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Type of bind: Audio Cassette
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN num: 9780739313923
Format: Abridged, Audiobook
ISBN number: 0739313924
Label: Random House Audio
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
Quantity: 2
Printing Date: November 23, 2004
Publishing house: Random House Audio
Release Date: November 23, 2004
Sale Popularity Level: 3150373
Studio: Random House Audio
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Product Description:
With its down and dirty depiction of warfare written by men who know what it’s like to be under fire, the Starfist saga is a runaway sucess across America. Now, in the explosive new Starfist adventure, packed with fierce action and danger, Marines at war in future space find themselves pitted against a faceless, insatiable foe bent on destroying them. And that’s just for starters.
How bad is the upcoming mission facing the battle-hardened Marines of 34th Fleet Initial Strike Team (FIST), the military’s unofficial alien first-contact force? Bad enough to make the brass take the unprecedented step of issuing 34th FIST replacements for combat losses before the Marines even leave their home base.
In response to a series of unexplained deaths on a lonely outpost on the frontiers of human space, 34th FIST has been dispatched to investigate–and eradicate– the problem. Beyond that, the information available to Gunnery Sergeant Charlie Bass and his men is meager even by Marine standards. No one knows what awaits them, for the newly colonized world remains largely unexplored. That means 34th FIST can expect creatures they have never seen, or even heard of, much less trained for. It could be Skink acid shooters, could be anything, for the barren station has several secrets–all of them deadly.
But the last thing these Marines expect to find is themselves in the middle of an invasion and a mysterious war–with none other than 34th FIST as Enemy #1. Whatever happens, they’ll deal with it, because they’re Marines, determined to be ready . . . and to give worse than they get.
From the Hardcover edition.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
A WORLD OF HURT (2004) is the tenth book in the STARFIST series of Military SciFi stories, covering the exploits of a company of Space Marines, who are sent to various planets to put down local rebellions, alien invasions, etc.
This book avoids a lot of the absurdities of the very first books, but it also is missing much of the nonstop action... additionally, the off-duty life of the Marines get overly re-hashed in this book.
There are some new twists inserted, involving the Skinks... and the silly "We're Here!" military is worth a few laughs - but, other than that, there is little new in this story, that we haven't already seen in the previous books in the series.
Rated by buyers 
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Wow. This series has culminated (so far) in the best plot line yet. Not only do the authors give the reader a genuine feel for war, but they also give the reader a professional analysis of current strategies in current wars we could name. Since both are Military vets, their opinions count for much more than pogues whose ideas of strategy originated the term "cluster-fu*k", which is what is going on right now (in real life). A damning accessment, and an accurate one, not to mention an action packed, edge of the seat adventure with our favorate characters, and new ones that deserve what they get. I have every book in this series, and will buy any new ones as soon as they are published, they are really that good! Meanwhile, anyone who is currently overseas must read this whole series! Then Vote!
Rated by buyers 
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On a whole I really liked the Starfist series but I guess every series has its clunkers, this is one. There are times when reading the series I find that one of the characters figure out part of the plot and they just ignore it in the context of the story. Example is the Skinks don't show up on well Infrared scans. Well, that info just sits around and none of the marines seem to tell any of the other marines that very important info. Leaving them to discover it on there own. Also along that line with the presumed technology why not use ultra violet or some other light wave sensors? This plot point ignorance come to a peak in this tenth installment of the Starfist series. Near the beginning of this story about a quarter the way in they tell you what they suspect might be the cause of the "Skink" like attacks. But the authors have the charters never revisit or do anything about it until much later in the book, even when it is extremely obvious to the read what the cause is. It seems the authors just want us to have blinders on to the plot point they revealed early on in the story and act like the obvious reason should be ignored.
Bottom-line this book was a bore and the only reason to read it is that it continues on the series story line. A very poor effort, poor plot, poor editing. One that you can skip.
Rated by buyers 
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It seems like the skinks are back and the men of the 34th will have to face them again so they ship out ready to rock and roll. Things are not, however, as they seem. If I said any more, I'd be giving away vitals so I won't. There is, however, an additional enemy.
We are introduced to Admiral of the Starry Heavens Orange, the supreme naval commander of the We're Here! Navy. We're Here! is a bush league planet settled early on by a bunch of hippies. His supporting characters include Admirals Toke, Head and Crashpad. Captain Happiness is also along for the ride. Admiral Orange gets it into his head that he needs to go to war with another planet and, not incidentally, the Confederation Marines. It's a comic opera that is hilarious in its ludicrous nature.
It's a relaxation break in the series.
Rated by buyers -
Overall this series is quite good. As a former Marine, I've found that the authors do a bang-up job of recalling long-forgotten memories of service and sacrifice. They've managed to combine snappy action and plotting with well-realized characters. Characters (such as Charlie Bass) who's fate we deeply care about.
That being said, "A World of Hurt," the tenth and latest in the "Starfist" series is a distinct disappointment. After the last two books in the series, "Kingdom's Fury" and "Lazarus Rising," we had the chance to really get to know several of the main characters: Charlie Bass, Lew Conorado, Brigadier Sturgeon, Cpl. Doyle, etc. They really came alive and of course there was the entire subplot with the supposed death and disappearance of Bass on Kingdom.
This was a major story arc, with the Marines grieving terribly at his "loss." However, his return from the dead is barely mentioned or explored in this novel. His promotion to officer status was similarly glossed over. It would have been quite interesting to have seen the reaction of the Marines to his return, rather than the matter of fact acceptance of his miraculous, "Lazarus" like revival. Or failing that, I would have enjoyed seeing the internal conflicts that Bass experienced as he assumed his new role of officer rather than enlisted man. They were hinted at in some of the throwaway lines in the book but nothing more. The Bass storyline is but one example of many that could have been fleshed out in this book.
Overall, it seems that the authors simply phoned this one in. Especially telling is the excruciating detail with which everyday activities are described. For Heaven's sake! If readers have been with the Marines of the 34th FIST to this point then they don't need to read the line "fast ride on a rough road" one more time. Ugh.
Here's hoping that the subsequent installment serves to advance the overall story rather than serving as a placeholder.
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