The starship
Ariel is on a mission of the utmost secrecy, upon which the fate of thousands of lives depend. Though the ship is a mile long, its six crew are crammed into a space barely large enough for them to stand. Five are officers, geniuses in their field. The other is Will Kuno-Monet, the man responsible for single-handedly running a ship comprised of the most dangerous and delicate technology that mankind has ever devised. He is the Roboteer.
ROBOTEER is a hard-SF novel set in a future in which the colonization of the stars has turned out to be anything but easy, and civilization on Earth has collapsed under the pressure of relentless mutual terrorism. Small human settlements cling to barely habitable planets. Without support from a home-world they have had to develop ways of life heavily dependent on robotics and genetic engineering. Then out of the ruins of Earth's once great empire, a new force arises - a world-spanning religion bent on the conversion of all mankind to its creed. It sends fleets of starships to reclaim the colonies. But the colonies don't want to be reclaimed. Mankind's first interstellar war begins. It is dirty, dangerous and hideously costly.
Will is a man bred to interface with the robots that his home-world Galatea desperately needs to survive. He finds himself sent behind enemy lines to discover the secret of their newest weapon. What he discovers will transform their understanding of both science and civilization forever... but at a cost.
Industry Reviews
Alex Lamb has crafted a terrific debut novel. If the subsequent volumes are as good as this one then Lamb will surely be prominent in many an SF fan's bookcase. * Starburst Magazine *
Alex Lamb's debut, Roboteer is hands down an awesome debut. Science FIction is a saturated genre but Roboteer breaks through it and, well smashes through with is with some very cool new ideas.... From the big picture of world building down to the critical features of mechanisms that make it twist and turn, the technology, and most importantly the characters, everything is shows until into the fine detail. I am looking forward to reading more of Alex Lamb's books, if this is just the start, hang on to your hats! * tHE bOOK pLANK *
Although Lamb draws everything together in a satisfying way, there is clearly room for much more to be told about this universe and its characters. I don't know whether a sequel is planned or under way, but I hope so as I look forward to travelling there again! * SF Crowsnest *
a fast paced, action adventure of a novel, with a good core protagonist/antagonist, within a universe I'm dying to hear more about. Worth picking up! * SF&F Reviews *
Lamb's got so many ideas that they almost spill off the pages, and telling the story from both sides is a smart way of balancing the argument. * Sci-Fi Now *
Lamb shares Hamilton's ability to sustain a breakneck narrative where you always want to rush ahead and see what happens next. hugely promising * SFX *
Roboteer hits the ground running...Lamb handles the politics without resorting to info dumps and in Will has created a sympathetic and well-rounded hero * The Guardian *
Roboteer is a wonderful mix of classic and original science fiction. Its plot is enormously enjoyable, putting us on the edge of our seat for much of the time. Alex Lamb writes so well and he also knows how to engage us with his characters. It is a very visual novel. There are moments of wonder, which I need in science fiction, and there are also great mysteries - none of which I've mentioned here as you need to discover them for yourselves. Above all else, though, Roboteeer is great fun! * For Winter's Nights *
Lamb's worldbuilding is excellent: we see multiple levels of society in both tranches of humanity through assorted characters that are deftly drawn.... Lamb leaves you wanting to learn more about all the societies he introduces... * Sf Bulletin *
with cracking storytelling, top notch prose and a good helping cracking universe building all round gives the reader a book that is fun to spend time between the sheets with. * Falcata Times *
