StarFist series

StarFist is a series of military science fiction novels written by David Sherman and Dan Cragg. The novels are set in the 25th century[1] and are written from the viewpoint of the men of the Confederation of Human Worlds Marine Corps 34th FIST (Fleet Initial Strike Team). As of June 2010, the StarFist series comprises 14 novels with the most recent addition of the novel, Double Jeopardy. An additional spin-off series, titled StarFist: Force Recon, by the same authors was started in 2005 with the publication of Backshot.

Authors

Dan Cragg was a non-commissioned officer in the United States Army, serving for twenty-two years with eleven years in overseas stations, five and half in Vietnam; at retirement Cragg was a Sergeant Major. He is also a writer of military non-fiction, including Inside the VC and NVA', and many others based around the Vietnam War. He lives in Virginia. Cragg published the first of the StarFist series with coauthor David Sherman.[2]

David Sherman is a former United States Marine, whose military experience has influenced his work from the start of his writing career.[3]

StarFist Series

The Confederation of Human Worlds in the 21st century established its capital city at Fargo, North Dakota, which grew into a large metropolis with a multitude of skyscrapers and government buildings. The military headquarters of the Confederation in Fargo, North Dakota is called the Heptagon. A space navy, an army with air force capability transport space navy ships to whatever planet they are ordered to, and a Marine Corps make up the force. Humans have colonized numerous worlds out several hundred light years and are faced with conflicts involving surrounding extraterrestrials.[4]

A short time after the authors submitted the manuscript of Double Jeopardy the series publisher, Del Rey, decided to cancel the series.[5]

Characters

First to Fight, (1997)

34 FIST, FIST Commander: Brigadier Ted Sturgion

Infantry Battalion Commander: Major Longaway

Company L,

Company Commander: Captain Conorado

Company Gunnery Sergeant: Thatcher

Company 1st Sergeant: "Top" Myer

Company S1: Corporal Doyle

Company S1 Aide: PFC Palmer

Company S4: Sergeant Souavi

Third Platoon

Platoon Leader: Staff Sergeant Charlie Bass
Squad 1 Leader: Sergeant Wang Hyakowa

Squad 1 Fire Team 1: Corporal "Chief" Leech
LCpl Justice "Juice" Goudanis
PFC Joseph F. Dean
Squad 1 Fire Team 2: Lance Corporal Lupo "Rabbit" Ratliff
PFC Chan
PFC Claypoole

Squad 2 Leader: Eagles Cry

Squad 2 Fire Team 1: Corporal Tim Kerr
LCpl. Dave "Hammer" Schultz
PFC Fred McNeal

Gun Squad: Corporal "Hound" Kelly

Joseph F. Dean
Fred McNeal
Charlie Bass
PFC Chan
Lupo "Rabbit" Ratliff
PFC "New Guy" Claypoole

Novels
  • First to Fight, (1997)
  • School of Fire, (1998)
  • Steel Gauntlet, (1999)
  • Blood Contact, (1999)
  • TechnoKill, (2000)
  • Hangfire, (2000)
  • Kingdom's Swords, (2002)
  • Kingdom's Fury, (2003)
  • Lazarus Rising, (2003)
  • A World of Hurt, (2004)
  • Flashfire, (2006)
  • Firestorm, (2007)
  • Wings of Hell, (2008)
  • Double Jeopardy, (2009)

StarFist: Force Recon Series

StarFist: Force Recon describes the experiences of the men and women who carry out intelligence-gathering and small-unit raids behind enemy lines. The Confederation Marine Force Recon mission is very similar to that of United States Marine Corps Force Recon, with which co-author Sherman, a former US Marine, is familiar. The new series did not sell as well as the parent series, and the publisher allowed the series to end after three novels.

The Novels in the StarFist: Force Recon Series
  • Backshot, (2005)
  • PointBlank, (2006)
  • Recoil, (2008)

Critical reception

The novels were criticized for their all-male cast of soldiers, using contrived inter-service rivalries as a plot device, and a "tendency to telegraph their denouements".[6][7]

References
  1. "STARFIST: Lazarus Rising". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  2. "Authors : Sherman, David : SFE : Science Fiction Encyclopedia". www.sf-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
  3. "Sherman, David". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  4. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/662671.First_to_Fight First to Fight is the first book in a Military Science Fiction series focusing on the 34th FIST (Fleet Initial Strike Team) of the Confederation Marine Corps.
  5. "The Future of Starfist".
  6. "STARFIST: Lazarus Rising (Review)". Publisher's Weekly. 2 December 2003. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  7. Wolff, Michael. "Starfist: A World of Hurt by David Sherman & Dan Cragg (Review)". Starlog Magazine (332). Retrieved 28 December 2018.
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