned revelation. I used Agatha Christie earlier as an example because the final unveiling felt a bit like the accusation directed at the Agatha Christie parody in the great murder mystery satire, Murder By Death. We simply weren't prepared for it. With a bit tighter pacing and just a little bit of character preparation for what happens at the conclusion, this would have been a 4-star book instead of merely an average read.
But before that final revelation/climax, I felt like I was reading a thinly disguised Star Wars novel. From the first description of the hyperspace design to the protagonist's partner (a large alien creature who seems smarter than his starship captain), I felt like I was reading an outline that had been rejected by Lucasfilm Licensing and sold as "generic" space opera.
In many ways, it was "generic" space opera. Zahn does a solid job of conveying starship and personal combat. He even does an Agatha Christie-like job of shotgunning pellets of suspicion and innuendo at every member of the crew in order to keep one in suspense. However, I found the pacing to fall into a plodding walk at times and some of the intermediate obstacles to be painfully obvious and something I would have clicked past in a PC game.
However, as much as I was taken unawares at the time of the climactic revelation, I felt cheated by the fact that there was not adequate foreshadowing to support the aforementioned revelation. I used Agatha Christie earlier as an example because the final unveiling felt a bit like the accusation directed at the Agatha Christie parody in the great murder mystery satire, Murder By Death. We simply weren't prepared for it. With a bit tighter pacing and just a little bit of character preparation for what happens at the conclusion, this would have been a 4-star book instead of merely an average read.
July 8, 2015
My husband and two of my sisters-in-law love science fiction. Me, not so much. The Icarus Hunt is the sci-fi book for people who don't like sci-fi, much as the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich is the mystery series for people who hate mysteries.
What Timothy Zahn has created is basically a gumshoe novel based in space. His characterization is wonderful, and the plot is more than satisfying. I've recommended this book to just about everyone I know.
And, you sci-fi fans, my husband -- a certified sci-fi geek -- loved this novel, too.
What Timothy Zahn has created is basically a gumshoe novel based in space. His characterization is wonderful, and the plot is more than satisfying. I've recommended this book to just about everyone I know.
And, you sci-fi fans, my husband -- a certified sci-fi geek -- loved this novel, too.
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May 23, 2012
Every time I read this authors name I imagine fat, old Kirk shaking his fist and yelling, "Zaaaaahhhhhn".
Anyway, I actually read this because Nathan was wondering if Zahn was similar at all to David Weber. I hadn't read any Zahn before (except the first 30 pages or so of a Star Wars novel, I just can't read Star Wars novels for some reason, can't do it.)He rec'ed this one so here we are.
The Icarus Hunt is the story of a renegade space smugglerHan Solo Jordan McKell, who is hired by a mysterious stranger to take some kind of mysterious, sealed cargo to Earth from whatever planet they were on that I don't feel like looking up. Along the way they run into a variety of problems and are soon on the lam from an evil alien species whose economic future is threatened by the mysterious cargo. Mystery abounds.
This was a perfectly enjoyable novel, well paced with engaging characters and a mystery at the heart of the story. I enjoyed it very much but the story ended with an enormous DEM that kind of ruined the end of the book for me. It wrapped up everything way too neatly and left me felling like the author just was writing along and suddenly thought, "Oh shit, I have to wrap this up in, like, 30 pages". Oh well.
To finally answer the question that started all of this, if this book is in any way representative of Zahn's writing style (and since this is the only example I have I am going to assume, for purposes of this review, that it is) then he and Weber have almost nothing in common. The Weber books I have read have been big on technology and extremely lengthy explanations of exactly how every...single...god...damned...thing works in sometimes excruciating detail. Weber's characters are paper thin for the most part, with the exception of Honor Harrington herself, she is well developed and a very good character. Zahn, on the other hand, appears to have better developed characters and a better sense of pacing and dialog. He either writes in a more personal style or the first person POV comes off that way while Weber's style seems more structured. Zahn and Weber are not similar except possibly in quality, they are both solid but not spectacular authors with significant strengths and significant weaknesses.
Anyway, I actually read this because Nathan was wondering if Zahn was similar at all to David Weber. I hadn't read any Zahn before (except the first 30 pages or so of a Star Wars novel, I just can't read Star Wars novels for some reason, can't do it.)He rec'ed this one so here we are.
The Icarus Hunt is the story of a renegade space smuggler
This was a perfectly enjoyable novel, well paced with engaging characters and a mystery at the heart of the story. I enjoyed it very much but the story ended with an enormous DEM that kind of ruined the end of the book for me. It wrapped up everything way too neatly and left me felling like the author just was writing along and suddenly thought, "Oh shit, I have to wrap this up in, like, 30 pages". Oh well.
To finally answer the question that started all of this, if this book is in any way representative of Zahn's writing style (and since this is the only example I have I am going to assume, for purposes of this review, that it is) then he and Weber have almost nothing in common. The Weber books I have read have been big on technology and extremely lengthy explanations of exactly how every...single...god...damned...thing works in sometimes excruciating detail. Weber's characters are paper thin for the most part, with the exception of Honor Harrington herself, she is well developed and a very good character. Zahn, on the other hand, appears to have better developed characters and a better sense of pacing and dialog. He either writes in a more personal style or the first person POV comes off that way while Weber's style seems more structured. Zahn and Weber are not similar except possibly in quality, they are both solid but not spectacular authors with significant strengths and significant weaknesses.
March 29, 2017
Timothy Zahn is one of my favorite writers. The Icarus Hunt provides a perfect example of why. He breaks a lot of rules, but he's got the skills to get away with it. From the first chapter, you can tell the main character Jordan McKell packs a lot of secrets. You don't get to all of those secrets in the first chapter, and he even manages to hold onto some big ones all the way to the final chapter. Hard enough to pull that off with any character in the novel, let alone the main character and with the story told in first person from his point-of-view. In a lesser writer's hands, the reader will sense they're being set up and lose interest in the story and characters.
He also gets away with what looks like a lot of telling versus showing. Many scenes offer nothing but McKell bouncing theories off his partner, an alien named Ixil. These chapters work great, mounting the tension and stakes of the story instead of leaving the reader yawning.
There's plenty for these two to discuss. Almost as soon as McKell gets recruited to pilot a mysterious ship called the Icarus, his troubles mount. He starts with plenty of problems anyway, deep in debt for a nasty sum of money to an even nastier group of smugglers who aren't too happy about his little side job on the Icarus. Things only get worse, culminating in a race between some of the most powerful empires in the galaxy to capture the Icarus and seize its secrets. The question is whether McKell can figure out that secret in time to save his hide and keep the Icarus out of the hands of the alien Patth who have a stranglehold on intergalactic shipping.
Zahn has a gift for sci-fi noir. While I adore his work, I will admit that my last ride with him aboard the Night Train to Rigel didn't work for me as well as The Icarus Hunt. One thing he does well in all his books is handle alien cultures. He knows how to sneak in all the little details that make things so real. More than once, he has aliens attempt to mimic human gestures, but their efforts only emphasize their alien nature. He also builds worlds with familiar touches. Even with all the hi-tech stuff, he manages to sneak in present day cultural references that have lived into the future. For God's sake, he mentions Elvis and Mardi Gras. Perhaps the funniest place this shows up is in the clever false names McKell and his crew have to cook up for the Icarus as they slip onto one world after another with mixed results. One of my favorite false names given to the Icarus is the Stewed Brunswick.
If you enjoy mystery and noir, you'll enjoy this book. If you like a book that takes you to far off, imaginary worlds that feel and smell real, you'll also love this book. Maybe you just love Timothy Zahn, and if that's the case, you need to get this book.
He also gets away with what looks like a lot of telling versus showing. Many scenes offer nothing but McKell bouncing theories off his partner, an alien named Ixil. These chapters work great, mounting the tension and stakes of the story instead of leaving the reader yawning.
There's plenty for these two to discuss. Almost as soon as McKell gets recruited to pilot a mysterious ship called the Icarus, his troubles mount. He starts with plenty of problems anyway, deep in debt for a nasty sum of money to an even nastier group of smugglers who aren't too happy about his little side job on the Icarus. Things only get worse, culminating in a race between some of the most powerful empires in the galaxy to capture the Icarus and seize its secrets. The question is whether McKell can figure out that secret in time to save his hide and keep the Icarus out of the hands of the alien Patth who have a stranglehold on intergalactic shipping.
Zahn has a gift for sci-fi noir. While I adore his work, I will admit that my last ride with him aboard the Night Train to Rigel didn't work for me as well as The Icarus Hunt. One thing he does well in all his books is handle alien cultures. He knows how to sneak in all the little details that make things so real. More than once, he has aliens attempt to mimic human gestures, but their efforts only emphasize their alien nature. He also builds worlds with familiar touches. Even with all the hi-tech stuff, he manages to sneak in present day cultural references that have lived into the future. For God's sake, he mentions Elvis and Mardi Gras. Perhaps the funniest place this shows up is in the clever false names McKell and his crew have to cook up for the Icarus as they slip onto one world after another with mixed results. One of my favorite false names given to the Icarus is the Stewed Brunswick.
If you enjoy mystery and noir, you'll enjoy this book. If you like a book that takes you to far off, imaginary worlds that feel and smell real, you'll also love this book. Maybe you just love Timothy Zahn, and if that's the case, you need to get this book.
January 24, 2024
“The future of the human race could well lie within your hands.”
Zahn opens a space opera in an alien tavern. What could go wrong? Slow start despite all the action. A clueless-protagonist puzzle story. Not your typical cuddly, good-guy-at-heart protagonist.
It was worse than I’d thought. Now she was sensing nobility and honor and decency in me. I had to nip this in the bud, and fast.
Skillful misdirection and red herrings. Protagonist seems to intentionally aggravate people he shouldn’t. What does he know that he isn’t telling?
“I have no current theories. All I have are useless, outdated ones that couldn’t hold glue with both hands.”
Maps? Datadisks? Paper? Remarkably anachronistic technology despite it 1999 publication. Hyperspace jumps from planetary orbit with nearby vehicles?
Humanity was counting on us, and humanity was in trouble.
Zahn opens a space opera in an alien tavern. What could go wrong? Slow start despite all the action. A clueless-protagonist puzzle story. Not your typical cuddly, good-guy-at-heart protagonist.
It was worse than I’d thought. Now she was sensing nobility and honor and decency in me. I had to nip this in the bud, and fast.
Skillful misdirection and red herrings. Protagonist seems to intentionally aggravate people he shouldn’t. What does he know that he isn’t telling?
“I have no current theories. All I have are useless, outdated ones that couldn’t hold glue with both hands.”
Maps? Datadisks? Paper? Remarkably anachronistic technology despite it 1999 publication. Hyperspace jumps from planetary orbit with nearby vehicles?
Humanity was counting on us, and humanity was in trouble.
May 31, 2013
A pretty fun read. This author is best known for his Star Wars novels, and while this is not one of them, it’s set in similar universe where one walks into a bar and finds members of a dozen alien species all nursing their beers and waiting for someone to start a fight. Also, the protagonist is a smuggler, with an alien partner, who owes big money to a big bad guy.
The plot is a version of a country house murder mystery. There’s a murder on board a spaceship, the crew are all strangers to each other, and at least one of them must be guilty. Meanwhile various hostile people are chasing them across the galaxy, in pursuit of the mysterious cargo the ship is carrying.
The writing is serviceable, and once I got past the awkward introduction of the characters I was entertained by the plot. I even liked the twist at the end, which is corny but fits in well with the style of the book.
The plot is a version of a country house murder mystery. There’s a murder on board a spaceship, the crew are all strangers to each other, and at least one of them must be guilty. Meanwhile various hostile people are chasing them across the galaxy, in pursuit of the mysterious cargo the ship is carrying.
The writing is serviceable, and once I got past the awkward introduction of the characters I was entertained by the plot. I even liked the twist at the end, which is corny but fits in well with the style of the book.
December 26, 2023
Really liked this... need to read more Zahn... audio options seem limited, tho...
EDIT: just as good on re-read... and now turning into a series...
EDIT: just as good on re-read... and now turning into a series...
March 7, 2024
Written in 1999, the engineering/technology in this futuristic sci-fi novel is sadly dated. Intercoms are the zenith of communications. Electric door controls can be rewired with a screwdriver. Ships can spoof customs by using a pseudonym. It's jarring.
Zahn, who I thought knew better, writes aliens as if they all think the same way humans do. This whole story could have been transcribed into a WWII murder mystery on a submarine and little would have changed. admittedly, I like the idea of an alien with autonomous rats/drones whose discoveries/sense-memories can be synched with the host. However, that may be the only original part of this book.
I'm curious as to how the sequel, written 23 years after this book's publication, will cope with the technological anachronisms... but not curious enough to actually read it.
Zahn, who I thought knew better, writes aliens as if they all think the same way humans do. This whole story could have been transcribed into a WWII murder mystery on a submarine and little would have changed. admittedly, I like the idea of an alien with autonomous rats/drones whose discoveries/sense-memories can be synched with the host. However, that may be the only original part of this book.
I'm curious as to how the sequel, written 23 years after this book's publication, will cope with the technological anachronisms... but not curious enough to actually read it.
July 25, 2020
To be fair, this was more like a 3.5 for me but, you know, Goodreads. I love a good murder mystery, and while it might stretch the bounds of believability (even for sci-fi), and the end twist was a bit much, I still enjoyed myself.
June 10, 2023
3.5 Rounded up to 4. The world building was good, the plot had some interesting parts, and there were some good action scenes, but a lot of the mystery stuff didn't hit the mark for me. I also got a little frustrated by the main character, his deductions seemed rather dubious. Don't get me wrong, I put the audiobook for the next one in this series on hold at the library, but still a lot of things didn't hit the mark for me. I'd still probably rate it higher than other things I've given 3.5 stars to before though. So let's call it 3.75...
June 3, 2024
about 25% too long, and pretty cliched, but okay. A sneering, sarcastic independent pilot/smuggler has adventures flying an odd ship. After everything plays out, characters sit around and explain to each other how it played out but as I the reader was there, I didn't really need that.
He's a competent writer, and I made it all the way through and by next Tuesday, I won't remember a thing about.
He's a competent writer, and I made it all the way through and by next Tuesday, I won't remember a thing about.
May 16, 2018
I nearly didn't finish this. The Icarus Hunt had rather a slow start, and it took until I was about 10% of the way into the book before I cared enough about what happened to the characters to be bothered about reading on. Of course, once the story really got going, I was hooked!
This is plot-driven rather than character-driven sci-fi; if you're looking for deep, meaningful, complex characters, look elsewhere. We don't even get much depth on the main character, let alone any of the others. On the other hand, the plot is exciting and fast-paced, so that's what kept me reading. This is fun, light science fiction - perfect for whiling away a few hours, and coming away with a smile on your face.
This is plot-driven rather than character-driven sci-fi; if you're looking for deep, meaningful, complex characters, look elsewhere. We don't even get much depth on the main character, let alone any of the others. On the other hand, the plot is exciting and fast-paced, so that's what kept me reading. This is fun, light science fiction - perfect for whiling away a few hours, and coming away with a smile on your face.
June 10, 2023
Action packed, the story twists and turns and there’s always something new round the corner. I enjoyed the characters and it’s unusual to have a narrative character save a personal reveal for the end. I think the relentless pace did mean the facts of each problem didn’t have space to breathe.
It felt more thriller with sci fi dressing but overall an excellent story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2011
A brother of mine turned me on to SF writer Timothy Zahn (the author of a number of Star Wars novels as well as the Conquerors' Trilogy and Dragonback series). My introduction to Zahn came via The Icarus Hunt - a fun and fast-paced space opera jaunt through the galaxy. I thoroughly enjoyed the engaging characters, witty dialog and repartee, as well as the adventure laden plot (that reads like an Agatha Christie in space along with the requisite locked room mystery and Poirot-like denouement). Good, clean fun (with a few minor swear words and PG situations) - a solid book in which to introduce the genre to your junior higher! Don't let the 450 pages deter you either, quest/adventure novels have come a long way since Don Quixote.
Zahn is a talented writer with an imagination that spices up the standard space opera trope with just the right amount (imo) of hard SF detail. The Icarus is a spaceship that is carrying an unknown cargo that could break the economic stranglehold of the Patth, an alien civilization that controls a majority of the commercial space lanes. Enter Captain Jordan McKell who is hired to pilot the Icarus to Earth - and along the way unravels a number of mysteries that spring up regarding this special cargo. The book is a page-turner as McKell jumps through space from one crisis to the next.
I enjoy Zahn's first person narrative voice (via a Han Solo-esque protagonist); he nicely integrates dialog and action, weaving in the world-building and background information through POV reflection and conversation. If there is a quibble, it would be that his characters "grimace" too often. It's a descriptive word, but is almost as frequently used as "said" for a dialog marker. (I've noticed in the two other books I've read by Zahn that grimacing must be one of his writerly peccadillos.) Still, I can live with that since it doesn't take away from the story, and eventually one just ignores those markers.
That said, if you're looking for an escape while hiking in the mountains or at the beach this summer, grab The Icarus Hunt and strap yourself in for a wild ride. (8 out of 10)
Zahn is a talented writer with an imagination that spices up the standard space opera trope with just the right amount (imo) of hard SF detail. The Icarus is a spaceship that is carrying an unknown cargo that could break the economic stranglehold of the Patth, an alien civilization that controls a majority of the commercial space lanes. Enter Captain Jordan McKell who is hired to pilot the Icarus to Earth - and along the way unravels a number of mysteries that spring up regarding this special cargo. The book is a page-turner as McKell jumps through space from one crisis to the next.
I enjoy Zahn's first person narrative voice (via a Han Solo-esque protagonist); he nicely integrates dialog and action, weaving in the world-building and background information through POV reflection and conversation. If there is a quibble, it would be that his characters "grimace" too often. It's a descriptive word, but is almost as frequently used as "said" for a dialog marker. (I've noticed in the two other books I've read by Zahn that grimacing must be one of his writerly peccadillos.) Still, I can live with that since it doesn't take away from the story, and eventually one just ignores those markers.
That said, if you're looking for an escape while hiking in the mountains or at the beach this summer, grab The Icarus Hunt and strap yourself in for a wild ride. (8 out of 10)
March 11, 2012
I am a big fan of Timothy Zahn. He is (deservedly) best known for his Star Wars novels, which are excellent and probably his greatest works.
However he has also written several phenomenal original works, of which Icarus Hunt is my favorite.
Jordan McKell is a down on his luck independent shipper who isn't "all that independent, actually, not anymore." A small fry smuggler for an organization that bailed him out of his debts, McKell gets in further over his head when he accepts a side job to pilot a ship carrying a secret cargo dug up from an archeological site back to Earth. Related in first person, Jordan's story carries the reader along a struggle keep a thrown together crew a step ahead of parties interested in his cargo and that epitomize "any means necessary."
A key element of Zahn's craft is his amazing intuition for how much detail to explain. This story is not about the specifics of the alien races encountered, or the mechanics of their method of space travel, etc. It's a suspense story of a group of characters we desperately want to know the fates of. But these things are necessary knowledge for understanding how events proceed. Zahn weaves just enough of the particulars that you feel like you're right there with them and know what they know. The fact that he does so seamlessly and without drawing attention to it or slowing the story down is a highlight of his writing, and this book in particular.
Equal parts mystery and science fiction, Icarus Hunt grabs you at word one and keeps you going until the last puzzle piece clicks into place. It also holds up beautifully to repeat readings, where all the little things overlooked the first time through lock into place and enhance your ride through Jordan's journey.
However he has also written several phenomenal original works, of which Icarus Hunt is my favorite.
Jordan McKell is a down on his luck independent shipper who isn't "all that independent, actually, not anymore." A small fry smuggler for an organization that bailed him out of his debts, McKell gets in further over his head when he accepts a side job to pilot a ship carrying a secret cargo dug up from an archeological site back to Earth. Related in first person, Jordan's story carries the reader along a struggle keep a thrown together crew a step ahead of parties interested in his cargo and that epitomize "any means necessary."
A key element of Zahn's craft is his amazing intuition for how much detail to explain. This story is not about the specifics of the alien races encountered, or the mechanics of their method of space travel, etc. It's a suspense story of a group of characters we desperately want to know the fates of. But these things are necessary knowledge for understanding how events proceed. Zahn weaves just enough of the particulars that you feel like you're right there with them and know what they know. The fact that he does so seamlessly and without drawing attention to it or slowing the story down is a highlight of his writing, and this book in particular.
Equal parts mystery and science fiction, Icarus Hunt grabs you at word one and keeps you going until the last puzzle piece clicks into place. It also holds up beautifully to repeat readings, where all the little things overlooked the first time through lock into place and enhance your ride through Jordan's journey.
September 30, 2017
Jordan McKell is a freelance smuggler, taking jobs in dingy spaceport bars when he's offered a contract to take a strange ship with a seal cargo of alien artifacts to Earth. When one of the crew is murdered by a saboteur, and alerts are put out for him and the ship, McKell realizes that he's stumbled into something big. The cargo of the Icarus could upend an interstellar transport monopoly, and a lot of people want to make sure that they get the benefit. It's up to McKell to figure out who to trust in his crew of strangers, along with his partner, an alien Ixil who's a composite being.
Zahn blends gritty smuggler space opera a la Firefly or Han Solo with an Agatha Christie parlor murder. It's okay, though nothing to write home about. The setting seems cobbled together out of scifi tropes, rather than a cohesive vision of anything. And as a mystery, the alien tech allows for deus ex machina explanation of what happens, rather than a careful piecing together of clues. Finally, there's the twist. McKell isn't actually a smuggler, he's a deep undercover cop trying to bust a galactic crime lord. This makes some of his personality traits make more sense, but I'm not sure I like a bait and switch that big.
Zahn blends gritty smuggler space opera a la Firefly or Han Solo with an Agatha Christie parlor murder. It's okay, though nothing to write home about. The setting seems cobbled together out of scifi tropes, rather than a cohesive vision of anything. And as a mystery, the alien tech allows for deus ex machina explanation of what happens, rather than a careful piecing together of clues. Finally, there's the twist. McKell isn't actually a smuggler, he's a deep undercover cop trying to bust a galactic crime lord. This makes some of his personality traits make more sense, but I'm not sure I like a bait and switch that big.
December 12, 2017
Most nerds will know Timothy Zahn as the creating of Grand Admiral Thrawn for the Star Wars expanded universe. This book is s science fiction tale taking place in Zahn's own setting. It is a noir murder mystery space opera, where a crew is thrown together and has to deal with murder and treachery will piloting a mysterious spacecraft. I got this because the kindle version was on sale for $0.99 and I was familiar with the author. It was an entertaining read. I found all of the genre elements to be balanced well. The mystery did not overshadow the sci-fi and so on. Recommended for sci-fi fans and fans of Zahn's writing.
June 15, 2009
- in brief: sci-fi suspense/mystery
- expansion: Jordan McKell is a small-time cargo runner who is asked to captain a ship, the Icarus, across the Orion Arm and back to Earth. He is in over his head almost at once. A crew member is murdered, a ruthless organization is after the Icarus’ mysterious cargo, and Jordan’s own past is warring with his current problems to see which can kill him first.
- my thoughts: Zahn can build a universe out of matchsticks and play-dough; this is perhaps his best, and most self-contained, novel.
- my favorite character: Ixil. He has ferrets!
- expansion: Jordan McKell is a small-time cargo runner who is asked to captain a ship, the Icarus, across the Orion Arm and back to Earth. He is in over his head almost at once. A crew member is murdered, a ruthless organization is after the Icarus’ mysterious cargo, and Jordan’s own past is warring with his current problems to see which can kill him first.
- my thoughts: Zahn can build a universe out of matchsticks and play-dough; this is perhaps his best, and most self-contained, novel.
- my favorite character: Ixil. He has ferrets!
July 20, 2010
Holy cow! This is without doubt my favorite book. it is an intense read, with a twist that is completely unexpected.
January 15, 2018
This is one of my all-time favourite SF novels from a man known mostly for his Star Wars books. This is non-stop action with twists and turns you won't see coming.
January 29, 2023
Great Book - good mystery and a great end. One of the best Sci-fi books I've read.
August 20, 2024
Fantastic read! The Icarus Hunt is a perfect mix of thriller and mystery set in space. "Puzzlebox" is a term I often see associated with this book, and it fully lives up to it. In every chapter something happens to ramp up the stakes or turn old information on its ear. I suspected each character at least once before changing my mind at the presentation of new information.
The ending was highly satisfying. I suspected to a degree some of the reveals, and was surprised by most if them, but it all makes sense looking back on the hints dropped throughout the story.
Zahn also clearly has a sufficient scientific backgrounnd to show nerds like me he really does know his stuff without overwhelming non-technical readers. That's not to say everything fits with contemporary physics (hello, artificial gravity and hyperspace!) The point is when Zahn presents something that DOES agree with physics as we know it, the concept is done correctly, and when he introduces things like hyperspace and artificial gravity, it's well thought-out and cohesive.
Timothy Zahn is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Knowing that he's writing more books in this setting, you can bet your last commark I'll be reading them shortly!
The ending was highly satisfying. I suspected to a degree some of the reveals, and was surprised by most if them, but it all makes sense looking back on the hints dropped throughout the story.
Zahn also clearly has a sufficient scientific backgrounnd to show nerds like me he really does know his stuff without overwhelming non-technical readers. That's not to say everything fits with contemporary physics (hello, artificial gravity and hyperspace!) The point is when Zahn presents something that DOES agree with physics as we know it, the concept is done correctly, and when he introduces things like hyperspace and artificial gravity, it's well thought-out and cohesive.
Timothy Zahn is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Knowing that he's writing more books in this setting, you can bet your last commark I'll be reading them shortly!
November 10, 2021
The first non Star Wars Zahn book I've read and I was quite impressed. In this book alone Zahn crafted a magnificent Earth galaxy with various interesting species and political intrigue. As another reviewer on here remarked it is a shame that Zahn hasn't revisited this world as it really is ripe for sequels. Jordan McKell is just the type of character sci Fi fans would eat up and easily something a production company could churn out several seasons of a show following him.
The ending was a little bit too on the cop-out end of the Deus Ex Machina scale but it was an exciting end nonetheless.
The ending was a little bit too on the cop-out end of the Deus Ex Machina scale but it was an exciting end nonetheless.
October 22, 2021
I started to read one of Zahn's Star Wars books and just couldn't get into it not sure why. But after a while I gave this one a try. Absolutely loved it, loved the characters and the plot twists. It had a nice balance to it where the science wasn't overly explained in depth and yet it also wasn't a crutch where things just can be because "science". I loved not knowing who was really good or bad until the end... and then kerpow. Yes I said "Kerpow" because that how I felt at the final reveal at the end.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys scifi.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys scifi.
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