Ship of Fools

Richard Paul Russo

Dec 2001 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Home to generations of humans, the starship Argonos has wandered aimlessly throughout the galaxy for hundreds of years, desperately searching for other signs of life. Now, a steady, unidentified transmission lures them toward a nearby planet, where the grisly remains of a former colony await the crew. Haunted by what they have seen, the crew has no choice but to follow when another signal beckons the Argonos into deep space—and into the dark heart of an alien mystery...
 
“[Russo] is not afraid to take on the question of evil in a divinely ordered universe...This is an ambitious novel of ideas that generates considerable suspense while respecting its sources, its characters, and most important, the reader.”—The New York Times
 
“A tale of high adventure and personal drama in the far future.”—Library Journal
 
“Relentlessly suspenseful...full of mystery...very exciting.”—Science Fiction Chronicle

Ratings and reviews

I enjoyed this book. Was looking for an eldritch horror, and though I didn't feel the absolute dread and hopelessness or true horror like I was hoping for (I may just be desensitized), I did enjoy the attempt and the story as a whole. Many reviews I've found describe the ending as anticlimactic, but I found it pretty good and a little more meaty than much of the story. Again, would I have preferred something darker? Of course, but I enjoyed the authors style and the characters.

I thought that the plot in "Ship of Fools" was fascinating and very interesting and the story moved along at a brisk pace with lots of twists and turns. The author's did a terrific job of creating the environment for this group of characters that are on this lonely ship and the adventure is riding on a high wave of suspense throughout the entire book. The characters are likable but flawed, and the science is better than most. Mr. Russo seems to have a deep understanding of the human spirit and clearly reflects it in the dialogues between the characters. I would gladly recommend this book to all my friends.

Interesting sci-fi lite horror novel that has tons of ideas that don't really pan out. It was a fun quick read but I was left with a few questions.

About the author

Richard Paul Russo is the author of the Philip K. Dick Award-winning novel, Ship of Fools, and the critically-acclaimed Carlucci series, including Destroying Angel, Carlucci's Edge, and Carlucci's Heart.