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Rating: In an interesting way, this 1990 novel by David Gerrold tells us about a future far in time where man, to guarantee his own survival, finds himself having to face an apparently superior species that he himself has created by taking the 'affair' of genetic engineering to its extreme consequences. The ultimate consequence of these experiments are indeed the 'Morthan' (from 'more than', meaning 'more than' humans), practically a superspecies endowed with superior physical and mental qualities and capable, by virtue of their nature, of improving and enhancing themselves from generation to generation and who at a certain point, considering themselves better than their ancestors, decided to occupy planets and create new colonies where they could develop their own independent civilization from scratch.
Gathered under what is defined as 'Morthan Solidarity,' they then planned a culture all their own, which turned out to be based on a rigorous religious order founded on the warrior's Buddhism and medieval samurai codes.
The Morthan practically in the end proved to be a true warrior and bloodthirsty species dedicated to rituals such as cannibalism and who believe only in the principles of honor and humiliation. The clash between Solidarity and the Alliance's ships of freedom thus became inevitable.
The novel 'Voyage of the Star Wolf' particularly tells us about the events related to the starship LS-1187, an interstellar cruiser that, after an unfortunate encounter with one of the most powerful Morthan starships, the Dragon Lord, and following severe damage sustained in the clash, is forced to repair at Stardock, a space settlement and a safe harbor in the midst of complete darkness. Due to these events, the ship and its crew are universally regarded as cowards, and particularly the position of Jonathan Thomas Korie, second-in-command but forced under specific circumstances to take command to save his crew, is called into question.
Expecting promotion to commander rank, Korie is instead reprimanded by the 'Fleet' for not acting in accordance with the 'etiquette,' but desirous of revenge against the Morthan and although initially reluctant, he nonetheless sets out on a new expedition with his crew and the new captain, the legendary 'Star Wolf' Richard Hardesty, in pursuit of the Dragon Lord.
The new experience for various reasons will prove to be something unexpected for Korie, who from Richard Hardesty will learn to truly behave like a commander and to know what to choose according to situations without necessarily always applying what is laid down in protocol. But all this will still not be enough to defeat the enemy, because, as he will learn from Brik, a rebellious Morthan who has joined the human cause, to defeat the Morthan one must learn to think like them. Which means being cold, calculated, and ruthless calculators.
A certainly well-written novel that, although it is the tale of an adventurous story, does not overlook the psychological aspects of the characters nor the use of that irony that we so enjoy, typical of classic science fiction. Clearly, this is evident beyond the theories of space flight with the specifics of all the maneuvers carried out by the LS-1187 to checkmate the adversaries, the most interesting contents concern the confrontation between humans and their 'descendants', the ruthless Morthan.
This is neither the first nor the last novel to envision such a scenario, even though it replaces the more typical rebellion of the machines with the creation of a new social system by what is configured as a real new species, which is artificially created, feeds on humans they consider superior to and despise because they regard them as infected by principles such as greed, avarice, and malice.
On the other side is man, with his evidently primitive ingenuity and all his limitations, who once again has no intention of yielding after a hundred thousand years of history and who, in order to withstand the enemy, is willing to cling tightly to the reputation of being the baddest sons of bitches in the galaxy. The space ships are arranged along what is defined as the 'silk way,' a fundamental trade route for the Alliance that crosses the arm of the spiral to then head outward, plunging into the darkness of the deep rift where our story is set.
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