Book Review: Doomstar by Edmond Hamilton
Johnny Kettrick used to have it good. As a human of Earth heritage born and raised in the Hyades Cluster, and gifted with a friendly nature, he’d become a top trader between the many cultures in that crowded part of the galaxy. Unfortunately, he’d also developed a healthy disregard for trade regulations in favor of making profitable deals. That brought him to the attention of the I-C, the intracluster customs agency and the closest thing to interstellar cops in the region. Kettrick was eventually caught just before he could make his biggest deal, and exiled to Earth.
And that’s where we first meet him, in a nightclub where he and his current date are watching alien dancers perform. Laura expresses xenophobia towards the dancers, but we quickly learn we’re not supposed to find that sympathetic, Johnny is dating her because she’s not what he likes in women so he won’t let go of his true lost love. But two government men interrupt to take Kettrick elsewhere.
Turns out that Sekma, the I-C agent who got Kettrick banned, is now working with both Earth and Hyades Cluster scientists and officials on a new case. There’s a rumor of something called a “Doomstar” going around, with no solid details. But just recently, a star in the Hyades Cluster with no habitable planets changed its sequence, and is now pumping out much higher amounts of gamma radiation. If that happened to a star with habitable planets, they’d no longer be habitable. This sudden change fits the description “Doomstar” all right.
Sekma knows that Kettrick was a man with many gray market and even black market connections, and should still have many friends in the cluster even after a few years away. He wants Johnny to sneak back into Hyades and investigate, with the reward being a pardon and the ability to trade again if he succeeds in the mission. Kettrick agrees, not because he really believes in the Doomstar, or that he could find it, but so he can complete that last big score.
Kettrick gets back to Tananaru, his birth planet, and meets up with his best friend Sari and his lady love Larith. Neither looks particularly thrilled to see him, though Larith is quick to clarify that she and Sari have not hooked up. Khitu and Chai, Sari’s beast-person bodyguards, are much happier to have Johnny back. Johnny explains that he’s there for that last big score, the heartstones of the White Sun.
Sari seems somewhat startled, but agrees to allow his ship to be used for a trading voyage that will have the hidden goal of detouring to the White Sun in exchange for a cut of the profits. In the meantime, Johnny can use his boat to get to an island hideout. On the voyage, Khitu mentions that he and Chai have not been allowed to guard Sari as closely as they once did–and the boat explodes. Khitu is killed, and Kettrick badly wounded.
Pretty sure that Sari has betrayed him, but not knowing why, Kettrick decides to stay “dead.” He’s able to make contact with some other friends who have a less impressive trading ship, and he and Chai set off on a mission of revenge and greed.
Edmond Hamilton (1904-1977), was one of the first big space opera writers for the pulps, sometimes known as the “World Wrecker” for his planet-sized destruction sequences. He also wrote for DC Comics for a couple of decades, including early Legion of Super-Heroes tales. This 1966 novel is from his mature period.
Most of the story is taken up with Kettrick and his crew coming to a planet, setting up trade deals with the locals, then getting betrayed. It’s a distinct pattern, which leads Kettrick to the conclusion that the Doomstar, whatever it is, is real, and that Sari has something to do with it.
The short-jump faster than light drive in an independent trading starship that requires constant repair reminds me a lot of the set-up in the Traveller science fiction role-playing game, and I have to wonder if this novel was one of the influences on that.
Kettrick is more antihero than hero, being motivated more by greed and revenge than any wish to save innocent lives. On the other hand, he will go out of his way not to kill opponents even when they don’t share his qualms. (Chai, the vengeful widow, is less picky about killing, but will listen to “Jon-nee” when he tells her not to.)
Larith’s motives and allegiance remain unclear, even when she comes back into the story.
Naturally, there’s an exciting conclusion as Kettrick must use his diplomacy and trading skills to get the locals to join him in a pitched battle to stop the Doomstar.
Content note: There’s a certain amount of casual sexist attitude in the narrative (especially when it’s implied Johnny is stringing Laura along for the empty sex.) There’s also a certain amount of superior attitudes towards less technologically-developed cultures, and one race of aliens are distrusted because they smell like snakes (presumably they distrust humans for smelling like apes.)
There’s some minor logic holes to make the story wrap up neater, but overall this is a serviceable tale that will divert science fiction fans who are okay with the dated attitudes. Pulp SF fans in particular should enjoy this.
