Bring It On, by Laura Anne Gilman (Luna, 2006)

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For lonejack mage/professional thief (aka Retriever) Wren Valere, and her partner Sergei, there’s no such thing as a normal day. Even when Wren’s not hot on the trail of missing artifacts, precious jewels, rare paintings, or unusual treasures, she’s dealing with all manner of strange people. Heck, on a mostly-normal day, a demon very much resembling a four-foot tall polar bear wanders into her apartment and ransacks the refrigerator!

Mind you, the past few months have been more complicated than usual. Hostile forces stalk the non-human fatae (mythical creatures) of the city. Lonejack mages have been disappearing without a trace. The mage Council is organizing in new and suspicious ways, and may be behind the troubles the lonejacks and fatae face. And in the midst of it all is Wren, tied to all three communities by friendship, loyalty, or circumstance. The more she tries to stay under the radar, the more she ends up in the spotlight, complicating her career as a thief and her newly-blossomed relationship with Sergei. As Wren tries to decide whether she’s ready to give up more of her independence, and whether she wants to be any sort of leader figure to the fatae and lonejacks, she distracts herself by taking on a case to “retrieve” a simple family heirloom for a desperate client… an heirloom with dangerous secrets. Pretty soon, things hit the fan as Wren learns all too well why the primary lonejack rule is “Don’t Get Involved.” One thing’s for certain: things have changed in New York, and not entirely for the better.

The third book in the Retrievers series by Laura Anne Gilman, Bring It On continues to raise the stakes for Wren and Sergei, keeping the action, the mystery, and yes, even the romance moving along at a steady pace. When this series first came out, I was worried that being part of Harlequin’s Luna line, it would be subject to the usual romance dictates, in which the hero and heroine end up in bed by chapter four, and in wuv, twue wuv, by the end of the book. Gilman, however, has, quite wisely, kept the romantic subplots on the backburner for the most part, allowing the story to focus more upon the supernatural adventure/mystery that really drives the plot. This has given Wren and Sergei’s relationship a much more organic, relaxed feel, which helps to feed the pace of the series’ overarching plotlines. In short, I see a long and happy life for the Retrievers series, based on the slow, steady progress of the protagonists’ love life.

Of course, Bring It On’s true strength is that it’s a ripping good urban fantasy, fast-paced and filled with an exciting blend of mystery and magic. There’s plenty going on, both in the foreground and in the background, as Gilman continues to explore a world where magic runs like electricity (and electricity can be tapped as magic), and where demons and other non-human breeds walk the streets in plain sight (and yet normal people just don’t notice them). Gilman has fast established her credentials as an urban fantasy writer of talent, and will appeal to fans of Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and that ilk. As I’ve said before, this is a paranormal romance for those who normally avoid romance, and the entire series is worth checking out.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2006

Human Resource, by Pierce Askegren (Ace, 2005)

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When Erik Morrison is transferred by his company to Villanueva Base, a corporation-controlled city which acts as the center of civilization for the Moon, he understands that it’s both a last-ditch effort to redeem his dying career, and a chance to make his mark on things. His bosses at EnTek have a mission for him, but aren’t clear about spelling it out. As a result, Erik’s forced to do some investigating and stone-overturning. What caused his predecessor as Site Coordinator to abruptly jump ship to a rival corporation? What secrets are people hiding? And what does the intriguing Wendy Scheer want with him? There are many different games being played out on the Moon, as factions within factions plot and plan and scheme, all under a civilized veneer of supposed cooperation. Somewhere out there is a man with a vital clue to a puzzling mystery, and everyone wants him. It’s into this den of corporate intrigue that Erik has walked, and if he doesn’t get a clue fast, he’ll be out in the cold. Permanently.

Human Resource is the first part of Pierce Askegren’s Inconstant Moon trilogy, and as a result, suffers somewhat from being mostly set-up. It takes a while for the plot to really shake itself out and get moving; much of the book is simply Erik Morrison and Wendy Scheer maneuvering around one another, as bits and pieces of the larger storyline reveal themselves. It’s not until the very end of Human Resource that we begin to get hard facts, after several hundred pages of dancing around hints and suggestions. Askegren gives us a fascinating world, one I can imagine quite easily. It makes sense that the Moon might end up colonized by corporations more than nations. After all, they go where the money’s to be made.

While the main characters, Morrison and Scheer, are both interesting, I admit that I found it hard to actually like either of them for the longest time. Morrison is an arrogant control freak who doesn’t want to be where he is, and Scheer is a manipulative femme fatale who plays more games than she really should, with everyone. They’re not exactly what you’d think of as sympathetic, yet somehow, by the end of the book, they seem to mellow and let their vulnerabilities show when in close proximity of one another.

Overall, I think that Human Resource shows a lot of potential; Askegren clearly has a larger vision in mind, and is gradually revealing parts of an interesting mystery. However, this is a series that clearly needs to be addressed as a whole, rather than individually. I’ll be looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy to see where things are going, and how it all ties together in the end.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2005

There Will Be Dragons, by John Ringo (Baen, 2003)

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In the far future, we’ve finally used technology to master the world and all aspects of our lives. Teleportation and shapechanging are commonplace, sickness and death are practically unknown, and there is no need. Our imaginations dictate our surroundings, and we spend our lives indulging in fantasies and various forms of instant gratification. Technology has, in other words, become sufficiently advanced so as to be indistinguishable from magic, like in Clarke’s Third Law. For some people, a world where they can have anything is too dull, so they go back to the land, reenacting times long past, or times long imagined. And for a very few, those who control the Net that controls the power that keeps the world running, even the world isn’t enough.

A shocking decision. A deadly plan. An audacious assassination attempt, and suddenly the Council is split in two, warring against itself. In the process, the Net goes down, and all over the world, the power goes out. Many die instantly as they fall from great heights, burn up in the Sun, suffocate in space, or are crushed by the depths of the ocean. Many more are left helpless in a hostile world, as nature, no longer controlled, goes wild. Only a few are prepared for life without nannites and free power. One of them, Edmund Talbot, is about to become a rallying point and leader for those determined to survive the hard way. Unfortunately, he’s got enemies at the gates, loved ones in trouble, and a past that won’t stay buried. He’s our best hope, though.

There Will Be Dragons is the latest epic from relative newcomer John Ringo, who’s already racked up an impressive list of best-selling military SF novels. In this one, he lets his imagination run unfettered, taking society and technology to a logical progression, then dropping them both over a cliff to see what survives. As usual, his characters are strong and fun to root for, his action scenes visceral, and the plot never quite stops moving. My only complaint is that he spends quite a lot of time explaining the details of things, to the point where I started wondering if he was trying to write a book, or justify all the research he must have done. There Will Be Dragons could almost double as a “how to” manual in some parts. However, that’s a minor flaw in a rather enjoyable book, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2005

Orphanage, by Robert Buettner (Warner Aspect, 2004)

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I suppose I should begin with a tiny bit of personal background. There are two books which I consider to be the pinnacle of military science fiction, two books by which I always have, and likely always will, judge that particular subgenre. The first is Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, and the second is Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War. They were some of the earliest adult SF books I recall reading, and barely a year goes by without me rereading one or both, or listening to the audiobook versions. I’m not a huge military SF fan; I enjoy it but it’s not something I automatically gravitate towards. However, I do know what I like when I see it. In recent years, a few books or series have come close to my standards, such as John Ringo’s Legacy of the Aldenata series (A Hymn Before Battle, Gust Front, When the Devil Dances, and Hell’s Faire), John Hemry’s Stark’s War trilogy (Stark’s War, Stark’s Command, and Stark’s Crusade), and William Forstchen’s Star Voyager Academy. However, while I’ve greatly enjoyed all of the above, Hemry’s books came the closest to invoking the same sense of excitement and wonder I first felt upon reading Starship Troopers and The Forever War. So imagine my surprise (and some small outrage at the sheer audacity) to see a new book on the shelves, one that had Joe Haldeman himself compare it to Starship Troopers. A book billing itself as “In the tradition of The Forever War…”

This, you can imagine, was a challenge I couldn’t resist. No book can compare itself to my two favorite SF military novels and hope to escape unscathed. I grabbed Orphanage, found a quiet corner, and began to read. And that was that for me. Robert Buettner not only lived up to expectations, he exceeded them with flying colors.

Orphanage is the first-person account of Jason Wander, an eighteen-year-old citizen of Indianapolis, orphaned when the first Projectile destroyed his hometown and the vast majority of its residents. At first, everyone thought it was the work of a terrorist. But then more Projectiles fell to Earth, devastating more cities, and the truth was painfully evident: we were under attack from outer space. From a base on Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons, aliens of unknown origin and motives were systematically wiping out the human race, bringing objects the size of skyscrapers down in controlled crashes. Humanity was under attack, and fighting back was nigh-impossible.

Lost and adrift in the middle of an escalating crisis, Jason ends up enlisting in the army, where his attitude is slowly but surely beaten out of him, replaced by a growing determination to succeed, filled with a new esprit de corps, replacing his lost family with his comrades-at-arms. It’s not an easy path to follow, but bit by bit, he discovers inner strengths and new friends, both of which serve him well as he fulfills his destiny. For humanity has a way to strike back at the so-called “Slugs,” a desperate gamble which will take ten thousand of Earth’s finest, all orphans with nothing left to lose but each other, to Ganymede in a fight to the finish. Out there, millions of miles from home, Jason and his adopted family will avenge their lost loved ones, and each other. But very few will survive this suicide mission, and their efforts may not be enough, unless they’re prepared to make a massive sacrifice.

Orphanage is a military coming-of-age story, a deliberate homage to Starship Troopers that might very well be this generation’s answer to said novel. Jason Wander is the dashing young hero-figure who has to go through numerous trials, physical and mental, before he can shed the last trappings of civilian life and his youth, to become the ideal soldier. His trial by fire is as harrowing as anything Juan Rico endures, and his battlefield promotions are as much a test of his ultimate suitability for the military. It’s easy to see Buettner’s inspirations in Orphanage, but at the same time, it’s most definitely its own work, written in a much different era. While Orphanage and Starship Troopers are both futuristic works, Orphanage seems to come out of a much closer, much more plausible future, one where society and technology have progressed without leaving us completely behind. In fact, the “backsliding” of technology, whereupon a suddenly-overcrowded Army is forced to reopen long-closed bases and break obsolete equipment and materiels out of mothballs in order to train their influx of recruits, is a great twist, grounding the story in the familiar while looking ahead to the technological advances created due to the war’s urgency.

Not only is Jason a likeable (if somewhat abrasive and brash) narrator, but his companions are also memorable. From the overachieving female Egyptian sharpshooter nicknamed “Munchkin” to the cocky pilot Priscilla “Pooh” Hart, from Jason’s best friend-turned war hero, Metzger, to his roommate Ari Klein (mentally bonded to a robotic recon drone), they flesh out the landscape. Buettner manages to instill each character with enough personality that they take on a life of their own, and when some fall victim to the sudden violence of war, their loss is truly felt. Toss in Drill Sergeant Ord (who, like Heinlein’s Zim, and every drill sergeant ever, is the textbook definition of semi-sympathetic badass), and you have everything you need. Again, the Heinlein influences are clearly visible.

I’ve spent a while trying to think of weak points, if any, but in all honesty, none immediately come to mind. Orphanage combines visceral action, first-rate characterization, and solid science to offer up a fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable read. Ultimately, Orphanage stands a very good chance of being one of the best military SF novels of the year, if not the decade. And I still stand by my suspicion that it could stake a claim towards being this generation’s high point, much like Starship Troopers and The Forever War both represent their respective generations. I eagerly look forward to Buettner’s next book, especially since it’s a sequel to Orphanage. I just hope he can keep it up. If you’re a fan of John Ringo, David Weber, William Forstchen, or any of the other excellent military SF writers out there, you won’t want to pass this book up. And that’s about as blunt as I can get.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2004

The Accidental Time Machine, by Joe Haldeman, (Ace, 2007)

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What would you do if you had a time machine? Admittedly, it’s somewhat limited: it only goes forward, and every time it’s used, it leaps forward at an exponential rate. At first it leaps forward by seconds. Then minutes. Use it too many times, and you’ll leap forward by centuries, even millennia. What would you do?

That’s the question Matt Fuller has to answer when he accidentally invents a time machine while working as a grad student at MIT. At first it’s a curiosity. Then a breakthrough. And then, as he experiments, it becomes inviolably intertwined with his life, as he’s blamed for an accidental death which occurs during testing. At that point, he has no choice but to leap forward, into a strange new future. And, just like with H.G. Wells’s protagonist in the original Time Machine, Matt Fuller is repeatedly exposed to the strange ways in which the future might unfold.

A time where Matt is a hero, but everyone he has known or cared for are much older, and society is different, yet still eerily familiar. But when things get uncomfortable, Matt realizes that his time machine is also the ultimate escape, a way to leave behind his problems.

A society ruled by religion, a strange blend of high and low technology, where Matt might fit in if he can just learn to adapt. But this society has its own problems, and Matt has no intention of being struck in it forever. What lies ahead, though? It’s here, however, that he picks up a traveling companion, an intelligent young lady whose ways are very different from what he’s used to.

A utopian world where bartering is an art form, and Artificial Intelligences are commonplace. But is there any place for Matt and his companion, Martha, here? All they have to do is push a button, and find out…

Ultimately, Matt and Martha do reach their ultimate destination, only to discover that it’s not what they were expecting. In fact, it’s not what anyone was expecting. History, it seems, repeats itself.

The Accidental Time Machine is a fascinating extrapolation of the future in the way only Joe Haldeman, who has explored this concept before in The Forever War, can do. It’s a relatively swift read, and I found it hard to put down once I’d started, eager to find out what mess our hero would get into next. Haldeman’s look at these societies of the centuries to come is intriguing, and even plausible, although I’m honestly sorry he didn’t spend longer in some of them. As soon as we got comfortable, he was off again to the next one. I’d have enjoyed seeing Matt stay longer in the future theocracy (where Jesus literally rules) and the future barterocracy (for lack of a better word) as they both held a lot of promise. The deus ex machina which comes into play near the end didn’t light my fires either; it reminds me a little too much of the god-like figure which dominated the end of Forever Free (his sequel to The Forever War). I don’t know what exactly I was expecting; after all, we knew the trip was one-way and if Matt was ever to return to the past (something that was quite broadly suggested to have happened) he had to encounter something capable of reversing the process. I guess it all seemed to end rather abruptly where that point was concerned. This book could have been longer by several hundred pages and I would have been happy.

In general, I really enjoyed The Accidental Time Machine. Haldeman has some great ideas, and a fairly good follow through on some of them, but he failed to utilize their full potential. This was a good book, but I know he’s capable of more. After all, The Forever War remains one of my very favorites for a reason. I’ll recommend this book, but not as enthusiastically as I’d originally hoped. Here’s hoping his next offering lives up to our high expectations.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2007

His Majesty’s Dragon, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, 2006)

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As the Napoleonic Wars rage on, the captain of the British ship, HMS Reliant, one Will Laurence accidentally gets swept up in events far greater than his own everyday experiences could ever have anticipated. The capture of a French frigate yields up a truly extraordinary prize: an unhatched dragon egg of unknown origins. When the egg hatches en route to a friendly port, the dragon within chooses to bond with Will, creating an unlikely partnership and the beginnings of a legendary friendship. For in this world, those who bond with dragons become part of the Aerial Corps, airborne swashbucklers who command multi-ton dragons in exhilarating combat against their enemy counterparts.

For the naval-inclined Will, this is but the first of many startling changes to which he must adapt.

As the months wear on, he and his dragon Temeraire must adjust to the new rigors and demands of the Aerial Corps, make compromises between old standards and new, and cope with societal expectations and depreciations (for while being a naval Captain might be quite dignified, very few consider being the captain of a dragon to be anywhere near as respectable or desirable.) And all too soon, Will and Temeraire learn about combat as part of the Aerial Corps, as Napoleon’s forces embark upon a daring, audacious plan to invade England. It’s dragon vs dragon in the wild blue yonder, and may the strongest survive. Oh, and as the mystery of Temeraire’s draconic lineage deepens, and his true nature is revealed, it threatens to open an entirely new box of problems. Both his original owners and his intended master want him back at any cost, and under that pressure, there may be little Captain Will Laurence can do.

I thought I’d seen every interesting take on dragons, but Naomi Novik manages to prove me dead wrong in this start to an excellently entertaining series. I never thought I’d find the Napoleonic Wars era to be nearly as fascinating as she does with this alternate history variation. The blending of historical action with fantasy overtones may not be a new concept, but she makes it wholly believable, and utterly engrossing. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop following the saga of Will and Temeraire, eager to see just how they’d cope not just with one another but with the world they’d been thrust into. And of course, as the action heated up, it was next-to-impossible to put the book down.

I absolutely adore Temeraire, a strong-willed dragon whose loyalty, nobility, and unyielding faith in his master are matched only by Will’s dedication to duty, honor, and country (and of course, his own loyalty to Temeraire, which blossoms out of a sense of duty and grows into a full-fledged partnership). These are two beings I’d want on my side no matter what. Happily, His Majesty’s Dragon is populated with fascinating characters of all moralities and personalities, from the adorably pathetic dragon Levitas to the fiercely blunt Captain Jane Roland and the justifiably resentful Lieutenant Granby. Together, they help to flesh out a world I look forward to seeing quite a lot more of in the near future.

It’s without any reservations whatsoever that I recommend His Majesty’s Dragon as something fresh and invigorating in the world of military fantasy, and a worthy new take on dragon fiction. The only thing I can think of which comes close to this in recent years is James M. Ward’s Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe, which combines dragons with a Horatio Hornblower feeling, but in a full-fledged fantasy setting. I know His Majesty’s Dragon is to be followed by two more books in the series in subsequent months, and I can hardly wait.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2006

Kris Longknife: Audacious, by Mike Shepherd (Ace, 2007)

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A Longknife’s work is never done. Naval lieutenant Kristine Longknife, Princess of Wardhaven, is in dire need of a vacation, after the way things have gone for her over the past few months. Thusly, she packs her bags and her entourage, and hies off to the planet of New Eden, where she hopes things will stay quiet for the time being, while she (reluctantly) fulfills various diplomatic and military obligations, most of which involve standing around and looking pretty and dealing with paperwork. The first assassination attempt suggests that things aren’t going to be quiet; the second clinches that thought, and convinces Kris and her allies that New Eden isn’t the safe haven its name would suggest. Now it’s up to Kris, her bodyguard Jack, her maid Abby, and her sentient computer Nelly, as well as a squad of highly-trained Marines to cut right to the heart of the matter and figure out what’s going on under the surface of New Eden.

As our heroes dig deeper, they discover a deeply conflicted planet on the verge of revolution, where one hand definitely doesn’t know what the other is up to, and where various forces are looking to play out a very deadly game. Unfortunately for the bad guys, they’ve messed with the wrong princess. Kris Longknife tends to shoot back, with prejudice. And New Eden will never be the same after she’s done with it.

The fourth book in this fast-paced, exciting military SF series, Kris Longknife: Audacious continues the saga of a strong heroine who knows how to kick serious ass and make an impression on friends and enemies alike. Mike Shepherd has a great ear for dialogue and talent for injecting dry humor into things at just the right moment. His heroes are capable — perhaps too capable, as it’s hard to ever feel that Kris and friends are ever in real danger — and confident, even if his villains aren’t quite as complex as one might hope. Some people might consider his prose to be a little choppy, but it does keep things moving along at a brisk clip. What matters is that the characters are engaging, and the plot is full of twists and peppered liberally with sharply-described action. I always look forward to installments in the Kris Longknife series, because I know I’m guaranteed a good time with plenty of adventure. Audacious doesn’t disappoint in this regard. Military SF fans are bound to get a kick out of the series as a whole, and fans will be glad to see Kris hasn’t lost any of her edge.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2007

Empire of Ivory, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, 2007)

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After a near-epic journey halfway across the world to China and back, surviving adventures, treachery, and battles galore, Captain Will Laurence and his dragon companion Temeraire thought they could settle back into something resembling a normal life. Normal, that is, for life in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars. Unfortunately, they’ve returned to a nightmare: the dragons of England’s Aerial Corps lay sick and dying from a mysterious disease, and it seems as though only Temeraire is immune to the illness which threatens to wipe out England’s only hope against Napoleon’s forces. In a desperate attempt to find a cure, Temeraire and Will Laurence, along with several of their colleagues, are dispatched on a mission back to Africa, in the hopes that their salvation lies somewhere in its vast depths.

Once there, Will and Temeraire are plunged into an adventure unlike any they’ve had before, as England’s culture slams right up against the myriad native cultures which still dominate deep within the jungles. The slave trade, and the encroachment of European nations, has left a bitter taste in many native mouths, and as our heroes are about to find out… Africa has dragons also. Soon, it’ll be everything Will and Temeraire can do to rescue themselves and their friends, and escape a hostile, alien environment. Worst of all, once the survivors make it home, Will and Temeraire will be forced to make an unthinkable decision based on honor and loyalty, one that could cost them everything.

The fourth in the popular Temeraire series, Empire of Ivory continues to explore a fascinating alternate history where the Napoleonic Wars were fought using dragons in addition to the traditional methods. Moreover, this is a world where dozens of species of dragons have lived alongside humans for as long as anyone can remember, serving a variety of functions. We’ve already seen how the European nations use dragons primarily for war, viewing them as something of a dangerous inconvenience at other times, and how they’re respected and honored in Chinese society, and now a new twist, how dragons relate to African tribal culture, is introduced, to great effect. And as usual, there’s Will to provide a slightly liberal, yet thoroughly influenced by English morality of the time, viewpoint, and Temeraire to balance it out with practical, thoughtful innocence. I can certainly appreciate this ‘world tour’ they’ve been on, and how Naomi Novik uses the two of them to provide contrast and commentary on the various cultural leanings of the world during this period of time, and I hope we’ll continue to see parts of the world as yet untouched-upon in future volumes.

Novik has a real knack for conjuring up fully-realized, three-dimensional characters who aren’t afraid of being flawed. Will Laurence himself can be overly concerned with propriety and image, having grown up in high society before taking to the seas, but his more relaxed viewpoints make him a nice counterpoint against his less open-minded peers, as we see to great effect when he spends some time mingling with various influential people. Temeraire may cut to the chase with his simplistic views, born of inexperience, but it’s clear he doesn’t know the full complexity of human society yet. And of course, his draconic nature is a perpetual influence upon his priorities, which ends up steering the plot in some fairly major ways more than once. Then you have such stalwarts as Captain Catherine Harcourt, who, as a female in the Aerial Corps, goes against a great many social expectations and constraints with her opinions and behavior, or Captain Thomas Riley, formerly one of Will’s own officers, whose differing opinions over slavery and propriety fuel a major disagreement with Will. One minor character who steals the scene whenever she’s around is Iskierka, a young dragon of Turkish origin possessed of a precocious nature, great fighting spirit, and tremendous initiative. She gives Temeraire a run for the money as far as most personable dragon is concerned.

There’s a very real sense of danger and adventure present in this series, and Empire of Ivory is no different. With many dragons dying from a mysterious disease, there’s clearly no guarantee that any of the infected ones will survive, especially with some of the better featured ones (such as Maximus and Lily) quite sick indeed. There’s a sense of impending doom and dread that hangs over their heads, and I was quite worried that some of my favorites might not survive to see the cure found. Kudoes to Novik for getting the reader to feel for these dragons, and to worry for their safety as much as they would any of the human characters. As well, there’s never any guarantee that people will survive the numerous battles that come about as part of the wartime setting, whether it’s in aerial combat against Napoleon’s forces, or in a fight for survival against mysterious feral dragons down in Africa.

I could go on, for I’ve barely touched upon the fascinating cultures discovered in this book, and how they give rise to the title, Empire of Ivory, nor have I lavished praise upon the gripping descriptions of combat, or the underlying moral issues that help make the story so complex. The truth is, I’m thoroughly hooked on this series. I honestly never thought I’d be this excited over historical fantasy, especially since I’m very picky about my alternate history reading, but Novik has taken this period, and this concept, and really made it her own. Empire of Ivory is a worthy addition to the Temeraire series, and my only complaint is that it’s left on a cliffhanger note, and it’ll be a while before we see how Temeraire and Will deal with their new crop of troubles. But you can bet I’ll be there to see how it turns out. If you’ve read the first three in the series, get this one. If you’re a newcomer, I urge you, by all means, to start with His Majesty’s Dragon, and enjoy.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2007

The Blue-Haired Bombshell, by John Zakour (DAW, 2007)

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Zachary Nixon Johnson, the last freelance PI on Earth in the late 21st Century, is having a typical Tuesday. You know, attacked by killer plants, nearly killed by traffic while rescuing a heiress’s dog, stalked by an ad agency, menaced by genetically-engineered ogres… the usual. And then things get weird. And dangerous. It seems that the issue of the Moon’s independence has once again come up for vote before the World Council, which makes this an extraordinarily suspicious time for three of the Council’s most visible members to be assassinated by a powerful psi known for her Moon sympathies. Zach, smelling more than a few rats, decides to take the case, pro bono, and off to the Moon he goes.

There, he has to juggle all sorts of problems and potential enemies, including the Moon’s leader, Boris Sputnik and innumerable sexy blue-haired women with amazing psi powers. Oh, and intelligent, gun-toting augmented gorillas. And battle droids. You know … the usual. Luckily, Zach has a few aces up his sleeve, including HARV (the supercomputer who lives inside his head and acts as an assistant), GUS (his new user-friendly if somewhat experimental high-tech gun) and Carol (his annoyingly powerful psionic teenage assistant). It’s a good thing, too, because Zach will need all the help he can get, because the fates of the Earth and the Moon are up for grabs. Either he avoids all kinds of certain death, finds an assassin, foils a fiendishly apocalyptic plan and gets the world’s most uncooperative sisters to work together, or the entire human race will face extinction. The worst part of all this? He’s not even getting paid for the case.

The Blue-Haired Bombshell is the fifth in this humorous SF/Mystery hybrid series, and it’s safe to say that John Zakour continues to turn out a highly enjoyably, always weird story. He takes the very best clichés and tropes from the mystery field (especially the wisecracking, hardheaded, square jawed, fearless protagonist) and mixes them together with outrageous science fictional elements (psionic powers, genetic engineering, shuttles to the Moon, ray guns, talking gorillas, teleportation, weird aliens, and so forth), and spices it all up with some slapstick humor and a healthy dose of action. The end result is an oddly-entertaining tale with a pleasantly retro feel to it. You’ll never be able to accuse this series of being great literature, but for sheer unadulterated fun, it’s hard to beat. I always enjoy installments in this series, and Zakour’s still doing a great job of carrying it solo, after the departure of co-author Lawrence Ganem following The Radioactive Redhead. I will suggest that newcomers to the series go ahead and start with the first book, The Plutonium Blonde, as this book draws upon characters and situations introduced in the first four books of the series. All in all, this is good fun, and worth checking out.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2007

The Doomsday Brunette, by John Zakour & Lawrence Ganem (DAW, 2004)

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Zachary Nixon Johnson, the last freelance private investigator on Earth, is called upon to unravel yet another bizarre case in The Doomsday Brunette, his second outing. This time, he and his AI partner are summoned to the estate of Ona Thompson, one of the world’s four most perfect woman, in order to investigate the murder of her sister, Foraa. It seems that the Thompson Quads, four genetically-enhanced clones, have finally had the falling out people have been predicting for years. So who killed Foraa? Was it Twoa (the would-be superhero)? Was it Threa (the fairy princess)? Was it W, the ancient butler? Sturm and Drang, the identical cousin security consultants? Opie, the intelligent gorilla? Or was it indeed Ona, who inherited everything from her father/creator, leaving nothing for her sisters? Once Zachary starts digging, it becomes clear that everyone had a reason for wanting Foraa dead… including the murder victim herself.

Naturally, this means everyone wants Zachary dead, also. Luckily, he’s a hard man to kill. He’s had plenty of practice at surviving ridiculous odds. He’ll risk his life, his reputation, and his career to see justice done properly and earn that fat paycheck at the end of the case. Now if only he wasn’t caught between disgruntled aliens, and a doomsday device….

The Doomsday Brunette, like its predecessor, The Plutonium Blonde, is a wild and crazy adventure that blends noir detective fiction and far-out future SF to create a tongue-in-cheek, thoroughly enjoyable story. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is one of its best features, allowing it to stand out from all the other humorous science fiction murder mysteries out there. I know it’s a relatively small field, and all the better. Give this one a shot if you want some amusement.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2005