Starfist: Blood Contact

Starfist: Blood Contact by David Sherman and Dann Cragg is the fourth novel in a now thirteen book series about Marines in the 25^th century. In this world space travel is possible, planets outside of our Solar System are discovered that are suitable for human habitation, the Armed Forces have body armor that act as chameleons, and the weapons invented during this time period are described to be electrical bolts that incinerate anything they hit. In this particular novel, the Marines of third platoon, Company L, 34^th Fleet Initial Strike Team are sent on a rescue mission to discover why scientists on a distant planet called Society 437 have failed to make a regular communications check. At the same time, on the same exact planet, a group of about a dozen pirates is trying to survive in a cave 30 kilometers northeast from the compound after their pirate crew, the Red 35 Crew, is attacked by an alien species while they are raiding the scientist compound. After the group of pirates survives in the cave for nearly a year, they decide to venture back to the scientist compound in search of clothes, food, and weapons after almost starving to death. Ironically, a week after the pirates leave the compound bringing along food for their companions back at the cave, the Marines that were sent to Society 437 arrive a week after the pirates left, and discover all of the scientists were horrifically murdered by getting sprayed by an acid. But the pirates left a message of their location and the Marines go after them. After apprehending the survivors and taking them back to their transports to leave, the Marines are attacked by the alien species the pirates dread. The Marines call the aliens “skinks,” since they look like lizards, except these aliens are bipedal and walk upright like a man. After defeating the skinks in a firefight, the Marines go after the skinks to finish them off to prevent the aliens in further attacking humans again. After a series of more encounters, the Marines discover an underground cave the skinks were living in and kill the skinks by burning a waterproof webbing lining the cave, and in that way the Marines suffocate the skinks inside from the smoke.

I don’t think the Starfist series has any moral lessons in it or has much of an overall technique. The novels are basically a source of entertainment as the novels are based on combat, and I like the series very much. It’s very fun to read and anyone who likes action would enjoy these novels. But the novels aren’t just Marines killing aliens. Each Marine in the story has a story behind why he joined the Marine Corps and the relationships between the Marines themselves. The books also get me wondering about extraterrestrial life outside of our Solar System and the potential for mankind to produce weapons of epic proportions. I definitely recommend the Starfist series to anyone who enjoys military action/adventure and sci-fi.