The Last Star by Terry Grimwood

Book Review

Martin Willoughby

With 128 pages of twists and turns, this novella is a fine follow up to Interference.

Set in the universe outlined in Interference, the colony ship Drake arrives where it thinks it’s meant to be. But there’s nothing there. Only four of the main crew survive and together they not only have to piece together what has happened, they also have to make sure the Drake doesn’t fall apart after its longer than expected journey.

After a short investigation, the crew discover the ship was hit by something large and destructive which has taken out their shipboard farm. What hit them is unknown, but the damage is extensive and the ship is slowly falling apart. What is known is there are no stars anywhere in sight. Nor can they be found by radio waves.

Added to this are some unnerving experiences for the crew. Ghosts from the past and strange visions outside the ship. More than once, the crew find themselves fighting with each other over some unfortunate shared memories from before they were put together on this ship.

Eventually, they realise where they are and are dumbfounded. How? It shouldn’t be possible to be there, but they are. This is where the Iaens come into the story.

The Iaen’s made an alliance with humans in exchange for technology that only Gods could dream of. Now, they are showing the crew of the Drake what could lie before them. But what do the Iaen’s want in exchange? The final act is one of courage for the crew, but will it end the Iaen’s dreams of glory?

I’m not telling you.

Having read a few of Terry Grimwood’s books and short story collections, this one is up to his usual high standards. There are twists, turns, and surprises allied with some thought-provoking situations that will have you wondering about our place in the cosmos, what really matters, and the meaning of bravery. The writing is compact, but gives you all the details you need to make sense of the story, with enough background to fill out the universe he’s created.

He has also created in this novella, and Interference, a universe with so many possibilities. It will be interesting to see where he takes it.