The Final Frontier Books

The Final Frontiersman is the true account of the wilderness life of Heimo Korth and his family. Heimo grew up in Wisconsin but followed a dream to live in the bush in Alaska. Heimo is a "successful" subsistence trapper and hunter in the ANWR where you can freeze at -55 in the winter and the clouds of mosquitoes torment you in the short summer. The sun disappears for over a month in the winter and there is no night in summer. Heimo and his family spend most of the year in the bush where their nearest neighbor is more than a hundred miles away--human neighbor that is; bears, wolves, wolverines, caribou, and many other kinds of animals abound. Heimo is successful in the sense that he and his family survive, all except one. Theirs is a tough life, and Heimo is a tough but likable character.

I enjoyed reading this book. The author, Heimo's cousin, has a direct, clear writing style and a good sense of pacing. The story reminded me in some ways of The Big House by George Colt: "Here is the story of my (extended) family and all my weird relatives" and like The Big House this book could have used extensive editing. We get too much detail about Heimo and his brood, who in fact are not really all that weird or exceptional after all.

The author presents this work as a meditation on the meaning of wilderness and a vital but disappearing American way of life, but he never manages to infuse these issues of wilderness and the struggle to survive with a sense of metaphysical profundity. Heimo's work and life all come off as somewhat mundane, if exceptionally lonely and uncomfortable; even deprived and brutal (Heimo kills large numbers of furbearing animals for a living). In the end, the author failed to communicate why Heimo would choose such a life, or what about it is attractive. I got the sense that neither the author, nor Heimo's family, nor Heimo himself understand Heimo. He remains a discomforting enigma.

Like The Big House, The Final Frontiersman is most interesting as an exploration of family and what it means to be involved in this most natural and troubling human institution.

There are not very many people I would like to meet, but Heimo and his family are at the top of my list. Fantastic story of some extraordinary folks.

Really painted a good picture of what life was like living in the cold Alaskan wilderness.

It is hard for me to realize that Heimo and his family live even today in the manner in which they live.The hardships they overcome daily as part of their everyday living shows the will that some people have and develop.I recommend this book highly and it has also made me realize that I am not so tough as I thought I was.

This story grips you like an Arctic winter. It is hard to put down as Heimo Korth lives a storybook life subsisting 28 years in back country of Alaska as a trapper and frontiersman. James Campbell takes you through Heimo and his family's incredible story. If you have any sense of life outdoors or appreciation for living off the land, this award winning book is for you.

Heimo and his family did it their way and Campbell's book celebrates their courage, difficulties and successes.

Not many authors can juggle politics, technical subject materials, an large cast of characters and tie it into a readable epic novel that entertains, teaches and inspires.

It reminds us that the stars are within our reach and all we have to do is harness private enterprise. If you want to wait for the government to take you to the stars you will have a long wait.

I cannot recommend it enough.

This is the only book that has ever caused me to actually jump up from my seat and run around the room cheering.. But, hats exactly what happens in one particular scene, and I think that anyone with at least some vestiges of childhoods imagination and adventurous spirit should feel the same way about the story inside these pages. Aside from he excellent quality, fleshed out characters, complex plot, and exciting story, Koman's novel sends out a wonderful message that shouldnt be ignored by anyone concerned for the future of liberty in this world... Buy this book and love it! I promise that my last request will not be hard to fulfill! Even if your political viewpoints disagree with the story, you'll get caught up in the excitement and love it anyways!

As one of the other reviewers stated this is one of the best books no one has read. I came across it in July, 2003 by chance in a small bookstore. Once I started reading I could not stop until I reached the end. It has interesting characters (and they are characters), good guys you cheer, bad guys you would like to shoot, inter-weaving storylines, an interesting story to tell, plot and subplots. The writing keeps all of the stories flowing along pulling you into the stories and along to the end of the novel. All in all a totally enjoyable read. Now some may find the libertarian ideas of the author annoying but they form an intergal part of the story and reminded me of L. Niel Smith at his best. And the conspiracy angle is well enough set up and argued that you are left thinking it makes perfect sense. Perhaps the best recomendation is that, as this was noted as book one on the High Pilgramage, I was extremely disappointed that no book two (or three) had been written. So let me conclude by suggesting you get a copy read it, tell your friends to get copies and get book two on its way for me to read!

This novel would have fit right in on my teenage bookshelf in 1980. It has all the grittiness and technical detail of Niven, Pournelle, Pohl and Hogan, overlaid with the libertarian elements that show up in some Heinlein stories. It lacks Bester's economy of prose, but does have a tight plot. Like many authors of the golden age of SF, Koman comes off as both cynical and romantic. In real life, this story's heroes wouldn't stand a chance. (Dude! Building a spaceship is hard!) But its villains are surprisingly close to the mark. Teens and NASA employees may bristle at the NASA-bashing, but every decade that goes by with zero progress in human space flight proves the point.

Like much of the great science fiction of the past, this book has a definite libertarian theme. My only faults with it were 1) lost of sleep while reading it because it is one of those books that you can't put down and 2) one rape scene that I considered a lot more graphic than it needed to be and thereby precludes my recommending the book to younger readers. One might object that many of the characters in the book are too black and white, but I would maintain that Koman may be closer to the truth here than many are willing to admit. The reality is that evil exists and most politicians are scum. "Kings of the High Frontier" immediately flew into my top 10 fiction list. Victor Koman seems a worthy successor to Robert Heinlein.

carl kozlowski brilliantly combines his impeccable writing and comedic skills. it's a laugh-out-loud read for sure - you can't get funnier than this one! and i'm so thrilled there's a follow-up book, "seize the day job!" buy now - or better yet, buy like eight!

This book is one of the funniest books I've read this year ranking up there with David Sedaris' NAKED. The book starts off hilariously and doesn't let down. It is a cynical look at post-college life and pokes fun at the Don't Sweat the Small Stuff type of advice books. This is truly a very funny book that will make you laugh out loud heartily... It is a MUST read!!!

Carl Kozlowski has done it again with his wit and style of humor all his own. This book is the antithesis of all of Oprah's Remembering Your Spirit shows. (How approppriate that both these authors, also, come out of Chicago.) This book leaves the reader laughing so hard that he/she is crying, because of its nonstop irreverence. It is a MUST READ!

Tim Joyce just ROCKS! Okay, flattery aside, this book is full of witty and pithy observations that will help the naive people bravely entering the world for the first time as a young adult really "get it" and gives some very helpful survival insight.

Oh, yeah, it is FUNNY too!

I expect this book to become THE standard fare as a graduation gift for high school and college grads alike. This book picks up where Dr. Suess with his "Oh, the Places You'll Go" leaves off. It is also a great read for anyone about to face new challenges.

Did I mention it was FUNNY?

Of all the books I have ever read (beside the Bible itself) this is the best. I am now on my fourth reading and just cannot grasp all the details and facts the author gives. I have seen fragements that he refers to for years in various sources but I have never seen it all in one book. This book will help you to get to know Jesus in ways you never experienced before and will without a doubt, become a classic of our age.

This book is a masterpiece from Ron Charles. The depth of research and hard work by the author is amazing. The book links every event in the Bible associated with JESUS with historically accurate facts adding weight to the claims of the BIBLE.

yogesh

Most informative book on the life of Jesus that has been printed in decades.

Bro. Richard I was at one of your youth confrences and you are a very talented man. The book to me was all most as great as It's Time. I loved your book it was one of the greatest and powerful book I have ever read. Well I must go now thank you and God Bless!

Bro. Richard has a HEART for the youth of America. This book compiled some of his best sermoins, preached to youth groups across the country. He is a true Scriptural shepherd. I sat under his teaching/preaching for two years before he became the President of BRSM and was challenged to the core many times. What a man of God! I highly recommend this book to any youth leaders, teenagers, and students who want to hear the TRUTH.

Many readers will perhaps have heard numerous accounts of so-called `near death experiences'. No doubt many of these experiences will have been dismissed through various medical explanations etc..

Here we are provided with perhaps a unique approach to this subject, by a qualified, now retired, medical practitioner who has personally compiled the true life experiences of some twenty six individuals.

Taking into account the possible medical explanations behind some such incidents, through extensive personal research he examines the common denominators in virtually all the experiences covered in this extraordinary book.

The stories are of various lengths and all are extremely moving, thought provoking and some of which are quite frightening. They even include the story of a three year old child who physically died in a terrible accident. In some incidents reference is also made to the medical records and statements from witnesses present at the time.

The incidents concerned here are examined from a Christian perspective and evaluated against what is taught in the Bible about such matters. This is the second such book written by the author. The first being entitled "The Final Frontier", which I now feel compelled to read as well. A web-site is available dealing with this subject in depth, the details of which are also included in the book.

Whether you are a scoffer, a sceptic or a believer, this book will not fail to grip and move you. The subject of `near death experiences' will no doubt continue to fascinate us all, but like it or not death is something that we all have to face. It is difficult to see how anyone can fail to benefit from reading this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.

This book really astounded me. I expected to find the usual academic yawn, but what I actually discovered was a fascinating as well as insightful perspective on the original Star Trek series. And yet you always feel that the author is clearly a dyed-in-the-wool Trecker, knowing every single line by heart.

The book starts out giving the background against which Star Trek is examined. This part (about 25 pages) is of course first about literary criticism in general. But it explains what is going to come and why it is going to come in very easy-to-grasp terms, so for me this was an interesting side-trip from what I at first expected.

The main part then gets right to the heart of what Star Trek is all about and what its roots are in (con)temporary culture. If you want to know what the idea behind the series was and where the makers of Star Trek got their ideas from, "Narratives from the Final Frontier" will inform and entertain you at the same time. It gives you insights from the inside - and while it is very critical of the culture by which Star Trek was created, it is at the same time a loving reminiscence of hours spent rooted in front of the TV. GO GET IT!!

Final Frontier is one of the better Star Trek novels that I've read. It's a shame that it wasn't consulted more closely when the newer Star Trek television series were written, as it closes a few loopholes in the Star Trek chronology (and probably opens a few others). Nevertheless, this is worthwhile reading. My only complaint is that some of the major events near the end of the book perhaps don't get the detailed descriptions that they deserve, which is a little disappointing, since if they had been fleshed out more, this title would have truly been deserving of a movie production.

When James T. Kirk entered Star Fleet he was following in his father's footsteps. George Kirk had served on a space station in the early days of the Federation, an assignment that put a strain on his marriage and caused him to be away from his sons most of the time. He kept in contact with them through letters, letters that his youngest son kept. When Jim Kirk was re-evaluating his life and the price of a career in Star Fleet he returned to his family home in Iowa and re-read those letters to decide if the price was too high.

FINAL FRONTIER switches between two story lines, James Kirk's visit to Iowa occurs shortly after the events of 'The City on the Edge of Forever', Kirk is depressed at the loss of Edith Keeler. He is seeking the advice of his father through the letters George had written the boys 25 years ealier. The second story line is about George's life at the time he wrote those letters while on a classified mission abroad the ship that would become Enterprise.

For avid fans of the series this is a treasure trove of background information about the Kirk family and the beginnings of Star Fleet. For more casual fans though it is not as interesting since there is very little real action for the more familiar characters of (James) Kirk, McCoy and Spock. Carey does handle the characters well, and is respectful of the 'canon' laid down by the original TV shows.

This book is the prequel to the Star Trek saga, the career of James Tiberius Kirk, Star Fleet, the United Federation of Planets as it existed in the original series, the battles with the Romulans and the magnificent starship known as the Enterprise. James Kirk is on shore leave in Iowa and questioning whether he should go back into space. He is reading some letters written to him by his father George Kirk, who was a military man in space. Those letters express regret for not spending enough time with Jimmy and his brother and it appears that George may be about to give up the life of the space adventurer.
The story then moves to the adventures of George Kirk. A ship has become disabled and given the distance and the ion storms in the area, there seems to be no hope of rescue. However, the Federation has been working on a new class of ships, the mighty starship, and the prototype is ready for action. Kirk and his friend Drake are kidnapped and taken aboard the new and unnamed ship. The current captain is Robert April, a good man but probably not an effective prototype for a star ship captain.
The new ship moves out and immediately fails. Kirk is suspicious and suspects sabotage. Suddenly the warp drive malfunctions and they find themselves in the middle of Romulan space very close to the Romulan home world. There is a Romulan ship nearby but it is rife with political infighting. A dictatorship led by the Praetor has taken control and the Romulans are about to launch an invasion of Federation space. This is after the Romulan-human wars mentioned in the episode "Balance of Terror" so it appears that a new interstellar war is about to break out.
The task of the star ship is to somehow extricate itself from the dilemma and prevent the new war. Fortunately, Kirk is able to "capture" the Romulan commander, a man with beliefs similar to those of the Mark Lenard character in "Balance of Terror." While he will do his duty to the Empire, he has no desire for war. Within those bounds, he helps the crew of the star ship defeat the Romulan forces and trick them into believing that the Federation has cloaking technology and is ready to crush the Romulan forces ready to invade Federation space. The trick is very similar to that used by James Kirk in the episode, "The Deadly Years."
This is an excellent story, Carey provides believable prequels to many plot devices that we encounter in later episodes. Unfortunately, we never do learn why James Kirk was given the middle name "Tiberius."

Diane Carey's "Final Frontier" has to be a must read for any fan of the original series. It tells the first story of the Enterprise before it acquired it's legendary name. Under the captaincy of Robert April; George Kirk (Jim's father) embarks on the test run of the infamous ship. The adversary in this one is the Romulans. We get a glimpse of their uncompromising world of political treachery within their own ranks. This one is everything the new prequel series should be. Alive with interesting characters that act like real humans; unlike some of the Starfleet members we've seen on TV in the show Voyager. If there is any book that needs a reprinting it's this one.

In "The City on the Edge of Forever", onee of the best-loved original Star Trek episodes, Spock and Capt. Kirk have to prevent a drug-crazed Dr. McCoy from saving a woman from being struck by a car in 1930's Earth---a woman Kirk ends up falling in love with. This novel begins by picking up where that episode leaves off.

Kirk, now seriously debating whether or not he should resign his Starfleet commission, takes shore leave on Earth where he manages to take comfort in letters from his father, Commander George Samuel Kirk Sr.

But these letters are more than just conversations between father and son. They contain clues to the mystery of one of Starfleet's most highly classified first contact missions that went horribly wrong...and at the same time made the Enterprise truly worthy of her name, twenty-five years before Kirk would assume command.

I gave this book four stars because it isn't the easiest Star Trek read in the world, since you have to wade through a lot of "background" or "historical" information to get to some of its most important points, but it is very well written; I enjoy it mostly for the great amount lot of insight given to the character of Jim's father, and what the Enterprise might have been like as an unmarked, unregistered, completely brand new Starfleet prototype. I have only one negative: George Kirk's befriending of the Romulan Field Primus t'Cael adds good drama, but it doesn't quite gel with the idea that eventually the Romulans and the Federation would go to war, which would lead to the creation of the Neutral Zone (see classic episode "Balance of Terror"), but it's still a good book.

I like "The Gospel According to ScFI" okay as it has lots of information and lots of reviews of books and short stories. I did find it kind of repetitive and tiresome in some chapters. Also I found the actual presentation of the gospel lacking. I felt a more accurate title might have been "spiritually in ScFi" but that is juts my opinion.
Author is obviously an excellent scholar and a good writer.

A fascinating, readable, entertaining, clever, and comprehensive look at science fiction's treatment of religion, spirituality, and God. A great book.

A groundbreaking and illuminating book. McKee's main thesis is that science fiction is inherently religious in nature, because it deals with the big-picture issues of human existence: What does it mean to be human? What is the nature of the universe? Where did we come from and where are we going? SF at its core is speculative; it speculates about possible futures, whether in the form of dystopias for us to avoid, utopias for us to strive for, or bizarre worlds that drive us to contemplate the deep issues of existence. At the same time, these visions of the future serve as commentaries and warnings about where we seem to be heading.

McKee basically sets up his thesis that SF deals with religious themes and then spends the majority of the book doing brief summaries of various novels, short stories, and films, tracing the answers each story offers to the big questions. The book is helpfully structured around systematic theological categories: God, Creation, the Soul, Free Will, Evil, Salvation, etc. Most of it is analysis of SF stories, with (mercifully) a minimal amount of McKee's own theological views, which tend toward the theologically liberal. The analysis is usually insightful, though his conclusion that with the help of SF we can "forge the faith of the future" betrays a naive view of faith as something we create. Overall, a fascinating read that helps one understand and appreciate more deeply a genre that is at the forefront of our culture's grappling with the big philosophical and spiritual issues.

As both an author and reader of fiction I was impressed with (the Gospel According to Science Fiction). I guess I have always enjoyed books that could hold my attention and make me think at the same time. I recommend this book.
Tommy Taylor
Author - The Second Virgin Birth

Gabriel McKee has evidently read an amazing amount of Science Fiction novels and short stories as well as watching films and TV series. His book looks at different philosophical and religious ideas and how they are used in SF, explaining their use in particular SF books/series and occasionally relating the thoughts to philosophy. Able to quote both St Augustine and Star Trek, this is an engaging and easy to read book which shows the broad range of views in SF, particularly relating to deities, faith, human nature and the future and has an extensive bibliography and index which will no doubt be helpful to SF fans. Although referencing Christian beliefs, this book isn't aiming to be a presentation of the Gospel through SF links, it is rather a collation of different views that might interest SF fans and because of this its appeal is probably limited.

I think it was/is wonderful! William Shatner is a terrific writer!

This book, "Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account on the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" by Lisabeth Shatner (William Shatner's daughter, who was on the film's set & location shoots) is an excellent read on the making of a Star Trek movie. This book details the accounts on what lead star, co-writer, & director of Star Trek V, William Shatner, went through making this movie. Although this fifth movie is best remembered as not one of the best in the Star Trek film series, this book details the process on the making of a feature film. This book also includes details on the originally planned ending that had to be changed. Featuring interviews with the cast & crew, as well as 16 pages of photos, "Captain's Log" is an excellent read. For Star Trek fans as well as anyone interested on the process of filmmaking.