It's a compendium of David Gerrold's Star Wolf series, comprising The Voyage of the Star Wolf; The Middle of Nowhere, and Blood and Fire. It centers on the trials and tribulations an expendable ship and its executive officer, Jon Thomas Korie. Like I said, it's about an expendable ship, not the usual story following the adventures of the flagship. You know those little destroyers whose job it is to steam in front of the torpedo heading for the big expensive air craft carrier? That's the Star Wolf. And the ship's captains keep getting killed.

The Voyage of the Star Wolf begins with the Star Wolf in the middle of its shake-down cruise. The Morthan (for "More-Than Humans") are making threats and so the Star Wolf is ordered to rendezvous with a convoy. But it leads the Morthans to the convoy, and the good guys are mauled. It limps back home, but instead being congratulated, they're the scapegoat. Things go downhill (for the heroes) from there. Sorry to spoil things, but the Star Wolf's captain gets killed. And his lawyer, I think.

The Middle of Nowhere: It takes place almost entirely on the ship. It's under quarantine. Oh, the story follows the new cadet, Gattineau (?). He goes through a snipe hunt for a "left-handed moebius wrench," which is a brilliant way to introduce us to the crew and the ship. Again, the Star Wolf's new captain gets killed, in a heroic martyr way.

Blood and Fire, is the third and last book in the collection. The Star Wolf rendezvouses with the Norway, on a search-and-rescue run. It's infected with a nasty disease, and there's a moral dilemma with pretty speeches. And yes, the i>Star Wolf's new captain goes bye-bye. And who replaces her but the lovable Korie. I guess that's a good an excuse as any for ending the series: Gerrold adores Korie too much to see him get killed off. ( )