STAR HOUNDS -- OMNIBUS

Infinite Battle
Copyright © 1985 by David Bischoff

Galactic Warriors
Copyright © 1985 by David Bischoff

The Macrocosmic Conflict
Copyright © 1986 by David Bischoff

The Planet Killer
Copyright © 2012 by David Bischoff and Saul Garnell

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

T
he rebooting of David Bischoff’s Star Hounds series is an adventure that began when I read the first book of the series—
The Infinite Battle
—around 2008. What I found in those pages was a wonderful space opera, filled with swashbuckling characters and adventures that spanned distant galaxies. By the end of the first chapter I found myself hooked, and read all three books with great enthusiasm.

However, I should admit up front that the Star Hounds series wasn’t the kind of science fiction I was accustomed to. My exposure to science fiction had been primarily through sci-fi movies, and I had read only a comparatively small number of science fiction novels, most being cyberpunk. It’s somewhat embarrassing to admit, but at that time in my writing career—if you can call it a career—I couldn’t even recognize the Star Hounds series as an homage to space-operatic traditions that had arisen in the
Amazing Stories
era of pulp science fiction magazines.

As fate would have it, that book was the first work of David’s that I read and at the time I had no idea that I would one day work with its creator to further develop the series. Back in 2008, I was nothing more than a budding author, innocently searching for a freelance editor to help me learn the craft of writing science fiction.

Luckily for me, that editor turned out to be David Bischoff.

Fast forward to the year 2011. I had published my first novel and joined up with David to write for Hotspur Publishing on a regular basis. Hotspur was David’s own publishing house, created in response to new market conditions that had presented themselves earlier in the year. Joining up with Hotspur was a significant change for me. Though I had been aiming to publish with a big New York Publisher, I realized finally that what I actually wanted was the opportunity to continue working with David. And even though Hotspur could easily provide that opportunity, the nature of my next project was unclear. For several weeks I puzzled over what that project might be, until I spoke with Christopher Lampton, another editor associated with Hotspur. He urged me to consider a collaborative project with David.

That idea took me by surprise. I had never done collaborative work before, but I soon realized it was a wonderful notion. For reasons that I can’t explain, I went back to my library and dug out my old tattered copy of
The Infinite Battle
. Thumbing through its brittle pages brought back enjoyable memories. It reminded me how much the book had provided a mental respite from my own writing, which at that point was laden with complex philosophical ideas. Don’t get me wrong; I love my writing. But the Star Hounds series showed me another side of SF, one full of romantic ideals that stemmed from the early days of pulp fiction.

I couldn’t wait another moment. I immediately called David and proposed a reboot of the Star Hounds series. Offering to convert the existing paperbacks into e-books, I went on to suggest that we coauthor new stories together. David was thrilled. He agreed immediately and further explained that, after more than 25 years, his grand vision for adding more novels to the series could now be fulfilled.

As soon as we ended our call, I got out a sharp knife and began cutting the spines off my beloved Star Hounds paperbacks. There was no other choice. Digital versions of the manuscripts no longer existed (remember that the originals were published back in the mid 80s) and I had to begin the task of scanning, OCRing, line editing and, most importantly of all, modernizing the manuscripts.

Modernizing, you say?

All you die-hard fans needn’t worry. Most of the original text remains unchanged. But David and I had a unique opportunity to brush up old concepts that didn’t translate well into the new millennium. There had been substantial changes in technology since the first Star Hounds book was published. Smart phones didn’t exist then nor did wireless computing. Even PCs were a fairly new thing.

So David gave me a blank check to update the manuscripts as I saw fit. It was more work than I thought it would be, but it was also a lot of fun. In the process, I documented every nut and bolt that made up the Star Hounds universe. To my surprise, world-rebooting educated me on the affable pain associated with the cataloging of details—trivial or not—throughout the series. The book you now hold is the final result of all that effort. It contains the first three Star Hounds novels, plus a new novella entitled “The Planet Killer”
written by both David Bischoff and myself.

This fourth installment brings back all your favorite characters, such as Laura Shemzak, the gorgeous cyborg pilot and ex-secret agent; handsome Tars Northern, space pirate mercenary extraordinaire, who fights to save the Galactic Federation from its own demise while controlling his own lusty emotions towards Laura; and Arnal Zarpfrin, as full of evil machinations as ever. Beyond the old crew, you’ll be pleased to note that we’ve added some new characters as well. A new antagonist named Harla Zox makes Zarpfrin look tame by comparison, and there are a few more characters that you’re sure to love.

So sit back and get comfortable. The good ship
Starbow
is ready to take off once again.

I hope you enjoy the ride.

Saul Garnell

Mesa, Arizona 2012