Archangel Down by C. Gockel
A now
imprisoned senior member of a space-fleet breaks out of her prison, but during
her escape bumps into a man with an uncanny resemblance to her ex-husband. This
man has strange abilities, to the point of being super-powered. But can he be
trusted? And is he even human?
When I’m in
the right mood, I’m a sucker for space opera, and what I really enjoyed about
this one was how damn hard it worked to be likeable. Yes, there’s the distant
planet, a new religion and a world in turmoil, but there’s also compulsive
characters and pretty good jokes.
It’s all
written in a breezy style which makes it hard not to go with it; there are
enough 20th century cultural references to makes one chuckle, but
not be irritated by, and there’s a sex robot (called, ahem, 6T9). Now no one ever
put a sex robot into a book without making it the focus of cheap gags. And
there are cheap gags aplenty, but what’s amazing about them is not how many
different ways Gockel manages to raise a chuckle, but that simultaneously she
makes him a real character. This is a sex bot you have cheap gags with and also
care about.
Undoubtedly those in the hard sci-fi camp should give this a miss, as I’m not sure how well its science would hold up. But if you’re climbing on board for the distant worlds and the adventure story, then I think – like me – you’ll have a good time.
My debut novel, THE WANNABES – which has been out of print for a little while – is now available for free. A supernatural thriller of beautiful actresses and deadly ambition in London town, it’s well worth your time. You can get your copy here!
